Newbie here - Plus-Size gal with severe fear of lycra

[RoadRaven]

LOL
If anyone had said to me that when I was approaching 40 I would regularly go out in public... in the daytime... wearing lycra...

.... I would have collapsed on the floor in a laughing heap...

I started with padded tights and a big tee shirt... I have progressed to wearing shorts... I think in a few months I might get brave enough to lose my long tee shirts and wear a cycling jersey

But like everyone else has said, if you have been brave enough to reclaim your life in terms of increased fitness levels... who cares if you are twiggy thin, or weigh 500 pounds? The important thing is you are improving your fitness and health, and with that comes increased self esteem, self awareness and self love... with that comes more energy, healthy skin and hair, more patience, sometimes a change of wardrobe...

Enjoy the changes you are making for yourself and pity those you imagine are thinking about you because deep down they are jealous...
... jealous that they can't organise their time to make an effort for themsleves
... jealous that they can't motivate themselves to make a change in lifestyle before it is too late
... jealous because they are not a brave and cool biker chick like you, and like all of us here at TE

We rock, ladies. Never forget that.

[SadieKate]

Effulgent, I just saw your DH's post on your first rides. He's a wonderboy! He is so excited that you're riding and wants you to be happy and comfy on your bike. He's a good guy. I'll raise a Cytomax toast to him tomorrow!

[anaphase]

Doesn't Moving Comfort make a lot of plus-sized gear? I'm not sure about cycling stuff, but I know they make tops and bras for running and the gym.

I've heard good things from my plus sized runner friends about the Enell bra. Women who are in the 38 - 42 DD range rave about it. It's probably more heavy duty than you need for cycling (less bounce, I guess ) but might be worth a look.

Title9sports.com has a good rating system for their bras. They have little barbell icons and each bra is rated based on size and activity.

Again, good job on getting out there!!!

[cyclingnewbie]

I am still paranoid about how I look in riding clothes, but padded lycra shorts and wicking fabrics make me so much more comfortable, that I can convince myself to be seen in public in them. I also sweat just thinking about it, so wicking is critical. I have the Terry shorts, and I like them, but I also have several pair that are much cheaper from http://www.aerotechdesigns.com that I like better because the lycra is actually a little stiffer and holds everything in place a little better. On cooler days I wear a regular cotton t-shirt that comes just to the bottom of my stomach, but not past the crotch so it doesn't catch the nose of the saddle. I also have the Borah Plus Micro Jersey for very warm days because it's very lightweight and cool. And, I tell myself that at least I'm a fat person geting some exercise and if someone doesn't like how I look, they can buy a porn magazine and look at the pictures of "real" women in there (Hah!). Wear what you are comfortable in and enjoy the riding. Anyone and everyone looks good on a bike!!

[Asphaltgirl]

Never heard of "aerotechdesigns" before, but they have some great looking stuff! Especially that Flamingo shirt.................ordering now!
AG

[effulgent]

Effulgent, I just saw your DH's post on your first rides. He's a wonderboy! He is so excited that you're riding and wants you to be happy and comfy on your bike. He's a good guy. I'll raise a Cytomax toast to him tomorrow!

Yes, my husband is very cool. (She's referring to the bikeforum.com post, my husband's handle is "monogodo"). Every time we go on a ride, he tinkers with my bike a little more to make it better for me.

Today I went on an 8.75 mile ride, which is the farthest that I've ridden so far. And I didn't just completely collapse when I got home, which made me feel good. I am going to go exchange my saddle today, though. I got a nice cushy springy saddle thinking that it would be more comfortable for me, but I think I'd like one that is specifially cut for women and has a hole in the center. The first few rides, I would hold onto the handles funny, and I realized today it was because when I bent forward I mushed up my Girlie Parts and it made me very uncomfortable. Plus I keep poking myself in the butt with the seat, I think a shorter nosed saddle will help.

[Trek420]

effulgent posts "I think a shorter nosed saddle will help."

wellllll, I dunno about that, something about saddles that are a little longer is it gives you more options, slide your butt back for hills etc.

While you may need a different saddle, I know it sounds counterintuitive but super cooshy squooshy saddles can be LESS comfy. But think adjustment, allignment before going shorter.

there are many threads here that go on at length about saddle choice, favorites, least favorites.

[DeniseGoldberg]

...but I think I'd like one that is specifially cut for women and has a hole in the center. The first few rides, I would hold onto the handles funny, and I realized today it was because when I bent forward I mushed up my Girlie Parts and it made me very uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, there isn't any one saddle that is comfortable for all of us. I tried a Terry saddle with the cut out and hated it. I use a saddle that is narrow and has just a little bit of padding - and that works for me. So as Trek says, cushier isn't always better.

My advice? Keep trying saddles until you find one that is right for you!
--- Denise

[SadieKate]

Today I went on an 8.75 mile ride, which is the farthest that I've ridden so far. And I didn't just completely collapse when I got home, which made me feel good.

Way to go! You get the Windwalker Merlot toast tonight! Urr, that IS on my hill training program, right Yellow?

On the saddle issue, for the road I like long noses and little cush. They provide more support for the long haul and more position options (as Trek mentioned). Are you just getting poked when you're getting on and off the bike? That will lessen with practice and as you get stronger so you can lift up onto the saddle better. Try lots of saddles. Some manufacturers and shops give you return privileges so ask about that as you experiment.

