Katy Trail Forum

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Does anyone have a recommendation for a comfortable women's bike seat (saddle)? I went riding yesterday in preparation for our trip in 2 weeks and I am in pain today. I even used one of those gel pads that you can put over your bike seat, but that did absolutely nothing. I can not ride 40 miles the first day and 35 the second like this!!!

I do not have female anatomy, but I would encourage you to 1) Make sure the seat is properly adjusted, and 2) Consider getting some good bike shorts over bulking up your seat with some type of padding. I personally like the "Century Short" from Performance Bikes (online). Unless it's old or really cheap, I'd bet the seat on your bike seat is fine, and needs to be adjusted. If it is not a good quality seat, you can buy a women's specific seat from just about any bike shop for around $40. One reason you may want to consider buying a new seat from a local bike shop is that they should be able to help you get your bike fit to you.

I agree with Salsaboy. My husband was having trouble with his seat and we went to a TREK bike store and they sized him for a seat. He sat on this board which showed his pressure points and bought the size seat he needed. He has no problems now. I did the same and the seat that came with my bike is the size I needed. I also use a seat cover with Memory Foam instead of gel. I think gel gets to feeling too hard after a while. But taking your bike into someone who knows their stuff will cut down on the trial and error finding what works.

Some things to consider when trying a seat:
1) Most experts recommend that the tip of the seat touches your tailbone when you are standing in front of it. That will help you with the height.
2) The tilt of the seat (up or down) makes a big difference for women. Take along a hex screwdriver set and adjust the tilt several times during a ride to see what works best for you.
3) Pushing yourself back on the seat; adjusting more weight on one side then the other when coasting; and standing while coasting can all relieve the soreness/fatigue.
4) Don't be tempted to buy a wide seat unless all else fails. Your legs cannot reach as low with them, so while your rear may be more comfortable, your legs/knees will suffer.

Hope this helps.

Brooks makes a nice leather saddle. You don't have time to break it in if you're just 2 weeks out. Also, Terry makes some nice male and female saddles that seem to work well. The Terry Liberator is a good one. Of course, either of these needs to be adjusted properly too.

A couple of questions. How far did you ride and do you ride regularly? If you're not a regular rider and you rode any distance at all your butt is going to hurt no matter what seat you use. With only two weeks before your ride I would try to ride at least 5 - 10 miles every other day. On your ride in two weeks make regular stops to stretch and give you butt a break.

Fit. Fit. Fit. Chamois Butr. Fit. Good bike shorts. Fit. Oh...did I mention FIT.

The bike has to fit you and so does the saddle.

Beyond that it's all about getting the butt used to being there for a while.

All good suggestion. Fit is important and I hope you have a woman's saddle. I think women have the point of the saddle level or slightly lower. Hopefully, as a new rider, you need to have butt time on your bike. Any adjustment can be changed.
After you get back, look into purchasing a Brooks women's leather saddle. Go to: www.brooksengland.com or contact them at: info@brooksengland.com. I've had a Brooks for almost 40 years and while there's plenty of suggestions to soften the leather, I use a little Neatsfoot Oil on the saddle every day for a few months. It will get soft while riding. Good Luck for a good trip.

Brooks seats, butr, good cushioned shorts and time in the saddle girl. Ride every day 20+ miles if you can. Especially if you're 2 weeks out.

On Brooks....if you are in the UK contacting Brooks directly may be a good option. If you are stateside, wallbike dot com in New Orleans is a better option. They have a 6 month unconditional guarantee. If you buy from them shipping is from the states and you can pay in dollars.

Come on guys! This lady sounds like a novice who is trying to get comfortable for a ride on our GREAT Katy: She doesn't need a $200 Brooks saddle that needs to be broken in and cared for like a fine pair of leather boots.

My advice stands: 1) Get a women's specific seat for about $40 at your local bike shop, 2) Let them fit it, and your bike, to you. Don't be afraid to make a few adjustments even after they help you. If they know what they are doing, they will get it close, but you will have to adjust it--and that will take a couple of rides, 3) Get a couple pairs of the same bike shorts: That will keep all other things equal. My preference is Performance's Century Short. 4) Stay away from pads, big seats, etc.

Good luck!

