Saddle, shorts or lube?

[jenniferh]

I am just back from my first ride on my new trek 1.5. I've been riding on a hybrid, but decided to move to a road bike. It was also my first ride in cycling shorts. I got the PI Attach shorts and my sit bones feel fine, but my soft tissue is burning. It almost feels torn but I've never chaffed there before so it could just be chaffing. I rode about 20 min and I'm guessing 3-4 mi. I would have gone farther, but my hands were getting tired on the hoods and my crotch wasn't feeling so great.

So where do I start? Is it a seat issue, would some chaffing creme solve the problem or is it the shorts? When I was fitted for the bike I had on teh same shorts except I had on underwear (I wasn't sure I was keeping the shorts yet) and I rode about 20 min off and on and there were no problems.

[Owlie]

I had a similar problem when I first bought my bike. You say your wrists hurt. Do you notice yourself putting more weight on your wrists? I did that when I got the bike, and it was definitely a saddle issue--it went away when I replaced the stock saddle.

Your mileage, of course, may vary.

[jenniferh]

I was paying special attention to my posture...slightly bent elbows to absorb the vibration, wrists not bent weird, back straight/flat. It was actually the spot between my pointer finger and thumb that was getting tired. It wasn't painful, it just felt more like a spot that had never been used to support my weight before. Between my shoulders was getting a little tired too. I just think those spots need a little more workout to strengthen them. The only real pain was my girly parts...they are still burning. I'm reading through old threads and wondering if I just need chamois creme?

[jenniferh]

Or could it be my shorts are too big? They fit around my thigs, but the rise is a little too high, but not uncomfortable but there is a little but on bunching in the back right above teh chamois. And when I walk I can feel the chamois move around a bit. Does that mean they are too big?

[rubywagon]

My Trek came stock with a Bontrager saddle, aka the most disliked saddle ever. From what you described above, it also sounds like your shorts are a little big. I hope you find some relief.

[Owlie]

The chamois cream is the cheap solution. Try that, then try a few different shorts, then I guess try changing the saddle. Again, your mileage may vary--this stuff is very individualistic.

[loopybunny]

I have the same bike as you (well... mine isn't a WSD and it is a 2009, so I don't know if it's exactly the same), and when I first started riding it after riding a mountain bike, I was having issues with tingling/numbness in the girly parts.

When I bought the bike, I had my sitbones measured to make sure I had the right size saddle, which it was. After a few rides, the discomfort pretty much stopped. I only have issues now if it's a longer ride on flat rough roads.

Give it a few more rides and perhaps try new shorts.

Just an odd note on the PI shorts... I have two pair that are different years of the "same" style short. The pad is different in both of them. I actually like the older ones better chamois wise, but the new ones fit better.