Need to get rid of pains caused by distance!

[cherinyc]

Hi everyone - I am hoping for some "comfort" type advice to help me with riding distance
I started cycling in June - actually my first ride on a roadbike was June 29th - and I have been progressing well, I think, but I have some concerns.
I know my legs and lungs are getting stonger, and I can feel my body adjusting to the awkwardness I felt on my first ride (hands on hoods, using those shifters and brakes, shifting in general, clippin in and out of my pedals, crotch pain - ugghh) I've really adapted to those things.
But last night after work, I went on my first (long for me) 20 mile ride alone - and went on a route I planned on routeslip.com (awesome site). Some of the climbs were rough on me - didn't realize that one of the roads I mapped (at around mile 15 - I was already tired) had a climb of 200 feet in 1/2 mile. I had to walk up due to the fact I was wheezing, but it still counts kinda right? Otherwise - I was very proud of myself for doing it.
However - by about mile 9 or 10, I was feeling various non-muscular pains - ALL OVER THE PLACE. Obviously tolerable, but uncomfortable - and I don't know how I will be able to progress to do a century (eventually) with my body hurting like that.
Here's the rundown: Gloves were wedging into my finger webs which stung. My fingers kept getting numb.
My lower back was KILLING me. Stopped and stretched a couple of times, and I kept trying to flatten my back out, but.....it kept hurting. I think this may be a fit issue, but I am not sure.
My pubic area was really....hot? I think?...I don't even know what to call the feeling - my crotch was just hurting me. Not chafing - just pain. The saddle seems to press on my labia (i think that's what it's called).
Lastly, my big toes were hurting me. The shoes aren't too small, maybe my foot was sliding?

ANYWAY - to wrap up this novel - since I am still learning how to cycle, does anyone have advice to help me with my comfort?
Thanks for reading ladies!!
cheri - the girl who wrote too much.

[Veronica]

My lower back was KILLING me. Stopped and stretched a couple of times, and I kept trying to flatten my back out, but.....it kept hurting. I think this may be a fit issue, but I am not sure.
My pubic area was really....hot? I think?...I don't even know what to call the feeling - my crotch was just hurting me. Not chafing - just pain. The saddle seems to press on my labia (i think that's what it's called).
Lastly, my big toes were hurting me. The shoes aren't too small, maybe my foot was sliding?

The back and numb fingers sound like a fit issue. On your next longish ride try to keep your hands on the top of the bar, or go down into the drops, but try staying off the hoods, just to see what happens.

The pubic area stuff sounds like either your saddle is a poor fit for your anatomy or it needs to be tilted a bit diffrently.

Feet - sounds like they swelled in your shoes and maybe you need a larger size..

Good luck and keep riding!

V.

[GirlWonder]

Hi everyone - I am hoping for some "comfort" type advice to help me with riding distance
I started cycling in June - actually my first ride on a roadbike was June 29th - and I have been progressing well, I think, but I have some concerns.
I know my legs and lungs are getting stonger, and I can feel my body adjusting to the awkwardness I felt on my first ride (hands on hoods, using those shifters and brakes, shifting in general, clippin in and out of my pedals, crotch pain - ugghh) I've really adapted to those things.
But last night after work, I went on my first (long for me) 20 mile ride alone - and went on a route I planned on routeslip.com (awesome site). Some of the climbs were rough on me - didn't realize that one of the roads I mapped (at around mile 15 - I was already tired) had a climb of 200 feet in 1/2 mile. I had to walk up due to the fact I was wheezing, but it still counts kinda right? Otherwise - I was very proud of myself for doing it.
However - by about mile 9 or 10, I was feeling various non-muscular pains - ALL OVER THE PLACE. Obviously tolerable, but uncomfortable - and I don't know how I will be able to progress to do a century (eventually) with my body hurting like that.
Here's the rundown: Gloves were wedging into my finger webs which stung. My fingers kept getting numb.
My lower back was KILLING me. Stopped and stretched a couple of times, and I kept trying to flatten my back out, but.....it kept hurting. I think this may be a fit issue, but I am not sure.
My pubic area was really....hot? I think?...I don't even know what to call the feeling - my crotch was just hurting me. Not chafing - just pain. The saddle seems to press on my labia (i think that's what it's called).
Lastly, my big toes were hurting me. The shoes aren't too small, maybe my foot was sliding?

ANYWAY - to wrap up this novel - since I am still learning how to cycle, does anyone have advice to help me with my comfort?
Thanks for reading ladies!!
cheri - the girl who wrote too much.

