new here and some questions

[ny biker]

Welcome and congrats on your rides so far!

We have much info on saddles here. You'll want to start by measuring your sit bones. There's a thread that summarizes a lot of the info, so that's a good place to start.

[Catrin]

Welcome, and certainly search for the saddle info on this site. It is good to keep in mind that not all cut-outs are the same where the size/width/length of the cutout is concerned. For me the Diva was MUCH too large as far as the cutout was concerned but the SI Lady was just right. There will be some trials involved to find out what works best for your body. You might want to check at your local bike stores to see if any allow a demo trial period for Selle Italia or other brands. Usually if you find the saddle works for you they will apply the demo fee towards the cost for the saddle. Good luck, welcome, and have fun!

As for me, I always preferred a hydration pack over a water bottle but that was me.

[lph]

Welcome LittleLune! If you ride your bike and like it, it's a good bike for you :-) Good luck finding a good saddle. There is indeed a lot of info here. It may look a bit intimidating, but it's not so much about finding The Perfect Saddle (though that's nice), but eliminating the types that are painful and make you not want to ride your bike. You'll notice that a lot of uss have our bikes and saddles listed in our signatures. That may give you some indication of the more popular ones.

Commuting by bike is awesome, I love it. Nothing like it to make you feel self-sufficient and free, and I hope you find a good route that you like. I've used both camelback and bottles. Both have their good points.

[lauraelmore1033]

Welcome Little lune! I started cycling as an adult on a bike from Target. Nothing wrong with that! As you can see from my signature line, I didn't stay with it. As the house emptied of kids, it filled with bikes and cats. ( those kids are expensive and it's amazing how much money you have when they leave!). Enjoy your cycling journey!