Seat, Shorts, Handlebars?

[tulip]

we're all in the US, right?

Absolutely NOT. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway...that's off the top of my head. Others, like me, live in the US but hold dual citizenship or just plain like other countries.

[wildhawk]

Ok Earthgirl here is what I did:
I did not like the seat that came on my hybrid either, so I got a new cutout, gel/foam seat from Rav-x for around $34 at my LBS. It is absolutely fantastic, not huge and rides like a dream. My DH also got one for his bike and loves it.

I also added bar ends to my handlebars. I have carpal tunnel from years of typing so that was essential. I now have no more numbness or tingling in my hands and multiple positions to use which really are crucial to me on longer rides (20+ miles)

If you click on the home page on TE you will find a section for bike gear and apparel - I clicked on the plus size section, clicked on Cannondale and found my cycling shorts for $29.95. Yeah, they are not the most expensive pair, but are very comfortable and working great for me. I am losing weight, so I will invest in a more expensive pair when I get to my goal. I cannot afford a cycling jersey yet, but I went to Walmart and purchased a similar fabric (moisture wicking) shirt ($6.00 each) in the men’s dept. It is very comfortable and I stay nice and cool. It looks nice over my biking shorts too. My shorts come to just above me knee too - not too short!

I also picked up a pair of cycling socks at a LBS - they are great too. A bit pricy at $10/pair, but no seams to cause rubs as I am still riding in my New Balance running shoes (saving up for bike shoes). The socks I purchased are made by SockGuy and come in all sorts of fun and colorful designs. My pair was for World Bicycle Relief.org and $5 of the purchase price was used to buy cycles for folks in Zambia - cool!
Here is a photo taken week before last of my bike and me. You can see the position of the bar ends.

I would also suggest getting a pair of cycling gloves. I did not think that I needed them, but they also protect my median nerve in my wrist and work great with the bar ends. It also is nice to know if I should take a dive they will offer up some protection. Now that Florida is finally going into fall, I will be looking up a pair of full finger cycling gloves to complement my gear.

Good luck with your new bike and just remember to build up the miles gradually and not overdo. If you can, I would suggest taking your bike to a LBS and having them do an adjustment of the seat, handlebars, etc. to fit you. At one of our LBS they can do a pro-fitting, but it is expensive. But they do offer a basic fitting for around $60. Sounds expensive, but worth it
if you are not sure how to adjust everything properly.

Also, read, research and learn everything you can from this forum as well as other really good ones on the web. And ask questions - some great advice is available.
Good luck and go for it!!!

[earthgirl]

Thanks again everyone! Some great advice!!!

Thanks for posting that pic Wildhawk - i will run over to my LBS after this storm passes.

Kona - I was going to pm you but it's annoying to type on my phone. The cable modem went out at home and I'm on my phone now. Lame. The hurricane hasn't even hit. It's not even raining!

everyone else - thanks again for the advice - and the chamois info. interesting! fwiw - i've always pronounced it "chamois (sham-wah)" and I was born and raised in Houston :-)

[wackyjacky1]

LOL, I took 4 years of French (2 in HS and 2 in college) and I know it's supposed to be sham-wah, but I still say shammy. (What can I say, I was a straight C student. )

Bar ends would be a great idea, but you can also get ergonomic grips that provide relief as well: just for example

The straight bars on my FX killed my wrists. Like you, my hands were going numb within the first couple of miles. I did a total switcheroo and had moustache bars installed, along with bar end shifters. It was kind of a pricey modification (I spent around $150 altogether to do it, incl. labor) but the result, for me, has been fantastic. So that's an option you might want to consider in the future.

One other thing, I tilted the nose of my saddle ever-so-slightly up. I found that I was sliding forward a bit, which was causing me to lean too heavily on my hands/wrists. Once I gave the saddle that slight tilt, my hands felt a lot better. Just a thought.

Best of luck to you with Ike heading your way. Stay high and dry!