Cycling while obese

cameronburns1982

I love cycling and purchased a Mongoose Tyax last year which hardly saw any use. Apart from the fact I love cycling, I spent £350 on the bike and want to get some use out of it. My problem is this - I can't cycle for to long on it as it becomes quite uncomfortable. I have cycled using larger and smaller saddles but just can't get comfortable.

Does anyone else have or had this problem and how did you solve it?

MostlyWater

Do you wear padded pants ? That helps a lot.

mumnpets

Hi cameronburns1,
My husband and i had the same problem with cycling being uncomfortable so we both got gel saddles, he found the wider saddles better.

cameronburns1982

I've been told about padded shorts before but have found it really difficult to find anywhere that sells them (bearing in mind that I live in the uk and if you want anything in a size bigger than xl, you need to go to specialty shops and pay through the nose for it). Will keep looking for somewhere that sells them though.

I tried gel saddles before without much luck but might give them a 2nd chance. Also tried wider saddles with no luck.

dross557

Bike saddles can be uncomfortable at first but your body adapts to them over time. Find a saddle that supports your sits bones and keep riding. As you start logging miles your body will adapt and the saddle won't be uncomfortable. When I get on my bike for the first time after taking off 2 weeks during the offseason my saddle is super uncomfortable but I get used to it after a few rides.

dillydally123

Bike saddles can be uncomfortable at first but your body adapts to them over time. Find a saddle that supports your sits bones and keep riding. As you start logging miles your body will adapt and the saddle won't be uncomfortable. When I get on my bike for the first time after taking off 2 weeks during the offseason my saddle is super uncomfortable but I get used to it after a few rides.

Yup. I agree. It's sore for a while just stick with it.

Fittreelol

I'm from an area with a ridiculous amount of snow every winter, so every spring I have to re-break-in my butt. I start out with short rides a couple times a week and build up. Eventually it won't hurt anymore.

Other thoughts:

Gel saddles can hurt/numb your happy parts once you start on longer rides.

Brooks saddles are an investment (both in $$ and in break in time) but they last practically forever and form to your anatomy. I love mine more than anything.

ETA: Gel saddles can be great for short distances; just know if you fall in love with cycling and start going further you'll have to replace it at some point.

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Elleinnz

The guys at my local bike shop really helped me to get my saddle set up "just right" - they would make small changes - I would take it out, come back, and they would make more changes, tilt the saddle slightly, move it a bit forward or back - until it was a lot more comfortable on all my parts.....most probably took about 5 adjustments till it was perfect

And yes - gel saddle and padded pants also helps