Biking My Ischial Tuberosities Off

My sit bones were sore. These are the two points of your booty that take the pressure of your bike seat position. Anatomically, they are called the ischial tuberosities.

I learned the official name of these bones after a roundtrip bike ride on the Cannon Valley Trail from Red Wing to Cannon Falls with my friend Chuck, an orthopedic nurse at Mayo Clinic Health System – Red Wing. I knew that my butt would get sore on a ride that long since I hadn’t ridden much for a while. Knowing the name of the sore spots didn’t make them feel any better.

But with all the great bike trails in the area, I promised myself that I would get into biking now that I was retired. It took a couple summers to ride even a few times. The original plan was to ride to Welch and back. But when we got to Welch, it was still early and the weather was fine so we decided to continue on to Cannon Falls, something I had never done. That’s nearly 40 miles roundtrip. 

Halfway between Welch and Cannon Falls, Chuck mentioned that he needed to be back for a 1:30 meeting. It would be close but we decided to go for it anyway. He ended up a bit late for his meeting but we averaged slightly more than 10 mph on a ride that was supposed to be short and slow. I had not intended to stress out my sit bones. It stood on the pedals a lot while coasting.

The sit bones are the actual parts that get sore. Serious bikers get the distance between their sit bones measured so they can buy a seat that maximizes cushioning on those two points. I obviously have not done that. Chuck did just fine, even with recent back surgery. He rides a lot more than I ever will.

If you’re just getting into trail riding, an easy one in Red Wing is the Hay Creek Portion of the Goodhue-Pioneer State Trail. It’s only about four miles long and is mostly flat – a perfect practice trail. It’s also free for bikers, walkers and joggers so is quite popular. I hadn’t realized how awesome a ride through the woods on a nicely paved trail could be. There are rules to learn, though. I was scolded on the ride to Cannon Falls by a of couple bikers I passed for not warning them with “on your left.” Someone said that when passing me once and I just thought they were being arrogant. Lesson learned.

I never imagined there could be such a thing as paved bike trails when I was a kid. Back then, we rode our one-speed bikes everywhere, even wooded deer trails. We were always fixing them – flat tires, adjusting the seat and handlebars, and, of course, the chain. If the chain came off, you lost the single mechanical means of stopping by pedaling backwards to activate the coaster brake. In that case, your emergency brake was your shoes. Having a lot of tread on them helped. We never rode barefoot for good reason.

Those bikes were really “practice” bikes. My Coast King (Coast-to-Coast) cost $27 new. I couldn’t afford a Schwinn from the Outdoor Store. They cost at least $50. When I first rode an “English” bike as a kid, I was amazed. It had three gears that took some getting used to and the brake controls were on the handlebars – two brakes and you could stop safely if the chain came off. But even more impressive was how light the bike was. It was easy to go fast.

Eventually I could afford to buy a Schwinn three-speed. It was an American version of an English bike so was heavier to begin with. By the time I installed lights, a speedometer and baskets for my paper route, it was a lot heavier and slower. It tipped over a lot when loaded with Sunday papers.

I kept that bike for a many years. It was better balanced when I finally removed the large baskets. The last time I used it was the second time I rode it to Welch on the Cannon Valley Trail. By the time I got to Welch, both tires were flat and I had to call for a ride. 

I now have a basic Trek 21-speed bike. It has only four features worth mentioning – shock absorbers in the front fork and seat, a shaky mirror and a speedometer/odometer/clock. It’s not lightweight by today’s standards. I don’t think I’m committed to biking enough to spend thousands on one so I can lift it with my little finger.

There are a few things I wish could be improved on bikes. There are a lot of cables that need constant adjusting and I don’t want to have to carry a spare tube, pump and tools so I can fix a flat. Chuck wants a helmet that includes a windscreen so he doesn’t hear the wind rushing by.

As a senior, I’m now considering an electric bike. That’s cheating to an avid bike rider and it would cost as much as an ultralight bike. But I could still pedal it and in a hilly city like Red Wing, an electric bike would allow me to ride places I normally wouldn’t, such as Memorial Drive or up Neal or Hennings streets. Electric bikes may soon even be allowed on national park trails. There’s controversy with that but I like the idea.

Whatever I do, I’ll get my butt measured to get a seat that protects my ischial tuberosities.