Originally Posted by
magohn
I was told the same thing by 210lb "clydes". If you dont mind me asking, what do you weigh (Wolfwerx)? If its not 300lb + then perhaps you didnt need padded shorts and a brooks. I know it worked for me at 300lb+ and I certainly needed both.
I am currently ~225lbs. That's my "normal" weight, I suppose. Depending on my training schedule, I've dipped as low as 205 in recent years. To be fair, I guess that I'm a thin clyde, now... at 6' 7", 225 is not a lot of weight. I've been as high as 270-280, though, back when I was a teen. I would ride an ill-fitting bike in jeans all day long, and not know that I was missing some "must have" items. I've been riding off-and-on for over 30 years, and I never had bike shorts until I started reading these forums. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, since I always thought that they were just for skinny roadies (which I am not). I have two pair, a pair of cheap underwear/liner style (whatever you call 'em) and a nice pair of thinly-padded shorts. I've never found myself wanting them for 99% of my riding (distance and utility riding, mostly). The few times that I've appreciated them has been on very long, hot, rides (>80 miles) where the sweat management was nice, moreso than any padding. Also, I've noticed, the padding that can be nice on the sit bones can be kindling for the thighs, depending on the shape of the padding.
As I stated above, everybody has a different rump. We don't all need the same things. And I certainly don't object to suggesting that somebody consider buying a particular item, such as padded shorts. My only usual objection to those type of generalizations is that somebody "must have" particular clothing in order to enjoy riding. I don't believe that's a fair assessment. If you can't ride around your block without pain, something is wrong. Obviously, when you're very heavy, there's going to be some discomfort... I think it's time for a little tough love at that point, and some HTFU needs to happen to get to a healthier weight.
Originally Posted by
magohn
Also, "buy a cheap padded saddle" ? The point is that a cheap padded saddle and padded shorts are two entirely different things. Else, everyone would be riding around on a WallyWorld saddle.
"Cheap" wasn't the point of that statement. What's the difference between regular shorts and a padded saddle versus padded shorts and hard saddle? Either way you go, is it not a layer of padding between your butt/thighs and the hard saddle material (whether we're talking about a leather saddle or the plastic base of a padded saddle)?
At the end of the day, anything that you find comfortable and keeps you on the bike is a good thing, right? I just worry that some people may become too mired in all of the "must haves" and forget to just enjoy riding their bike.