Introducing myself...

[Sillz]

Hi, I'm Sarah from Seattle and I'm a cycling newbie! I bought my first bike since I was a teenager just this past Friday (hooray for Black Friday 25% off sales at my LBS!) and I'm impatiently awaiting its arrival (they didn't have the right frame size so it is being ordered in). I'm nervous about starting out, mostly because I'm a larger person so I'm worried about whether I can actually do this. I also remember riding when I was 18 and having the sorest butt and not being able to sit for a week! Any tips on avoiding that again would be greatly appreciated.

I look forward to getting to know you all and learning about this strange new world of cycling.

[bluebug32]

Welcome, Sarah! Congrats on the new ride; I'm sure you'll love it. In terms of avoiding a sore butt, it's kind of inevitable that your sitz bones will ache a little at first as they adjust to the new position. The key is to get a comfortable saddle. Some companies, like Specialized, let you measure your sitz bones for a more accurate saddle fit. A saddle is one component worth splurging on as it can make or break your desire to ride. And make sure you leave the shop with a good bike fit. Many shops will include a fit with your purchase. Happy riding!

[Sillz]

I think I have way too much "padding" for any bone measurements and I did speak to the lady in the store about saddles and her recommendation was to try it with the saddle it comes with first to see how I like it and then changes can be made from there if needed. I hope I don't need to make too many changes! I got a Trek Skye, I figured it was a good starter bike for a newbie?

[Bike Writer]

You're going to love it here, it's a great forum with a lot of supportive people. I bet you're so excited about your new bike. They way to best help out with the sore butt issue is to ride often but not overdo long rides to begin with. Just like anything else, it will toughen up and your body parts will get used to riding. If you still have pain a couple of weeks into this then you might want to think about a different saddle, but give the stock saddle a chance, you might like it.

I would expect some soreness in the first few rides since it has been such a long time.

Good luck and post some pictures of your bike when you get it!

[malkin]

Yes, you can do it!

[Roadtrip]

Welcome Sarah!!

Congrats on the bike. I'm sure you'll do fine! I started out in August of this year at 35 and had never ridden at all. Four months later I've done a 26 mile ride, lost 25 pounds, and already moved on from my first slightly heavy bike (Trek Pure) to a faster and lighter Trek FX 7.3 that I really love.

Good luck and don't forget to drop into the newbie area where we post our weekly achievements to inspire one another.

Shannon