Cooper1991

I'm waiting on padded shorts coming online and have at 61 years old, bought my first bike, a Trek Marlin 6, entry level bike. Has anyone got any hacks to relieve the pain of a hard seat, bumping ride and what could be politely called saddle pain?

In fact, will padded shorts help in the short run or is this just a "running in" issue that has to be endured and will go away?

I live in Bahrain where the traffic is also a bit mental. Is buying a handlebar mirror normal or a bit embarrassing?

Flip Flop Rider

try going without the padded shorts to condition your hiney

c_m_shooter

That Trek has a horrible entry level seat, throw it away as soon as possible. That being said, there is a certain amount of conditioning neccessary. Soreness of seat bones is normal and should fade over time. Numbness is bad and means you need a different saddle. The padding of padded shorts is mostly to hold lube that will prevent chafing on long rides, I expect you are not spending all day in the saddle at this point. I like Brooks B-17 saddles on all my bikes and do not wear padded shorts. Everyone kind of figures out what works for them.

philbob57

I wouldn't ride without a mirror, but I've never cared how my bike looked, as long as it's clean. Bikes are made for riding, and you probably won't ride for long if you're not aware of the traffic behind you, whether that traffic is motorized or not.

People talk about breaking in a bike seat; I've always thought that means breaking one's butt in on the seat. BTW, definition-wise, it's a saddle - except it's attached to a seat post, which is inserted into a seat tube.

If you search bikeforums.net on 'saddle recommendation' you'll find a lot of info.

ClydeClydeson

Mirrors may not look 'cool' but neither does lying on the side of the road in a broken heap.

Troul 

unlessssss you do that laydown pose. must impress the EMT when they might arrive.

Milton Keynes

Nothing wrong with a mirror. Always good to be able to see what's coming up behind you. I prefer my helmet-mounted mirror.

Rogerogeroge

Make sure your saddle is level and the fore/aft position feel optimal. Also, Bontrager (Trek) makes saddles with different widths. Most dealers have a sort of 'etch-a-sketch' device that measure the width of your sitbones, and that can make a huge difference. And their saddles like all of their products come with a 30-day no questions asked return policy.

bargo68 

You talkin' about 'the Burt'?

jon c. 

Try a bar end mirror. They're less obtrusive.

The padding in shorts won't necessarily help the pain you're feeling. It isn't intended to. More saddle time will help a lot and likely a better seat would also be of benefit. My experience is that it gets better quickly. Doesn't necessarily go away, but it gets better.

rsbob 

If you have a local bike shop with mid to high end bikes, they have a device that can measure the width of your sit bones and then recommend the right seat for you. They can be pretty expensive but if you don’t need a super light seat go for a mid-level seat like a Specialized. Just stay away from super padded or gel seats.

downtube42

When you're riding, do you find yourself constantly sliding forward and scooting back? If so that's an adjustment problem that will cause butt pain. Same is true with the opposite. Saddle fore/aft and tilt are important.

When you're riding, do your hips rock from side to side? That's typically from the saddle being to high, and will cause butt pain. Most newbies have their seats too low, but that's another story.

Bag Balm helps, but that's more for chafing than pressure pain, which I think you are describing.

Padded shorts can help, but if the saddle is the wrong shape for your anatomy, it's going to be uncomfortable.

Then there is some amount of adaptation your body does, with miles in the saddle.

As for saddles, my preference is a Selle Anatomica, but saddle comfort is an extremely personal matter. Many shops here in the states have test saddles you can borrow, to try different shapes and sizes. I suggest trying as many as you can.

Darth Lefty 

I’ve found bar end mirrors a pain in the butt. If I were going to try again I’d get one on a stalk to the handlebar like a motorbike’s.

It’s normal if not common for cyclists in the USA to use a helmet mirror.

The butt... The seat that comes on your bike is average, it’s not made to be willfully uncomfortable. the padded shorts do help. I’ll use them for an hour ride but not a 15 min commute. Both for time and ability, I can’t rack up the mileage needed to get used to it or to like hard saddles, and I’ve decided that’s ok.

Gary in NJ

I use a bar end mirror and I feel more confident riding with it. Keep the set screw tight so the mirror doesn't change position over bumpy roads...they do take some finesse to adjust.

JohnDThompson 

I'm a big fan of mirrors, but I prefer one mounted on the helmet or glasses over a handlebar mount. An advantage of a helmet or glasses mount is that a slight turn of your head allows you to scan the entire area behind you; no blind spots.

