About a month ago, I finally had a bike fit done after more than a year of cycling, (road). I felt I needed it because I was beginning to have issues with numbness in my hands and no adjustments I was making was doing any good. The bike fitter raised my saddle a LOT. The next day, I went to go for a ride but wound up falling over upon mounting because I did not know how to push off without sitting first. That fall sprained my ankle a LOT and I've been recovering slowly. Apprehensive about trying again, I decided to get a trainer for my bike. I've been using it but the new fit is uncomfortable. The seat felt too high, and the handlebars feel too far. I've been making incremental adjustments to the seat and I'm still getting a lot of pressure in my soft tissue. The saddle is a gel saddle with a cutout, but the cutout doesn't come forward enough, the front area of my soft tissue is resting on the padding on the front of the nose and that's where it hurts. If I scoot back a bit, then the saddle puts too much pressure on the back of my legs. I measured my sit bones, and the measurement is 180mm or so, even before I add 20-25mm more. Does that seem wide to you? I've been looking at new saddles online and most of them aren't even 180mm wide. I know I need padding and a wide open and longer cutout. Anyone have a recommendation? I’m also considering changing my handlebars, which is the straight type with ergonomic grips.

How do you ladies deal with being harassed when you're riding alone?

I was on a regular route today and had an old man walking in the bike lane say hello. Thinking he was being friendly I smiled and was going to say hi back but before I could he started shouting and cussing me out. This was right before my turnaround so I had to pass this dude twice (and gave him lots of space each time).

I live in a rural area and am fairly used to guys in jacked up pickups flipping you off or trying to coal roll you but for some reason this one really got to me today. Like he lured me in with a kind smile and a hello before switching to verbal abuse.

I rode on and didn't acknowledge him either time but it just gets me that a random stranger felt the need to try to intimidate someone smaller than them for just being in the same public space on a bike.

I won't let this rando stop me from enjoying my rides and am going to bake a cake tonight because I worked hard and deserve it!

Full disclosure I identify as nonbinary but I feel safe and comfy in this sub + have learned a lot from being here, and I just wanted to brag a bit. I'm currently training for my first century I don't own a car and bike everywhere anyways but this year I decided I really wanted to challenge myself ans take cycling seriously so in 40 days exactly I will be doing my first century! I've bikepacked across my state, multiple 40 mile rides and multiple 50 mile rides so I feel like those are really hard so a century is doable! Cunty photos from the Katy trail at the end. 🥰

1. How bad is it?
2. Can you tell which one is s or xs? (1&4 s, 2&3 xs)
3. Which one looks better s or xs?

1-3 are castelli - I’m utile kind of gal so pockets preferred. 4 - pearl izumi s 5” for comparison

I’m 4’11” 97lbs in case it helps other petite ladies.

Edit: typos

Hi Everyone! Sized down and clearing out a premium collection of women's cycling kits. Everything has been washed cold on delicate cycles, line dried, and comes from a smoke-free home. Album with detailed tags and chamois close-ups: https://imgur.com/a/cwPQogr

All transactions will be handled securely via PayPal Goods & Services (Invoice).
Shipping is a flat $6 anywhere in the US, or FREE if you bundle 2 or more items together! Shipping from the SF Bay Area.

1. Women's MAAP Privateer Jersey - Size Medium

• Design: Grey/Blue Geometric Pattern
• Condition: New Without Tags (NWOT). Never worn out on a ride, pristine condition. Lightweight fabric, smooth zipper, true aerodynamic MAAP race fit.
• Price: $85 OBO + shipping

2. Women's Rapha Lightweight Jersey #1 - Size Medium

• Design: Iconic High-Viz Pink with White Armband
• Condition: Lightly used, excellent shape. Legacy construction version with sturdier back pockets.
• Price: $50 OBO + shipping

3. Women's Rapha Lightweight Jersey #2 - Size Medium

• Design: Classic Black with White Armband
• Condition: Lightly used, excellent shape. Legacy construction version with sturdier back pockets.
• Price: $50 OBO + shipping

4. Women's Rapha Core Jersey - Size Medium

• Design: Purple / Mauve
• Condition: Lightly used, great shape. This is the sought-after older generation edition that still features the zippered back valuables pocket.
• Price: $50 OBO + shipping

