sounds more like a hip adductor issue, either psoas major or iliacus. If the soreness is 'lower', ie, closer to the pubic area it may be the pectineus.
related to Lower Crossed syndrome, exascerbated by sitting for extended periods of time especially with crossed legs. In forward pelvic rotation (such as on the bike) the psoas/iliacus and the femoral nerve can be compressed against the pelvis. The numbness is the nerve compression, the pinching is the muscles binding.

Warrior Pose or similar stretches will help

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Anne Barnes
ABBikefit, Ltd
FIST/SICI/FIST DOWN DEEP
X/Y Coordinator
abbikefit@gmail.com

Thanks Anne.
I looked up the pectineus vs. the psoas major, and it's definitely more towards that lower area around the pectineus.
I have had problems with my saddle since I started riding - no matter what type of saddle I have or how I move it or tilt it, I seem to always end up a bit crooked - with my hips (and consequentially my pelvis and sit bones) off to the right on the saddle. This ends up putting a little more weight on my right side. I ride with my right shoulder dropped a bit more than my left. I also run with my shoulder dropped more on my right side too....so I am probably doomed to have bike fit problems forever .

I hate to hear comments like "I'm doomed to have bike fit problems forever". In the words of T.E. Lawrence, "nothing is unwritten".

We can generally assume a bike is symmetric, and that the rider is asymmetric. A Fitter has to analyze, assess and test those discrepancies, then aline and accommodate for them.
If, in your case, you've gone thru a fitting and are happy with the result, we still have to solve this point-of-contact issue. What is causing the 'hot spot' on one side, where is the imbalance? Let's eliminate the possibility that your saddle is bent (can happen, after a heavy crash). Let's see if we can pull this apart and learn where the issue begins.

Try this: take your pedals off the bike. Put the bike in a trainer and sit...no shoes, just let your legs hang down. What is the sensation on the saddle - is the weight distribution even on your sit bones? If you tell me that no, I still have a hot spot on one side, then we might be talking more of a medical issue than of a bike fit. However, if you find that you and the saddle get together down there 'ok' now, that the weight distribution is better, now it's a bike fit thing. It may be that even some of your 'old' saddles, the ones you bought to solve the problem that didn't, may feel ok too.

I'm also assuming you're on a tri bike - is one arm rest more worn in than the other?

In my experience, problems at the saddle start at the feet. Functional discrepancy in overall 'leg length' means that your feet are not level at the pedal. As your feet are never side-by-side down at the 6o'clock position, it may not be easy to understand that your ability to plant the foot affects the saddle. Imagine standing on the ground, but with one foot on a thick rug. You can still manage to walk the length of the rug with one foot planting 'higher' than the other, your bio mechanics can adapt to this uneven ground. However, imagine a two-inch wide railing up yer crotch while you're walking the length of that rug...the sitbones are not level as the pelvis has had to shift to adapt the the uneven ground. Now your sitbones are either moving side to side, or one is slamming up and down. This could be millimeters, but after 20,000 pedals strokes you know how that feels.

In my experience the average amount of shim needed is 6mm, but I have had riders needing up to 10mm of shim under one cleat.

There is more to this, but that's another 200 words. One thing at a time - tell me how the no-pedal-leg-hanging thing turns out. Feel free to PM me if you like.

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Anne Barnes
ABBikefit, Ltd
FIST/SICI/FIST DOWN DEEP
X/Y Coordinator
abbikefit@gmail.com

I am on a QR tri bike, but I also have a road bike which, up until last year, had aero attachments because I didn't have a tri bike yet. So I can't really tell yet if the pads are worn more in one spot since I haven't put that many miles on either the attachment bars or my tri aero bars yet.

I sat on my tri bike on the trainer like you said, and what I though would happen did happen. I am feeling a pinch in my right sit bone. As I shift forward slowly, I can feel an obvious more weight on my right sit bone. When I am in aero position (still with legs hanging down), there is a much less noticeable difference to the point where it feels like my weight is even, but I can feel that it is still VERY slightly more on my right side.
That being said, I am thinking this may be physiological and my legs may be different lengths, or hips misaligned, etc. I have been a runner for about 14 years now, and I never suffered any major injuries (right hairline hip fracture, 4th metatarsal break in my left foot, and some bad knee issues in both knees). I should probably see a chiropractor and have my lower body measured and (if needed) diagnosed for sure.