Bicycle Pros

[BLachance75]

my butthole aches.

So normal for you

It took me 4 saddles to find one that is comfortable for me. Check with bike shops near you to see if they have test/loaner saddles. This will save you from having a box of saddles that you don't use.

[k_obeastly]

brooks b17 softened. They just get better with time though they are pricey

[Tracker]

I just did my first 10 miles… bike still needs a tune up, but it was fine overall.

my butthole aches.

you might want to look into a wider/newer seat.. your butthole shouldn't be what hurts, it should be the soft tissues above your "sit bones"

[Frmrspec]

So normal for you

It took me 4 saddles to find one that is comfortable for me. Check with bike shops near you to see if they have test/loaner saddles. This will save you from having a box of saddles that you don't use.

I took full advantage of REI's 1-year return policy.. went through 3-4 saddles before I finally settled on one that worked well for me.

Also if you're looking at purchasing new, I would suggest disc brakes no matter what you buy... they are worlds better than cantilever brakes....

Just about every manufacturer makes bikes in the sub1k range but at risk of sounding like a snob, they are closer to "bike shaped objects" than reliable bikes IF you actually plan on using it regularly. I bought a Trek Marlin 5 for my brother and it has been issue after issue after issue. The first time riding it the chain blew up ( He was cross chaining and tried shifting under load).. it sucked because it was about 15-20 min into our first ride, and he hasn't had a single ride without issue since.

The marlin 6 is infinitely better and only marginally more (was almost 1k a year ago but is currently on sale for much less). Only reason I suggest Mtn bikes is because they have a more comfortable riding position and suspension makes old bones feel better, also makes up for dodgy technique at the sacrifice of riding efficiency. but throw some relatively smooth tires on there and I doubt you would complain about the ride..

[BLachance75]

I took full advantage of REI's 1-year return policy.. went through 3-4 saddles before I finally settled on one that worked well for me.

Also if you're looking at purchasing new, I would suggest disc brakes no matter what you buy... they are worlds better than cantilever brakes....

Just about every manufacturer makes bikes in the sub1k range but at risk of sounding like a snob, they are closer to "bike shaped objects" than reliable bikes IF you actually plan on using it regularly.

I wish I would’ve tried saddles before buying them. I bought 3 Fizik saddles and didn’t like them. They were all ok for a hour or so but after that I was getting sore. When I had a bike fit the guy measured my sit bones and suggested a few saddles. I was able to try out a Specialized Power saddle during the fit and bought it. When I built my new bike I bought another power saddle. I have no problem riding for 4 hours with the power saddle.

At this point you almost have to go out of your way to find a rim brake bike unless you’re looking at vintage bikes. Most bikes in the past few years are disc brake.

I have a few gripes with a lot of the entry level bikes and they are related to groupsets. Cheap groupsets are generally terrible and the shifting sucks. That coupled with many new cyclist not fully understanding how to shift causes problems. If more entry level bikes were 1x it would alleviate a lot of issues. They won’t have to worry about cross chaining and they only need to worry about shifting 1 derailleur. A rear derailleur is also easy to adjust on the fly if needed.

[Tracker]

I wish I would’ve tried saddles before buying them. I bought 3 Fizik saddles and didn’t like them. They were all ok for a hour or so but after that I was getting sore. When I had a bike fit the guy measured my sit bones and suggested a few saddles. I was able to try out a Specialized Power saddle during the fit and bought it. When I built my new bike I bought another power saddle. I have no problem riding for 4 hours with the power saddle.

At this point you almost have to go out of your way to find a rim brake bike unless you’re looking at vintage bikes. Most bikes in the past few years are disc brake.

I have a few gripes with a lot of the entry level bikes and they are related to groupsets. Cheap groupsets are generally terrible and the shifting sucks. That coupled with many new cyclist not fully understanding how to shift causes problems. If more entry level bikes were 1x it would alleviate a lot of issues. They won’t have to worry about cross chaining and they only need to worry about shifting 1 derailleur. A rear derailleur is also easy to adjust on the fly if needed.

I have wide sit bones.. and as someone who used to work for a specialized dealer.. I will never stop harping about a proper saddle width being very important to enjoying the ride (especially for road bikes).. and I also admit to wearing some kind of padded underpants for rides in excess of 30 mins..

Ideally you want 2cm wider than what the sitbones measure out at..
usually sit bones are 12cm or so.. occasionally you get people like myself at 14. Which makes the 168mm power saddle they make as my go-to.. would love to splurge and get one of the 3d printed ones they have now... But they only go as wide as 155.. which I can use... But I'm not spending that kind of money for a saddle that's only "kinda" comfortable.

And I tend to focus on group sets as well.. but that's also in case I want to upgrade something with a better part (like a rear derailleur) so I don't end up needing to add new shifters and change out the rear wheel because ones a 9 speed and the other is 11.. there's a lot of interchangeability if you stick with the same manufacturer and gear count.. even so far as being able to mix road and MTB components.

[BLachance75]

I have wide sit bones.. and as someone who used to work for a specialized dealer.. I will never stop harping about a proper saddle width being very important to enjoying the ride (especially for road bikes).. and I also admit to wearing some kind of padded underpants for rides in excess of 30 mins..

Ideally you want 2cm wider than what the sitbones measure out at..
usually sit bones are 12cm or so.. occasionally you get people like myself at 14. Which makes the 168mm power saddle they make as my go-to.. would love to splurge and get one of the 3d printed ones they have now... But they only go as wide as 155.. which I can use... But I'm not spending that kind of money for a saddle that's only "kinda" comfortable.

My sit bones are 135mm so I’m using 155mm saddles. The Fizik Tempo was the best of the rest but the nose seems to be a little wider and rubs.

My new saddle is the Power Expert with Mirror and that goes up to 168. Has the 3d printed padding but a cover over it. I have a friend who uses the Power Pro and it seems to wear out his shorts quicker. Not sure if it is from the 3d material or his shorts brand.