How Do I Stop My Tailbone From Hurting While Cycling

Your tailbone shouldn’t hurt while cycling. That’s not normal and can be fixed pretty easily. If you are in pain right now, you should stop what you are doing and find an ice solution that works for you for after cycling. After you ice yourself to decrease the swelling, inflammation and undo any other damage that you may have done, let’s explore the questions: “How do I stop my tailbone from hurting when cycling?”

In this post, we will go over the four main reasons why your tailbone is hurting while cycling. We will go into detail on how to stop those problems, and make sure that they do not continue.

Invest in your knowledge:

If you are reading this, it will be helpful for you to know about:

• Icing Options for the Body [The best way to decrease swelling, injury and pain]
• How to give yourself an athletic body massage
• How to relieve leg pain after cycling
• How much does a bicycle fitting cost?
• How to Understand your Bike Fit

Why does my tailbone hurt when I ride a bike?

Typically your tailbone hurts because of poor posture. Your tailbone may be bending at the incorrect angle when you are riding (my tailbone is hurting because I am sitting in my chair currently incorrectly while typing). When your tailbone is bent incorrectly, it means that it is out of alignment while on long rides and the posture needs to be corrected. This can be corrected easily by some things like bike fit, saddle type and height of saddle – all of which that we go over in detail in the section below.

How can I prevent tailbone pain?

The easiest way to prevent tailbone pain is by making sure that the way that you are sitting will not induce tailbone inflammation. Anything that comes in contact with your tailbone should also be comforting to the area rather than adding aggravation. This includes your bicycle seat. Your bicycle seat should be placed in the correct angle, height and should have sufficient padding to make sure that the ride is comfortable for you. If it isn’t placed correctly, it will lead to aggravation.

How do I stop my tailbone from hurting?

The fastest way to stop your tailbone from hurting is to check your bike fit before anything. Having an incorrect bike fit will lead to many issues with alignment and injury caused by simply being in the saddle the incorrect way for too long. Assuming that your bike fit is correct, then look to these options:

• Go to a shop: Bicycle technicians are fairly handy at picking out problems with the match of a rider to a bicycle. They will see things that you are not as a good point of reference to ask questions to.
• Saddle Tilt: Typically you want your saddle to be completely flat. Though if you’re having trouble with your tailbone connecting with the saddle, try tilting the saddle slightly forward about 1-2 degrees. This will relieve pressure on the saddle and take weight off of the bone.
• Sit Bone position: Many people accidentally sit too far forward in the saddle. Place your sits bones at the furthest back points in the saddle. This will allow the pressure to fall where it is supposed to directly down on the sits bones. With the combination of this technique and tilting the eat forward, your posture will be adjusted correctly in the saddle.
• Padded Saddles: Different saddles come with different levels of padding. On my racing bike, I am happy with a saddle that has a smaller amount of padding. Though on my touring bike, I went with the established classic Brooks B17. This is known for being one of the most comfortable saddles in the market, and solves a lot of problems with injuries. For a more budget friendly choice, there are a lot of choices on Amazon with saddles with Gel padding.
• Padded Cycling Shorts: Padded cycling shorts are a great way to move yourself forward and protect yourself from the force that you are putting on your tailbone and your bum. Though it is important to focus on adjusting your posture first before investing in a pair to stop your tailbone pain in the saddle.

A notice on stretching to stop your tailbone from hurting after cycling:

Many people will tell you to stretch and the pain will go away. They are correct, stretching and icing will cause the pain to go away from your tailbone after cycling. The thing is, it is important to figure out the cause, because stretching and icing will dissipate the symptoms but not the cause. It is recommended to get an understanding of bike posture, fit, and the correct saddle. This will get to the root of the problem and then icing and stretching can be used for body maintenance and improvement after the problem has been solved.

Conclusion

Tailbone pain after cycling can be challenging. It really can hurt and lead to a lot of problems. Icing and stretching the area can provide immediate relief which is good, though it’s really important to look to get a proper bike fitting and find a saddle that works with your body and that you are happy with. The Brooks B17 is the saddle that I have been happiest with and many have as well. Outside of that, shorts, and trying any other padded saddle is going to provide a lot of benefit to you.