Trevtassie

Helmet mirror, you can scan around to get a better view. make sure your seat isn't too high to start with, start a bit lower and gradually raise it. Padded shorts are good, but if your seat is crap they won't help. Padded seats are crap on anything except very short rides, your butt needs to slide around on the seat, and only padding that's attached to you, not the seat will do this. leather seats are comfortable, but do takes some commitment to breaking them in. gyes saddles are a good cheaper alternative to brooks.

Thomas15

I'm 62 been riding for just about 2 years.


On saddles and padded shorts. You are getting a lot of good advice. The main purpose of cycling shorts is to keep you from chaffing. I will say it so that you know but you don't wear underwear with these shorts, the chamois is basically seamless and/or smooth to discourage chaffing. This isn't as big of a problem on short rides but once you get to an hour plus it is beneficial. Good cycling shorts mostly have thin or thinner chamois not a lot of "padding" which is really not going to make you more uncomfortable and can actually add to discomfort.


The same can be said about the saddle. Wide padded saddles are not really more comfortable because the discomfort comes from a poor sit bone interface on the saddle. Padding, big size and springs are cause of poor body position and absorb energy that could go to the pedals. So to make a long story short a good bicycle shop can help you pick the best saddle for you to get started which may look uncomfortable but in the long run will be more comfortable. New bicycles are generally sold with inexpensive saddles (and pedals) because it is generally the first thing the owner changes.


Again, I'm 62 (repeating myself a sure sign of old age), two years into cycling. It took me 3 tries to find a saddle that I sort of like. With that it took some time and effort to condition myself physically and not feel like my bottom was on fire. My wife, same age as me, has gel padding on her larger than mine saddle and when we ride together it takes her about 15 minutes to start complaining about her seat. This is because she doesn't ride much and never gets her fanny conditioned to the saddle. She says she doesn't ride much because it's uncomfortable. OK there you have it, you need to pay some dues if you desire to ride bicycles often and for long distances. The fact that I ride at this point 100-150 miles per week and offering advice is water off the ducks back because she is convinced that big padded seats are the way to go. She is wrong but thats that.


Mirrors. We (me and my adult kids) on our mountain/hybrid bikes have handle bar end mirrors. I have bar end mirrors on my road bikes. Small compact well made as in $30+ quality counts here. Like saddles pick one, jump in and see how it works for you. If good then all smiles if not try another.

Cougrrcj

He's dead, Jim..

Cougrrcj

Bar end or brake lever mounted mirrors...

https://www.mirrycle.com/product-category/mirrors/

Pop N Wood

Rode for a lot of years without a mirror. Now I really like them, have one on every bike except the mountain bikes. Don't wear a helmet so all bar mounts. That mirrycle Cougrrcj posted are quality items.

Nobody really cares what you look like if you don't. Do what makes your ride more comfortable.

DeadGrandpa

If you continue to ride frequently, with more and more miles per ride, and try different saddles, your butt pain will diminish to near zero. Except for leather saddles. Those will take 500 miles to break in. For other saddles, a month of riding 4-5 times weekly should do the trick. It's been 7 years since I rejoined the pedaling lifestyle. Compression boxers under some lightweight fishing shorts, no padding except for the noseless ISM saddle padding. I cut the mesh liner out of the shorts to reduce abrasion. Long rides, 50 miles, no problem. I have also liked WTB saddles but not the Selle. Personal preference.
Edit: I use a $7 walmart handlebar mirror. Gonna upgrade to a Garmin Varia radar blinky. You wouldn't think it, but sometimes I drift into lala land. A beep to bring me back could be a good thing.

genejockey 

The key with the shorts is that they fit snugly and do not move around relative to your skin. Personally, I'm not a fan of loose shorts over a liner, because the loose shorts can bunch up and cause problems and what's the point of them anyway?

The key to the saddle is that is supports you right where you need support - the 'sit bones' and don't interfere with your thighs when pedaling. It should be level so you neither feel like you're sliding toward the bars nor falling off the back. I went through 5 saddles before I found the one I like. Then I heard the company was going out of business, so I bought all I could find, so when I got a new bike in July, I already had the saddle for it - which is good, because the saddle that came with it did NOT work well for me. Of course, now I'm all out of those. I hope they outlast me!

Regarding the pain in the sit bones - every time I've been out of the saddle for an extended period - say, after a particularly rainy winter, or the years when I was just lazy - the first couple rides are hell on the sit bones. Second ride is worse than the first. It fades over a couple weeks, and once it has, as long as you found a good saddle, you shouldn't have any more problem with it.

royphotog

I have bar-end mirrors, I want to see what is behind me. One on a drop-bar bike and one on a more straight MTB bike would hate to ride without them.