Sit Bones...?

As a relative newbie to the world of Cycling, I had never consciously thought of my 'sit bones' before. But today, I went to my local bike shop (LBS) and had my sit bones measured.

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I bought my first road bike this past fall. Since then I've been enjoying it very much, but I have yet to feel comfortable on longer rides. I think I have my bike pretty well fitted to me at this point, but the seat (saddle) is still uncomfortable. I know this because I end up subconsciously squirming every couple of minutes, besides the occasional numbness that will sometimes occur. As I've been considering a different saddle, I've discovered how important it is to have a saddle that is the proper width. My bike came with a very nice high end saddle that many people speak highly of, so I didn't think it was a saddle problem-until recently. 

Now back to the 'sit bones'. What I learned today is that I am in-between a narrow (130) and medium (143) in the distance between my sit bones. (I was surprised a little as I'm 6' and over 180 lbs-I figured I'd be a large, but it's a genetic thing; not based on my weight or dimensions.) The saddle on my bike is a narrow. That's why I'm having so much discomfort on long rides. It's very nice to learn this and as I consider what saddle to buy in my size I have a good deal of hope that I will enjoy my longer rides much more in the near future. 

So now you too know that you have sit bones AND that they are important when it comes to a proper fit and more comfortable ride on those long days on the bike.