Comfort

[Teddy Altman]

I am a VERY new rider, 55 years old, have not ridden since childhood. My husband and I have both taken it up; he has ridden more recently than I. We have been "in training" and have done some longer rides lately. (20 miles is "long" for us at this stage in our development!) I can go the distance, but my seat is uncomfortable and I get chafed and irritated. What is a good seat? Also, do you wear undergarments with biking shorts? Tampons? Pads? What's best? I'm old - but not yet beyond that stage! I need tips on how to stay comfortable. Thanks!

[goddess1222]

hi teddy! congratulations on taking up such a marvelous sport. i just got my first road bike about 4 months ago and am loving it to death. here are a few things i learned very fast.

never wear underwear with biking shorts. it causes much more chafing. riding without underwear is a lot more comfortable than it sounds.

if your seat is uncomfortable, join the club. women have the hardest time finding seats that don't hurt the "taco". check out the "terry" seats. the "butterfly" is widely used and is supposed to be quite comfortable. that is the one i am saving for right now. they are a little spendy (about 100.00), but i have heard well worth it. your local bike shop should carry a few of the "terry" models. if they don't you can go to their website. i believe it is terryprecisioncycling.com. i will double check for you. you can always put in keywords on google, and the website address will come up.

tell me, what kind of bike do you have?

hope this bit of info helps.

happy riding,
goddess1222

[goddess1222]

sorry teddy, the web address is terrybicycles.com.

goddess1222

[ayermail2]

Teddy -
Some great books you'll want to check out are:

A Woman's Guide to Cycling by Susan Weaver
The Female Cyclist by Gale Barnhardt


BTW - I agree with 1222, it's much better sans underwear!! As for the other, IMHO, tampons are better, just tuck the string away or you'll be sorry!

I like the butterfly seat as well, and the sooner you can get a different seat the better! (I went through 4 before I got the butterfly!)

You'll be surprised at how soon it is when 20 miles doesn't seem long! I've only been riding 13 1/2 months, and remember last August when I started riding how hard the 8 mile beginner rides were! Now, my first century is planned for November!

Welcome to The Bike Club!!! You've found a great place where nobody's afraid to tell it like it is!

[missliz]

Bike shorts are totally designed for no underwear. Another thing that helps is "chamois butter", a sort of lubricant/ moisturizer for the crotch. Our gracious hosts Team Estrogen sell the stuff, it's great. Vaseline works well too, but isn't water soluable and can get messy. The quality of the shorts makes a big difference too. You want flat fell seams in cycling shorts, not regular seams that make a lump. And the padding should be decent, don't use cheap shorts with fuzzy fleece stuff. The fibers are basicly plastic and will chew your skin off. You will be incredibly happier with tampons.
Seats- as a huge fan of Terry saddles, I encourage you to look at the website. (Look at the shorts, too) That hole in the middle is what we like, it takes the pressure off the sensitive bits. If your bike didn't come with this feature, you can get a $25 or $30 saddle with springs if you want'em and more padding than the Terry. I ride hundred dollar Terry racing saddles, but if you're at the twenty mile stage that may be overkill when you can get a good knockoff. I have a $25 Avenir on my city bike that I love. It's pretty normal for a rider to go through a few saddles to find what they like, and as you go longer distances you'll want firmer pricier performance saddles. More upright bikes have wider back ends, as you lean over more you tend to want a narrower seat. Generally.
Actually, the lower end Terrys like the original Liberator may suit you too. You know where it hurts, and should look at some different saddles and see whats available. You can probably tell what you need. If the saddle is even a problem. I'd ditch the undies and get some chamois cream and see how it goes.

missliz

[Dogmama]

Another thing that helps "post ride" is desitin - the stuff you put on baby's butts. It is a little numbing and has stuff to help with the chafing.

You'll toughen up after awhile, sister!

Congrats on starting out. Keep your legs spinning (don't push big heavy gears) until you build up some muscle, tendon & ligament strength. Even after that, pushing big heavy gears isn't a good thing.