[Pedal Wench]

Yes, my husband is very cool. (She's referring to the bikeforum.com post, my husband's handle is "monogodo"). Every time we go on a ride, he tinkers with my bike a little more to make it better for me.
.

OH! I thought it was you guys, but I wasn't sure. I'm '3cannondales (+1Bianchi)' over at www.bikeforums.net, and I suggested he take you clothes shopping - immediately! He is very cool, and so proud!

Regarding saddles, I found that a saddle that's wide enough to support your sitbones is essential. Otherwise, all your weight in on the stuff 'between' the sitbones - ouch!!! That's why most of us end up gravitating towards a stiffer saddle too. With a squishy saddle, your sitbones sink into the cushion, and then your girly bits are hitting the saddle too - not good!

[effulgent]

I never thought of that. Super squishy makes you sink in ... go figure!

Yeah, the bike store we go to has a 30 day seat return policy, as long as it looks new and it's within 30 days, they'll return it. So I can return it as many times as I need to until I find a seat that works for me. It's a really good bike shop.

[effulgent]

I rode on Sunday with the same legging pangs that made me so sore on Saturday. BIG mistake. The leggings are made to be for aerobics, and have raised seams in the crotch for a dry-weave type liner. In a diamond shape. In a bad place. So I made it pretty far but my form was for crap. By the time I got home, I was almost in tears.

When my husband was out doing the laundry this morning, he took a good look at my shorts, and said, "Sweetie, with those seams it's a miracle you can even walk. Get some bike shorts. Today." So I ordered the Knickers Plus off the TE site today. Yeah me!

Also, this weekend I went and got some athletic men's shirts with a dry-weave material, pretty much the same stuff as jerseys. It's not as nice as a jersey, because it doesn't have a zipper or pockets, but it felt great when riding. And they're super long and not too loose, so they laid against my skin and did a good job of wicking the sweat. It almost made up for the fact that my crotch was aching so bad.

This week I'm going to give my poor soft spots a rest, and do weight training and the elliptical machine. My muscles are fine, but my heart keeps giving out on hills. I want to get my endurance up so that I can go fairly steadily for 1-1 1/2 hours and do longer rides on the weekends.

Biking is fun, but expensive. Now I have to get new pedals and cycling shoes, and at some point I want to upgrade my seat. Our LBS has a 30-day return policy and I have a distinct feeling my new saddle is going to be too mushy. I'm going to do that sit on a curb with a piece of paper thing and figure out exactly what size my seat should be before I go back to exchange my seat yet again.

It sure helps that my husband had tons of stuff from when he used to bike, including clothes, boxes of bike parts and an almost brand new pair of Diodoro Chili shoes that he's going to let me wear until I can afford shoes of my own.

[nuthatch]

Biking is fun, but expensive. Now I have to get new pedals and cycling shoes, and at some point I want to upgrade my seat.

Truer words were never spoken! The upgrades never, never end

[KSH]

I had extreme fear of lycra last night when I tried on my triathlon suit.

Due to the seams being up the middle of the crotch... and padding on each side...

The effect... SUPER CAMEL TOE!!!!!


Yes, that tri suit is going back.

I have now ordered shorts that specifically say that the seams do NOT go up the middle of the crotch.

[bikerz]

Hi -
This is my first post here, although this forum is one of the things that inspired me to get into cycling 4 months ago. I've lost 35 pounds since getting on the bike - and completed my first 40 mile ride last weekend - so thanks to all of you for sharing your stories - they are very encouraging. I've still got a ways to go, but I am getting stronger every ride, and having a great time.

But - the clothing and image issue is a problem... The first few times I rode (5, 10 12, miles) I really had to psyche myself up to not think about how ridiculous I must look on a road bike (like an grape on the top of a toothpick!). My cyclist friends have been very supportive, and keep saying "there are all types of cyclists out there - don't worry about it", but 30+ years of poor self- image takes a little while to unlearn! Recently, I have noticed that I now a spend less time thinking about how I look, and more time thinking about how I feel, which is stronger, fitter (maybe more like an olive than a grape?) and happier than ever - and the heck with what anyone else thinks!

The shorts I used to wear all the time were my Mt Borah baggy cycling shorts - I felt too self-conscious to wear my lycra shorts - BUT - a few rides ago, the baggy shorts were in the washer and I had to wear my non-baggy lycra shorts - and they were so much more comfortable! So I am ordering another pair, and the baggys will go to the back of the drawer.

The lycra shorts are "Aerotech classic shorts" from www.aerotechdesigns.com - web site is a little strange, but the shorts are good quality, very comfortable, and only $30.

I can really relate to the frustration of trying to get out and exercise in appropriate clothing, but having a hard time finding decently made, affordable clothes - and when you're losing weight, its hard to justify buying expensive clothes that will just be too big eventually. All winter I rode in my shorts and short sleeve jersey, because cold-weather clothes were almost impossible to find in my (hopefully soon to be obsolete) size, and so exensive! Then just as the weather turned warmer, it occurred to me that I could wear leg warmers and arm warmers - and they should fit for a while yet.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared their experiences here - you've all helped make a difference in my life, and I'm grateful.