Lots of questions

trekchic

OK: I have been reading and posting here for a couple of months now. I have been riding a bike for just that long, too. Here's what I need to know:

I have a TREK 1500 (2004) model bike. It has the seat it came with on it, and I am wondering what everyone is talking about with sore girlie parts and needing another seat. My seat isn't by any stretch of the imagination comfy, but it doesn't bother me either. I think the brand is called "CRZ". If I should get a different seat (I am training for the racing season next Spring), what should I be looking for? Maybe I don't know enough to know I need a different seat?

I am trying to put miles on the bike. I ride almost every day, sometimes hard sometimes easy. I watch my average speed and distance closely every week. How much progress shoud I be making each week? I am improving, just not as quickly as I would like. I avg about 13.5 mph on a 15+ mile ride. Let me know how to increase that over the next 6 months!

That's all I can think of right now.

Thanks for everything you guys post on this board, I've learned so much!

Kim in TN

jhuskey

CRZ is a good saddle but probably designed for a man. My wife and I ,also in Tennessee, ride about four times a week.
She has a Cannondale R900SI. The seat it came with also bothered her in a similar way.Most seats are designed for men. She has switched to a seat made my Terry. These seats are made specifically for women. She seems to like hers and remarked "it fits where it needs to fit". It is the Liberator model which is kind of an all round seat. I know they make a saddle designed more for competition but I don't know the model. There are three things you need to do to increase your speed. Train!Train! Train! but seriously dropping weight and increasing endurance are two key factors.Try ridding steep terrain part of the time to increase your strength. This will challenge you more and force you to dig deeper for that peak performance.Don't give up it takes a while. Enjoy the rides while getting better. A friend of mine who has ridden with some of Swiss Teams told me it took him 2 years of hard training to take 15 minutes off an 80 mile course. If you love ridding you only have to get better than yourself.

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Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

stella

Hi trekchic!
Is your bike woman specific model? If it is than your saddle is woman specific. There is no magic trick to a saddle-it is what is comfortable. If yours is comfortable than you don't need to switch.
You pick a saddle for the comfort...unfortunately it is by trial and error. buy a saddle, try it, doesn't work-buy another. If you have soft tissue pain-you want a saddle with a cut-out or a deep recess in the center. Woman specific saddles are wider to accomodate our wider hip bones-no matter what we weigh the hip factor is there.
Terry was the first company to make woman specific saddles-I rode one for years. The liberator pro. I recently switched only because they started to make the cut-out differently and it was no longer comfortable...They may let you return saddles if they don't "fit right."
Either way-Terry has a great chart to help determine what saddle will be best for you. Racing saddles are firm-they lack cushion as cushion creates friction on long rides.
Two good websites for woman specific bike stuff: www.teamestrogen.com and www.terrycycles.com
the other thing is to start out w/your saddle level on the post. I use a carpenters level to make sure. Then it is a matter of fore/aft position.
As far as progress...just keep training. The improvement will happen. It sounds like you are keeping good track of your training now-that is key! Since you and I will be racing for the first time this spring I look forward to hearing how things go for you!
keep me posted!

bikingBird

i find the Brooks Finesse leather saddle so comfortable that i would never consider riding anything else. it conforms to your body. i have one on each bike. i don't race, but ride an average of 2500 - 3000 miles a year. the only downside is that when the temps are around freezing i tend to slide right off of it. so in the depths of winter i tip the nose of my saddle a bit "up".

msrw

Ditto on the Brooks Finesse. My wife loves it. www.wallbike.com is the best place to purchase in the States.

If you want to increase your speed you'll need to do intervals at high intensity. That is, short sprints.

JuneBug

a nice respectable saddle , the woman's avocet O2 is good and really comfy though when you go aero its nice to have a hole to push the private parts thru. Terry makes great ones. Butterfyl, damselfly good saddles. Sellae makes a nice one too. FIzIk Vitesse is really really nice but get the gel middle. .

its a tough~ you might have to try a few. go to a bike shop where they will let you return it if you dont like it. otherwise its expensive trying them out.

Geonz

I got lucky with myh first seat, too. It's very much a personal preference thing -- there is no One Good Seat. When I found one that worked I bought three 'cause they were on sale.
And you get faster by riding more. You can do sprints on purpose; I would go out on my own and "just" add a mph to what I was doing for half a mile or so, or pick a somewhat higher mph and try to be there for 200 times 'round the crankset during any given 1 mile stint. Or, try to hold your speed going up that hill; in general, find a slightly faster pace than you're comfy with and get a rhythm and hold it 'til it's tiring and then a little more.
I managed to get pretty strong without ever getting to that "pain" threshold -- there's a wide swath of "just breathing hard" that doesn't hurt at all, that's still going to make you stronger. Breathing hard feels good

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JuneBug

I think you feel that way because deep down you must LIKE the pain therefore you dont notice it. All I know is that I suffer when I am working hard. It is comforting for me to know that others suffer too.
Biking is all about suffering (especially road biking).
IT HURTS!!!! . Its nice to hear someone say they dont hurt but

YOU ARE LYING!! YOU ARE LYING!@

freak!!!!!! You like the pain! Admit it!!!!