5. Women's Rapha Classic Merino Jersey - Size Medium

• Design: Dark Navy Blue / Black
• Condition: Excellent. No shrinking, pilling, or wool damage. Features the functional bottom-hem drawstring waist toggle. Perfect for shoulder season.
• Price: $75 OBO + shipping

6. Women's Rapha Core Bib Shorts - Size Small

• Condition: Great condition. The classic Rapha chamois pad is completely plush and clean. Leg grippers are perfectly tight.
• Price: $60 OBO + shipping

7. Women's Rapha 3/4 Length Cycling Tights / Knickers - Size Medium

• Condition: Good. Immaculate chamois pad. White scripted Rapha thigh logo looks bright with zero cracking and side cargo pocket. Perfect below-the-knee transitional weather coverage.
• Price: $70 OBO + shipping

PM me if interested or if you want to bundle multiple items together. Please comment on this thread before messaging so I can track the queue. Thanks!

What the title says, has anyone tried the Rockbros brand? I got an ad for these jerseys, and what can I say - the floral print is really getting me. I want to buy one, but the website doesn’t have any reviews! Can anyone speak to the quality?

TLDR; I want to have the strength and endurance for a half century ride, and want guidance especially from folks who have worked their way up.

Context: I’m 42 and live a fairly sedentary life (I work from home and I’m in tech). I’m starting to work some strength training, yoga, and bicycling into my life, but I am nowhere near consistent. I got a new bike this year, a Fairdale Weekender Nomad. I got a professional bike fitting recently and soon I’m getting shorter cranks and a new saddle. My rides so far this year have been in the 6-12 mile range. I live in Indiana so weather often makes it hard to get outside 😭

I also have hand/wrist pain and numbness in general and it is probably my biggest discomfort issue on the bike. I just got gloves and I think the modifications from the bike fitter may help.

I have room to improve with what I’m eating to fuel my body as well.

I’m mostly looking for advice, especially from folks who started in a similar place and have made progress. I do well with a more concrete plan, or at least something more specific than “eat healthier, get stronger, and get on the bike more.” I have a Strava pro membership so feel free to include tips do making the most of that too.

Thanks!

I bought a pair of Gonso bibshorts in an online sale, with an SQLab chamois and they are excellent. Firm padding where I want it and none where I don't. No irritation, no sore bones or anything else! Even though they don't have pockets I favoured them over my Castelli endurance bibs during a two week ride. They also dry a lot quicker.

I also finally found a saddle that works for me - a Spa Cycles Nidd Lady. It's leather, so totally firm, and it's significantly wider than the modern saddles I had been trying based on my sit bones width. So much more comfortable.

I got a bike fit but it didn't do me any favours and I had to put the bike back how it was after a few rides. It's a touring bike, so relatively long geometry, and the person who did the fit based the measurements on a modern road bike, so I should have had my suspicions from the start. The bike fit put my saddle much further forward and I wasn't able to keep my weight off my hands. During the holiday I put the saddle much further back and it was instantly better. I hope I recover from the palsy I've got in both hands as a result of the first week of riding.

Thanks for all your advice here!

When I first started getting into cycling in April, I set The Bay Ride as a challenge for myself. I'm so proud of how far I've come in just four months. From not being able to get up Tunnel Road to now. This was an absolutely beautiful ride totaling 148 miles from my house. Thank you all for the love and support. 💕

My sister has a Peloton bike that I completely fell in love with, so much so that I purchased one of my own. I also recently started having little cuts on my perineum and anus. Since I’ve been going thru perimenopause I initially attributed it to that and spoke with my doc who prescribed me vaginal estrogen. However, after a month I still have the cuts and it hit me yesterday that it has to be from the bike seat. I started doing a bit of research and it led me to this subreddit where I have already found a bunch of really great advice. I purchased some padded bike shorts and some Chamois Butter. I’ve also been on the bike 2-3 times a week for the past few months so I’m going to give it a break and allow the cuts to heal before I get back on. I’ve also seen suggestions about new saddles and bike fit test but I’m wondering if I’m getting ahead of myself. Will the padded shorts and Chamois Butter be enough to stave off any future irritation or should I also look into purchasing a new seat and getting a bike fit test as well?

Hi everyone! 😊

I’m 152 cm (5’0”), and I’d especially love to hear from other shorter or petite riders about what types of bikes have worked well for you.

I’m currently looking for a bike that I can grow with and enjoy for many years. I recently bought a CUBE Touring ONE, but after riding it for a few days, I’ve realised that it feels a bit heavy and large for me. I especially find it difficult to get on and off comfortably, which has made me wonder whether the bike or frame size is the right fit for me.

