No Butts About It

If there is one thing almost every cyclist complains about at the beginning of the season, it's their sore rump after the first ride of the year. But don't be so quick to blame your bike's saddle! Your legs aren't the only thing out of shape after a long winter without biking. Nine times out of ten the cause of sore rides in the spring is due to out of shape gluts, not your saddle. If you finished last year's season without any trouble, chances are your saddle is just fine and you just need a few rides to get back into the grind of things.

Now if you're still complaining about the ride after a few weeks of riding there are a few things you can do. The easiest fix is trying to reposition the saddle in an effort to eliminate pressure points during your ride. Remember, your weight should be on the "butt bones" while you ride, not on your crotch. If that doesn't seem to fix the problem you can buy special gel inserts for your saddle that will add a little cushion while you ride. Failing that a new saddle can make all the difference. There really isn't any tried and true method for fitting a saddle other than riding it that I'm aware of. Ask your friends or other riders what seems to work best for them.

Now for those of you brave enough to cough up the cash and sport the spandex, there are the bike shorts. These are specialty shorts with padding built right in the seat. I will be honest I was a hater. A year ago you wouldn't have caught me dead in a pair of spandex shorts, but after hearing their praises from a number of sources, and with a five-borough bike tour on the horizon, I decided to buy a pair and give them a try. I have to say they are amazing. The difference in comfort is incredible. If you can suck up your pride, and gut, the bike shorts are hand down the best way to improve the comfort of your ride.