Riding bikes

[ponyboy6]

I know this has been discussed before but a message told me I should start a new thread.

I rode a bike today for the first time in about 15 years. I didn't think it would bother me since I haven't had bottom surgery, but it did! It was an old junky mountain bike though. Any cyclists on here who can offer advice? I'd like to buy a bike but I'm on a tight budget. A hybrid is really what I want and I wonder if that would be more comfortable. Or would I have to buy one of those expensive fancy seats?

[Laura_7]

Well you have a few options:
-you could change the handle bar and the seat (or have it changed ). It does not have to be fancy ones imo. People used to bike many years ago with comfortable seats without getting too extravagant.

-you might think about getting a used bike. There are private sellers where you can have a look at the bike, and merchants who give warranty.

hugs

[Tessa James]

I used to ride about a 100 miles a week, in my fit days;-)  I was one of those whining about my butt, wrist, neck and back after a few miles.  Then I switched to recumbent cycles and, like transition, I'll never go back.  As Laura suggests you may want to find a used one but there is simply no comparison to cycling in the recumbent position.  Sort of like riding a lawn chair.  I ride a Bike-E and the manufacturer is out of business with a bunch on the used market.  You might consider trying a recumbent out at a cycle store that sells them.

The lowest cost options are to get a shock absorber style seat post or a wide gel seat for those common double diamond, up right, "wedgie" bicycles.

Happy trails!

[Lady Smith]

It sounds like you definitely need a better seat and perhaps the bike adjusted to suit you as well.  All my old fashioned elderly bikes have either leather Brooks type saddles or English style mattress saddles so I can't really advise you as to what would be a good off the shelf modern type of saddle to get, but I do know that most of those cheap MB seats like the one you attempted to sit on are nothing short of a punishment rather than being a seat.

A recumbent bike like the one Tessa suggested would be the absolute best option, but I know they can be expensive unless you get lucky with finding a second hand one.  For any other kind of bike including hybrids I'd recommend looking around at second hand bikes.  Check out yard sales and the Thrift shops too as they can be good places to find bikes that often have been used hardly at all by their previous owners.  I own bikes that I liberated from the local dump and roadside hard rubbish collections so once you start looking I don't think you'll have any problems finding a bike to suit you at minimal cost.
Good seats though, - being a very personal interface between you and the bike, - might take a little more finding to get one that suits you best.  A decent bike shop should be able to advise you and fit you for a seat though.  Speaking for myself I hate gel seats and much prefer a well broken in leather seat, but that's just me.

[Alexthecat]

I hear padded riding shorts help.

[FTMax]

Padded riding shorts and a padded seat/seat pad. You can get both inexpensively at Walmart.

I've had really good luck with bikes and parts on Craigslist as well. I really like vintage road bikes that tend to cost quite a bit if a bike shop gets a hold of them. I've managed to buy 3 on Craigslist for less than expected. Highly recommend checking it out if you're in or near an urban area.

[GnomeKid]

I'm a touch confused on what about biking is causing you discomfort?

If its merely a seat issue, then I'd definitely recommend trying a few new ones.  Those big ones for cruiser bikes are luxury, but on a longer ride might be a bit too much width wise. 

If seats in general aren't your thing, I'd try a bmx bike of sorts.  I have a 24" bmx bike that is awesome.  Goes faster than the 20" bikes and is a bit bigger "adult sized" too.  Almost never have to touch the seat when you're cruising around. 

[Lady Smith]

Getting back on a bike again if you haven't ridden one for a while can be a wee shock to the body.  It's worth persisting with it though.

[ponyboy6]

Then I switched to recumbent cycles and, like transition, I'll never go back. 

Don't they fall over as soon as you try to stop? I always wondered that.

Since I will be using the bike for transportation, padded shorts are not an option. I'll be wearing whatever I'm wearing that day.

We have bikes here they call "commuter bikes" because they're built for comfort when getting around. I'm going to check those out.

[Tessa James]

Don't they fall over as soon as you try to stop? I always wondered that.

Since I will be using the bike for transportation, padded shorts are not an option. I'll be wearing whatever I'm wearing that day.

We have bikes here they call "commuter bikes" because they're built for comfort when getting around. I'm going to check those out.

LOL, Gravity sucks but as regular cyclist I could keep up on two wheels through the time it took for a red light to change.
On a recumbent we are actually a little closer to the ground and all we do is put our legs down.   I must confess when I first got some clipped in pedals and shoes I got to a red light and didn't "clip out" fast enough.  I fell over on my side, sort of kicking at the pedals and was not hurt but only embarrassed when hearing someone say, "I think he's having a seizure"  That was also years b4 transition:-)

Whatever cycle or style of riding you do, I hope you keep at it.  I rode up to Astoria yesterday and loved every minute of it.