New Saddle = Sore Hips?

[Marteau]

So have recently moved to a new saddle (Fizik Antares Vs), and probably the most comfortable saddle I've found for my a**.

The saddle has been fit to the exact settings that it should (from prof bike fit) though the introduction of the new saddle has coincided with extremely sore hips. Something I've not experienced in the past.

Therefore the ? I want answered ... can a saddle (even when comfortable) affect the hips?

The specs (width) of the saddle is similar to that of previous versions also ...

Happy to hear your thoughts ... my first thought it to try the Arione Vs, though any advise welcome prior.

Thanks

[ValleyForge]

Hips? Pretty big place, no pun intended.
Do you mean pain in the front near the groin, pain in between the legs, buttock pain, or pain on the top of the pelvic crest or the very lateral parts of the top of the thighs (trochanteric pain).

[Marteau]

Hey VallyForge, I mean pain on the top of the thighs.

[ValleyForge]

Couple of thoughts. Saddles vary a bit in height off the seatpost so it's possible you now have a bit more hip flexion and maybe a bit more force on your upper lumbar spine which is translated into thigh pain. Also you might have just subtly changed the angle that ilio-psoas is working at, and it's therefore muscular.

My two road bikes originally had identical seat height, but one was giving me sacro-iliac pain for a while. Turns out one saddle was softer and sagged nearly 10mm more when I sat on it. Lifted it up and problem solved.

[NeillS]

Maybe different effective saddle height as mentioned. Probably too high but could be too low. Did it "feel" different in your legs with the new saddle?

Second possibility is that you are sitting further back, or further forward on the new saddle due to its design. For example, I find with SMP saddles versus conventional "flat" saddles you generally need 10-15mm less seat setback to balance the rider.

Other possibility is that the new saddle has not allowed you to roll your pelvis forward as much as the old saddle, which is giving some impingement style issues through the front of the hip.