Originally Posted By: The_Eric
We've tried a great many combinations, from various saddles, bike shorts, stem angles to steering tube extensions, all in an effort to sit her up straighter and take pressure off that area.
OK, so it's a saddle issue. The Schwinn is super-upright, with the bars above the level of the saddle. Here's the thing: initially, it may feel more comfortable, but it actually has the effect of putting more weight on your crotch vs. distributing it through the torso. This ends up causing saddle issues. It could be that the harder, less comfortable-looking saddle on the Schwinn may just be a better saddle for her. A "women's specific" bike isn't going to really solve the issue, particularly since the head tube on the Raleigh is pretty tall.
What saddles has she tried? While it looks ridiculous, my wife is using the race version of
this saddle here. She had constant saddle issues until she switch to it. Basically, you sit on your sit bones only, and none of your other parts touch the saddle. I know a few guys who use it on their time trial bikes as well. There are never any guarantees with saddles, since it's so individual, but it may be worth considering.