<laugh> YOu probably eat Hot chile peppers for breakfast. Your favorite drink is tequila and you wear hair shirts when resting at home.
<grumble>

cannongirl

Kim,
I've never found a Seat that is 100% comfortable, the only advice I can give is don't skimp on the padded Cycling shorts, they make a huge difference...I love Pearl Izumi, I think I paid $110 each for the last couple of Pairs...you need at least two for obvious reasons, unless you only ride occasionaly...

Can anyone else recommend a good Padded Short Brand?

To increase Power I do 3-5 minute intervals, the rest periods in between are very important, that's when your Muscles re-generate, without getting too technical..

most importantly, have fun!!

Cryder

Hi Kim,
Getting into racing opens up a whole new world on the bike - not always a pleasent one - and having some peers to help you adapt shortens up the learning curve significantly.

If you get a chance, try and hook up with some local racers to ride with. It will give you a referance point for where you stack up before your first race, and could make the training process more efficient as well.


Best regards,

- n -

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trekchic

Hey, guys....girls........I haven't posted here in a while! I am not even close to being ready to race. I bought a trainer in the Winter, used it some (it's boring isn't it?).....didn't stay focused on training like I should have.

I am working on losing the 15 lbs I've gained since coming off meds! (I hate hormone based meds!) And, I am getting out to ride some of the time. I feel like a slug! I am starting all over.

I did get a new saddle because the trainer hurts my "girlie parts". But, I don't think it's the one I'll use on the road. It's a gel saddle with a cut out. It's ok, not great for me. I think the seat angle might be messed up, though. I'm taking it in for a fit in a few days, so we'll see what he recommends.

I am still on the trainer when it's rainy or I get home too late. But, I am looking forward to riding outside again...I miss it!

How are you guys doing with your riding?

I have backed up and am working on putting miles on the bike. I am not pushing intervals or climbing or anything, just putting miles on the bike at a comfortable (not too easy, not too difficult) pace and distance. I got the new Shimano pedals with the walkable cleats......they're so much better than the red cleats with which I fell more times than I care to remember! I am learning to clip in and out and am extremely apprehensive about that. I borrowed someone's old pedals and could get in and out easy. Now, I have the new ones, they're adjusted as loose as possible and I still have to really "pop" the ankles to get out! I'm scared to take them on the road because I can't do it without thinking about it yet! Any advice on how to make them a little easier to get out of? Can you lubricate the cleats to make them a little slick?

My weight gain is so depressing to me that it's all I can concentrate on for now. 15 lbs might not sound like a lot, but to someone who was over-weight all their adult life (I'm 37) and finally lost it, only to regain some of it.........it's very depressing! That, and the fact that I wear all my extra weight around the middle like a tire! Help!!!!!!!!!

Kim in TN

stella

Hi Kim,

It sounds like you've been working hard! The 15lbs will form into muscle and then the fat will go. That's what I keep telling myself! LOL
I know the feeling-I gained weight this year and have included sit-ups and other ab work to get rid of the "spare tire" I've developed.

I've been on the trainer as well. It seems I developed an inner ear problem. Still in the process of being diagnosed and treated. In the meantime-I can only use the trainer and even that causes dizziness. (I am on antivert). I miss riding outdoors as well.

Let me know how the fitting goes-what changes were made, etc.

As far as clipless pedals-I have Looks and use the red cleat. The only thing I can tell you is that you need to break them in. I am not sure if using lubricant is a good idea. Check w/the lbs. On my mtn bike cleats-I shaved the edges VERY LITTLE using a fingernail file until I got them close to where I wanted them to be and than let broke them in the rest of the way. It helped without causing harm to either myself or the cleat.

Keep up the good work and don't get discouraged! We WILL get rid of the spare tire and ride will this season!

Are you still planning on racing? I do, once the medical stuff gets resolved I'm going to give it a shot.

Take care,
Tracy

trekchic

I haven't been able to go in for the fitting yet. He is slammed with all the races and rides he is sponsoring this month and next. He would put it aside and do it for me, but I hate to ask knowing how covered up he is!

Yeah, eventually this summer, I'd like to race at least once. Even if all I do is Time Trial.........I want to see how I stack up. Of course, I'm no where near ready at this point..........but I'm working on it.

Let me know how you progress and about the health issue.

Kim in TN

stella

re: health issue-I will let you know.

How many local races/crits/etc. do they have in your area? How about for women?