How to not HURT

Gump

I have been training for a ms150 ride for last 6 weeks or so. Bought a new seat recommened by a bike shop for this type of ride and cycling pants with the cush in the butt.

So, How long does it take for the butt to stop hurting, I normally make it about 2 hours or 3 max and my butt is killing me, am I positioned wrong?

Also my feet fall asleep once in a while, kind of annoying. Have new bike shoes with clipless pedals, seemed to help from the running shoes i was wearing but still happens.

Recommondations?

Thanks
Bill

tiggere

might try some of the gel shorts...I don't have enought stamina to ride for much past an hour or so but when I feel a little sore I will slide forward or back in the seat...kinda helps take some of the pressure off the parts that getting saddle sore...this also makes you use different muscle groups while pedaling...as for the feet...I just got my clipless pedals and shoes Thursday...went for a ride this morning and when my feet started going to sleep "numb feeling" I started pedaling using the top of the shoe instead of mashing/spinning for a couple of revolutions and it fixed it...it allows some blood flow to return to the foot...which MS150?...we have one coming up in NC really soon...

Gump

Cycle shop wasnt too keep on the gel shorts, guess they can wrinkle the skin on your rear and cause cycle sores.. the soreness i have isn't really tissue as much as bone. I can sit the next day on a chair all day at work and it doesnt bother me unless it is a hard chair.
The MS 150 ride is in Springfield Missouri. That is where I live.

lanierb

You need to address both these issues. If your butt is killing you something is wrong. Your weight should primarily be on the two seat bones in your butt, and not on the soft tissue in between. If it's the seat bones hurting, then you might be okay as they may simply not be used to riding, and will get better in a couple weeks. If it's anything else you need to get a seat that hits you in the right place. Take the new seat back and make them give you a different one. It's counter-intuitive, but those hard little racing seats are the best option for most people. You want something thin so it doesn't chafe your upper thighs, and you want something relatively hard so it simply holds you on your seat bones and doesn't put weight where it shouldn't be. The only issue after that is getting the exact width that hits your particular seat bones right. (Note that all this is also predicated on the seat being installed correctly -- it should be flat on the top, level with the ground.)

As for the feet numbness, this could also be due to the seat issue or could be something to do with your shoes. I think this one is less serious than the seat issue, but I would definitely recommend working on this as well. It probably means that your shoes are either fastened too tightly, or don't fit your feet very well.