VCSL2015

bike discomfort, butt pain sore butt, saddle pain

Sorry for all the keywords in the title but i wanted to get them all.

OMG So I am a newbie and not too long ago a couple weeks I got a bike. I got on that bike and started riding. The first week was HE_ _. It was SO rough. I pissed and moaned about bike discomfort from my aching neck (which i still have) to aches in my palms (which I still get) to aches in my butt (which.... hey now...). Listen, I figured getting on the bike was a priority and that I was going to make it as comfortable as possible so I would want to climb back on my bike the next day again. I didn't want it to be a chore because I knew I wouldn't keep up with it.

I took the dive. I bought some freaking expensive padded bike shorts. Expensive enough I took the dreaded "you spent how much?" argument up at home. But let me tell you. When he asks me: Did you ride your bike today? Each time I can answer with pride YES! (Now he's the only pain in my a$$). JK!!

Newbies If you can and I know its not possible for everyone perhaps save up over time it is ever so important to get some GOOD bike shorts. It makes a WORLD of difference to your biking experience. For me before, it meant taking days to heal up between riding because i was so sore. Now, I'm actually not sore at all. I could not have said that before. Also embarrassingly enough (its out of our comfort zone) do not wear undergarments under your padded shorts. This is the rule of these garments. Hey I didn't make the rules. Anyways Have a great day and happy riding. =)

bassjones

Out of curiosity, have you had a fitting yet? While some of what you describe is typical noob soreness that will go away by riding more, some of it sounds like it could be addressed by a good fitting. Bar adjustment, seat swap and/or placement, stem swap, etc... I'd get clipless pedals and shoes before fitting though, because they will impact seat height nominally.

Willbird

I agree a whole bunch :-). I got mine pretty early on this go around, had a pair many years ago. Now I have three pairs of bibs actually. Keep your eyes open for when they start to blow stuff out for the end of the season :-).A sore asterisk can CAUSE a lot of the other pains you described too because one ends up in a tense position due to the posterior pain.

sstorkel

The other thing I find works well is tossing the stock saddle from your bike in the trash. I've yet to buy or test-ride a bike that came from the manufacturer with a decent saddle...

dr_lha

The moral of the story, people wear bike clothing for comfort, not as many non-cyclists believe, to look "pro". I'm glad padded shorts relieved your sore behind. Next step: Chamois butter.

MikeRides

I'm going to echo @bassjones and ask if you've been in for a pro-fit, your bike may be the wrong size hence the reason for neck aches. If you got a fit, and still have the problems I'd see a chiropractor who could help you with neck stretches or something to avoid it before you end up doing permanent damage. Anyway to stay on topic, you don't have to spend a fortune on bike shorts to ride a bike comfortably. I bought a pair of AeroTech brand shorts for myself and my little riding buddy when I was first starting out to see what the big deal was, they were far from cheap. While she loves the extra cushioning in her pair, I absolutely hate wearing mine on hard or long rides. I end up chafing like crazy when I wear them. I find when I wear regular gym shorts, the chafing is minimal and I'm more comfortable at the end of the ride. Maybe I've just found a nice even balance of when to sit and when to stand on the bike. But hey, if it works for you, don't listen to me - everyone's different and what works for me isn't guaranteed to work for anyone else and vice versa. As a kid I was always riding my bike and I never had fancy cycling shorts, jerseys, or shoes and never had any saddle issues so why change what apparently has been working for 30+ years.

Black wallnut 

I'm not going to agree here. I think just getting accustomed to a bicycle can be painful for most folks. Just getting the body conditioned to the pressure points of a bike saddle takes time. I was over several hundred miles into riding before I started wearing bike shorts, mtn. bike shorts first or padded briefs under cargo shorts. I did lots of longer rides before moving to regular road bike shorts and even then the first ones I bought were the less costly PI shorts with a very thin chamois. They have proven to be nearly as comfortable as the more expensive shorts I have purchased.

That said what I do agree with is not wearing anything under bike shorts! I also agree with getting clipless pedals before getting fitted.

dr_lha

Not to be "anti-fit" but I agree with Black Wallnut, soreness isn't only a sign of bad fit, it's a sign that your body is getting used to cycling. When I started on a road bike, I had trouble with neck, shoulders and the like. Those issues went away as I rode more, but my bike's fit has not changed. That's not to say that a fit might not have fix it quicker, but I'm fine now and still have that $250 in my bank account.

