Originally Posted by
Axiom
- Should I buy a new seat? I ride a minimum of 70 miles a week, I wear bicycle shorts, and I have had a proper fit. The only thing stopping me from doing my first century is saddle and groin pain despite proper fit and quality bontrager cicyle shorts. If so, are there saddles that I can buy under $65?
- Do any of you do spin classes? After doing my first class I quit after twenty minutes because of intense knee pain. Aerobically fit, but my knees cannot handle a spin bike for whatever reason. Should I continue spin classes or keep doing long rides?
- I tried the "act like you are wiping mud off your shoe" tecnique to prevent bouncing when spinning at a high RPM but it doesn't seem to work. Should I just invest in clipless shoes? I have R540 pedals but no shoes, maybe that will help?
- When riding on the road in a single lane, should I take up the whole lane, or should I ride on the shoulder to let drivers pass? The road is pretty narrow, so I feel like riding on the shoulder is dangerous and doesn't allow room to get out of the way of debris or what not. On the other hand, I feel like an ass taking up the whole lane going 10mph under the speed limit.
I apologize for all of the questions, but they have been bugging me for a few days now. I have a younger brother who rides with me and I cannot emphasize how important it is to NOT ride against traffic. I also want to up my maximum ride distance from 30 miles to 50, and then 50 to a century.
Thanks!
1) Try out a variety of saddles. I prefer Brooks myself, but they're all over the $65 mark you mention. Saddles are a highly personal thing, so you should try out a bunch. Most bike shops will let you try one out before buying.
2) I've never tried spin classes, but if you are experiencing knee pain it's probably a fit issue. See if you can adjust the seat more. More experience cycling will let you know if the seat is too low or too high. For me personally, if the pain is at the top of my knee cap, I raise the seat, if it's at the bottom, I lower the seat.
3) I recommend clipless. My average cadence jumped by about 12 going from platform to clipless, from about 78 to 90. I could never even approach 100rpm on platforms, but now I routinely get up to 110 on intervals before my lungs tell me to stop or I'm going to die.
4) If the shoulder feels dangerous, take the lane. Your safety is more important than making a driver behind you 30 seconds later to his destination. They will pass when it's safe.