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Old 05-21-22, 11:38 AM
  #26  
philbob57
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Chicago North Shore
Posts: 2,331

Bikes: frankenbike based on MKM frame

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Sounds like either ignorance or hard sell at the shops. For most of biking's history, riders did not use specialized clothes. How much time did the stores spend setting up their bikes for you (or were you buying 2nd hand from owners who probably don't know much about setup)? How long were the rides? What is the actual discomfort you feel?

I expect some time adjusting the height and angle of the saddles would prevent a lot of pain. If the saddle is much different from your hybrid's, more riding will prevent some pain - you really need to break your butt in to the saddle, not vice versa. If the road bikes' saddles are narrower and less padded than your hybrid's, you're putting pressure on parts of your butt that are unused to the pressure. That's uncomfortable.

Notice how you perch on the hybrid; then notice how you perch on the road bike. Do you lean farther forward on the road bike? If so, you're putting more pressure on your pubic artery and nerve, and that can cause numbness. Not fun.

Finally, have you looked at what the marketplace offers in saddles? My guess is that the ultra-wide variation in saddles is due to ultra-wide variations in butts. If you buy a road bike, you may have to spend time and money searching for a saddle that's comfortable, just as many of the rest of us do.

Of the possible causes and fixes, my bet is that padded shorts is not among the most likely ways to alleviate your problem. If numbness is what you're referring to, padding may exacerbate it.
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