Lots of newbie questions - sorry!

[purplemoon]

Hi everyone!

Well, I've taken the plunge and bought myself a new bike in an attempt to get fit and lose some weight

I just wish I'd found this forum earlier but better late than never!

I've got the Giant Cypress DX as I wanted a hybrid bike to do a mixture of road and off-road trails, but nothing too heavy that would need a mountain bike, at least not at this stage.

I took it out on it's maiden voyage yesterday and did a 2 hour ride around Thetford Forest, which, considering I haven't ridden a bike for around 20 years and I'm completely unfit, wasn't bad going!

I've made some minor adjustments since getting back - raised the seat an inch or two and turned the handlebars to a slightly more forwards position so my wrist is in alignment with my arm (RSI problems) so it feels more comfortable now.

A couple of things I think I might need to change in the very near future though are seat and tyres, and that's where I could use some advice. The seat I've got is a "memory foam" one (standard issue with the bike) but after being in the saddle for an hour or so my bum was starting to hurt, and still feels a little tender at the base of my spine this morning Would a gel seat cover or even changing to a gel seat make a difference?

Now, the tyres (currently Kenda 700x40) - whilst going round the forest we hit a few areas of soft sand and I could feel the bike sliding slightly (thought I was going to fall off on one particular down stretch ) so I'm wondering if something a little chunkier like a MB tyre would be better. The ones on there at the moment are sort of slick in the middle with some nobbly bits on the outer edges, but are a lot slimmer than I'd imagined they would be, and certainly compared to my sons' bikes (MB's).

And my final questions (for now, as I'm sure I'll have a lot more as I get more into this cycling lark :?: ) is about clothing. Being a larger lady and not exactly in my prime (40's) I'm struggling to find clothes suitable for riding in. I ordered a pair of padded cycling undies from Corrine Dennis (only place I could find that stocks larger sizes) but they seem very low cut, especailly at the front, and not at all suitable for my current bodyshape

Where might I be able to find a pair of padded shorts that have a high enough waist band to cover my midriff in a larger woman's size please?

I also need to find suitable top-half clothing that will keep me both cool (approaching the dreaded "hot flushes" stage of life) and comfortable but also something I'd feel confident being seen wearing in public until I can shed a few surplus pounds!

Ok, apologies for such a lengthy post and so many questions, and thanks in advance for any advice anyone can offer. In the mean time I shall keep reading the various threads, picking up useful tips along the way.

Cheers!

 

[wafflycat]

OOOH! Another woman in her 40s who cycles! And one not a zillion miles from me!

*Welcome*

You have a PM

 

[dodgy]

Don't have time for a thorough response, but on seats, don't change the seat just yet. It's perfectly normal to be saddle sore if you're a complete newbie.

 

[summerdays]

Welcome from another 40's woman ...

On the saddle front I think if you were on your first trip out (for 20 years) and did 2 hours then you might expect to be a little saddle sore. As for a gel cover... any that I have seen look to move all over the saddle. I'd give the one you have got a bit more time yet - but there are definately some saddle/bottom incompatibilites out there.

On the padded shorts front ... are they they sort that you could wear a pair of your own shorts over the top?

 

[purplemoon]

Hi girls, thank you for the lovely warm welcome, nice to know there are more of us 40 something cyclists out there, maybe we should form a club

On the padded shorts front ... are they they sort that you could wear a pair of your own shorts over the top?

Yes, they're the women's padded undies on this page. Now I don't know whether proper shorts are as low cut as those so I'm a little dubious about ordering any at the moment otherwise it's going to end up costing a fortune in postage keep ordering and returning items.

I've taken on board the advice about the seat so will give myself more time to get used to it. I popped out for a short ride to the garage this morning and my bum felt fine on the seat, it's just if I sit for too long like now whilst on the computer I'm feeling it in the base of my spine and some slight stiffness when I go to stand up again, but I suppose that's to be expected at first :?:

 

[Shaun]

You might find a soft / gel-padded saddle is fine for a short ride of under an hour or so, but becomes more uncomfortable the longer you ride. I had similar problems with the stock saddle that came with my Specialized Sirrus.

I've found that I prefer thinner, harder saddles, like the Toupe (bonkers name for a saddle, I know ) and Fizik Arione.

However saddles are very personal so it's best to try before you buy.

If you haven't got a friendly LBS (local bike shop) who will let you try a few out, you might want to have a look on ebay for some cheap second-hand ones that might give you an idea for shape and style that works for your bum/sit bones.

