"Delenn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:I borrowed a trainer and put my ancient rusty road bike up on a stand
and I've been having at it. I quickly realized that I needed more
padding (hadn't seemed possible that my ass could NEED more padding) and
I trundled off to the LBS to buy retail spandex, Pearl Attack or
something. (Probably made by Japanese... subtle little joke on
consumer-driven 'mericans.) Anyway, I promise no jpegs of me in padded
spandex. It sort of hurt my eyes to look in the mirror.
But the main problem remains... that seat and I are getting just a tad
bit too intimate. I'm guessing that not every woman finds cycling an
orgasmic experience, so here's my question: how do you keep the saddle
from pressing against your pubis? I've got to lean forward sort of on a
tip to get my back in the right aero position. Am I supposed to get a
cut-away saddle or something? I already tried tilting it down; tilting
it anymore down will make the back be too high. As it is it's pretty
damn uncomfortable if I sit back in the saddle, say, to take off my
jacket or to coast for a minute.
Oh, and I bought a cool cycling windbreaker. And a new brain bucket.
And I'm eying a tiny little toolkit. This cycling stuff is a little
like buying an American Girl doll... there are tons of little toys to go
along with it and they're all so cute and light and colorful.
So far I've resisted buying a new bike. Resistance is futile, though.
After all, I'm finding cycling to be WAY more fun than I expected. Sort
of like sex, in fact.
Uh, but how do I solve that?
Delenn, trying to recall why she's having a problem
Wearing your bike shorts, take your bike to a friendly local bike shop, and
ask them to eyeball your setup. Fitting yourself to the bike involves a
series of adjustments, and even a few mm can make a significant difference.
Seat height, seat fore and aft, seat tilt, handlebar height, and handlebar
"reach" are all important components of a proper bike fitting. For
instance, it may be that the reach to your handlebars is too great, forcing
you to lean forward too far, resulting in the problems you describe. A good
bike shop should be able to quickly assess your position on the bike and
correct any gross errors (as you get more experience from riding, you'll
then be able to fine tune your position for maximum comfort and/or
performance).
In general, your saddle should be level, or with a very, very, slight nose
down orientation.
Is your saddle heavily padded, or one of those "gel" models? It's
counterintuitive, but those can be less comfortable (especially for women).
Instead of being supported by your sit bones on a harder saddle, you sink
into the padding which causes pressure in your pudendal area.
If the saddle is not too soft, it may be too narrow (especially at the
back). Women's sit bones tend to be a bit wider than men's, so their
saddles need to be a bit wider as a result. Ideally, you want a saddle that
is just wide enough at the back to support you on your sit bones.
If your saddle is not too padded, and it fits you OK...it's possible your
rear is just not yet used to cycling. It takes a few weeks of riding to
toughen your rear end to the rigors of cycling.
If you need a new saddle, it's possible you can find someone who has an
unused saddle (or saddles) that they'll let you try. Most experienced
cyclists have several saddles gathering dust in the closet, because it's not
easy to pick out a comfortable saddle based on looks or the recommendations
of friends. Saddle preferences are a very individual thing, and a saddle
that feels wonderful for one person could feel like torture to someone else.
Best of luck...and congrats on your new addiction!
GG
