Seat, Shorts, Handlebars?

[earthgirl]

So I just finished my first ride on the bike -and it would have been amazing! and much longer than the 2.7mi if I wasn't in so much discomfort. I wasn't tired, I just was in pain. (but it was STILL SO MUCH FUN!)

I felt like the seat was digging into my bones. Anyway, my questions are:

1. I've seen wider seats, and seats with gel, and seats with memory foam at the big box stores like Target, Academy, Sports Authority, etc. Are they any good?
   
   
2. A few of you mentioned shorts w/ padding in my last post. I did a search on TE but there's no mention of padding in the description. Is it just something you assume it has because it's a bike short?
   
   
3. Can I add drop bars to my bike? I feel like dropped bars will allow me to ride longer because it takes pressure off my wrists. My hands/wrists are getting numb in the second mile. I felt like this would be a problem, because I'm an avid writer and all the typing has made me have this pre-carpel-tunnels-syndrome. But I'm sort of surprised it's happening in the second mile!

I would have posted this in my last thread because it definitely falls in the overwhelmed category. But you ladies are SO AMAZING and answered so well and often -that I was getting dizzy sorting through the posts :-P

[tulip]

1. No. Go to a real bike shop (LBS in bike lingo)

2. Padding in cycling shorts is called chamois (sham-wah. kinda like the Sham-wow guy, come to think of it!). It's what makes cycling shorts cycling shorts.

3. Your wrist problem might be alleviated by bar ends. Can someone post a photo of bar ends?? They change the angle of your wrists. Other than that, see the other suggestions about strengthening your core, keeping your arms relaxed, and adjusting your seat/getting a shorter stem. Putting drop bars on is expensive.

[VeloVT]

There are many, many threads about saddles on these boards -- you should spend a good long time searching and reading through them, because you will find a lot of information about what to look for and what to avoid. In short, we are all shaped differently and different saddles suit different people, but there are some things that don't seem to work for anyone (and super wide, super padded gel seats fall into this category, if you're really planning on riding your bike any distance) and there are just a handful of "metrics" that you need to be paying attention to as you try different saddles so you can begin to learn what makes a saddle work for you. Then if they change your favorite saddle, you know what to look for in a new one .

--width (the most important width is the width of the rear of the saddle, where your sitbones rest, but pay attention to nose width as well -- a too-wide nose can cause chafing, while a too narrow one may not suit your riding style if you like to move around on the saddle).
--level of padding (in general, less is better, but for most people there is such a thing as too hard also -- but it's different for everyone).
--cutout or lack of cutout (lots of women need cutouts to be comfortable, but don't let the guys at the bike shop convince you that all women need cutouts. I, for one, really don't like cutouts and am much more comfortable on a saddle without a cutout).
--shape. whether the saddle is t-shaped (very wide rear and narrow nose, with very little transition between the two) or pear-shaped (more gradual transition from tip to tail). anecdotally it seems like most women here prefer a t-shaped saddle. I really, really like the Fizik Arione (I have one on each bike and if I got another bike, I'd put an Arione on it), which is narrow and pear shaped. my theory is that I prefer the pear shape because I ride with my hips tipped fairly far forward, thus I need support for more than just my sit bones, and the pear shape of the Arione provides this (and since it's narrow it doesn't chafe me, which seems to be a major complaint with pear-shaped saddles). But that's just my half-baked theory . You will have to ride a few to decide what works for you.
--top profile. Is the saddle very flat from tip to tail (e.g., Selle Italia SLR, Fizik Arione, or most Brooks saddles), or is it contoured (e.g., Fizik Aliante, Selle Italia Flite). Again, you just have to try some to know what works for you -- everyone is shaped differently. Usually this is a polarizing feature though -- you either HAVE to have flat or HAVE to have contour...
--It seems to make some difference how convex the saddle is from side to side as well (though I don't think this is nearly as important as the other features I've mentioned). Again, just something to notice as you try different saddles.

Good luck! Don't get too discouraged if you don't like the first saddle (or two, or three) that you buy -- unfortunately it takes most people a few tries, and some people many tries, to find one they like. It can get rather $$$...

[VeloVT]

Padding in cycling shorts is called chamois (sham-wah. kinda like the Sham-wow guy, come to think of it!). It's what makes cycling shorts cycling shorts.

Just curious -- while I agree that this is the correct pronunciation of the word "chamois", I have never, ever heard anyone refer to the "cham-wah" in bike shorts. I've only ever heard it pronounced in that context as a "shammy." Is this a regional thing?

[oxysback]

Just curious -- while I agree that this is the correct pronunciation of the word "chamois", I have never, ever heard anyone refer to the "cham-wah" in bike shorts. I've only ever heard it pronounced in that context as a "shammy." Is this a regional thing?

