Introduction

[CyclingJenn]

Hi, I'm Jenn and I'm a newbie. I've been riding for a little over a month now and so far I love it! I can feel myself getting stronger with every ride. I ride with my boyfriend and sometimes another couple. I'm grateful to have my boyfriend to teach me and ride with me, and love having a sport that we can enjoy together.

I have a 2012 Giant Defy Composite 3, in a 44 cm. It's a men's bike, but the standover height is actually a teeny bit shorter than the women's version. When you're only 4'11", every little bit helps! The LBS switched out the handlebar for a more narrow one that fits me better (at no charge), and we added hot pink handlebar tape to make it look more "girly", lol. I'm still using toe clip pedals, but plan on getting clipless pedals when I'm comfortable enough. I absolutely love my bike and really enjoy riding it.

Questions are a couple of posts down.

[Giulianna23]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Awesome bike you have!...

So excited another Giant owner here... My Defy is on it's way. Should be here in a few weeks and I just can't wait. I am getting the men's model as well.

[CyclingJenn]

Nice! It's been a really great bike so far. I tried several different brands/models and I liked this one the best. My boyfriend and our other friend also have Giants, so we represent well when we ride together.

[CyclingJenn]

Instead of starting a new thread, I figured I'd just post some questions here.

First off, the saddle. I know this is more of an individual preference, but some recommendations would be a nice place to start. I'm riding the stock saddle that came with my bike. It's bothered me since the beginning, but I thought I would put some miles on it and then see how it felt. It still hurts. Even more so now that I am riding farther. I did 18 miles yesterday, with more climbing than I have done before. My lady bits were hurting pretty badly by the end of the ride. It feels like there is a lot of pressure on the soft tissue/sensitive area, plus some irritation from rubbing. I've tried tilting my seat down a bit in the front, but it hasn't helped. Any recommendations? What about places to buy? Ideally I'd like to try out some saddles first, but I'm not sure if my LBS carries any brands other than the specific bike brands that they sell.

Secondly, pedals and shoes. I don't think I'm quite ready to make the switch, since I am still getting used to riding and already concentrating on so many things. But, I do want to switch to clipless pedals sometime soon. I have small feet, so they would have to come in smaller sizes. I wear a 5 1/2 to a 6. Are there any pedals that are easier to get in and out of?

Lastly, are there any kinds of exercises or conditioning tricks that I can do outside of riding that would help me when riding?

[emily_in_nc]

[QUOTE=CyclingJenn;647034Are there any pedals that are easier to get in and out of?

Lastly, are there any kinds of exercises or conditioning tricks that I can do outside of riding that would help me when riding?[/QUOTE]

First, welcome to TE! Your bike is gorgeous!

Can't help you much with saddle questions as it is a hugely personal choice, and unfortunately, you might have to go through some duds to find saddle nirvana (if such a thing exists). It also takes a bit of riding to toughen up before you know if a saddle will work for you or not. I personally do well on Terry Butterfly, but it doesn't work for everyone. I have never had any success at all with non-cutout saddles. I get too much chafing on my inner tissues, and it hurts to pee after a ride. Can't deal with that.

Speedplay Frog pedals are the easiest pedals to get into and out of that I've ever used. However, they are "mountain" pedals so don't work with road shoes. However, I prefer "mountain" shoes because the cleats are recessed and they are easier to walk in than "road shoes" with external cleats. YMMV.

As far as your last question, it's better to ride than to do "other" exercises or activities. If you want to be a better, stronger, faster rider, then RIDE. It's really as simple as that. Core strength is helpful too, but other sports, such as running, weight training etc. don't translate as much as you might think to cycling. Just keep on riding and you will improve. Riding with people a little better than you (but not so much better/faster that you are miserable) is a great way to improve your technique and fitness.

Hope this helps a little!

[goldfinch]

Welcome! I am just shy of 4'11" so I understand how hard it is to find a bike that fits. I am impressed that two bottle cages fit in that small frame. My bike will only take one.

