Well, I’ve had my Nimbus Drak for a couple weeks, and pretty much love it. Been doing a lot of XC on it (every weekend, usually both days) and am really enjoying the speed as well as the scenery.
My rides for now are typically around 3 miles or around an hour if I decide to go on some slower and more technical trails. However I find that many times (even with my KH Freeride), my crotch still get’s pretty sore. I’ve read of touring handles being used to relieve “front” pressure, but I’m not sure one would really be any help at the distances I’m travelling.
As time goes on, I will probably increase my riding distance, but for now, should I get a handle? Would it get in the way?
I have the same painfull problems as you, also on the KH freeride saddle.
The first improvement I had was the KH adjustable seat post. I tilted the saddle nose up, the wider rear part of the saddle in now horizontal.
The next thing was the KH-touring bar. As I do XC/muni, I have the handle bar very close to the saddle, and I narrowed the T-bar. That way the bar doesn’t get in the way during an UPD. I ones got a nasty hit on the leg from the handlebar, when it was the original width.
When I get crotch pain, there are two things I can do:
Push myself backwards on the saddle, using the handlebar.
Hold the handlebar and lift myself from the saddle, but you will feel this in your legs.
Also on short distances the handlebar will help.
I don’t know the Pi-bar, so I can’t tell if it would get in the way.
For XC, it should be adjustable, close to the saddle and narrow.
Play with saddle angle
Ride 1/2 mile saddle front totally up do the same with saddle nose totally down and see that is the best for you.
Last september, a few week after the purchase of my Muni, because of the pain, I was close to stop uni
With the adjustable saddle pole I tried :
saddle nose very hight (as seen in lot of pictures): it was unbelievably worse
saddle nose horizontal (almost plunging): I often loose/get out the saddle but it was crotch-tolerable!
saddle nose raised just enough to avoid loosing the saddle(just a little more down than “as down as possible with a non-adjustable saddle pole”). That’s fine for me.
The second improvement was to avoid cycling pants (Fusion freeride saddle have already enough foam ). Wide shorts let parts move “up-front” in spite of squeezing them “down-under”
Next test will be home made saddle padding with very little curve and firm foam.
I ride every week without touring handle nor suffering…
On a muni, I think the handlebar is more for steering and control. It’s great for climbing hills. I don’t think it would make much difference in saddle comfort though. Even easy XC trails are too bumpy to lean on the handle for very long.
Padded shorts and lube help, but mainly you just learn to live with some discomfort. Maybe you should ride harder trails. UPDs are a good cure for saddle soreness :p.
For muni and cross country I use a KH saddle that I’ve taken most of the foam out of to get it as flat as possible and then on top of the foam I’ve added a small inner tube folded like a dog bone. The valve pokes out a hole in the bottom/back of the seat base. I can ajust the air pressure in the seat to and I find it reasonable comfortable. I run a short handle on my road 29er and a KH Fusion seat the handle lets me lift up out of the seat and stretch a little and also to lean the uni forwards a little more so that I can sit on my sit bones a little more comfortably.
I’d play with the saddle angle and height and then with the seat it’s self and maximixe what you’ve got first before adding a handle.
I find that bike shorts help, also if your a new rider it can take time for your butt to get used to the uni seat, the seat might be fine and it’s your butt that’s not broken in yet. ( that last bit didn’t quite come out how I wanted it to… but you get the point I’m sure) lol
). Wide shorts let parts move “up-front” in spite of squeezing them “down-under”