wickedcold

Hi there! I just recently decided to take up cycling for my fitness as well as just plain fun. I also hope at some point to be able to make my 10 mile hilly round trip commute on a regular basis. I rode often as a kid well into my late teens, but after about 10 years of not riding, at age 29 and 227 lbs I have found that it has gotten much harder on the hiney.

I just bought a new Trek 7200 "hybrid" 24 spd bike, with a 17.5" frame. I fell in love with it at Earl's Cyclery in South Burlington, VT and had to get it. My wife also purchased her first "real" bicycle (as in not from a department store), an Electra Townie 21 speed. So far we've gone on a few small excursions of around 5-10 miles each. I hope to get into much longer rides at some point but there isn't a whole lot of safe on-road riding up here. Long winters and narrow roads with fast moving cars. There are a few good bike paths and rail-trails though, so we will probably make some special trips for riding on weekends.

East Hill

Hi wickedcold . My current commute is a hilly 7 miles one way. I'll be moving to a different station that's just a bit more than 9 miles one way, but just as hilly. You can do it!

You probably either need to change the saddle, or see if you get used to the current one in a few weeks. It would seem as if those big plush saddles would be better, but they aren't in the long run.

Welcome to BF, and feel free to PM me with any questions !

East Hill
Forum Moderator

wickedcold

Thanks for the reply East Hill! I had considered getting a bigger seat but I think it would interfere with my pedal stroke by forcing my legs to be spread farther apart. Have you heard of such a problem?

East Hill

The problem with a big plush seat is that after just a few miles, you will discover it is NOT comfortable. A saddle that is firm is much better for you, unless you plan on never riding more than five or six miles, or if you like riding slow.

My personal preference is for a saddle with a 'cutout'. I'm one of the testers for a new saddle being put out by Brooks, which is a hard leather saddle with a cutout. It's an absolutely wonderful saddle!

East Hill