Bikefitting tips for women to combat seat discomfort - Seat problems when riding a road bike

Cycling is rarely a pleasure for the backside and its surroundings: A few square centimetres of the body carry the majority of its weight. There is pressure where nobody likes to feel pressure. And friction on the saddle causes the skin to suffer in particularly sensitive areas.
"Almost all women who come to us have seat complaints," says Britta Thomas-Neue, a bike fitter from Bensheim. "A bike saddle has a very unfortunate shape for the female anatomy: The saddle nose exerts pressure on the soft tissue, i.e. the labia and clitoris." According to Thomas-Neue, anyone who bruises this sensitive area not only suffers pain while riding, "but also for a long time afterwards".
Pressure points on the pubic bone runners are also problematic. These form a greater angle in the female pelvis than in men. As a result, the pubic arch is lower, which means that the soft tissues are more likely to be bruised. "If women cover more than 8,000 kilometres a year, stubborn, irreversible swelling can develop on the side of the vulva at the transition to the leg," says Britta Thomas-Neue. Some professional cyclists have had no choice but to have an operation because the swollen tissue was squeezing the leg veins.
"Getting men on their bikes is easier for us fitters," says the expert, who has been cycling herself since her youth. "The testicles and penis can be moved if there is pressure anywhere. But with women, nothing shifts at all." Pain, inflammation, numbness and dysfunction during sex and urination are the result.

PAIN WHEN CYCLING

The skin also suffers. "Friction is problematic for it," says Prof Dr Swen Malte John, Scientific Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Dermatological Prevention and Rehabilitation at the University of Osnabrück. The dermatologist, who used to look after Team T-Mobile, is a cyclist himself and knows what saddle, seat pad, sweat and the monotonous movement between the legs can do.
"The symptoms usually start with soreness." If bacteria then penetrate the skin, it leads to hair follicle inflammation, which can develop into abscesses up to two centimetres in size. "These are very painful and should be treated by a doctor," says John. Wounded skin is also an entry point for (yeast) fungi: "They feel particularly at home in the warm, damp climate of cycling shorts," says John. Riders can recognise the onset of fungal infections by reddened bumps on the skin, "which itch and burn and sometimes ooze pus".
It is also not uncommon for women to catch urinary tract infections while cycling. "Sitting on the saddle literally massages your own intestinal germs into the urethra," explains the doctor. Women who know that they are sensitive should drink a lot to flush the bladder more often, says John.
Skin injuries, pain, neurological disorders - studies have long proven that women who cycle have sitting problems at least as often as men. Up to 40 per cent of their body weight rests on their genital area when cycling. Younger, ambitious female cyclists do not usually suffer from permanent damage, as New York scientists have discovered. However, compared to runners, for example, they already showed significant sensory disturbances in the labia, vagina and clitoris after a weekly distance of around 160 kilometres.

THE RIGHT SADDLE FOR WOMEN

Bike fitter Britta Thomas-Neue knows that many women find their own solution to avoid the pressure in the genital area: "They slide far back on the saddle and tilt their pelvis as if they were sitting on a chair." Although this sitting position is gentler on the soft tissue, "it is anything but ideal if you want to perform well on the road". If the women put their pelvis up, the whole bike becomes too long for them, whereupon they often fit a shorter stem - "and the whole riding stability is ruined," says Thomas-Neue. "These girls sit too far behind the bottom bracket and no longer get any pressure on the pedals."
So do you need a different saddle? After all, there are countless saddles with which manufacturers try to solve seating problems. That can help, says the bike fitter. "However, it's often not the saddle that's the problem, but rather its position and what's around it." For example, if the saddle sits too high, it creates pressure in the crotch. The wrong crank length can also lead to sitting problems. "A long crank requires more knee lift, which results in friction at the contact points of the saddle." You also have to look at your feet if you have seating problems: "Women often mount the pedal plates too far forwards, which makes their feet unstable," reports Thomas-Neue. "If they tilt inwards during the pressure phase, the insertion of the inner thigh muscles slips over the edge of the saddle every time and causes friction."
Many female cyclists get on well with V-shaped saddles that have a split seat or a recess, according to ergonomics studies with frequent female cyclists. Pressure measurements show that such a saddle shape protects the soft tissue and the load is then more on the bony structures. "But there is no one saddle for women," says Thomas-Neue. Instead of falling for manufacturers' marketing or simply relying on the distance between the ischial tuberosities, which many retailers still use as the only size when selling saddles, women should also ask themselves: "What do I look like underneath and which saddle would suit me?"
In other words: Am I an "innie" or an "outie"? With outies, the labia minora and clitoris lie outside, i.e. protrude between the labia majora - and can therefore be squeezed. With "innies", the clitoris and labia minora are hidden between the labia majora. The risk of sitting problems is then lower. According to studies, wider saddles with pressure reduction in the centre are suitable for outies, while innies can ride narrower saddles with rounded edges.

