A little help, please!

[hesperleigh]

Hi there. I'm having a bit of a problem. I am enjoying cycling very much, but I cannot ride for too long because of the pain. My mother wears cycling shorts with a lot of padding and I went around locally trying them on this past weekend. It didn't go well. I found them to be rather uncomfortable and am worried about being able to walk around afterwards. My husband and I like to bike for excercise or fun and we often head to trails, both paved and unpaved. We don't usually go straight home afterwards and I can't imagine walking in somewhere feeling and looking like a duck! I also don't like how tight the lycra shorts are around my waist. Can anyone recommend something to help with comfort? I was looking at the Garneau Ventura Mountain Biking shorts and I like the look but cannot find any reviews. Any suggestions would be much appreciated, and please excuse my vanity! Thank you!

Hesper

[IFjane]

My husband and I like to bike for excercise or fun and we often head to trails, both paved and unpaved.

It sounds like you have been cycling for a while now - what have you been using?

[kerryhb]

I bought a pair of Zoic Posh shorts and I love them. They have two pieces--the outside shorts have a lower waist and a few zippered pockets and there is also a separate inside liner with the pad so you can wear just that with other normal shorts. I am too self-conscious to wear the tighter shorts just yet so these were a great compromise. I wore them on the weekend when I was test riding bikes and they were fine to walk around in.

[hesperleigh]

Thank you. I've been going on and off for the past two years and have just endured the pain as I just wear regular work out pants. I do have a woman's seat that is supposed to help, but I haven't really noticed a difference. Unfortunately, I don't know the name o fit. I'm also wondering if I should adjust my seat/handle bars because maybe I am reaching too far and putting more stress down there.

[Paradox]

It is really a lot better to ride with padding. I mountain bike and wear Pearl Izumi spandex. Before leaving the house I just pull on a regular pair of shorts over them that I take off at the trailhead. Then, after riding, I change out of the shorts into regular clothes (usually as quickly as possible in the car with a coat or shirt over me), since we usually go out to eat after riding. You shouldn't wear the padded shorts for too long after riding, since most people sweat when they ride. :o

As far as the shorts being tight, they shouldn't be pinching you uncomfortably while wearing them, they come in lots of sizes...;) And remember you don't need to wear underwear with padded bike shorts. But personally I wouldn't go off the trail with just the spandex on, either. :o While out riding, I don't really care.

Also, the front of your bike seat shouldn't dig into any of your areas down there... make sure the front isn't pointed up too much. You may need to move the seat a couple of times until it feels right for you.

[rij73]

Mountain biking shorts tend to have a padded liner and a baggy outer short. Check out:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/categories.asp?catID=56

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sometimes too much padding can cause pain when the padding prevents the sitbones from bearing your weight properly and keeping your weight off your soft tissues. I'm wondering if the combination of a padded saddle and heavily padded shorts are just too much soft padding pushing up against your soft tissues.

[cmac77354]

Sometimes too much padding can cause pain when the padding prevents the sitbones from bearing your weight properly and keeping your weight off your soft tissues. I'm wondering if the combination of a padded saddle and heavily padded shorts are just too much soft padding pushing up against your soft tissues.

What she said......

I had a horrible time "down there" in fact there a whole other thread about it with some great advise. "I think it's called Saddle Sores maybe TMI." Anyway, I just bought a pair of Peal Izoomi's they have a seamless chamois (light blue)....OMG I thought I was in heaven last night. It was so nice to have a pair that the chamois didn't move around, I didn't get pinched and I wasn't left chaffed (sp?). And like someone else said, I always carry another pair of shorts to immediately change into, usually in the far corner of a parking lot in my car!! HTH.

[hesperleigh]

Thank you all for your help. I think I'm going to try the Pearl Izumi boxer brief liner short for women. That way I can just put them on underneath whatever I'm wearing and go from there. Thanks so much for your recommendations! I'll also adjust the bike until I find myself a comfortable position. And if that doesn't work, maybe I'll just get a beach cruiser seat. That'd fix everything! haha just kidding! Thanks again!

[chutch]

I use the Pearl boxer brief liner for commuting and they're great!

I primarily ride on the road but when I started commuting, I wanted something I could wear under regular shorts so I could go in stores and things like that without being fully decked out in spandex. They are a little different than my regular shorts but for my short commuting rides I am very pleased with them.

[Crankin]

I found that the Sugoi liner shorts and the liners that Terry puts in their cycling capris (which are detachable) have chamois that are the closest things to good cycling shorts like Shebeest Triple S or Terry Bellas. The first pair of liner shorts I bought from TE were like diapers. They were just too huge on me. I wear the Sugoi once in awhile if I have to run a quick errand and I want to wear regular shorts. But I don't mind walking around in spandex at all. It's pretty common around here!
I bought a couple of pairs of Shebeest board shorts with detachable liners and a couple of skorts and I wear those when doing errands and meeting friends friends for lunch on my hybrid bike.

[tulip]

Keep in mind that your discomfort might be caused by something other than shorts, or lack thereof. Your seat may not be appropriate for you, and your bike may not be a great fit. Just something to keep in mind, but I hope the short liners work out fine.

[bounceswoosh]

As for it being too tight around the waist, I have GI issues, and sometimes the tight elastic can cause my belly to cramp up. Recently, I found the Sugoi Lucky short -- it's great! No elastic band around the belly, no cramping.

[mayanorange]

I have the Shebeest capris and they come with a liner that is essentially the SSS short. I love the Shelastic chamois- mostly pads the rear and a little up front. Some others I tried chafed my girly bits because they were awfully thick. Oh, and reioutlet.com has Shebeest capris and board shorts for about $50- great deal!

[ilima]

Bring a towel and a pair of shorts (and undies) to change into. You sweat while cycling & you should get out of your lycra shorts ASAP after you're done riding.

Another option is a Terry Wrapper. They're on sale now, too.
http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?item_no=1859&c=On+Sale