Cycling can be great fun for people of all ages. No matter if you are a professional cyclist, doing it for fun, or doing it as a way to get a bit of exercise, there is one thing you will inevitably have to deal with โ a sore butt.
So, why does cycling cause a sore butt? How long before the soreness goes away and is there any getting used to it?
Any bike can cause butt soreness and it is expected that it takes 1 to 3 weeks of frequent riding before it stops hurting from riding. As one gets more into cycling, they can experiment with different saddles and saddle positions before they find one that works for them. While the soreness will never fully go away, the right saddle, saddle position, as well as proper cycling gear will surely make it more tolerable and negligible.
- How Long Until Saddle Soreness Goes Away?
- How Long Does It Take to Get Used to Bike Saddle?
- Is Cycling Painful On The Butt to All Riders, Or Is It Just Me?
- Why Are Bike Seats So Hard?
- How Can I Make My Bike Saddle More Comfortable?
- Why Are Cycling Seats So Uncomfortable?
- How Do You Sit on a Bike So It Does not Hurt?
How Long Until Saddle Soreness Goes Away?
After your first bike ride, you will feel some saddle soreness. If you are not in very good physical shape, you might even feel soreness in your arms and legs. But the most persistent soreness is bound to be in the butt.
It will take about a week or two for saddle soreness to go away. If the soreness is not too bad, you can continue cycling during those weeks. Regular cycling will also help the muscles and soft tissue get used to the soreness, so you will feel it less and less with time.
If the pain is too strong, we recommend resting for at least a week before you get back on the bike. If you think you can handle some more cycling, try to do it but remember not to push yourself too much and make things even worse.
Also, check out Why Do Cyclists Have Skinny Arms? Cycling Impact On Arm Size!
How Long Does It Take to Get Used to Bike Saddle?
All bike saddles take some getting used to. Even if you have the best saddle ever, your muscles will hurt a little bit because your body is doing something new, something it is not used to. A general assumption is that within two or three weeks, your body will get used to the bike saddle and the bike as a whole.
The adaptation period also depends on your fitness level. If you are in good physical shape and have been working out, your muscles will not get as sore as you would think. If you are a newbie at exercising, your entire body will feel sore for a while.
Is Cycling Painful On The Butt to All Riders, Or Is It Just Me?
A lot of people do not suspect that cycling comes with the amount of butt pain that it does. Whenever you see cyclists with their nice bikes and their cycling outfits, you must think that cycling seems like a thrill. But once you start doing it yourself, you might be caught a bit off guard by the pain that it can cause.
All cyclists feel butt pain after cycling. Some might feel it more than others because of the type of bike and saddle that they have, the cycling shorts that they wear, and so on. But a general assumption is that everyone feels at least a bit of butt pain.
As you get more and more into cycling, you will start building tolerance toward the pain. Your body will get used to the movements and the muscle fatigue that comes with riding a bike. Within two or three weeks, cycling will become more bearable for you and you will not get as much pain from doing it as you did in the beginning.
Also, we think it is important for you to check our post on “Do Cyclists Wear Underwear? What Not To Wear!“
Why Are Bike Seats So Hard?
Some bike seats can be quite uncomfortable and sturdy, but the same cannot be said for all bike seats in general. The build of the seat and the padding used will make the seat less or more hard.
If you want to start cycling regularly, our recommendation would be for you to try different types of seats. This will help you learn more about the seats, their padding, how they should fit, and so on. From all that, you will be able to tell which one feels best to you and your butt.
Some professional cycling saddles can be somewhat expensive. Investing in an expensive, padded saddle is not always the best idea, but if you are planning on cycling regularly, it might be a necessity for you. So, do some research and find a bike seat that will be less hard than your original one and that will make you feel more comfortable. (Source)
You can start by checking out the saddle seat we use and recommend. The Prologo Kappa Space T4.0 Saddle (Amazon Link)
How Can I Make My Bike Saddle More Comfortable?
There are many ways to make a bike saddle more comfortable. The first thing you need to check is the saddle itself โ if it is the wrong size and it does not have any padding, you will need to invest in a new one as soon as possible!
If you think that your current saddle will work, then you should try to adjust it to make sitting on the bike more comfortable for you. You can tilt the saddle, and raise or lower it so that it fits your body well. You can also adjust the handlebars to make them fit the position of the saddle better.
If all this does not make your seat comfortable, you should consider getting extra saddle padding or perhaps a padded or gel cover (Note that this is the last resort as it may cause some chafing). These things will lower the impact the saddle has on your butt muscles, so the pain might not be as unbearable as it would be without them. (Source)
Why Are Cycling Seats So Uncomfortable?
Cycling seats are never the most comfortable thing to sit on. If you have a quality seat that is the right size for your body, well adjusted to your bike, and with enough padding, your sitting will be somewhat more comfortable. If the seat is lacking in any of these areas, it will be less comfortable than you would like it to be.
Always think about these things when buying a bike or a new cycling seat but also remember that you can get some biking shorts for extra padding. It is either that or applying some chamois cream with regular shorts to make things a bit better.
How Do You Sit on a Bike So It Does not Hurt?
It is not the way you sit that makes your butt hurt, it is the actual saddle and your level of preparedness that makes the pain better or worse. To make cycling more tolerable here is what you can do:
- Biking Shorts – The first thing is to get some biking shorts that have extra padding on the butt. The padding will make things so much better, while the shorts will help you stay comfortable. Some cyclists recommend wearing cycling shorts with no underwear underneath so that there is no friction between the underwear and the shorts.
- Chamois Cream – To add to that, you can also apply some chamois cream to your butt. The cream paired with good padding on the seat and the cycling shorts is bound to make you feel more comfortable.
- Adjusting the Seat – As always, you can tilt and adjust the seat to make it better for sitting. If your butt starts hurting too much, you can even raise your butt and stand on the pedals for a minute or two.
If you ask us, we think that a combination of everything mentioned above is best to make your butt hurt less when cycling. So, try combining everything to get the most pleasant cycling experience the next time you decide to take your bike for a ride. (Source)
On a side note, check out “If Slow Cycling Good for You? Whatโs A good Speed?!“