Oh, and welcome BTW :?:

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[yoyo]

Hi Purplemoon from yet another 40s woman. We should form a club! In answer to two of your questions I would suggest the following:

tyres - don't change them. I returned to the saddle three years ago and started, like you, on a mixture of canal towpaths and very quiet roads. I simply could not understand why I was cycling so slowly as I remembered flying around on my bike as a student. The reason was my MTB tyres -they are like tractor tyres and absorb / stick to the road slowing you down. The hybrid type slicks are much better, giving you a smooth centre for road use and the grip for rougher surfaces and poor road surfaces; they are not brilliant on sand.

Padded underwear - I would suggest forget it. I tried a similar brand as I thought it would solve the problem of wearing padded shorts and feeling the need to hide behind baggy tshirts due to excess weight. However, they are not comfortable but padded shorts are fine. I solved the problem by investing in skorts, which are padded shorts with a wrap around skirt on the front -fine when you are off the saddle. Pearl Izumi is the make. IME the sizing is accurate and the elasticated waist is wide and soft. AS I now ride a Dutch bike I only use my padded clothes for long runs.

 

[purplemoon]

Excellent stuff, thanks very much - to both of you!

I think I will stick with the saddle I have for now as looking at it, you would certainly expect it to be one of the comfiest ones around. I think I possibly overdid it somewhat yesterday for my first time out, especially having just found a downloadable map of the forest cycle routes online and discovered we didn't exactly pick the easiest one to do

We covered approx 8 miles of mixed terrain suitable for experienced cyclists with good level of fitness

I shall certainly have a look for those skorts too, they sound perfect!

 

[Perry]

Hiya and welcome.

a) You butt will toughen up.
Tyres will slip a little, once you get more confidence you'll be fine.
c) Invest in a decent pair of gloves.

Sorry, I cant advise on clothing.

Most of all, WELL DONE for getting out there and doing it. Don't be afraid of asking too many questions. We all have had our first days on the bike.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[norfolkgrog]

Hi Purplemoon, your butt will toughen up the more you ride your bike, as I have found, being a newbie to bikes after twenty years, thetford forest, near where I live is a good day out, with lots of varied tracks to get your heart pumping, keep it up !!!

regards vernon.

 

[purplemoon]

Thank you

I tell you, I got such a buzz from going out on the bike yesterday I can't wait to go back over there and explore more of the tracks, although I think it will be a long while before I even think of attempting the black route

I'm thinking that it would be a good idea to kit myself out with a proper helmet too, any recommendations for a decent one, preferably in purple?

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I'm thinking that it would be a good idea to kit myself out with a proper helmet too, any recommendations for a decent one, preferably in purple?

...NOBODY say anything ok

seriously...well done for getting out there..keep going and never surrender.
I think you will find a few 'pain' bariers need crossing but the more you ride and suffer the easier it gets, and it doesnt take all that long.
I know nothing about clothing and saddles for ladies I am sorry, but I am sure the same principle applies to ladies as us fellas...get the bike set up correctly and the pain goes away...that's my theory anyway

Welcome.

 

[purplemoon]

...NOBODY say anything ok

Just realised how that could be interpreted

 

[Dayvo]

Just realised how that could be interpreted

'could' ? There's no room for ambiguity there, PM!

 

[RedBike]

A couple of things I think I might need to change in the very near future though are seat and tyres, and that's where I could use some advice. The seat I've got is a "memory foam" one (standard issue with the bike) but after being in the saddle for an hour or so my bum was starting to hurt, and still feels a little tender at the base of my spine this morning Would a gel seat cover or even changing to a gel seat make a difference?

Don't go for a Gel seat. On longer rides heavily padded saddles tend to quickly become very uncomfortable. They put pressure on parts of your body you'd rather they wouldn't and they impede your leg movement.
Go for a good quality 'hard' MTB or touring saddle.

Now, the tyres (currently Kenda 700x40) - whilst going round the forest we hit a few areas of soft sand and I could feel the bike sliding slightly (thought I was going to fall off on one particular down stretch ) so I'm wondering if something a little chunkier like a MB tyre would be better. The ones on there at the moment are sort of slick in the middle with some nobbly bits on the outer edges, but are a lot slimmer than I'd imagined they would be, and certainly compared to my sons' bikes (MB's).

MTB tyres wont fit.

If you look at MTB tyres designed specifically for mud they're actually quite a bit narrower than normal. Thin tyres often work better in muddy conditions.

If you're after a set of tyres that will work well in mud then have a look at cyclo-cross tyres. Cyclocross races are often run on extremely muddy courses!
For example a set of 'Michelin Cyclo Cross Mud tyres' will probably out perform what your son has on his MTB.

Unforunately you don't get this increased grip in the mud for free. These tyres wont grip or roll well on tarmac. They will also wear out pretty quickly if they're ridden a lot on the road.