Various pains on long ride

[Seajay]

Myriad of fit issues can cause the discomfort you are feeling. Too many to address here. Too large, too flexy shoes or insufficient insole support can cause px.
Can you describe your fit experience at the shop you bought it?

[marni]

since I routinely do lots of miles at a time, I will hereby give my little speech about TITS (time in the saddle) training. You don't achieve comfort over time without a good bike fit, properly fitting shoes, padded gloves, a thicker gel, a better seat, portable extra supply of chamois butter, gels, gus, energy drinks and or whatever you physically and mentally need for creature comfort But above and beyond that is TITS time which is not only physical, but mental discipline as well.

Start low and slow, then build from there. You need to toughen up the muscles in your nether regions as well as building arm, shoulder and core strength in addition to legsstrength, general endurance and how to pace yourself over time and distance, when and how to eat, drink how much, how much the weather affects you, how to handle to tendancy to get bored or zone out, what mental games and images amuse you and how to get rid of mind worms.

Start with riding without stopping until you start to feel a bit uncomfortable physically. Stop, step away from the bike for a minute or so, and continue on riding until you start to feel really restless and uncomfortable and then stop, eat, drink, pee, re lube the nether regions, stretch, rest, whatever for at least 10 minutes, or more if you feel you need it. Turn around and head home after noting the distance and the time ridden before the first break and since the first stop to your current break.

On the ride home try to improve your riding endurance time on the first section by 10% ie if you rode 30 minutes before the first stop on the outbound try and ride 33 minutes on the way back before you step down. Ditto on the second return section, although you may run out of distance before you run out of time, if so circle the block a few times noodling your legs to get in the time, distance and to burn off the lactic acid.

When you get home, pat yourself on the back for a good ride, treat yourself to a recovery chocolate milk or mocha espresso or whatever beverage floats your boat, and some good protein and carbohydrate to speed recovery, and get out of your wet, slimy (from chamois butter and sweat) shorts and clean thoroughly to prevent infection. Record your accomplishments and take a day off of the bike to rest or cross train.- hint core exercises never hurt.

Repeat ad naseum adding 5 to 10% on the time ridden between breaks going out and coming back and on the hoped for mileage.

Once you are achieving what you feel is pretty close to your aimed for distance, metric century, 75 miles, century at what you feel is a reasonable, sustainable speed, switch up you training by riding the distance two days in a row. When you can do two days in a row, without reliving the "night of the living dead" the thrid day, try three days in a row, up your speed by 10% for two consecutive days or start alternating in some good interval speed rides to up your speed. Don't forget cross training and stretchingon your days off.

My ultimate goal is usually is to be able to stay in the saddle without doing anything more than stepping off of the pedals for a minute to check a map or switch bottles, 5-6 hours at a stretch and to finish the same ride several days in a row with a little something left over each days. Sometimes I even achieve that but it's usually on a cross country ride where necesity and geography result in have to do 7-9 60-80 mile days without a break. It depends on the ride, but if I can do several 6 hour days without a break I can usually do more if I hit the support stops, take a lunch break, and mentally accept that it is going to be a 8-10 hours in the saddle day.

The only way to learn how to ride fast or long, once you get your equipment in order is to ride, ride, ride. Remember that if you hurt you won't repeat the exercise that hurt so learn to balance the thin line between good training and training which hurts more than momentarily. The line between cannot and do not want to is another thin line that you have to work on.

Good luck, there is nothing more satisfying than going out for a long long ride and having miles and miles to contemplate how far you've come and how far you can go now.

[Jiffer]

Sounds like you've gotten a lot of good replies. I just wanted to add my two cents. Ditto on the right bike fit. My bike fit session was about more than making sure the bike fit my body correctly, but also about my position on the bike and if I was pedaling efficiently, etc. I learned I was putting way too much pressure on the handlebars, which can cause problems like neck and shoulder pain. You are supposed to put minimal pressure on the handlebars and use your core more for support. Also, move your position on the bars from time to time.

Just before my bike fit, I had done my longest ride I had ever done on that bike, about 65 miles. I was dying on that ride, which is what made me get the bike fit finally. I can't tell you what a huge difference the right fit made, plus the knowledge of proper form on the bike, etc. I don't think every bike fit person will necessarily work with you on form, but if yours doesn't offer any input on that, you could always ask.

Also, ditto on the right saddle. You really have to try several to know what works for you, and just taking a spin around the block won't necessarily tell you. If it's clearly NOT the saddle for you, a spin around the block may tell you, but if it's a maybe, then you really need a good distance ride or two or three. There are bike shops that will demo saddles, but you can also buy saddles at performancebike.com and they have a money back guarantee. You can return anything any time even after you've obviously used it. Check on that to make sure nothing has changed, but that's how I tried some of my saddles. You have to pay for them up front, but then you get money back on anything you send back.

Another tip is to get up and out of the saddle from time to time. Sometimes when I'm climbing a lot on some mountain road and there's no stopping at signals or anywhere for a long period of time, I will stand up and pedal fairly easy for a little bit, just to relieve pressure on the bits ... as well as to use different muscles for a little bit. I can't do it for very long on a climb, but long enough to help the hoo ha out a bit and give my overworked muscles a break. I'll do it on any long ride where I need a break from the saddle. Often when people stand, it is to go faster, but that doesn't have to be the point. You can stand and keep an easy pace and not tire yourself out too quickly (which standing tends to do). Also, you can get out of the saddle on downhills, but I think you have that one down!

I often get a sore on my skin when I do longer rides (down in the nether region). While I still wonder if there's something better I can do (different saddle or something else) ... I find that using two products down there helps. When I do a long ride (or am sore because I just did a long ride), I will put either Neosporine or A&D Ointment directly on my skin, particularly the actual spot that gets irritated. Then I will put Chamois Buttr in my shorts. My friend and I call them "layers". Base layer and second layer!

A few times on a century I brought Chamois Buttr with me and added it at a SAG stop. I learned that doesn't really work for me. I don't know what it is, but I guess I just get "too" slippery or something and I find I'm even more uncomfortable than I am if I just leave it alone. So I do my base layer and second layer before the ride and let it be after that. But that may not be the case with you. You have to figure out what works for you.

Once you figure out bike fit, saddle and learn to stand from time to time ... you can start building up miles to where you body does start to get used to being on the bike longer and longer. I would still love to be more comfortable on the bike than I am on long rides, but it's a lot better than it used to be after all of the above.

[crazycanuck]

In terms of bike fit, it may help to tell us if you're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere(australia by chance?), I might be able to suggest something. Also,try over at www.bicycles.net.au if you are down this a way. Local knowledge helps!

Lucas' PawPaw ointment works on nether regions!