Originally Posted by seypat

First of all, let's talk about padded shorts vs padded saddles. Really, whatever works for you is fine and dandy. Life is too short to worry about it.

We have to consider the quality of the rider here. I am about as low as it gets as far as climbing ability. Really scraping the bottom of the barrel. Heck, I might have to go up a cog just to get over a speed bump in the parking lot. Where others see a mole hill, I see a mountain.

The chain dropping and poor reactions are from other riders. I see it every year at the same place on the same ride. It could be rider/route inexperience there. Nice fun rolling descent, then a 90 degree right to an immediate out of the saddle to start up the hill. After that turn, you are barely moving. People look up and start going through the gears. If they haven't got to the gear they need it about 5 or 10 yards, it is too late. They try to stand and grind it out, but momentum is gone and they fall over.(after a few front wheel waggles) 2 years in a row my rear axle slipped in the dropout at the start of that grind. I finally wised up and always make it extra tight before we start going down the hill before that turn.