I was going to ask this same thing. I pronouce it "shammy" also.

Cute story...when I was taking riding lessons my trainer had two of the greatest little bull terrier dogs. One of them was the same tan color you see in the chamois' that are used to dry off cars. My trainer had named her "Shammy", so that's what I think of when I pronounce "chamois."

[Kano]

earthgirl -- I posted something like this in the other thread, but just for clarification, your bike is something like this one, yes?

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/bike_path/fx/71fx/

The saddle may be the right general shape and size, but I keep reading here that the ones on Trek bikes are nasty. Be careful when shopping, because you could really regret those wider, cushy saddles! My poor butt really hated the saddle that came with the "comfort bikes" DH and I bought a couple of years ago. DH's butt didn't either, but he seemed to think that it's SUPPOSED to hurt. Anyway, wide and cushy was really hard on my tail bone -- I didn't sit for days after riding that saddle without wishing I was standing!

The original saddle on my Trek hybrid wasn't too good either (this bike is circa 1988?) but I was happier on something similarly shaped. No gel padding. I'd offer to mail you that one to try, but I can imagine you want to get out and ride! Heck, if you want to wait a week or so for one to arrive, that saddle is just sitting here -- it's in great shape yet!

Since as I recall, $$ are kind of an issue, you might also try that saddle on the Schwinn you talked about having around somewhere -- and you might try playing around with the way the saddle is positioned. If it's at a bad angle, you can change that and may make the ride better that way! (they say usually level front to back is good)

I think it's also important to remember the saddle on your bike may well not be the one for you, but our butts aren't ready for the shock at first either!


The bars, probably not drop bars on that bike, but the bar ends might be just the ticket -- or something shaped a little differently, so they can move closer to you for now, and have a bit more of a rise. My Trek has bars more like the ones on this model:

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/

They're turned more upright than what we see in that picture. They might also be a bit narrower -- my "comfort beast" has the same shape handlebars, but they're too wide for me, so those things are varied too, even on the entry level bikes!

Bar ends may be a good option, with lots of opportunity to adjust them to find just the right placement. Or, a different stem, if that's possible on this bike, that has more options for adjusting how high, how far forward, etc. (My Expedtion has this, and I found myself taking a lot of advantage of that) Like I mentioned with the saddle, you might find that you can scavenge parts from that Schwinn and see if its bars work better for you!

Shorts -- gosh, again, maybe I should pack you a box! (I have some tops around here yet too) Perhaps the stuff I have around from when I was your size would help your butt be happy too! (PM me if you're interested) Buy them snug, really snug. You don't want them shifting around. There was pretty much nothing worse than when my shorts started getting too big. (DH and his best biking buddy are in this situation, and I can't believe they're not out buying new shorts!) They don't have to be real expensive, but the padding, at least in enough quantity to keep you from feeling seams, makes a huge difference.

Oh, earthgirl, what a fun thing you're diving into! Have fun, ride safe, and enjoy that your body aches a little here and there from the new activity! Most of that is going to be a good sign!

Karen in Boise

[celerystalksme]

Just curious -- while I agree that this is the correct pronunciation of the word "chamois", I have never, ever heard anyone refer to the "cham-wah" in bike shorts. I've only ever heard it pronounced in that context as a "shammy." Is this a regional thing?

we're all in the US, right? i have NEVER heard it called anything besides "shammy" in the US. this goes from my cycling hobby to chamois wash clothes for detaling cars in my automobile addiction. it's "shammy".

[SouthernBelle]

Yeah, it's a U.S. thing, shammy. I think it's called a chamois as they were originally made of leather as were the chamois you polished your car with. Neither are leather now.

[tulip]

When I got my first pair of bike shorts in 1983, it was pronounced chamois. They were awfully difficult to find back then. They were wool with real leather chamois. No one, in my experience, said "shammy" back then.

While I am in the US, I have alot of connections to France, including citizenship, language, and I'm a general francophile, so I probably say chamois for that reason, too. I actually saw a real chamois in the Alpes about four years ago. It's like a caribou, I guess, but it lives in the mountains and has a big fuzzy rear.

[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.

[oxysback]

While I am in the US, I have alot of connections to France, including citizenship, language, and I'm a general francophile, so I probably say chamois for that reason, too. I actually saw a real chamois in the Alpes about four years ago. It's like a caribou, I guess, but it lives in the mountains and has a big fuzzy rear.

Wow, I had no idea that a chamois was an animal. You learn something new...and all that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois

Webster has both pronounciations as correct.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chamois

[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!