Part 10: The Truth About Pain Relief
The Truth About Pain Relief and Seat Adjustments
Do you really get pain relief adjusting the seat?
Fixed-width seats can create hot spots and numbness over time.
The answer to this one is subjective. With only three prototype seats and one reserved to show bike shops and other riders, we can only tell you our experience.
I went through multiple stages testing the concept to validate if changing the seat width during a ride alleviates pain.
Stage 1: Bringing different-width seats
Stage 1 was bringing additional-width seats with me mounted on posts and changing the seats periodically during a ride. For me, I can 100% say changing the seats provided immediate relief for me.
Adjustable-width seats can change pressure points and relieve pain.
Stage 2: A three-position seat that needed tools
Stage 2 was using the adjustable-width seat I purchased from HugeOaks that required you to remove the seat from your bike, take the seat apart, move it to a new position, reassemble the seat, and reinstall it on the bike. Not a difficult process but it takes several minutes, and you typically need to do it on some type of table. After I completed this stage, I had the same or similar results as Stage 1 in regard to pain relief. For me, this validated it was primarily the changing of the seat width, not the construction of the seat itself, that was making the difference. I still questioned if the several-minute break I was taking to do this was affecting the results.
Stage 3: Prototypes with timed changes
Stage 3 was testing the prototypes. The first several test rides I decided to change the seat width based on time intervals, not on whether I was feeling pain or not. I wanted to see if you changed the seat width proactively, could you eliminate pain completely, or at least close to it.
My first test ride on July 8 was 36 miles. I set a timer on my phone for 30 minutes and every time it went off, I would stop and change the seat width. I recorded my pain on a scale of 1 to 10. Sort of like the smiley faces you see at the hospital or doctor’s office.
1–3 is minimal or no pain, 4–6 is I can tell I am riding a bike but would not call it painful, 7–10 is I wish I was doing something else. During that first test ride the highest value I recorded was a five. I performed several other timed-interval test rides with similar results. No pain over a 5 and all rides were 25–36 miles.
Jack feeling good on a long test ride with the Quick Set adjustable-width bike seat prototype.
A long weekend in Lanesboro, MN
In late July, Anita and I stayed for three days in Lanesboro, MN. This is a great area in southeastern Minnesota. It is known as the Bed and Breakfast capital of Minnesota. There are some great trails along the Root River and a number of great places to eat and shop in Lanesboro and the surrounding towns. During this trip we biked 150 miles in three days. The longest trip was a 70-mile ride which took about 9 hours including stops at the Fillmore County Fair and lunch in Houston, MN. We brought our chargers with on this one as we were not sure our batteries would last. No timed intervals on this trip. Anytime Anita or I would start to feel seat discomfort, we would take a hydration break and adjust our seat. In the beginning, we would ride 30–45 minutes before we would change the seat width. At the end of the ride, we were changing the seat width about every 15 minutes. When we changed seat width, we still felt immediate pain relief, it just did not last as long towards the end of the ride. There is a diminishing return on the benefit, but this was the longest one-day ride for either of us and we don’t think we would have made it without an adjustable-width seat.
What I believe now
Everyone is different. Rider size, posture, bike fit, and terrain matter. For me, changing width moves pressure to new contact points and that reduces hot spots and numbness. Being able to do that quickly keeps me riding longer with less pain.