I’m 5ft 10in, 228lb (103kg) and have been riding ~8 hours a week on a Stages SB20 smart bike on TR for the last 1.5months. Before that I didn’t train at all.
Everything has been going great so far. I have lost weight and my FTP has been increasing so I have nothing but positive things to say about training Road.
My biggest problem right now is that after an hour or so my butt hurts like crazy. I think it is because, I’m just a lot heavier than most cyclists and my bulk is putting a lot of pressure on a small, racing bike seat.
Right now that uncomfort is the primary limiting factor for me cycling more.
Should I buy a softer seat? Should I wear cycling shorts with the padding? Will it get better as I continue to lose weight?
It is normal to feel some pain from the saddle when starting to ride, it takes some time getting used to and adapted to.
That being said, you should definitely wear a good (and good fitting) pair of bib shorts with good padding. Personally I use Castelli, but there are other good brands out there. The straps ensure that it sits where it should.
Besides that, make sure your seat is at the right high, has the right set back, and has the right tilt. You should also make sure the seat fits you. The width of the saddle should match your seat bones (which are not related to your weight). There are also different shapes.
Also note that there are different types of pain. Is the pain because of rubbing on the sides of the saddle? Are your seat bones outside the saddle? Do you need a cutout?
As a trick you can also try to stand from time to time during the ride.
You probably don’t want to go to the expense of a bike fit just yet but there is plenty of information about bike fitting on the web which should help you. I found this book very useful though. Yes to bib shorts and yes to finding a saddle that works for you although that in itself can be an expensive search - hence all the used saddles for sale on ebay.
Make sure your hip is not tilting at every peddal stroke. This causes unnecessary rubbing. Ask someone to film you from the back. If you do, you need to bring the saddle down.
Bike shorts will make a big difference. I would not spend too much on them right now. Low end name brands will be fine. You might go from XL to Med in 6 months.
For a new saddle ask your LBS if they have some sort of demo / ride before you buy plan. They should help with fitting it . Choosing the shape and width can be daunting for a beginner.
Chiming in on what others have said: 100% yes to padded short, 100% no to softer wider saddles, and 100% guaranteed it gets better over time.
Just as a reference point: my first ride on a race-ish bike was 15 minutes at 80W and it was excruciating saddle pain.
Also something to consider: after a few months your sustained power will likely be much higher than in these first weeks. Higher power = more force on the pedals = less weight on the saddle = more comfort. I am now in my 5th year of cycling, and still I‘ve been known to jump to the head of a group ride and pull at sweet spot for a while after my nether-regions get mashed to a pulp from noodling around at Z1 for 30 minutes or more Sometimes I also deal with this by dropping my cadence in the 50s, essentially increasing the force on the pedals as well and relieving saddle pressure…
Spend a little money and get at least a decent pair of shorts. The cheaper ones and the liners (that come in MTB shorts) that I’ve bought don’t have very good density foam. I bought a few pair of decent shorts at Steepncheap (assuming it’s still in existence) at least 5 years ago, think I paid $60ish each (they were like half off, Gore brand) and have hundreds of hours on each pair…looking like I need to replace them pretty soon, but have certainly gotten my money out of them.
And make sure your saddle is the right width and is adjusted right, of course. I started my journey at about the same weight as you are, and went through 4 or 5 seats over the 1st couple years, assuming that the extra weight was primarily my issue, but continued to have issues as I lost the weight. I was still having issues at less than 180# and checked my sit bone width and realized I need a wider saddle…completely changed my riding experience.
Get some good cycling bib shorts - I weigh 61kg and the thought of doing ANY cycling in anything without a chamois is a no go! I have about a dozen sets of bibs (mostly Castelli but some from Nopinz) and 5 skinsuits for TT (all from Nopinz) - the chamois are not all the same but they all do a decent job of protecting my undercarriage! Saddles are important as well I use completely different saddles for road riding and TT - it makes a massive difference - but decent quality bibs are the place to start. They don’t have to be expensive - if you haven’t been using them then even budget offerings work ok. In addition if you are losing weight then you obviously don’t want to invest in expensive kit which may not fit in 3 months time. I have been the same weight for 20+ years ( the benefits of racing bikes/running since Uni ) - but it is something to consider in your weight loss journey - good luck
I’ve obviously no idea what your position is like, but it may also help to realise that there should be a somewhat even distribution of weight between the three contact points of pedals, saddle and bars. Some new cyclists are very upright and hence have a lot of weight on their butt.
Just chiming in what’s already been said for emphasis: cycling shorts definitely!
For indoor riding you don’t have to go too crazy. Souke makes cycling “underwear” that cost $25 on Amazon. Comments indicate that some wear these outdoors, but they are THIN so sounds like a terrible idea.
My favorite budget bibs are Primal.
I also use Noxzema w. Eucalyptus in my shorts, on the recommendation of Chris Horner.
Also, try to get out of the saddle every once in while. You don’t get as much body movement indoors like you would outdoors. I had to get myself in the habit of changing my position on the bars and standing a bit every 10 or 15 minutes. Getting used to staying in the drops helps you stay aero, and takes weight off your rear.
It gets better. Like others have said, if you’re riding indoors, a decent pair of shorts is indispensable. Also–I may just be imagining things–but as your ratio of power to weight increases, the pressure on your a** decreases. My butt is never numb-er than it is in long recovery intervals.
Update: Thought I was adding something new to the thread, but I see @dmalanda already made that point: “Higher power = more force on the pedals = less weight on the saddle = more comfort.”
If it hurts “like crazy”, then it’s likely you are resting on your perineum and not what I would call my butt - no amount of padding can save you. You need to be sitting on your sit bones, and it can take a really long time to figure out how to do that yourself or it can be real quick.
If it is that soft part between your balls and butt, then adjust your smart bike so that you are resting your butt on the wider, back part of the saddle and not the narrow front part.
Also, zero to eight hours training/week is a big jump. Be kind to your body
Each to their own. Cheap shorts have always been great for me indoors (£35/£45). I probably don’t pedal for long enough to discover the difference (rarely over 90mins).
(I save my money for my outdoor shorts which I wear for the long hours in the saddle.)
Sometimes I also deal with this by dropping my cadence in the 50s, essentially increasing the force on the pedals as well and relieving saddle pressure…