I'm too much of a cycling newbie to be of any help but will add my recent experience.

I took my new road bike out for the first time this weekend (coming from a mountain bike..but still only regularly riding 1 x per week for past 2 months)....I went about 17 miles...relaxed pace with some "sprints" thrown in for fun to see how fast I could go on the new bike.

I did notice the glove thing (not the numbness but the gloves were cutting into web part of my thumb when my hands were on the hoods)...so would wiggle my hands a bit and the gloves around and that seemed to help. First time ever wearing gloves while riding.

Also, noticed that "hot" feeling you are referring to in the pubic area so shifted my weight a little bit back and that also helped. I'm assuming no saddle is going to feel completely great at first and don't know enough about it to upgrade yet. Also, I think some of it will be just "getting used to" the new position/cycling/saddle. If it continues then I'll consider upgrading at some point. Especially if I want to go on longer rides more regularly.

But yes, I know what you mean when you say "hot". That's exactly what I was thinking....weird feeling to say the least.

To our advance cycling friends....there is some time needed in the saddle before it starts to feel better right? Or at the first signs of discomfort should we be out looking for a new saddle? And, furthermore...how do you pick a new saddle when it takes at least 1/2 hour to begin to really feel how it's going to feel on the long ride.

[maillotpois]

Lower back pain can also be indicative of core strength issues. I find that when I am diligent about the core work, I don't get any low back pain at all - when I fall off the wagon and forget core for a few weeks, my lower back kills me on climbs.

[GLC1968]

Here's the rundown: Gloves were wedging into my finger webs which stung. My fingers kept getting numb.
My lower back was KILLING me. Stopped and stretched a couple of times, and I kept trying to flatten my back out, but.....it kept hurting. I think this may be a fit issue, but I am not sure.
My pubic area was really....hot? I think?...I don't even know what to call the feeling - my crotch was just hurting me. Not chafing - just pain. The saddle seems to press on my labia (i think that's what it's called).
Lastly, my big toes were hurting me. The shoes aren't too small, maybe my foot was sliding?

I'm relatively new to cycling (started last year) and I have felt ALL of your woes in the process of extending my rides. I'm now up to a comfy 75 miles, so I can safely say that I think I've figured out most of these thing for myself (may be different for others). This is what I've learned:

1) hands - move them around. Don't stay on the hoods all the time, use the bar and the drops. I also periodically just shake out my hands to keep the blood moving around.

2) lower back - some of this just comes with more saddle time and increased distances and some of it may be due to fit. In my case, my bike was too big for me and the handlebars were too wide, so I had all kinds of pains. Even on a well fit bike, I found that my first ride at a longer distance included some lower back pain (increasing by too much to fast) but that it subsided over time. Increase slowly and get in that saddle time and it'll help (assuming that the bike fits).

3) Hot pubes... yeah, been there! Three things helped me on this. First, get some chamois cream. This helps immedately. In fact, I didn't use any last night for my commute (figured it was short compared to most of my rides) and I felt the heat! Wore the cream this morning for the same ride and it was great. Secondly, make sure you've got the best saddle for your anatomy (and this is party a trial and error process). Thirdly, and I still have to work on this, it helps to periodically check that you are sitting on your sit bones and not your girly-bits. For me, that means rotating my pelvis so that i'm off the front of my saddle. Hard to do if the bike/saddle isn't fit well. A slight tilt down of the saddle nose might help, but that could also cost you on hand/wrist/elbow/shoulder pain if it causes you to be sliding forward and supporting too much weight on the hands, so be wary of this option.

4) Toes - it does sound like your shoes might be too big and your toes slid to the front. Perhaps try tightening them a bit for the next ride to see if that helps?

Good luck with it all...and trust me...it can be comfortable to ride long distances...it just takes time and tweaking!

[eclectic]

Cheri all of the above has happened to me too

1. Wheezing - happens to me all the time no matter how good a shape I am in , I have allergies and asthma, I work around it best I can with medication

2.Wedging gloves - As I get tired I lean more on my hands, as I got stronger this eased up also I have some gloves I like the fit on better than others

3. Hands going numb - if I am in a pace line trying to keep up I don't shift hand positions regularily so my hands go numb, talked to some of the experienced riders it happens to them to. Suggestion, shift hand postions regularily and as you get stronger this should ease up too

4. Back, pubic area, (with me also neck and shoulders) - I put on a shorter stem (for me 2" shorter), moved my seat foward about 1/4" and slight tilt down, less than 1/4". This also eased pain in my arms and hands as I wasn't leaning on them so much to stay balanced, the weight went back to my sit bones where it was supposed to be (I think in a previous post you mentioned you are long legged, short torsoed) - I would very seriously consider checking out your stem length and handle bar postion in relationship to your seat, I don't race but I like to tour so my handle bars are level with my seat - I even used a level to check and low and behold they were exact!