I guess what I'm saying is, if issues *persist*, look into getting properly fitted.

VCSL2015

I have received so much great advice here and just felt compelled to share my good experience. I hope perhaps it can help someone else =) You could do like another member of this forum and try the bike shorts before you buy. (but was not my experience)

ShortLegCyclist

My two cents here is that you don't necessarily need freaking expensive bike shorts/pants, I have several pairs of Amazon from Chinese makers, and while you have to watch out for the Asian sizing difference (XL Asian size is about American medium) they have all been quality items and they average about $20 each instead of $80 like bike shorts at bike shops, Performance and REI.

VCSL2015

So after reading here about where to place my smart phone during rides, mulling mulling over agh should i get a handlebar mount should i not... agh what to do what to do... i even made the amazing hack for myself where i hacked my sport bottle over and set my smart phone in it which works Uh-mazing might i add. Anyways I was afraid to put my smartphone in my back jersey pocket as a majority of forum members suggested, afraid of losing it or somehow some act of nature yanking it away from me out of my control landing smashed in a million pieces on the pavement and me crying. Well! I just had to report back that after taking a real REAL leap of faith hold your breaths... i put my phone in my back jersey pocket Low and behold it works... nothing happened to my phone...all is well with my soul... my phone survived its first maiden voyage and I am a very very happy camper! Thank you THANK YOU ALL.

MikeRides

Pedestrians (read: anyone ON FOOT) are supposed to move against traffic flow. Cyclists and automobiles to include the motorized scooter you mentioned are to follow the flow of traffic, and to follow all rules of the road, to include stopping for red lights/stop signs. Technically a motorized vehicle (even one as slow as a scooter) should not use bike lanes. Not only is a scooter going against traffic dangerous, it's also illegal in all states. Motorized scooters are also supposed to be tagged and in the traffic lane at all times, I'm sure in small towns/rural highways, scooters can get away with riding on the shoulder for a safer approach.

VCSL2015

I agree with all of the above. With one exception in DK the Moped or motorized scooters are allowed on the bike paths but as you said have to follow the flow of traffic as cars do. They also have license plates and are not allowed to drive over 30kmh. These are cheap vehicles typically operated by anyone under the age of 18 who cannot afford the US$3,000. Drivers License Test. (which includes complete drivers training). It is not even legal for anyone to operate a vehicle under the age of 18. Shops may not sell alcohol to people under 16. So put two and two together.

Quick fun fact cell phones are not allowed in use while driving and if the police think they see you with one up to your ear you will be stopped. Also you are not allowed to text and drive and in two cases someone we know has been stopped for texting on his bike while in traffic. (true story). Twice. Same cop.

VCSL2015

Weight Loss: Feeling Frustrated (tons of stats in forms of jpgs attached to bore you with if your still reading this)

disclaimer: I am just looking to hear your words of wisdom drawn from your experience or your thoughts. I realise this is just a bike forum and I am not here looking for medical advice. ahem.

Thank you to those following me on STRAVA. Its very motivating and the Kudos do help!


June1, 2015 I broke up with the love of my life. My scale. I thought F* YOU Scale! you F*ing Scale you are so mean to me. We are breaking up! I am so sick of your negativity and I am going to give it my best and lose weight on my own without checking on you for advice and comfort each day.


I went cold turkey. Or so I thought. In hindsight Before riding my bike June 1, 2015, I am pretty sure I gained all my weight from babysitting my couch and my PC.They are such well behaved children. The only steps i made were cleaning house, going to the grocery store, running errands garden work mowing the lawn. Never really took a walk. Walking? gasp hell no! Thats what cars are for (duh!) . I never did smoke, I am not a drinker, maybe drink 1 glass of wine every 2 months. Dropped salt, dropped white bread (gasp) dropped cheese (stop the insanity!) dropped margarine (nothing to put it on), dropped butter, dropped pasta (Aghhhhh!!!) started eating eggs cooked in omega3 cooking oil. Started eating dark bread with protein and grains, (pic included) started eating greek yogurt because it has 0% fat, started frying extra lean deli meat in with my eggs on the side quite delicious in the morning. I drink 1 cup coffee with about 1 cup milk each day. Salad and dark leafy vegetables with blueberry smoothies sometimes for breakfast. And you can include two sports bottles of water minimum to that. I cut out all fruit. The only exception was yesterday when i pushed myself to my goal of 30km (my experience of me dying you can read on Strava) where my legs froze up, i came home took a shower for the love of humanity only went to the store and bought handfuls of banannas came home and inhaled 2. Last night i stuffed 2 cups of pasta down my throat even though my stomach was not happy about it an hr later.

