Seat discomfort when riding a road bike - avoid pain in your feet and bum on the road bike

Question from Tobias F.: So far I've only ridden a mountain bike, but now I've also bought a road bike. I've ridden it a few times on the roller, but I feel unwell. Apart from back and arm pain, I have severe pain in my back and feet. It's almost unbearable on my bum, during the ride on my perineum and now, two days after the last training session, also directly on my anus. When I'm cycling, my feet always hurt exactly at the points above the pedal plates. Is this all a matter of habit, or do I need to change something?

Answer from Dr Stefan Staudte: Your pain is probably an overuse syndrome due to the untrained posture on the road bike. Cycling generally puts strain on the perineal and anal area, especially on saddles that create unfavourable stress zones in the middle of the perineal area. This is the area where the rear part of the urethra, vascular and nerve clusters and the prostate gland are located. Irritation and inflammation are possible there. Muscles, tendons, muscle attachment points and the periosteum can be overloaded in the posterior sitting area, i.e. the anus, buttocks and sitting bones. The arms and back often have to do more unaccustomed holding work due to the more stretched posture compared to the MTB. If you lose your grip, your perineum and buttocks will slide too far forwards and the front part of the saddle will put pressure on these areas. In the case of the feet, one-sided strain with too much pressure and too little traction or shoes that are laced up too tightly are possible causes. My advice: train for a shorter time and more often instead.

three times a week for 45 minutes instead of three hours. Ride your usual saddle from your mountain bike or have one professionally fitted. It can also help to sit more upright: Shorten the seat length by pushing the saddle forwards, shortening or raising the stem. Pedal as smoothly as possible, with a high frequency and less pressure. Experience has shown that inexperienced cyclists have a more cramped posture on the roller than when cycling outdoors. So make sure you get out on your bike again!