5. Feet - Do you use clipless pedals and road or mtn bike shoes?
When I was on standard pedals with clips my foot and leg were going numb after 12 miles. I saw it was how my foot was pronating, as I pedaled I was putting pressure on the inside of my foot. Switched to clipless with a wide float and a road shoe with a very stiff sole, now my foot stays in the proper position (I also try hard to keep my heels down as I pedal.) And I loosen my shoes after a bit if it is warm out - that makes a big difference in pressure

And congrats on the hill!
I say walking counts - you are still moving and if you didn't walk what then? ? ? roll back down ? ? ? keep riding it and soon you'll make it all the way !
We have one hill here that if you stop it is too steep to start up again and too narrow to go sideways to start, so walking is the only alternative unless you want to go back to the bottom and try again

Keep up the great riding and hope you can get the aches and pains solved.It took me doing longer and longer rides to fine tune my bike, in some cases the adjustments were miniscule. What didn't hurt at 10 miles hurt at 25 and what didn't hurt at 25 hurt at 50. Longest ride to date has been 65 miles and the bike felt GREAT Hurray! ! !

Keep me posted on what you try and what the results are.
Oh and as someone suggested previously only make 1 adjustment at a time so you know what works, I discovered some adjustments made everything worse (Mark your old settings before moving anything so you can put them back in the same spot if necessary)

[DebW]

Your gloves may just need some time to stretch. I got new gloves a few weeks ago and noticed them wedging into my webs the first couple rides with them. Never had this with other gloves, but it went away, so guess they stretched out.

[Crankin]

I have found that gloves with any gel padding make my hands go numb. I have one pair that have been washed so much, it doesn't hurt any more, but I have 2 pairs that my husband ordered for me on line that i just can't wear. I buy the plain Terry gloves with no gel at all. That might help you.

[Kimmyt]

The gloves thing just started happening to me on the last ride I was on. But then I noticed that I had torn a small hole in the part that hits my webbing, and I guess when I had put my gloves on I'd put my finger through the hole and not the finger opening. Guess that explains it!

Also I've noticed the cutting into my webbing things some other times, but mostly when I'm doing a lot of scary fast long downhills as there seems to be more weight on my hands then and I am usually deathgripping the brakes/hoods.



K.

[cherinyc]

To our advance cycling friends....there is some time needed in the saddle before it starts to feel better right? Or at the first signs of discomfort should we be out looking for a new saddle? And, furthermore...how do you pick a new saddle when it takes at least 1/2 hour to begin to really feel how it's going to feel on the long ride.

I was wondering the same about picking a saddle. I feel like an idiot trying to pick out a saddle, b/c how can I really tell if it will bother me 10 miles down the road - until I am 10 miles down the road.
After that I can't really return it can I? After I've sweat on it and such?

I am afraid of ending up w/ a huge (expensive) collection of saddles I won't use.

[Kathi]

How well was your bike fitted? Was it fitted to you or were you fitted to the bike. A bike should feel comfortable, however, being a new rider it may take time for your body to adjust

Since I'm an experienced rider I'll tell you my experience as I picked up my new bike on Sat. I already have 122 miles on her. The advice my fitter gave me was to take it easy the first few weeks on the bike. So instead of riding 50 miles the first day I did 22!

The first rides (10 and 22 miles) I noticed the saddle. Same issue, in the pubic area. It didn't make me sore but it felt irritating. The saddle is the same one that I was using on all my bikes, only brand new. At first I thought something was wrong with set up, however, I have a lot of confidence in the person who fit my bike so I let it go.

Tuesday I did 34 miles and started out noticing the saddle but by the end of the ride had forgotten about it. Again no lingering soreness. Yesterday, we did a 26 mile ride and the saddle bothered me less, and on today's ride of 25 miles, (including a 5 miles downhill in the drops) I didn't think about it. I think that after a few more rides the saddle will be a non issue.

So far nothing else bothers me, I find the bike very comfortable. This bike is custom so it was designed to fit me.

