padded shorts needed for upright rider?

Karen, if you aren't experiencing any discomfort in your seat bones during or after a ride, then no; there's no point in spending any money on padded shorts. They are just to keep you from getting sore, they dont serve any other purpose.

Unlike gloves for example, which have the dual purpose of keeping your hands from getting sore during normal riding and also keeping your hands from getting really sore if you happen to wreck your bike (comfort and safety).

Thanks, 64paramount. I suspected as much.

Did I say my bottom wasn't sore? Hah! Little did I know.

I just finished my longest ride ever, 14.5 miles, and halfway through my bottom definitely got sore. I found myself trying to coast a lot so I could stand on the pedal and take pressure off my bottom. Guess some padded shorts may be in future after all.

The padding is more for protection from chafing than for padding. Some of your soreness could be from just not being used to riding that long, some of it could be from setup and fit. Ironically, having a saddle that's very wide can make you more sore as it gets in the way of your legs as they go around.
e.t.a
I've just noticed that the Trek 700 has a really upright riding position. With almost all of your weight positioned on the saddle, it's perhaps inevitable that you'll feel it there most. Shorts may help, but some soreness will happen until you get more used to riding.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by nuliajuk [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

<snip> I've just noticed that the Trek 700 has a really upright riding position. With almost all of your weight positioned on the saddle, it's perhaps inevitable that you'll feel it there most. Shorts may help, but some soreness will happen until you get more used to riding.

So I'll just have to quit whining and tough it out. I can do that. [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]