Switched from mountain bike to road bike

[.V.]

My mountain bike turned out to be a POS. So I took it back, got my money back, pulled the 20 year old 10speed out of the storage shed, new tires, new tubes, new chain, new derailler, new gears - turned it into a 14 speed. The new gears for the front are coming next month to become a 21 speed. New seat, new handlebar grips - a total rebuild on an old steel bike. I'm over 150 lb so the aluminum and carbon fiber aren't really for me. I've worked too many professional bike races as the medical attendant to care for their frequent injuries when their little non-steel bikes fold up on them. Anyway now that I'm on a road bike for the first time in my life I've noticed a few things.

It is harder to control because of the narrow handle bars. Got to stay off the gravel roads because of the skinny tires. No more trips up or down the back side of the dam. No more trips up and down the 4x4 trail at the power lines. Changing gears at the much higher speeds I'm traveling at is tricky because of the old style shifters - no where on these curvy handle bars to put grip shifters. I'll be getting another mountain bike when I can afford to spend $600.00+ on one. I want it to last more than a month.

OK, I'm done griping, I'll get used to those things. Now for the problem and I'm looking for a solution. I'm riding longer and farther now and it's causing "taint" pain. You know the perineal area. Don't suggest the 57.00 bike shorts and the little mesh 70.00 bike shirt that says, "Hey I'm a cyclist and dress like I'm most likely gay - please beat me up". Besides they show too much package and I don't want any more women following me home. My wife doesn't take too kindly to that. I have ordered some "bike underwear" with the appropriate padding, to wear with regular sweats but it won't be in for a while - back ordered. Even the padded saddle I've added doesn't help much. Any other suggestions?

[Visionary]

Good for you! My sons and all of their friends are into this. When they all come home from college, my garage turns into a bicycle rebuilding shop. One word sums it up: "E-BAY." They build some pretty strange looking bikes from miscellaneous E-bay parts!

Well, actually, there are two more words to describe the experience: "Emergency Room." If you've been a medical attendant at professional races, you know what I mean.

[.V.]

OK visionary, I checked your profile and don't know if you are a mom or a dad. If appropriate, ask your sons what they do for...ummm...protection while riding.

If you are mom and don't want to go there - it's ok, somebody will probably come around with the answer eventually.

As far as the Emergency Department trips, yep - pretty familiar with that. Made quite a few from the pro races. The cyclists are more likely to go with us than the cowboys from the rodeos. Those guys will have bones sticking out, allow splinting, then refuse transport. The only way they'll go is if they are unconscious or you convince them the'll die otherwise.

I actually learned recently that yes, I too, need to wear a helmet - even when my 9 year old isn't tagging along insisting that I wear mine. I got tossed off the dam by strong wind when I came out of the woods going way to fast and lost control. Then got my helmet on which probably saved me from serious injury when I flipped over frontwards coming down a mountain way to fast later that evening.

[Visionary]

Ha ha ha...I'm a mom. A compulsive mom. I'll fill in the details on my profile to avoid further confusion.

They have an extreme aversion, like you, to "bike fashion." They protect their privates by (A) purchasing state of the art bike seats, via E-bay--always E-bay (B) riding out of the saddle and (C) this will blow your mind so I have to warm you up to it....are you ready?????

(C) They wear padded underwear and throw a KOTEX pad over the sensitive area!!! (I know, this news is a little hard to swallow, but it works for them.)

BTW, after a good day of biking, they take off to the beach to go surfing. Surfing with sharks. Young testosterone...scarey stuff.

[Octagon]

You know what real men wear while cycling?

Whatever the hell we want.

I used to think the whole shorts/jersey thing was pretty dorky too but decent attire really does make a huge difference.

As for saddles, counterintuitively enough, there is such a thing as too padded and fit is really important. You want a saddle that firmly (read: not layers and layers of gel) supports you right under your assbones. And hey, if you liked your mountain saddle don't be afraid to swap it over to the road bike if you can.

Oh, and be careful if you do decide to go with regular sweats over padded shorts - it's really easy (and really dangerous) to get loose fitting clothes caught in the chain.

[.V.]

Thanks ya'll. I'll try the kotex thing.

Oc, I'm still skipping the dorky clothes. I did go ahead and buy the straps to keep the sweats out of the chain though. And in warmer weather, I'm wearing regular shorts. When I threw the mountain bike into the lake, I tossed the saddle too...played hell fishing it out the next day to take it back and get my money back for it. But the whole thing is gone now. I guess I'll just have to do the kotex thing until I can get the padded drawers in.

I suppose too much padding would be a bad thing though. Especially if it started getting slippery. Thanks for the heads up about that.

[Rats!]

You'll get used to it.

[Pelon]

All seats hurt to some extent until you get used to them, and even then, most hurt after a long ride. Some are much more comfortable than others, however. I've found the seats with the center cutout to be much more comfortable, much more quickly. Some that have good reputations are the Serfas Rx saddles, the Terry Liberators, and the Wilderness Trail Bikes (WTB) mountain saddles. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer as to which one is better. Each feels different to different people. The only way to know is to try them.

The type of seat you use is just one factor in ride comfort. The angle of the saddle, the height of the saddle, the postition of your hands, etc. can all impact how comfortable your seat feels. Try adjusting the angle of your seat; it can make a big difference.

[.V.]

Thanks, took it back to the bike shop and the guy helped me do that. We moved it back a little and changed the angle. Couldn't quite adjust the handlebars up enough for me though. But we did raise the seat a bit higher too. Now if I could just learn to control it like I did the mountain bike and change gears without wobbling all over the place. I guess that will come with time though.