I’m now trying to figure out what type of bike would suit me best.

My main use would be:

• fitness and exercise
both shorter and longer rides

•mostly pavement and bike paths

•some light gravel and easy dirt roads

•occasional everyday errands around town

•building up to longer distances over time

I’m looking for something that feels:

lightweight and easy to handle
reasonably quick and fun to ride
comfortable for longer rides
versatile enough for everyday use
suitable for a shorter rider

I’ve been looking at bikes such as the Kona Dew and some Merida hybrid/fitness bikes, and I like the idea of a lighter and more agile flat-bar bike.
However, I’m also curious about gravel bikes with drop bars. I’ve never really spent much time riding with drop bars, so I’m unsure whether that type of bike and riding position would suit me.

I’d especially love to hear from other petite riders: What type of bike do you ride, and what has worked well for you? Do you prefer a hybrid/fitness bike with flat bars, or a gravel bike with drop bars?

I’m planning to test ride different bikes, but I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences! 😊🚲

Hi! I biked about 4.5mi today. I haven’t touched a bike in 3 years, and I’ve never gone more than a mile. I’m really excited about it

RECOMMENDATIONS for road bike preferably aluminium, but open to carbon (especially as I kinda want a Bianchi, any thoughts on that?) not aggressively speedy or too ‘forward’, I want an “Endurance” style road bike for lots of country roads and distances.

5.6” (do not want a Liv) Upgrading from a Trek “women’s specific road bike” which they don’t do anymore.

Asking for advice as I tried a couple of men’s road bikes in my size (52cm) but the handlebars felt too far apart / forward for my shoulders? Have any other girls had geometry issues? They often do not have my size in the shops so I’m trying to gather intel / lived experience first, before I run around like crazy trying to check out my dream bike, that might be outside M25. Planning to use cycle to work scheme: budget ideally <1400 but can stretch to say 1800-2k (that Bianchi, ha). Bike cannot be too much of a princess as it still needs to go over potholes and nasty London roads AND not cost a bomb or have long ordering wait times for “special components” when it needs a service. I don’t think I want a gravel. Cycling for outdoorsyness and scenery and fitness. I do a 40~70km before breakfast 2-3 x a week. Would love to hear your experiences! 🙏

My 20-something daughter has really gotten into riding on the road, but her bike is ancient and heavy. She's identified the make and model of a bunch of road bikes she's interested in, and we've agreed to help buy one, as a combination birthday/graduation gift. But I'm shocked at the prices! Everything she's looking at is at least $1200, and most are between $1600 and $3300.
Can anyone tell me if this is the market for a good road bike or if she's got caviar taste? I have a perfectly good road bike that I got used for $400, but maybe I'm the one who is out of touch.

I'd also love any feedback on her choices, if you're willing. (She's going to need to try, but we're hoping to buy used so would love to narrow things down.) Here's the list: Trek Domane, Specialized Allez or Allez Sport, Specialized Roubaix, Canyon Endurance Allroad or Infinite CF SL6, Cannondale Topstone 3 or Synapse 2, Giant Contend (AR4 or SL1), Giant Defy Advanced 4, Cerevelo Caledonia 105, Scott Addict 50, Ribble CGR AL Tiagara.

Thank you!

EDIT: Thank you all for your speedy replies. Sounds like she's on the right track and I'm the one who is out of touch on this. (PS: I'm her mom, not her dad - I like to cycle and have found this community very helpful, so thanks for that, too!!)

Hell yeah, starting hard!!!

Howdy fellow lady cyclists, I'm trying to solve a chafing issue that somehow morphs. Long story short, I was fine with my gravel bike setup for many years, but I didn't ride a lot of miles, or consistently. Then my body started changing about a year ago (yay weight lifting!) and I now have a lot more flesh in my thighs and abdomen. Meanwhile this summer, I've been getting out for longer rides than I had for many years, and I've been encountering more chafing than recent years too. Specifically this is chafing along the bikini line, squarely in the crotch area.