I do core exercise and some strength training, in part because I have arthritis and I need to keep my upper body strong. I like these for the core: www.mayoclinic.com/health/core-strength/SM00047

I also have small feet. It is pretty easy to find small cycling shoes and the sizes in general seem to run small. I use road pedals, the Speedplay x series. Because I am a small person with narrow hips I had to special order pedals with the shortest shaft. Before ordering pedals you might work with a fitter to make sure that you are getting pedals that will work for you. I also had the opportunity to try several bike saddles when I was getting a fit and that helped me narrow down my choices to a t shape saddle.

[Owlie]

Instead of starting a new thread, I figured I'd just post some questions here.

First off, the saddle. I know this is more of an individual preference, but some recommendations would be a nice place to start. I'm riding the stock saddle that came with my bike. It's bothered me since the beginning, but I thought I would put some miles on it and then see how it felt. It still hurts. Even more so now that I am riding farther. I did 18 miles yesterday, with more climbing than I have done before. My lady bits were hurting pretty badly by the end of the ride. It feels like there is a lot of pressure on the soft tissue/sensitive area, plus some irritation from rubbing. I've tried tilting my seat down a bit in the front, but it hasn't helped. Any recommendations? What about places to buy? Ideally I'd like to try out some saddles first, but I'm not sure if my LBS carries any brands other than the specific bike brands that they sell.

Secondly, pedals and shoes. I don't think I'm quite ready to make the switch, since I am still getting used to riding and already concentrating on so many things. But, I do want to switch to clipless pedals sometime soon. I have small feet, so they would have to come in smaller sizes. I wear a 5 1/2 to a 6. Are there any pedals that are easier to get in and out of?

Lastly, are there any kinds of exercises or conditioning tricks that I can do outside of riding that would help me when riding?

Welcome to TE! Woohoo, another Giant owner! I have the women's model from a few years ago.

The stock saddles that come on Giants are horrible! (I think I gave mine a week...) You have to make sure that the saddle is wide enough for your sit bones and determine whether or not you need a cut-out or indentation, and from there it's a lot of trial and error.
Specialized's saddles have done well for me, and before that I had a Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow. Selle Italia makes nice saddles. They're just not the right shape for me. Take a gander at this thread for some tips.
A few other questions: Are you wearing bike shorts? Without underwear? If you're not wearing cycling shorts with a chamois, you might consider doing so--the lack of seams near soft tissue helps with chafing, as does not wearing underwear with them. Chamois butter may also help, but my money is on the implement of torture that Giant thinks is a saddle.

Speedplays are supposed to be pretty easy to get in and out of.

[amnesiac]

Instead of starting a new thread, I figured I'd just post some questions here.

First off, the saddle. I know this is more of an individual preference, but some recommendations would be a nice place to start. I'm riding the stock saddle that came with my bike. It's bothered me since the beginning, but I thought I would put some miles on it and then see how it felt. It still hurts. Even more so now that I am riding farther. I did 18 miles yesterday, with more climbing than I have done before. My lady bits were hurting pretty badly by the end of the ride. It feels like there is a lot of pressure on the soft tissue/sensitive area, plus some irritation from rubbing. I've tried tilting my seat down a bit in the front, but it hasn't helped. Any recommendations? What about places to buy? Ideally I'd like to try out some saddles first, but I'm not sure if my LBS carries any brands other than the specific bike brands that they sell.

Secondly, pedals and shoes. I don't think I'm quite ready to make the switch, since I am still getting used to riding and already concentrating on so many things. But, I do want to switch to clipless pedals sometime soon. I have small feet, so they would have to come in smaller sizes. I wear a 5 1/2 to a 6. Are there any pedals that are easier to get in and out of?

Lastly, are there any kinds of exercises or conditioning tricks that I can do outside of riding that would help me when riding?

I love your pink accents! I think I may need to get myself some of that pink tape!

I have been happy with my Terry Butterfly but IME the bike fitting has been super important because in the wrong position any saddle can be really uncomfortable.

I also chose Shimano SPD mountain bike pedals & shoes. Partially because the shoes are comfy for walking around in & partially because that way I wouldn't have to buy another pair of shoes (because I have a MTB also). They're really user friendly which is good considering I'm super clumsy!