Has anyone taken up Bycyling?

[mbsbike2002 0]

Whosyadaddy -

Mind if I call you "W"? We don't have one of those yet...

The short (so to speak) story on saddles and butts and men's bits is that there are a few factors that can make the situation better or worse:

1) Get padded shorts - This is a must. The padding protects the sensitive areas, and there are no seams on the insides of your legs. If you don't want your grapes on display, you can wear a pair of shorts or sweats over them. They're expensive in the larger sizes. I have two pair of 3x and a pair of 4x that I never wore (other than to see they were too big) and that I never got around to returning. PM me - I'll send 'em to you. No sense in spending any more money than necessary on the way down in sizes...

2) Seat height and tilt - If the seat is too low, you risk damaging your knees, if it's too high, you can damage other things. Make sure that the seat is level to ever-so-slightly nose down.

3) Seat size - probably can't do much about this on an exercise bike at the gym, and most exercise bikes at the gym have a seat that is way too big. Wider is not better - it is much worse. You want to rest as much of your weight on your butt bones, not the butt cheeks... Spreading the load on the fleshy parts actually leads to more numbness and in some people pain. Focusing your weight on the boney parts may hurt a little more in the beginning, but it doesn't lead to as much numbness.

4) Ride the recumbent - A lot of gyms have them now. It may look a little funny, but you rest a portion of your weight on your back, not as much on the sensitive areas. Be careful though - if you really want to consider a tri later, don't start on a 'bent. UCI and the governing association for tris don't allow recumbent bicycles - they're considered an unfair advantage...

Hope some of this helps - welcome to our little slice of LBT...

B

[TexasFire 84]

Hey there, WHOS! Welcome! You are right...it can be insane in here! Glad to see you here as well as the other thread. J usually covers this, but you need a one or two letter name for yourself in here...maybe W or WD?

As far as your hiney, that is the hardest to master. Endurance with your legs is not nearly as difficult as endurance with your butt! You can do it, though...you do so much else, as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J - Yes, I am body building. I realize it is rather contradictory to cycling, but I am utterly passionate about it! (Just ask WHOS! He listens to me drone on about my workouts on the other thread!) I am working out minimum of five days a week with a partner who is more addicted to lifting than I am and he is critical on my form, so he's a fantastic benefit. Plus, I don't have to pay him to work out with me! LOL I have some serious goals surrounding lifting, but they are very long-term and I have so far to go. The first point of order for me is to get my body fat to 22% or lower. If I could reach 20% I would be ecstatic! If I keep up the lifting, cycling and diet like I am...I hope to see at least down to 25% by Spring. It'll be tough, but I think I can do it.

[mbsbike2002 0]

Hey there, WHOS! Welcome! You are right...it can be insane in here! Glad to see you here as well as the other thread. J usually covers this, but you need a one or two letter name for yourself in here...maybe W or WD?

Jinx...

B

[whosyadaddy 0]

Thanks guys W will be fine. Wow good points there! Ill pm you soon!

I tried going 20 on reg exercise bike then 20 on the recumbent bike and then another 20 on reg the other day and that worked out ok. I dont want to ride a recumbient bike outside thats why i dont want to get to used to it but it does change things up.

The padded shorts are an awesome idea...i didnt even think about that....doh.

I never thought i wider saddle would be worse too! Thanks.

Stef is AWESOME!

W.

[TexasFire 84]

Jinx...

B

I owe ya a Coke!

[TexasFire 84]

Okay, a Coke Zero!

[mbsbike2002 0]

Okay, a Coke Zero!

I would be willing to give just about anything to collect on that. The only thing that I absolutely miss from pre-band life is my diet coke. I tried one once - big mistake - have you seen the Mentos & Diet Coke thing? Yeah. Not fun...

B

[OH Juli 15]

not that I don't love and appreciate you, B and TX but where the hell is D, HP, BG and JC? ZZ, you're quiet too.

People??????????

[TexasFire 84]

Thanx, W! You know I think you're pretty awesome, too!

J - Agreed! Where the heck did everyone disappear to? I've come to expect it from HP and JC, but not D and BG! Halloooooooooo out there!

B - No carbonation at all for you? I didn't know! What's the story on the Mentos and Coke? Haven't heard about that.

[mbsbike2002 0]

None. Nada. Zero. Very. Very. Bad.

Diet Coke & Mentos...

[mbsbike2002 0]

J - It appears that the Texas contingent is representin' today...

B

[mbsbike2002 0]

I think we must have scared Lisa from Texas off a few weeks ago...

B

[TexasFire 84]

Diet Coke & Mentos...

OMG that is GREAT! Whooda-thunk?!?!? Looked like the fountain show at the Bellagio in Vegas! :eek:

[whosyadaddy 0]

i always wanted to swallow a mentos whole and drink diet coke to see what happens. I dont think my doc will approve it.

[mbsbike2002 0]

I can't even begin to imagine the pain...

I'm being very craptastic with the food today - have a fill at 10:30 AM & trying to get in a few goodies... Bad bacchetta biker bitch...

B