saddle help
 

so i just picked up my first bike in over a decade, i picked up a 2012 giant roam 1. before i bought it i took it for test ride and fell in love with it. but after the ride my you know what was a lil achy. its the stock saddle. is this normal or should i find a more comfortable saddle?

I rode my stock saddle 4,000 miles.

It's probably not the saddle that's the problem; it takes time to get your butt used to being back on the bike. Once you've logged 50 miles or so of riding, the discomfort is likely to disappear. Start with short rides (15 minutes or thereabouts) and gradually work your way up to longer rides.

Yep, theres two things at work here:

1) It could be improperly adjusted. If the LBS you got it from did this for you, then your probably fine. Make sure your only putting some of your weight on the saddle, it's not a seat. Your legs and arms should be holding you up somewhat.

2) You haven't biked in how long? Your body isn't used to it. The key is to slowly build up, and bicycle often. So day one ride a mile, day two ride two miles, etc. trakhak has the right idea.

Check this link for more info: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

It dispells a common myth that gel or soft is better. Most people who feel as you do rush out and buy the squishy saddle they can buy.

Saddle comfort can be very personal, and some folks really swear by one or another aftermarket saddle (enter the cult of Brooks). This may be where you head, eventually, but before you even consider whether you need a new saddle, do as the others say and ride more, starting with shorter/easier rides, and building up. If, at the end of several weeks of regular (daily or near daily) riding, the saddle is still giving you trouble, and presuming that you've made reasonable, informed adjustments to attempt to cure, then by all means consider another saddle.

But in all seriousness, the most likely culprit is your own anatomy: There are, believe it or not, muscles involved in 'sitting' on a bicycle saddle, and those need time to get in shape too.

A personal illustration: 20 years ago I got my first motorcycle. Like many others, the first thing I complained about after my first long (~an hour or so) ride was the stock saddle. I investigated all the aftermarket options, priced it out, etc... but never quite had the spare cash. a year or two later, I rode back-to-back 800 mile days on that same stock saddle, and my rear didn't even whimper. Not to say that'll be your experience, but I can say that I am not alone in this experience.