HELPS: WITHOUT PANTS, WITH SEAT CREAM

Sounds simple, but is often difficult - especially during counselling sessions, says Britta Thomas-Neue. "When women report that their bum hurts when cycling, it's rarely their bum." Very few customers are able to talk about where exactly they have pain. "They have no words for it, or they lack the courage." Is it a bone or the clitoris that a particular saddle is pressing on? Some riders are unable to describe it. "Especially not in bike shops, where women aren't taken seriously anyway," says Britta Thomas-Neue and demands: "Girls need to change their way of thinking. They have to learn to call a spade a spade." Because then Britta Thomas-Neue can help them: "Cycling doesn't have to hurt. There are so many things we can change."
In addition to the saddle, the feeling of sitting has an effect: Body weight, mobility, riding technique, duration of rides, surface - and the cycling shorts. "Whether you like thin triathlon pads or thick padding: You shouldn't skimp on the shorts," says Thomas-Neue. Time and again, she sees women wearing underwear under their cycling shorts. "I send them straight back to the changing room." Underwear also increases the risk of pressure and friction - and is practically a guarantee for seating problems.
Anyone who wants to solve their seating problems will sooner or later come across Seat creams. They protect against friction and prevent skin irritation. However, they only work if they are applied generously. Britta Thomas-Neue knows from her own experience: "Seat cream should be applied to the skin and the upholstery - so thick that it doesn't disappear into it. You've found the optimum amount when you have to wash the cream off later in the shower."
Dermatologist Swen Malte John also believes in the greasy protective layer - although not all of them: "We dermatologists don't think that many products offered by special manufacturers are suitable. They often contain fragrances and menthol, which often triggers allergies." Even creams with antibacterial active ingredients do not inspire the amateur cyclist. "That's the wrong way of thinking. Because they also kill off the beneficial bacteria. They can also cause allergies."
The fewer ingredients a seat cream has, the better it is for the skin. Especially for the female genital area, which reacts irritably to some of the ingredients in sitz creams. To prevent crotch irritation, dermatologist John recommends simple zinc paste, which can be mixed by any pharmacist, or Penaten cream from the chemist. "After all, cyclists' bums have similar problems to babies' bums."

MAINTAIN WELL, DO NOT SHAVE

Only those who tend to have dry skin should use a product without zinc, advises Dr Maja Heinrigs. The Munich-based gynaecologist, who cycles a lot herself, advocates creams rich in fat with as few additives as possible. The doctor can reassure women who fear that the creams could attack their vaginal flora: "I wouldn't worry about that, because the cream doesn't get into the vagina in large quantities." It is more important to prevent the sensitive vulva skin from drying out and to moisturise it with almond oil, for example.
Showering before going outside to prevent skin irritation is not a good idea, says dermatologist Swen Malte John: "Moist skin is more permeable to germs." He doesn't think much of antibacterial detergents either: "It's pure superstition that they work."
One trend that all three experts are critical of is shaving pubic hair. This may be aesthetically pleasing, but from a dermatological point of view it is not beneficial when cycling, on the contrary: "Shaving causes tiny skin lesions that allow bacteria and fungi to penetrate," says dermatologist John. "It increases the risk of abscesses and fungal infections." Gynaecologist Heinrigs advises shaving only after the ride. And bike fitter Thomas-Neue confirms: "Getting on your bike freshly shaved is not the best idea. Frequent cyclists should consider whether shaving makes sense for them. Because it can be the trigger for your seat problems."