I know that the question has been asked and answered since the dawn of time, but doing a search hasn’t brought up the discussion I was really looking for

My question is: I’ve currently got a hardtail, 27.5 with 120mm Raidon fork, 2.2 tyres front and back. I’ve recently experienced some pain in the rear (visit to Dr’s!) and am looking for some more comfort. Not when going down the trails as I stand up for this, but mainly when pedalling over rougher bridleways, fire roads when sat down.
I know a F/S would be better, but it’s a chunk of money to put down so my question is – would a suspension seat post and a bigger rear tyre run at lower pressure provide any noticeable difference or am I not going to see much real benefit?

Would appreciate any comments – both sides of the argument or anyone else who has been in a similar position

Padded shorts? Its my calves that usually take the hits when riding the hardtail.

Just where in the rear? Backside, lower back? How long before the symptoms appear?

I ride only HT or rigid and mainly old school XC with very little trail centres so have got used to it but it took a while to get all the contact points sorted. A ride of a couple of hours was fine but once I got to seven or eight hours then anything that wasn’t right made itself known. That meant sore lower back and/or nerve damage in the hand/fingers. Given that the problem only occurred on very long rides which I didn’t do that often (fortnightly was about the most frequent) it took about 18 months to get sorted but now I know I’m fine for at least 18hrs riding.

Obviously my example is a little extreme and any finger numbness or back pain didn’t suddenly start at 6hrs45mins but built up over time. It could be that your bike fit exacerbates the problem. Since the problem would appear to be related to sitting down and pedalling then a bike fit would be the first thing I’d look at. If it’s lower back pain then maybe a visit to a physio as you might have some form of imbalance that you are subconsciously adjusting for.

I used to get lower back pain on rides of more than about 4hrs, switching from ht to fs definitely reduced this.
However, even on a ht, if it’s a really long ride, small adjustments to seat angle/fore and aft/height can have a surprising effect.
If you are going out for a 6hr ride, you are going to be pedalling for almost 6hrs, so sort your position there first, then move onto bar height, stem length etc.
Small changes, one thing at a time, keep a note of what you have changed.
It may take a while, but you will reap the rewards long term.
Also, if you have ridden a mates bike which feels better, have a look online for the geometry on that, to see if you can replicate the position on your own bike.

This sounds like a case of decent shorts and chamois cream needed more than FS

Shorts and then saddle to be looked first. Chamois cream can be useful for long rides.
Then bigger tyres/ carbon post etc.

You need to get the contact points right first.

Thanks all

It is more a pain in the posterior!

I wear padded shorts & trousers, usually of the Aldi variety – is there anything wrong with these? Would a better pair of shorts provide more protection?

I’m using the standard Carrera saddle that came on the bike, I’ve done the sit bone measurement and it comes out around 110mm – would a specific saddle make much difference? Any recommendations? Charge Spoon?

Running lower pressure in your rear tire might help (<30psi). You may need to switch to tubeless to avoid pinch flats, but it’s still much cheaper than a FS.

However, you will probably go faster downhill with a FS.

a decent FS bike is more comfy in this context than a HT, it’s just that simple.

It could be your saddle, your setup, your shorts…. who knows…

But an FS bike is softer and ‘nicer’ in that context than a HT.

My Specialized roadie shirts worn under baggies are better than endura or northface padded liners I have. My HT sends more vibration up the seatpost than my FS. I am at an age / body decrepidness where I take Ibuprofen before a longer ride. You may want to do some core excersizes as weakness in one area can show as a symptom in another

Some makes of shorts might suit one person but not another, it is all a bit hit and miss really and you’ll only know when you find one that feels right. My backside suits DHB and Assos – almost opposite ends of the price spectrum. Not tried the Aldi shorts so can’t comment on those.

@jambalaya – taking Ibuprofen *before* a ride? 😯

Took me years to get to the perfect short and saddle combo. For me it’s fizik tundra and the dhb aeron pro. But it’s different for all though.

As well as making sure your sit bones are supported, also look at your position on the bike. Saddle manufacturer’s suggested guidance is for flatter saddles for supple folk who ride low and stretched out and slightly more scooped saddles for more upright riding styles.

Don’t go down the route of suspension seat posts (and don’t confuse a dropper post with a suspension post, different things).

Wider tyres, run tubeless, run low pressure. If you’ve got above 35psi it’s rock hard anyway even with tubes.

Hard tails I find I ride out of the seat a lot more, which is good technique on cornering anyway, so that tends to transfer to the full sus. And that’s the other option – n+1, have both 😀

ps – Yes, Charge Spoon saddle 😉

This has got nothing to do with HT or FS.

Your shorts/saddle don’t fit you and you’re probably spending too much time sat down. The effect is magnified if you’re currently getting soaked down there because of the wet conditions we currently have.