I apologize if this topic has been discussed before. I know there was a thread recently about biking, but I'm hoping for some more specific "stuff".

I recently bought a bike after not riding one for many years. My bottom is just killing me after riding it! I realize this is normal. I guess what I'm wondering if how long it'll take for that to go away? And how often to I need to ride during that time to help "toughen" up? At this point, I'm riding about every other day as I don't think I could manage to sit back on the bike the next day.

Also, is there anything special I should be doing to make it easier? I'm very new to biking so I really don't know anything. I'm not looking to become a serious cyclist at this point, but want to make sure I'm doing things correctly. I basically am using the bike to get to town (about 3 miles) since we don't have our van at the moment and to go on some scenic rides here and there.

Thanks for any help! I can't wait to be able to sit on my bike and not be in pain! For the first few seconds that put all of my weight on the seat I'm in agony, but it's so much easier to pedal in this position. I don't get winded and my legs don't tucker out instantly (earlier today I was trying to take the weight off my bottom, but I got exhausted very quickly).

I am a serious cyclist and even I have a problem with butt pain if I lay off for the winter. It just takes some time. Suffice it to say...I KNOW YOUR PAIN. LOL OK, maybe my being a guy and you a gal there are some differences to that. LOL Unless your saddle is totally wrong for you, I suspect it will just take a couple more rides. If your pain is primarily in the sitz bone area this would be especially true however if you are having pain in the more tender areas then there might be a need to rethink the saddle. Without going "serious", the type of saddle you use can go from the highly padded types (can be a problem with longer rides) to minimalist (I can't believe I put my bumm on THAT! LOL) saddles. A compromise might be a more race like saddle on a seat post with a shock in it. There are a lot of options available to you but in the long run, it really depends on your goals on what works best for you. There are some "anatomically correct" saddles out there that you could consider but getting a good one might cross you over to getting "serious". LOL

The following link is to Terry Cycles. Terry has been around for a long time and was one of the first bike makers that made bikes specifically for women. They have added several bike accessories including saddles. Perhaps the link will give you some ides.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/index.html

Are you wearing cycling shorts? They really help! I have some with a gel padding that are excellent. You can always wear them under a looser pair of shorts if you don't want that road cycler look.

Atriana, good point!

I sorta read the post but didn't think of that as a possible solution. DUH!!!

Even better, there are lots of cycle shorts, most often associated with mountain bike types, that are not "road" looking at all. They sort of look like cargo shorts. Yes...POCKETS! :-) There are also liners that can be worn under regular shorts.

Here are a couple sample links:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile_more...sku=9594&brand=

http://www.nashbar.com/profile_more...sku=6917&brand=

Hi Carissa!

I'm not sure whether you're talking about muscle soreness or bruising. I used to bruise from a very bad seat. Made riding and sitting uncomfortable. A gel seat changed all that, and now I have no bruising or anything.

Hope that helps!

Ok first things first, have you been fit on your bike? If not go to your local shop and have them fit you. Saddle position is one crucial thing in ever gaining comfort riding. Assuming that your seat position is correct, I reccomend riding for 10-15 minutes per day provided you are not bruised from the previous ride. If you are brusied take a day or two off to heal then get on and try 10-15 minutes again until you are not bruising anymore. After that just increase your ride length gradually and you will be fine. After a long time off the bike I have to break in my sitting area this way. If I ride to much too soon I end up so bruised that sitting on the saddle isn't possible. If you just ease into it, your body will adjust and you will not bruise anymore. Just go a little at a tiime.

dug

Thanks everyone! When I'm talking about being sore, I guess it's the two bone areas on each "cheek". I don't think there's any outward signs of bruising.

I will definitely look into those shorts! And I think I'll try to go for shorter rides more frequently. Thanks for the ideas