Today im sore but could jump on the bike for a small ride, but better give it a day better safe than sorry.


My weight info is in the attached pics. So yeah the reason for this post is... i dont know i just feel weight loss should be more? Your thoughts? am i being unrealistic? Thanks in advance for reading this. Vic edit: by accident i inlucded a wrong png which depicts a patent by my gguncle but enjoy lol.

VCSL2015

^^^^^^^
I am not looking for a miracle cure. I am not looking for a diet. I am just trying to lose weight. I am not sure if you told me to try the Atkins diet i could stick to it. I am not able to count calories because i dont have the patience to do so. You get my drift. Im super lazy. I need simple food. I am using this thread for more useless drivel and thoughts if you want to keep up with my progress. If you dont just ignore me. Happy riding! =)

dr_lha

Here's my advice, for free, take it for what it's worth. Ride as much as you can. You'll get fitter and stronger. This will allow you to ride farther. Start setting weekly mileage goals. Go up hills. Push yourself.

Even if this doesn't lead to weight loss, you will be fitter and stronger. This is really what matters!

And when you're out there on a road bike and riding 30-60 miles without that being a big deal, you might want call your scale again and see if he wants to get back together.

PatrickR400

I don't think that looking only at the weight number works; fat gets burned and muscle gets added. If you are getting fitter, your clothes are probably getting looser in spots, at least mine do.

So weight is a measure but how it is distributed is also important.

ColaJacket

This. Look at the waist of some of your pants. When you start biking, you're going to add some muscle mass to your legs, and since muscle weighs more than fat, you may actually gain some weight. And since water retention may happen as you start exercising, that can add another couple of pounds.

Since I started biking, I haven't worries about the scale, but I'm taking notice on the waistline of my pants, and my belt. That's where I'm looking for improvement.

And there is nothing wrong with fruit. But if you're trying lose weight, bananas are high in "bad" carbohydrates, so try not to eat too many of them. Try to eat a few other fruits, such as cherries, berries, apples, peaches, citrus fruit. A lot of these have as much water as they do "good" carbs.

GH

Nikon shooter

Every time I drive by Performance Bike, I stop in if I have time and check their clothing clearance rack. There is always lots of XL and XXL stuff on deep discounts. One advantage of being our size. Bought a cool jersey today, normally $99 on clearance for $29

VCSL2015

I understand, unfortunately i unfortunately dont live in usa at this point in time anymore shoulda woulda coulda. agh. the prices are really high. Im stuck with the one jersey i have. I do have these two jerseys which im not sure i want to wear they are showy and i might get some hilarious looks on the road. I bought them in 2000 before I came to europe not sure what i was thinking.

VCSL2015

thank you! this is encouraging =)

dr_lha

Those look like fine jerseys to me. What's the problem?

bassjones

Showy is good on the road. My main jersey is bright orange and white. I'm quite sure I look ridiculous, but if they're laughing at me, at least they saw me. I'm getting two fluorescent/safety yellows too (one long sleeve, one short).

VCSL2015

hahah ok awesome!

VCSL2015

Meet the grade

So, it occurred to me while looking deeper into my Strava info that I could look at the grade of the road. I was wondering why I was struggling at certain specific areas. For example, not warmed up, I meet a grade that is 6.6 up the street (i live in a small valley and climb out of it to get to my route) and im whining about that. I look more, and find out another incline i take all the time in the middle of my route with moderate huffing and puffing an 8.1 grade i zoom up no problem. I look farther and see that another road on the way home when Im wasted (tired lol) is also by chance a 6.6er. (shocker). WTH. Why are these hills killing me. Im wondering if there is anything I can do to make it easier on myself to get up these hills without killing myself or stopping underways panting because i was spinning just to get up to the top, had to stop and drink some water.