Calling all cyclists and spinners!

Ok I went to a spin class last night and while it is a GREAT workout that I enjoy, I literally could NOT take the pain to my nether regions from the seat!  Call me crazy (I can't ride a real bicycle) but I think these spin class seats are different than a regular bike and MORE PAINFUL.  I do have very sensitive skin and without giving TMI, I am completely bruised and sitting is painful today. 

Am I a loser if I get a bike pad and bring them to the spin class?  I REALLY want to keep doing this form of exercise but DAMN. 

Hey Dani..

Kelly Ripa recently called it va-jag-ony ( broke it up, since I couldn't spell it, that it looked right)

thought that was funny as hell when she said it, but I guess it's true!!

get the bike pad and save the nether regions!!!!! 

I'm looking into doing spin in a month or so, when the weather warms up,

and I actually want to leave my nice warm, toasty house...

keep me posted if the bike pad helps cause I have HUGE tailbone issues

and can't even do a sit-up, I'm in so much pain from my now lack of back padding!!!

That is SO true!  It's not even my butt that hurts it is literally the "no-no" zone that hurts!  I want to give it a try again...people have told me I need to work on balancing my body weight so I'm not resting totally on the seat.  It's a serious workout for the legs!

It gets better :)  You won't be a loser ... see below for a better suggestion...

The big issue when you're starting out is leg strength.  In reality, the reason bike saddles are so small (racing bikes anyway) are that one really isn't supposed to "sit" on them with full weight.  Your legs are supposed to bear the brunt of your weight.... this presents a problem for the new cyclist.  

What I've found is that padding doesn't help as much as you think it would - but I'd bring it and use it if it helps.  Your legs will get stronger and you'll tolerate more seat time... it definitely takes some getting used to.

after one year I can be on the bike for 4-5 hours.

Other things that help... 

- stand up on the pedals every few minutes...  

- Get a good pair of bike shorts with a pad built in (Called a "chamois" in the cycling world, because they used to be made of chamois-leather).   Good brands to start with are Louis Garneau, Pearl Izumi... the thickness of the pad doesn't always make the difference, but it won't hurt.  this way you 'wear' the pad and no one thinks you're a loser for bringing a pad... real cyclists always have a pad... it's just hidden ;) - pro tip - you don't wear undies - direct contact with the pad... also there are various creams and such that you can apply to the pad e.g. chamois butter... that helps too.

- make sure the saddle is the correct height and position - if it's too high you'll be sitting on it really hard... if too low you'll have too much pressure on your knees...

- other adjustments...  in general, most saddles are level or ever so slightly nose up. Fore and aft is harder, but try adjusting this a few mm and see if that helps.

I'll try to think of some other ideas... but time and strength will be the bigges helps

Tom

This totally gets better.  I have a bike seat cover with a bit of extra cushion, but I don't even use it anymore.  After several rides I'm not sure if that area just toughened up or what, but it doesn't bother me anymore.

Also on the bike shorts... i started with 'shorts' but quickly switched to 'bibs' - they just work better...  while i don't have a ton of excess skin, i do have some, mostly concentrated around my stomach...  the bibs act a little like a girdle.  Now you know my secret!  They also seem more comfortable.

Road bike shorts/bibs look dorky, especially with the big 'diaper' looking pad mixed in with the tight spandex... but they evolved for functional reasons, not looks...

if you're self-concious about the spandex, look at mountain biking shorts... they are usually two layer - spandex like "underwear" with pad built in an then a looser fitting pair of normal looking shorts over the top.  I started with these when I felt too embarassed to wear the road-bike get up.  But when I bought a nice road bike I had to go full dork.  Still haven't started shaving my legs though... my group of cyclists doesn't seem to do that... but some are hard-core...

thank you SO MUCH for the suggestions and reply!  I was hoping you would reply to my thread :)  I will look into these options and keep giving it a go in spin class.  I think I really need to work on my balance and positioning on the bike.  I asked the instructor at the beginning of the class if my bike was set up right and she said yes.  I found standing on the pedals to be really challenging, I felt like I was going to slip off them and I was holding on to the hand rails for dear life.  It felt like a really great exercise though, got my heart rate up, got a good sweat on, beasted my legs (which need the most work) so that's why I want to keep trying.  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!  Right?  lol

Absolutely right... when i started I could do a mile - I remember thinking that riding my bike to the grocery store (2 miles) seemed "epic" and hard.

... this weekend i'm going to do 200 or more miles - I've done 6 100 mile or longer rides in the past 8 months... not bragging - just showing how far one can come from where you are right now - because I was in the same spot 18 months ago.  And I started indoors on an exercise bike.

Physical activity works great when you start slow, let your body adapt, then pu**** a little bit harder each week.  You'll be amazed at how fast you'll gain balance, strength and coordination from practice.  Someday you might even try a real bike - but that's not super important right now... get your body used to the activity and just push a little bit harder every week.  That "push" to do a bit more each week is a critical component to getting your body at peak fitness.

Your legs will get stronger and your butt will hurt less.  Lots of spin clubs even do indoor races, competitions, long rides, etc.  to help with motivation.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Tom

As a lifelong biker and someone who lives in a cold climate (which means I take a few months off each year) I can tell you that it absolutely gets better. Your "nether regions" will get "broken in" and biking for long periods of time will no longer be uncomfortable.

It really doesn't take too long either. It usually takes me just a few (3-4) bike rides to get it broken in. In the meantime, I just switch from cheek to cheek when I need to. 

LOL - my husband stopped riding his bike for this very reason. Too much ball pain! Lol