I've started cycling on my days off from jogging. My bum is so sore and i got chaffed. I have a female seat but do i have to fork up the cash for the x-gel seat and padded tights or are these just things that happen to beginners and I'll get less pain if i keep at it??
Oh and someone please tell me whats the best way to treat my poor bum bum, ice or heat?
Cycling shorts can help, but your bum will adjust, and fairly quickly. I don't know exactly what bits got chafed, but it's a good idea to wear shorts long enough that there's no thigh rubbing. Body Glide (expensive but non-staining) and vaseline (which can stain) help with spots that chafe.
I used to use a gel seat, but after a while I decided it belonged in a hazardous waste dump (it had become very well "seasoned", if you get my drift...) so I junked it. The lady's seat will help save your naughty bits from getting too sore, but your butt just has to adjust. If you plan to bike a lot, the padded shorts do help a little with the chafing, and you don't need to wear undies with them which means no sitting on elastic that cuts into your already martyred backside. I would normally wear bike shorts, but right now mine are all too tiny.
Biking is great fun, and in the winter months I usually go to spinning classes for a really intense workout. In January I had to quit for a while after wrecking my tailbone learning to xcountry ski, and I've just gone back to biking which is still a little painful. And of course my butt had gone "soft" again, so I'm going through the adjustment period too.
Carla
I had bought a female bike with a female seat, and still it was not padded enough. I bought one of the seats that are extra wide (at the back widest part of the seat) and they sold two different kinds of these at Dicks Sporting Goods. I found it much more comfortable to ride. I was having pain in my buttocks, but also in the crotch area-it was like the regular seat was putting too much pressure everywhere-the larger wider seat really helps distribute my weight over a larger area, and I can ride no problem now.
If you are having a problem with chafing from your thighs rubbing together, or your thighs rubbing the seat-then I recommend not wearing shorts when you ride. I powerwalk, and jog, and I still have a bit of thigh rub so I cannot wear shorts with these activities yet. I wear athletic pants, but in capri length-not full length pants.
If you already have chafed areas, Gold Bond medicated powder is good, as well as the new products by Monistat. (Yes, the yeast infection company. ) They have a powder gel that is specifically meant for areas that rub and chafe, and it is good stuff. (I got a free sample in the mail)
Yes, you do need a period of adjustment for your bum to stop hurting and I agree that you should wear some capri length exercise pants but...I found that a smaller seat with a little kind of "cut out" in the middle of the front of the seat worked best for me. At first I bought a larger seat and it sure was comfy and big for my bum but I was doing more bouncing side to side because so much of my butt was hitting the seat. The smaller seat is perfect because the outside of my cheeks don't hit the seat, so I get a smoother ride. The little cut out makes it so my lady parts don't fall asleep Keep at it and GOOD LUCK!!
That is funny. You may have to just try both kinds of seats out by sitting on them in the store, and see which is most comfortable for you. I can't use a narrow seat...after about 2 miles in it feels like it is permanently wedged between my cheeks. I feel "bruised" on my uppermost inner thighs, and in the crack of my rear end (sorry for being so blunt! ) with a narrow seat.
I broke down and bought a "woman's" seat last summer, and it really does help. Still have to get your butt in shape though. Also, padded bike shorts help too. They are made to be tight on your thigh and stay down, so they help prevent chafing. If you are going to be self-conscious walking around in them, you can put a pair of regular shorts over them - just layer your stuff like the teenagers do.
If a woman's seat is hurting your privates, it may not be angled right. It should be level or point slightly down at the front. These seats are not as wide as the comfort seats are, but nowhere near as narrow as men's racing seats. And the padded shorts or other lycra shorts will hug your legs and prevent chafing as advertised in a previous post.
I've noticed that most of the big riding enthusiasts around here have started wearing Lance's yellow Live Strong bracelet. I can only conclude that it not only prevents chafing but makes you skinny and fit...
Thanks Pat, I 'm not to self concious about the tights i'll be wearing a t-shirt anyway.
Lol@ carla, I've been looking for one of those....lol to see if it will help me.
invest in some good bike shorts, they are so worth the money. also, any good bike shop will let you bring your bike in and put a seat and ride it around the parking lot for a while. you have to expiriment, everyones bum is different. your body will adjust too, and you will get more used to your seat, therefore expiriencing less pain. i defintely say get a pair of good shorts first and foremost. your bum will thank you.
I've started cycling...
) They have a powder gel that is specifically meant for areas that rub and chafe, and it is good stuff. (I got a free sample in the mail) 
I feel "bruised" on my uppermost inner thighs, and in the crack of my rear end (sorry for being so blunt! 
