Hi Stpbound,

It isn't so

Nope, your weight should have nothing to do with it. I'm almost exactly the same size as you, and I don't have any saddle discomfort. But I always wear bike shorts, even for short rides, and my bike fits. I'd really suggest you go to a good bike shop and get some help- get some recommendations from this board for a helpful one one. I partially selected my lbs because the owner is a fat guy, so I knew he'd be respectful toward me.

The only thing being heavy does is mean you mean more leg strength to compensate, and in my experience, going up hills is harder (hauling me and my bike up a hill is tough sometimes, even in granny gear). But it makes us inherently faster on the downhills!

As far as bike shorts that fit, I have Pearl Izumi shorts in XXL, and Terry T Shorts in 1X, and they fit great. So just make sure you have well-fitting shorts.

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

-Amy