No, she probably doesn't need a Brooks in the short run or ever for that matter. But down the road if you ride much a good bike seat is a sound investment. I've ridden a Brooks for years and didn't pay $200 for either of them, but much like helments if your head is worth $20 get a nice helment at WalMart. In the long run, if your comfort is worth $40 get a nice cheap seat but in my opinion you can save yourself some greif and pain by looking at something like a Brooks, Terry, etc.

The following from SalsaBoy seems like good advise to me...

My advice stands: 1) Get a women's specific seat for about $40 at your local bike shop, 2) Let them fit it, and your bike, to you. Don't be afraid to make a few adjustments even after they help you. If they know what they are doing, they will get it close, but you will have to adjust it--and that will take a couple of rides, 3) Get a couple pairs of the same bike shorts: That will keep all other things equal. My preference is Performance's Century Short. 4) Stay away from pads, big seats, etc.

It's all about saddle time! Even if it's on an exercise bike, get all the saddle time you can get in the next two weeks.

Caution: About the only thing a bigger saddle will do, is irritate a bigger area.

Good luck on your ride!

Thank you all for all of your help. I am going riding again this weekend and visiting a local bike shop so I plan to get some help there. Hopefully I won't be in TOO much pain after the first day.

I agree with Salsaboy, and how important fit and seat adustment is. I am a guy, so fit is a bit different. I have tried cushy, medium, and relatively hard seats, and find that I prefer the harder seat for long rides. I've tried cheap, and relatively expensive ($100 range), and have twice come back to my Specialize Riva BG seat. The cushier wider seat will just irritate your butt/legs. Get good shorts as well, and don't forget the butt butter.

As long as we're all standing on our advice I'll stand on mine. Less than two weeks is not enough time to develop a "good" bike butt without riding at least every other day. Doesn't mean you can't enjoy the ride though. Just take your time, make frequent stops and soak in the beauty that is the Katy Trail.

I agree about time in the saddle. I was able to ride 30-50 miles without any problems once my butt got broke in. Then I bought a pair of bike shorts because I wanted to do more century rides. Unfortunately now I'm used to the shorts and my butt suffers if I don't wear them. :( I have never altered my seat or added a cushion but that's just me.

Aside from the seat adjustment which you should do at bike shop, you may purchase a sheep skin cover for your bike seat. Do adjustment on the height after you've placed the sheep skin cover. Also, make sure you make a mark on your adjusted height with a file or something similar so you'll know when your seat is sinking on you.I used a bike pant half a day on my 5 day trail ride,discarded it on the spot, it was the best thing I did. They maybe great for a road bike but not for long day trail riding.

For a cushy seat, check out a Cloud 9. Yes, they're big but wow are they padded. I got one for my wife and she loves it. ...Just something for you to investigate.

A Sharpie would work better than a file. There is no need to effect the integrity of the seat post by filing on it. Not a wise move.

One of my greatest discoveries while riding the Katy was the realization that the bumps along the trail, such as driveway crossings, is where most of the backside discomfort originates. Any time I see ruts or bumps in the trail I slightly lift up my tail. This is no substitute for the right saddle fit and the shorts and the butter, but it does help me.

Sharpie marks don't last. A scratch with a file never wears away.

Try a recumbent bike. I suggest a long wheel base with dual 26" wheels. Might be able to rent one for the trip. You wont regret it.

I have found that Gold Bond powder (or the Walmart equivalent = Equate medicated powder) works better for me than butt butter or any other cream.

As you ride get in the habit of doing 15 second lifts off the saddle every so often. This allows circulation back around those nerves and will help with comfort. Saddle recommendations depend upon what kind of bike you are riding. So does any discussion of technique. Bike shorts and chamois cream are strongly recommended. I would consult with an LBS on fit.

OK, what is butt butter?

Butt butter is a lubricant to limit chafing and diaper rash when your bottom gets wet with sweat after being on the bike for long periods of time. I don't use it, and I am a fairly avid cyclist. I occassionally use Monkey Butt, a powder to keep you dry. If you get a good pair of bike shorts, and get off the bike every 45 min or so, you wont need any of that stuff. Most people don't race on the Katy, so I would imagine that you will be getting on and off your bike a lot, and won't need any of that stuff.

