Sore bottom

[Parky]

Cyclist2, have a look at the training thread where I recommended to Ant_F to try a Power Plate for the aching muscles. It seems to be working a treat for him and I do know that it works well for me. (Vibro Plate is a smaller version of the Gym jobs.)

[lgbran]

Foam from Clark rubber here in Aus worked a treat. 4 inches thick and cut to size with a u shape cut out for my rear end. The ultimate test was wearing my rowing nicks... No problems $10 well spent. To alleviate blood blisters on hand, *** DELETE - SPAM *** sponge,covered with a cotton sock and electrical tape worked wonders. I could have used cycling bar taped and doubled wrap but this was a cheaper option. Being over 50 and on blood thinners guess you are more prone to issues. There are solutions. Now I just need to get off my backside and row row row. Looking forward to belting out the ks. Thanks for the advice. It worked cheers

[fischmeister]

I just stumbled across a very easy solution - Literally pick your butt cheeks up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wIUoFbUqiU

Had a very sore bum with serious chafing from a two-hour row on sunday. Did another one-hour row on monday with lots of vaseline, it didn't really help and was far worse after that. Could hardly sit on the couch afterwards. On tuesday I had an important online race planned and was desperate. Searched the internet and found this tip. Decided to give it a try. Used a lot of vaseline and hopped on the erg - ouch!!! Picked my butt cheeks up: WAOW!!! No pain at all - rowing was no problem, for the entire 45 minutes of the race! And no problems afterwards - the chafing heals very well.

[Slidewinder]

I was lucky. Shortly after buying my Model D (around 2008) I came across an old piston-style rower someone had put out at the curb. I replaced the C2 seat with the seat from it. Much, much better. Most here know that it is forbidden to ask the obvious question, but newbies might not, so here is the question you must never ask: Why is a cheap piston-style rower equipped with a good seat but the Concept 2 rower isn't?

[Sakly]

Probably "good" and "bad" are very subjective terms.
I have "only" 3 1/2 up to 6h seat time weekly, but had already also 2h rows. No problem at all with the seat and I don't use a pad or even special underwear or shorts. I wear my standard sports dress for gym sessions.

[Slidewinder]

Probably "good" and "bad" are very subjective terms.

Yes, 'good' and 'bad' can be subjective, but the words can also describe an objective reality. Taking as evidence that every rowing club that uses C2 rowing units also has shelves of seat pads, it is reasonable to conclude that the C2 seat is objectively a bad design.

[Dangerscouse]

I've rowed for many years, and prior to my ultra distance training, I also struggled with the seat: after circa 40 mins, it was uncomfortable, but never had chafing.

Now, I don't have any issues at all, and when I say no issues, I have rowed 82k in a failed 100k attempt without anything, and I only stopped for other reasons. I've not done anything specific to change this, and I also will add that when I was starting the ultra distances and therefore still suffering, I used some padding from the start of a row. This had zero benefit, and after about 45 minutes, it was just as uncomfortable.

Cinema and car seats still aren't comfortable for me, and I have issues after about an hour, so ime at least, it's not an objectively bad design. It's purely physiology.

[Sakly]

Cinema and car seats still aren't comfortable for me, and I have issues after about an hour, so ime at least, it's not an objectively bad design. It's purely physiology.

+1

Except for the Recaro seats in my car. Although they are quite hard, they do not cause any problems for me even after two hours - like the C2 seat.

[Erik A]

again its all subjective but i have usually found that when there is an issue then prolonged exposure usually resolves that issue. ie you get used to using the machine.
hands for example. initially you could get blisters etc. after prolonged use your hands harden up and you are ok.
seat causing numb bum ( i get this a lot as i have a bony butt) prolonged use gets you used to it with longer sessions able to be completed with less discomfort. fyi i have the c2 seat pad and it makes very little difference.
chaffing. (i also get this) but i use vasaline particularly for my armpits but i row in a room that gets very hot and i sweat like a beast. i have tried a fan but i still sweat regardless. i sweat like a beast in the middle of winter when rowing in the room with the window open and its around 0degC and i am just wearing shorts. it just takes a bit longer to get to that sweat state. so vasaline gets used.

[GlennUk]

IMHO the problem assigned to the seat are possibly more to do with the rower than the seat.

Ive had issues which arise after quite short periods of time e.g. about 40-45 mins, ive also erged for over 9hrs before things got painful, have tried different pad options and now use a Citius Remex pad as im used to it, but it is not a panacea for pain/sores.

I found the clothing/underwear you choose can have an impact, especially with seams causing pressure/rubbing. I no longer wear underwear beneath my rowing kit.

I am convinced that posture plays an important part, especially as a rower gets tired.

If you use a pad, make sure it doesn't move as i know this can cause problems, mine used to moves slightly back on the right hand side as you sit on it.
I concluded that as it only moved i nths fashion it was likley to do with my drive. Whilst we use both legs to drive, they dont exert force exactly the same, over extended periods my seat pad used to move slightly, leading to pain, its now velcroed to the C2 seat and no longer moves.

Long and short if it, is before you mitigate a problem see if you can find the cause and solve it, mitigation is likley to provide short term relief only.

All JMHO Glenn

[iain]

All good points Glenn. Re underwear, before I started wearing wicking underwear I had some serious sores after FM+ rows. I may well be in the minority, but I am firmly of the view that for me at least, the significant pain is caused by the sit bones moving over the glutes after the glutes tire and go rigid. On a 24 hr tandem row this made the first 3-5 min of each stint extremely painful after the first 8 or so hours. No padding ws going to help with this, although it did ease as the muscles "warmed up" and became less rigid.