Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - short and saddle help

hello all. i just came back from a nice 35 mile training ride and am having issues with my shorts. I am a 6'2" 260 lb clyde riding a 2005 Trek 1200 with a stock bontrager (sp?) seat. i currently wear a nice pearl biking short, but am finding that when i ride it slides down. Now, that leads to my sensitive areas not getting the protection they need because the cushion is out of place. more embarassing :o is when i get off the bike it looks as if there is something in my shorts because of all the sagging.

ok, now that the facts are laid out here are my questions:

- is there anything i am doing wrong in my technique?
- aside from all of you who will mention move to a bib, are there better cut shorts that people have found?
- if moving to a bib is the only option, where can i get a good one on the cheap without sacrificing cushioning?
- Saddles. It seems as if i am not riding on a saddle wide enough to fully support my "sit bones" causing some numbness on longer rides. what are you using?

thank for all of your help.

Sadly, gravity does not favor us big guys. We frequently require a closer look at saddles. I can't really recommend one for that particular bike - all modern and sculptured looking as it is. My favorites are Brooks. I have several, including a black B-17 on my '06 Sequioa Elite. I don't think it looks out of place, but it might on yours.

I can tell you this: As a clydesdale, you should know your ischial width. Start from there and then you can narrow down the choices in saddles. I know a couple guys who like their Fitzik Arione Wingflex saddles.

You are probably wearing shorts that are to big. Try a size smaller, I like mine really tight like second skin. Saddles are very personal and expensive, i hate to give advice on saddles.

I ride with Pearl Izumi shorts and they work for me better than the cheap bike shorts from most other places. I just tie the string and never have a problem.

I had the same saddle on my 2006 LeMond and the same problem with discomfort...I went to a Koobie AU Enduro...Paid like 90 bucks with shipping and I like the saddle. Many LBS will let you try a saddle for a day or two in order to find one you like. Just my 2 cent...Good luck

Bought a pair of shorts in August when I started riding. Even though I haven't lost much weight my waist and rear are a good deal smaller and those shorts can't be worn for exactly the symptoms you describe. I've got two pair of shorts from aerotechdesign both of which fit well. Interestly enough I only wear the less expensive of these on my shorter (<20 mile) rides since the stitching is a bit more pronouned and irritates some sensitive parts. My take is that if shorts seem a bit difficult to get in place they probably fit right. If they go on easily they are way too loose.

Saddles - talk to ten cyclists and you'll get 20 opinions. I'm back to the original Selle on my Giant OCR1. Bought a Terry Tri Fly Gel (I think). Seemed comfortable, but no matter what I did with the saddle or riding position I could not stay in the sweet spot of the saddle - kept sliding forward.

Hello,

Regarding the seat, as others have mentioned it is highly personal. But my personal favorite that I have on both my bikes is the Terry Butterfly Ti. I am a man and yes, the saddle is marketed at a woman's seat, but it has been my favorite seat for several years.

About the shorts: just like you said, I will chime in with the recommendation for bibs.

I have been involved in the cycling apparel business for many years and I can tell you as the size of the garment increases, the shape of the people who fit into it starts to vary significantly. So there is a greater chance of the people who buy the largest sizes not getting an ideal fit. In other words, there (usually) is not that great of a difference in physique within a group of 165 lb men as there is within a group of 260 lb men.

We try to develop more products for big guys (sizes up to 5X) but it is much tougher getting the sizing dialed in for the larger sizes.

Dan

This question comes up sporadically. The consensus in the past has been that stock Bontrager saddles are terrible. Usually, they are not firm enough.

Also: sorry, bibs rule, dude. You can usually get a pair for $10-15 more than the same style shorts. Pearl Izumi makes some good shorts, cheaply. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

That said, shorts and shoes are two things you don't want to get based on price. Find some that are comfortable, regardless of price. Your butt and feet will thank you.

I ride with Pearl Izumi shorts and they work for me better than the cheap bike shorts from most other places. I just tie the string and never have a problem.

+1 My favorite shorts are Pearl Izumi's Slice Ultrasensor short. I buy them to be snug and the waist seems a little higher than the other shorts I own. In any event, they never seem to slip down.

For saddles, I've been very happy with the Selle SMP Strike Extra. It's the heavy (400g), cheap ($90-110) one. Fit is perfect for me: just enough padding to prevent soreness, not enough to cause chafing, and the huge cut-out keeps me from going numb on longer rides.

I've been riding for 20+ years, been a clyde ever darned one of them. I used to be able to ride just about any saddle without problems, but about 10years ago I started having numbness on rides longer than 20 miles. After trying dozens of saddles, I finally tried the Fizik Aliante'. Ahhh. Saddle nirvana. But like others have said, saddles are highly personal and it seems like evryone will tell you what the perfect saddle is. But me and my "boys" will tell you this- try the Aliante. They have several models available, get the "sport" model. The higher end models have carbon shellls and rails, they are tooo fragile for big riders and way too expensive.

Well, thank you for all the inputs. It looks like i will be talking to my local LBSs (i live in houston and have 4 within a 15 minute drive). I like the idea of test riding a saddle so hopefully one of them can accomodate. as for shorts, i will have to try some smaller sizes out or perhaps move to a bib. my current 2x is sliding down even when off the bike and just walking around. i just hope that the smaller size wont crush my thighs (former soccer player so the legs are the only well developed muscle group). any further advice and i'm open to hear it.

if they are falling down when you are simply walking around you may want 2 sizes smaller. There is no way that should happen with lyrca. You want the shorts to feel like a second skin.