This thread is becoming a somewhat exhaustive blog on all the things people do to get comfortable on a bike. And it is way too much information for most novice people who just want to go out and put a few miles on a bike over the course of several days. If you want to run all this stuff down, have at it: If you want to learn all the tricks, have at it: etc. Otherwise, most of the things people are discussing are for people who ride a bunch. My recomendation is to not worry about a lot of it, and have fun on the trail---Not getting bogged down in the minor details that won't matter, and in fact will get in the way of having a great time on the best RailTrail in the country.

Her here to SalsaBoy

Hey salsa, when she gets the brooks she will be hooked and not have to go to walmart bikes-performance store. Save much pain and money in the long run. Can't believe the mail on this one. Everyone has a butt preference.

I'm not anti-Brooks in any way. As a matter of fact, I have a B17 narrow on my Surly Pacer road bike (that I refer to as "My Century Bike").

Where I'm coming from is that I don't think this person is just that into all the little details that I love so much about biking. She refers to herself as "Newbie". It's like when I tell my daughter that her seat is too low: She just doesn't want to hear my multiple reasons for raising it because all my daughter wants to do is put her foot down and stay on her seat. I'm rambling, but my point is, there is so much good basic equipment out there now that if you get is properly adjusted, and get some bike shorts, you should be able to get reasonably comfortable. It will work just fine. Nor will it get in the way of what she is really after--which is a good time on the trail without a sore butt afterwards.

Rookies or Newbies become seasoned veterans after time, trial and errors, and following both short term and long term advice from those that they ask it from. Both short term and long term advise was given here and a lot of it was without judgement on how the poster would follow it or if she would become a seasoned pro. And not all advise was the same or in agreement with everyone else's. It's all good Salsa Boy. You had good advice and so did many others.

We drove from Denver and my tire got melted, was too close to car exhaust. Steve fixed me up and we got on the trail. Super job, Steve!!

Some one mentioned the possibility of leaving a car at or near the kirkwood train station and using the train to return. Is this still possible? Does Amtrak have a lot or something? Thanks.

My idea would be to park in Kirkwood, ride Amtrak to Sedalia and then bike back to Kirkwood. You would need to cross the Missouri River at I-364 Page Bridge. From there you would be suburban riding to Kirkwood. There are a number of possible routes, you will have to fight traffic on occasion but if you have any experience riding suburbs you'll be fine. As to parking, yes Amtrak has a lot there and I would think you'd be fine, but you better check for sure.

Just wondering where the best place to park overnight (1 night) in Portland would be. Thinking about the Riverfront Bar & Grill Planning to leave Rocheport and shuttle car to Portland, then ride to Hartsburg and then on to Portland.

We're going to be staying at the Days Inn in Jefferson City this June. What's the best way there from the trail? Looks like taking Jefferson Street straight down from the Capitol area is the easiest way down, as we'll be coming off a 50 mile day. Ideas?

I would check to see if they will pick you and your bikes up either at the trailhead or somewhere around the Capitol Building. Jefferson street is pretty hilly and not particularly bike friendly between the downtown area and the Comfort Inn.

I would definitely see if they would shuttle you from the trail head. It is a bit of a round a bout way to get to the bridge to cross the river - they do have an interesting ramp from ground level up to the bridge. Hwy 54 can be quite busy, as it is the main highway leading out of Jeff to Lake area. You will have about five miles of riding from the trail head to the hotel, best I can tell. My son and I stayed at the Doubletree last fall - rode into it fromt the trail. Is in downtown area with some good dining selections. The hotel itself has a nice upper floor restaurant, where we enjoyed a good breafast and view of the city before heading back to the trail the next morning.

Another possibility, has anyone tried the Fairfield Inn on Truman Blvd? It is simple to get to from the bridge bike path. Just go west on West Main, a quick left/right turn on Hwy 179 to Truman Blvd. I used to ride that part of town all the time as a kid and the traffic hasn't changed too much sinece then plus it puts you out in the capital mall area and several eating places along the Missouri Blvd. Just need to stay away from the 5:00 traffic at the Truman/Hwy 50 interchange area if going on to the the Missouri Blvd. I'm just not sure if the Fairfield Inn is bike friendly or not.

Jeez bro......when you were a kid the tricky part of the ride was dodging the dinosaurs.

Not exactly Bro, it was the dinosaur dung you really had to watch out for, far worse than the horse dung now a days.

Is overnight parking allowed in the Dutzow lot?

Yes, overnight parking is allowed.