yet another thread about girl parts

[moonfroggy]

there is only one bike shop near me i will see if the guy at that shop can set me up in a trainer and watch. it means having to explain the problem and talk out loud about it which is really really um hard for me to do.

the dissociative stuff also comes with somewhat sever ptsd and is related to abuse as a child. talking about my body here is hard for me. talking out loud with my really nice female doctor whow as a midwife will be really hard and i will probably stutter a lot. trying to talk to the guy at the bike shop. he seems very nice but he is a guy. i may stutter to much to make any sense. other bike shops are over an hour away. the nearest bike shop just has one guy who works there he is really nice and helpful though.

[Eden]

Could you write it all down? It might be easier to explain to the fitter that it is hard to talk about and hand them a written description. They will still have to ask you questions, but it might be a way to get started.

I'm not sure where you are at, if it is a small town it might be harder to find someone, but often physical therapists will do bike fits as well. Would it be easier for you to go to a medical professional and maybe even find a woman?

[moonfroggy]

it is just sort of rural where i am. i think i will just have to make arrangements to drive a ways and find someone i can be comfortable with. writing stuff down would help a lot i will do that. really riding my bike is one of the best things for the ptsd. bike riding and talk therapy.

i know someone who can probably tell me the very best place to go that will be the least scary for me.

[KnottedYet]

If you are worried you'll stutter to your doctor, write it down. I write stuff down for my doctor all the time. They are used to that.

For the shop guy, just ask if he can do a fit check and check your posture. Let him know you are interested in fit. Tell him you are getting a custom bike in the future, but you want to make this one fit as best you can now. Expect to pay for a full fit session (which is about an hour), but a quick fit and posture check (about 10 minutes) is not likely to have a charge. Give the guy a plate of cookies as a thank you, and give the shop your business.

[moonfroggy]

ok that sounds very doable. i will find out if local bike shop guy can do a fit check like that. he did sort of do one. but obviously there is a problem. and he is going to be putting my custom bike together and doing tune ups and everything he gets lots of business from me since i discovered his shop. closer to me is a surf shop that does bike stuff but the guy who works there is a jerk and not helpful so i don't go there for anything.

[navybeetle]

there is only one bike shop near me i will see if the guy at that shop can set me up in a trainer and watch. it means having to explain the problem and talk out loud about it which is really really um hard for me to do.

the dissociative stuff also comes with somewhat sever ptsd and is related to abuse as a child. talking about my body here is hard for me. talking out loud with my really nice female doctor whow as a midwife will be really hard and i will probably stutter a lot. trying to talk to the guy at the bike shop. he seems very nice but he is a guy. i may stutter to much to make any sense. other bike shops are over an hour away. the nearest bike shop just has one guy who works there he is really nice and helpful though.

Hang in there sister. Like you, I have had illnesses and bumps in the road that scared me into thinking that something I love to do could be taken away from me. I prayed my way through it and read stories about people overcoming physical/mental pain. I had a rough couple of years there. Two of my favorites were Krakauer's "Into the Void" (a great dvd too) and lance Armstrong's "It's not about the bike". Also, how about one of those saddles that have an empty space in the middle of the seat or one where you seem to just rest your butt on it? I am just getting back into biking after 20 years so I don't have any other suggestions. Hang tough but go to the doctor. I prefer a female when it comes to my nether regions :-)

[moonfroggy]

Hang in there sister. Like you, I have had illnesses and bumps in the road that scared me into thinking that something I love to do could be taken away from me. I prayed my way through it and read stories about people overcoming physical/mental pain. I had a rough couple of years there. Two of my favorites were Krakauer's "Into the Void" (a great dvd too) and lance Armstrong's "It's not about the bike". Also, how about one of those saddles that have an empty space in the middle of the seat or one where you seem to just rest your butt on it? I am just getting back into biking after 20 years so I don't have any other suggestions. Hang tough but go to the doctor. I prefer a female when it comes to my nether regions :-)

thanks this is sort of an old thread now. i guess i should post an update

i did finally see a doctor and that was all ok and i managed it. i stopped wearing the shorts that are now to big for me. if i wear shorts that fit i have no problem or almost no problem. since i got my new bike i notice when i spend a lot of time in the drops there is some chaffing i think i need to adjust the saddle some or maybe try a different saddle. anyhow i have had no bleeding and almost no chaffing and no more cysts.

