jkane101

So I'm new to the forum and new to cycling. 59yr old male trying to get fit and lose some weight (I'll be a regular visitor to the Clydesdale forums for a while).
Picked up my new bike yesterday, posted picks on the Hybrid forum: https://www.bikeforums.net/hybrid-bic...thread-43.html

Anyway was all excited to ride it for the first time and did 4.5 miles but man did I find out quickly that the roads that feel nice and smooth in my car are a different story on a bike. LOLOL man was my taint sore. Wont be making that mistake again, bike shorts here I come!

wnl256

They do make loose fitting bike shorts if you don't want to look like a MAMIL. Bike shorts are highly recommended, not just for comfort but for absorbing moisture.

Wildwood 

Welcome.
Slowand

Wildwood 

Welcome
Slow and steady wins the beginner 'race'.
There are shock absorbing seatposts if that helps.

Biker395 

Welcome to the cycling obsession.

Arse issues pass with time for the most part. Good shorts a good saddle, and perhaps a shock absorbing seat post should take care of it.

John E

Consider expedition bike shorts from REI and other vendors.

1Shifter

I just picked up riding after years of being an avid runner so I am in the same boat as you. Stay with it and keep it fun.

big john

Some of us have tried many different saddles to find the one that works. Make sure your weight is on your sit bones and not your taint. Consider a saddle with a "cut-out".
Some shops offer "test" saddles that you can borrow.

BobbyG

I know it's considered bad form, but I use a gel seat cover on my road bikes, and I have no issues, even on long rides. I am just sharing what works for me, please, no "gel shaming."

doctor j

Welcome.

I'm sure there are some who would claim they started with a 50-mile ride, uphill, into a headwind, and averaged 20 mph, but I'm guessing that most of us mere mortals started exactly as you have. I know I did. I was elated when I made 5 miles. That was many moons and 60 to 65 pounds ago.

Congrats on your new bike and first ride. Enjoy!

OldsCOOL

The more you ride the less your butt hurts.

kermie

Absolutely, your butt will get used to the seat, the seat will usually mold to your butt. Well, leather seats do anyway

1989Pre 

With regular riding, I think the glute muscles firm up and circulate much more blood, which serves to make the rides more comfortable.

doctor j

As a mileage junkie, I log all my rides in a little 4 x 6 spiral notebook, a new one each year. I'll record mileage, average, max speed, rolling time, my route and those, if any, with whom I rode. I'll also admit to recording the data in a spreadsheet. Recording the data, helps me monitor my progress. I can also make notes on interesting occurrences, nice routes etc.

I started riding at about the same age you have. It has been rewarding.

wished

Welcome to the club! I took up riding a bike again at 62, a little over a year ago. First time I could actually do 10 miles in one hour I felt like I won the "Tour de Farce." Now I am 50 pounds lighter, ride about 25 miles a day average, and feel younger than I have in decades. Used a gel seat cover for a while, it helped, but now I feel much better if I don't use one. Someone above I think hit it right, riding increases circulation in sensitive areas that helps with more miles.

Fair warning- bike riding is addictive!

dougmon 

Welcome. I took up cycling again at age 59, just like you. Like you, I'm still a newbie. I have done a few group rides which have been helpful, because the more experienced riders can have some good advice. My only advice is to keep at it and to buy bike shorts. Oh, and also, work up to longer rides; don't try to do over five miles right away -- I hurt myself doing that.

On the bike short issue: you can wear them under jeans, or under mountain bike shorts. Seriously, don't go riding without them. At our age, depending on what shape you're in, it is possible to put your lower back out of commission for a few days with a long ride.

OldTryGuy

Unless one has hemorrhoids!

BTW.....welcome

digibud

Understand that for cycling to have any real impact you're going to need to put on serious miles and keep up a decent pace. Any start is good so keep it up and make cycling a regular part of your life being careful to not reward yourself with extra food. Your serious hour of cycling is thrown away by one extra burger but combine several hours a week of riding with better food choices and the lbs will begin to leave you.

tsl

Two more things to think about:

Tire pressure: Too high and the bike rides like a rock. Too soft and it's like pedaling through glue. There's a happy medium, but it depends on your tires, your weight, and your personal preferences. To get you started, see PSI-Rx. It's easy to get obsessive over this. Try to avoid that. Usually a few PSI either way isn't noticeable.

Technique: As you've found, if you ride in the saddle like you ride in your car--butt firmly planted come hell or high water--your taint takes all the pounding.

As you approach a bump, coast with the pedals level, stand on the pedals lifting your butt off the saddle. All it takes is an inch or so. Using your knees and elbows as shock absorbers, let the bump push the bike up to you, then let your knees and elbows extend again as the bike goes back down. If it's a hole, reverse the process. Let your knees and elbows extend as the bike drops into the hole, and let the other side push the bike back up to you.

With time and experience, you'll be doing this automatically, and be able to keep pedaling too.

All the special saddles, gel seat covers, suspension seatposts, and thickest cycling shorts in creation can't hold a candle to riding light in the saddle and letting knees and elbows absorb the bumps.

Finally, keep in mind that while "cushion" is the definition of "pad" that first springs to mind when thinking of cycling shorts, "absorption" is the one that counts.

EDIT: As a side benefit, using knees and elbows makes it easier on the wheels too. People who routinely break spokes on otherwise good wheels, generally stay planted on the saddle and let the bumps squish the wheels between the road and their butt. Conversely, people who don't break spokes on crappy wheels almost always are butt-lifters on bumps.

Plus it goes a long way towards eliminating the pinch flats that someone below here is going to cry bloody murder about when you adjust your tire pressure. I ride at tire pressures that cause other cyclists to blanche, yet in 50,000 miles over moonscape roads, I've never had a pinch flat.

OldsCOOL

The horror....the horror.

jkane101

Thanks for all the replies, they are all appreciated. Well I did get a couple of pairs of cycling underwear and they have made a ton of difference. No doubt that I still need to toughen up down there and learn to ride light on my saddle and I'm sure that'll come with time & miles. I've ridden everyday since I got the bike, the journey is just beginning!