Time on the bike is the ticket to longer rides. Don't push yourself to hard to soon. I started this season recovering from knee surgery and basically was at ground zero. Instead of trying to ride long miles I kept my rides around 1 hr, rode 5 days a week and did flat routes. If I tried to ride at my normal pace it wore me out to much so it was important for me to take it easy. After I got comfortable with the 1 hr rides then I made 2 of my rides a little longer and started adding hills. As the summer went on I was able to increase my time on the bike. I'm not sure that I will be able to do a century this year but there's always next year.

As far as the wheezing goes, I have exercise induced asthma and I use my inhaler 20 minutes before I ride my bike. It really helps to reduce the wheezing and climbing is much easier.

[Rai Sue]

Lower back pain can also be indicative of core strength issues. I find that when I am diligent about the core work, I don't get any low back pain at all - when I fall off the wagon and forget core for a few weeks, my lower back kills me on climbs.

i second this, but it might also be bike fit. i hurt my lower back, and then exacerbated it by riding a bike that was slightly too long.

Now i _really_ notice more pressure on my back when i don't do my pilates exercises. My physical therapist pointed out that even though i bike everywhere, that mainly works out my legs, but lets my core stomach/back muscles be lazy. Then she made me use my strong legs as weights. But if i get lazy, it's back to the back pain--especially when going up hill.

[Squirrel 2]

Hi Cheri -- you've gotten a lot of good advice on this post from experienced riders. I would chime in on 2 points here. One, about increasing your riding distance too fast. If 20 miles is far for you, do shorter distances. Watch your cumulative mileage for a week & increase gradually. Big jumps in distance or intensity will hurt a bit. Second, it was very humid out when you rode. I ride between 150-200 miles a week, and I know that when the humidity is high, things on the bike bother me more. My bike fit is fine, it is a custom fit, but humidity seems to magnify discomforts. My shoes are very comfortable, but on a long ride they will start to hurt in places if it is humid. My shorts are fine, but I will get ansy in the crotch if it is humid out, no matter which pair I wear. The list goes on and on, even the wheezing. It is harder to breathe when the air is heavy.

So the bottom line is, don't try to fix everything at once. Increase your speeds gradually, & identify problem areas that need addressing when conditions lend themselves to a fair evaluation. And don't be hard on yourself. You're doing great.

Do you know where Knapps bike shop is in Lawrenceville? One of the owners is a woman, who can be very helpful if some of your issues continue. Also, she leads a women-only bike ride out of the shop on Thursdays after work. We do about 20 miles at a leisurely pace. Sounds like a good ride for you, so come on out & ride with us!

[SheFly]

You've gotten some great responses so far. I, too, am an experienced cyclist who will add only a couple of points:

1. Gloves - I often have the same issue with road gloves. I either have to wear long-fingered gloves (too hot in summer) or none at all. This took some getting used to, but I now rarely wear the road gloves for the same reasons that you mentioned.

2. Sore feet - this could be caused by a number of different issues, but for me, is usually exacerbated when I am pedaling pointing my toes. Lowering my saddle so that I can get good pedal rotation with a FLAT foot usually does the trick. A friend of mine just this week spent a fortune trying to fix sore feet - new shoes, new pedals and believe it or not, new saddle. Apparently, if your saddle is not the right support, your feet end up supporting your weight, and bearing the brunt of the force when you are riding.

Great work on the increased distance, and the hill! When you are finally able to ride all the way up, several times in a row, you will remember back to where you started with fond memories.

Ride safe!

SheFly

[GLC1968]

I was wondering the same about picking a saddle. I feel like an idiot trying to pick out a saddle, b/c how can I really tell if it will bother me 10 miles down the road - until I am 10 miles down the road.
After that I can't really return it can I? After I've sweat on it and such?

I am afraid of ending up w/ a huge (expensive) collection of saddles I won't use.

If you buy from Terry directly, you have 30 days to return it...even worn. I've done this with two saddles (one for me and one for my DH) and now I LOVE the saddle I have. I've also heard that if you buy here from TE, you have 90 days to return it, but don't quote me on that!

I went to my LBS and sat on their gel measuring device (by Specialized, I believe). The distance between my sit bones indicated that I needed a 143 cm seat. I've since measured my own sit bones (not a pretty sight!) and came up with a smaller number, so I split the difference. Your seat needs to be at least as wide as your bones but in my case, my bones aren't as wide as my big butt might suggest! I kept sitting on some women's models in my LBS and they were immediately uncomfortable because they were too wide. Anyway, I picked out saddles on line based on the size and only went through one 'wrong' choice before I found a perfect fit for me. DH wasn't as precise in his determination and he went through 5 saddles before I picked out one for him that he loved (first shot!).