[navybeetle]

Glad to hear you are working through it. I am sure I will have to as well :-)

[roadwrider]

Hi, I've been reading along and empathizing with all of you. I've been a road biker for, well... decades. I've had the boil/ingrown hair problem. I've had saddle issues. I've had numbness in my hands and toes (especially on my left side). I've had ill-fitting shorts and I've worked through the painful realization that my "new" bike was too big and I needed to invest in yet another. As for the boils, a Brazilian wax, loofa sponge, daily lotion and Chamoix Butt'r works like a charm for me. Granted, it may not be for everyone. I had severe tail bone pain a year ago that turned out to be a combination of poor saddle and bike fit. My old Terry seat was simply spreading my pelvis when I rode and it was ungodly painful to do anything on or off my beloved bike. I went with the Jett 143, although the smaller one may fit me as well. It's great (as moonfroggy can atest). I'm a minimalist, so the less pressure on any body parts the less opportunity for soreness. I'm tall, 5'9"+, but I have a very narrow pelvis and my hips tilt a full 3/4" down on my left side when I stand. That combined with a bike that was too big and poorly fit had me sliding around in the saddle and scooting forward when I rode, which pushed me off my sits bones and rested my weight on my girly-bits. OUCH. I kept having to reseat myself, which is not productive or efficient at all. My new bike is fit perfectly. The tech made sure to fit me from both sides to accommodate my hip issue and I've been back to tweak the peddle/cleet position and seat height so it feels good now with no numbness or chaffing. Lastly, I put customized bars on it that are narrower so my shoulders and elbows tuck in much better. In my experience, once a bike is dialed in where it belongs you'll know it's right when you feel like you're wearing it, not just riding it. Finally, Shebeest Triple-S shorts work great for me. I won't ride anything else. Last weekend I went 150 miles in two days averaging 18.7 mph with no issues. The team felt great and I'd do it again tomorrow if I could. Good luck ladies! I wish I could ride with all of you.

[lph]

thanks this is sort of an old thread now. i guess i should post an update

i did finally see a doctor and that was all ok and i managed it. i stopped wearing the shorts that are now to big for me. if i wear shorts that fit i have no problem or almost no problem. since i got my new bike i notice when i spend a lot of time in the drops there is some chaffing i think i need to adjust the saddle some or maybe try a different saddle. anyhow i have had no bleeding and almost no chaffing and no more cysts.

Hey, cool Didn't see this update until now. Glad the new shorts are working well. I had some favourite shorts but sort of forgot that they deteriorate over time, so I didn't realize at first that they were the ones causing me trouble. Got some new ones, hey presto. And the old ones hit the trash can, old favourites or no.

Saddle fit, now that is a whole different can of worms. I wish we could all live near each other and have a saddle exchange program, trying out a zillion to find The One!

[lph]

Moonfroggy, do you have a friend who could come with you to the bike shop? I'm thinking having someone you're comfortable talking to could make the exchange easier, someone to fill in the gaps, make small talk, ask the little questions you may not think of etc., take the pressure off of you having to handle all the dialogue.

Any bike shop employees that know anything at all about biking will know all about saddle pain and the importance of a good fit, though, so expect them to take this in their stride. It's essential to both men and women, beginners and veterans alike.

Re your problem directly - I've never bled, but I have had bad chafing that I didn't notice until after the ride, because of compression I assume. Moving my handlebars closer to me with a shorter stem helped, a saddle with a larger cut-out and the right tilt helped, and changing my riding position around a lot on long rides helps a lot. Standing, sitting, sprinting, change is good.

[moonfroggy]

i will see if i can find a friend that can help me. my husband could go but he has so much social anxiety he might not be much help.

i have another thought about the chafing which is that my bike nickers look like they fit me pretty well but i have been gaining a lot of muscle and loosing a lot of fat and i avoid scales but most of my clothes no longer fit the way they did a few months ago. i am certainly thinner than i was when i got my knickers. if they are to big could that cause chaffing? i have worn them for almost every bike ride since i got them because they are warm when it is cold and drizzly out. i wash them as soon as i can so they will be clean for the next ride and when they have not been dry enough and i had to wear other shorts i have been disappointing. i think though the chamois in one of my other pair of shorts is more comfortable. not sure which one i should figure that out.

[lph]

i have another thought about the chafing which is that my bike nickers look like they fit me pretty well but i have been gaining a lot of muscle and loosing a lot of fat and i avoid scales but most of my clothes no longer fit the way they did a few months ago. i am certainly thinner than i was when i got my knickers. if they are to big could that cause chaffing?

Definitely! If the chamois is getting a bit "poofy" and loose from a lot of use and you have gotten thinner, I'd say this is the prime suspect for chafing. Do spring for a new pair, you will need them sooner or later and comfort on bike is essential. Rotating pairs will help against chafing in itself.

[malkin]

For the bike store guy, you don't need to give any more detail than "saddle issues." Chances are, this will be enough to make him a little uncomfortable too.

You did a great job of explaining in your post!

[artifactos]

I have nothing more to add to the other reccomendations (get thee to a doctor, get a better bike fit, write things down/take a friend if necessary to help communicate), but I want to say that I'm proud of you being able to write everything out so clearly for us to understand and try to help you. I'm sure it must have been very hard for you, but I'm glad you were able to do that for yourself and get the help you needed.