Getting rid of saddle bags....

[HoddyToddy]

I don't know if you own rollerblades, but alternating to them once in a while as a workout is great for that area!

I was going to suggest the same thing. Inline skating is fantastic for getting rid of the saddlebags and cross-training.

[karen]

Jen, do you have clipless pedals?

Being attached to the pedals allows us to work different muscles on the ride. This past Sunday, I did just a little bit of riding by pulling my legs UP instead of pushing down and my glutes are STILL a little sore! Hopefully, the gluteus maximus will be more minimus if I keep this type of pedaling up

[Yen]

Jen, do you have clipless pedals?

Being attached to the pedals allows us to work different muscles on the ride. This past Sunday, I did just a little bit of riding by pulling my legs UP instead of pushing down and my glutes are STILL a little sore! Hopefully, the gluteus maximus will be more minimus if I keep this type of pedaling up

Wow, it's been almost 2 years since I posted this! Two years and 20+ pounds later (for a total of 50 pounds lost starting 5+ years ago.... very SLOW but steady weight loss). Zen left a message that I just now saw (thanks Zen) pointing me back to this thread.

Since I posted this in 2007, I've bought 2 bikes (Specialized Roubaix, and Surly Long Haul Trucker) and sold the hybrid (I loved it, but it was too big for me from the start).

I do not need to lose any more weight (138 lbs, almost 5'9" tall) and I have muscle tone that wasn't there a few years ago.

And I ride clipless now and I love it.

The saddle bags are still there, but smaller. I'm in my mid-50s so I need to be reasonable yet I know there's still opportunity for improvement.

Also... I've noticed a significant difference in my glutes since I bought the road bike. There's something about that different position that must use more muscles, and I ride the road bike many more miles at a time than I rode the hybrid.

In addition to losing fat to reduce the saddlebag appearance, tightening the muscles (the glutes, hamstrings) that support that spot also helps. I need to work on that area harder than any other because I have a totally sedentary desk job. Fortunately, I walk to/from the vanpool, walk to/from my office, and climb 4 flights of stairs to my office 3-4 times a day, in addition to riding and strength training and other walking I do. But I need to concentrate more on the hamstrings since they get the most abuse (that is -- the least use due to the sedentary job).