Well you have come to the right place. Forget all the other forums! The ladies here know all!!!!!!

My two cents: As stated before, engage core. Wear gloves. Your hands should not be holding you up, your core should be. Unlock those elbows. That will take a lot of the weight off the hands. Also, invest in good bike shorts (worn commando). I wouldn't get on a bike without them. If you need a pillow, you need a new saddle! I'm assuming you also are wearing a helmet and glasses.


You may want to consider whether the bike you have in worth the expense of a complete fit. You may be throwing good money after good. You may want/need a new bike (that's ok. We are a bunch of new bike enablers here!) Not sure what type of bike you need for your mix of terrain, but you definitely need to keep that in mind. Hopefully a few of the ladies in the know will chime in on that topic.

Sounds like a road trip (by car) is in your future. Spend some time in a few lbs's (local bike stores). Ask questions, ride bikes, ask more questions, sit on bikes, etc.

Bike fit is so important. You may not need a complete fit to get the right bike, but a good sizing-type fitting as a minimum is critical. I found Specialized stores usually have offer pretty good sizing, possibly included in the purchase price.

By, the way, you have had excellent questions.

Enjoy riding, and welcome