bigworm

So I've found my home. Let me start by saying I'm 6'1 and come in at 225lbs. Not bad but I do want to drop 20 to 25 lbs. I bought my first "road" bike so that I could start getting some exercise with out all the pain I was having everytime I would try jogging. So far I am loving it! I bought a Trek 2.1 and have put almost 40 miles on it this week. I am going to work up to completing the MS150 next time around. I feel this is a good goal for me with as much time as I have to train. I've found a great bike path close to the house and there are lots of cyclists on it crushing me with how fast they go. I'm not to worried about that though. I just want the distance, not really worried how fast I do it. I do have some questions if everyone doesn't mind... 1) Most important! How long will my A$$ hurt and should it hurt this bad? I was wondering if I shouldn't have a bigger seat with me being"bigger"? This little thing is KILLING me. 2)Where can I find info on clippless peddles and shoes? I think they might help with the tingling I get in my toes after a few miles.

Thanks in advance for your help and it's good to have a home here.

IAmCosmo

Your butt will hurt until it gets used to the seat. It's normal to hurt at first. You don't normally put pressure on that part of your body for extended periods, so there is an adjustment time. Even now if I haven't been riding for a week or so, when I get on my bike my butt hurts for the first 10-12 miles or so.

Seats are a very personal choice. For instance, I have a 38 inch waist and I ride about the narrowest seat they make. I have a friend who is about 140 pounds and he rides a wide seat.

If you have a Specialized dealer near you, they make a "butt-o-meter" that they can measure your sit bones with. From that measurement they can tell you the seat width you should be using.

Resist the urge to get one of those overly padded seats from Wal-Mart or whatever. I find that those are a lot more painful than my minimally padded Specialzed Toupe saddle.

I'm sure there is info on clipless pedals on this site. That very well may help with the tingling you feel. Of course, that may just be something else your body is getting used to. If you aren't keen on the idea of clipping into the pedals, you can just get a set of shoes and use them with your regular pedals. My wife uses a set of shoes that are made for "indoor cycling" - shoes you would use in spin class. They are stiff like cycling shoes, but have tread so you can walk on them and they can keep traction on the pedals.

Tagged

Cosmo's got it right about the seat. Different makers have different shapes. My Selle Italia Trans Am is wider than their other saddles. I find it more comfortable. But getting your butt used to the pressure is the biggest answer to the problem, every time I take time off the bike, I have to go through that again, where my sit bones hurt after rides.

Time heals this, too.

As for the tingling in the feet, what pedals are you riding now? Platforms, like BMX pedals? Cages, with straps around your foot? Unless you are using cages and toe-straps, I'm betting the tingling is more from tight shoes than from your pedals. Your shoes should be snug, but not tight.

That said, proper cycling shoes and clipless pedals are the shiznit. If you are going to be riding much, they are very much worth it.

Tag

CACycling

Welcome! Saddles are very personal things. I started riding with a fairly wide but firm saddle (soft is not what you want) but now ride on saddles smaller than I would have ever thought comfortable (I'm a bit over 6' and down a bit below 220 at this point). Part of it is toughening your rear, part is finding the right saddle, and right saddle position, for you. This can require some trial and error. And don't forget some good biking shorts or bibs. They really do make a difference.

I just moved to SPD SL clipless pedals and they are great. I started with SPDs (and still run them on my commuter) then switched to ARC compatibles with stiff road shoes. It does make a big difference on foot pain as well as speed. Prices are all over the place. You can pick up entry level road shoes for $40 (Pearl Izumi) and SPD SL pedals for $50 (Shimano) from Nashbar if you want to start with minimal investment. There are tons of other choices and the sky's the limit on prices so a lot comes down to budget.

And just keep riding more often and doing more distance and you'll do just fine.

Shinnster

Bike shorts!!!!!

I rode the other day without them. hurt. With bikeshorts on it's not plush, but i can ride without pain.
the bike shorts have padding called a chamois.

Plus your butt will have to get used to it. Takes a couple weeks.

Make sure the seat is adjusted correctly. When i first got my bike the seat was tilted slightly up. After adjusting it back and getting rid of the tilt with an eve so slight forward tilt down- no more pain.

Good luck and have fun

IAmCosmo

Oh yeah. I didn't even mention shorts. I guess I just sort of assumed that anyone serious about riding would have good shorts.

If you don't have them, they should absolutely be your next purchase.

Greg_R

1000% recommend doing this... there have to be Specialized dealers in your area (Houston). Each body type is different (height does not always = sit bone width) and it's important that your seat is the correct. It should also be mentioned that the seat that comes with most bikes tends to be cheap and low quality.

Your butt will toughen up in 1-2 weeks of riding. HOWEVER, it will not be totally pain free until you really develop the leg and core muscles. Note pain = some soreness, not excruciating pain. A bike saddle should not be fully supporting your weight... your legs and core (since you are constantly pedaling) should take a good bit of the load. Beginning cyclists tend to do a lot of coasting and have a lower cadence. Both of these things result in more load on the saddle (and more potential butt pain). Work on increasing your cadence and try not to coast. Every now and then stand up on the pedals and get some blood flow to your butt.

It took me about 3 months to really build up my legs and core enough to the point where the butt truly was 'pain free' on longer rides (but my core was severely out of shape).

Oh yes: Congrats on getting on the bike. Keep at it, you'll be doing full day rides in no time...