I thought the issue was my seat (Terry Butterfly Cromoly), as it was definitely too soft and wide for me from the get-go (I wasn't ever fitted when I bought it, just got recommended it by the bike shop guy, and I didn't know better). But it had been alright when I was just toodling around town without a chamois, so I made it work well enough for a long time. I have now gotten a new seat (Trek Verse Short Comp) that is (probably?) the right size, a more narrow nose, and a lot firmer, so it feels more stable when riding with a chamois. However, after a ride with this new seat, I noticed around mile 10 (about the same time as I've noticed previous chafing) that I started to experience some chafing - except this time, it was further forward along the bikini line, almost at the front crease of the leg and the torso.

I've been wearing chamois shorts this summer more than previous years, and part of me wonders if it's the chamois that's the issue. I have two different styles, and one fits better than the other, but I honestly don't love either of them - both chamois pads themselves feel too wide in the crotch for my physiology (I'm petite, with wider hips and thicker thighs). I don't regret the new seat purchase, as I do think I had less fatigue from shifting around than the previous seat, and I have less chafing lower down into the crotch. But now I'm wondering if I'm not buying the right chamois for my body, or if I just need chamois butter, or if there's something going on.

I desperately want to be going for longer rides, and eventually bikepacking, but right now the chafing discomfort is a limiting factor, so I'm not going more than 15 miles or so. I'm not wearing anything under my chamois, and I did get an antibacterial cream from my doc to help resolve a particularly nasty chafing spot and prevent future ones. I don't know if this makes a difference either, but for what it's worth, I am pretty sporadic about shaving the bikini line.

Have other riders, especially petite or thick-thighed riders, experienced an issue like this? What resolved it? And/or, are there chamois out there for folks who need narrower pad geometry? Thanks for any advice you have!

Mods can we get some fun flair tags for us women!
Fun bike themed flair any tags you love like or identify with please post.

I'm 6'1, about 300lbs (size 24 US), inseam 33", and would like to start riding. My town is predominantly flat, with paved roads. Some small hills in the next town if I venture further. I don't see myself hauling my bike anywhere else to ride gravel or trails.

Not sure if this is a real interest, or an ADHD whim so I'd like to not spend over $500. But I want a comfy seat for my big rear for sure, haha!

Thoughts?

I'm not a real serious cyclist... I usually do 15-30 miles a day. But I'm very active on Garmin app. You can have friends and see each other's activities but none of my friends have any Garmin stuff.

Am I the only one? Any suggestions?

Sharing here in case anyone else is looking for a review of these shorts on an independent site like I was a few months ago. I have no affiliation with Iris, just sharing my experience.

I do long distance endurance events o
and multi-week touring on all terrain types and I run hot.

My former favorite were garneau course race with the 5motion chamois. They’re triathlon shorts, have cooling fabric and both the fabric and chamois dry fast. They’ve stopped making them so I was looking for something similar. I will spend pretty much any amount of money on shorts that fit and meet my needs.

A friend recommended a few brands, and Iris had the best size for me. I ordered a pair of escape shorts in xxxl for my 49” hips and 39” waist and have been wearing them for a five week bike tour.

Pros:

* excellent chamois - fit, size, density, texture. 100% a+++++

* drop tail bibs - honestly it’s so easy to go to the bathroom, I’m going to have to retrain myself from years of trauma and dread. It’s fantastic.

* stretchy fabric - truly comfy

* fabric hides sweat (see also under cons)

* grippers - don’t even notice them.

* the company is woman-owned

Cons:
* I’ve used the pockets once. It may just be me but they’re not that useful. And they create a weird seam that worries me as a failure point.

* fabric doesn’t LOOK sweaty, but it doesn’t evaporate as fast as I’d prefer.

* one of the stitches holding the chamois in place looks like it might be coming apart. I’m keeping an eye on it.

* I’m getting charged for f%cking tariffs because I live in the US. Not the mfrs fault though, my own stupid govt’s policies.

Because I’m in Europe right now and could have the shorts shipped to me to bring home and avoid tariffs, I ordered another pair of escape shorts and a pair of the signature shorts to try out. I rode 85km today in the signature shorts and they also seem great. No pockets, which it turns out I don’t care about, but the compression fabric is nice and it uses the same chamois.

I’d recommend either of these shorts and I’m sure the newer iterations are also great.

hi all!!

i just bought my first bike (secondhand specialized dolce from fb marketplace for £50!) and haven’t really cycled since i was a kid.

i run a fair amount and my goal in the first instance is to get out and explore my local area more, but with a view that in the future if i enjoy it i’d like to maybe do a triathlon / other road races.

so, my questions are, as a complete beginner:

a) what gear do i really need (got the bike, got a helmet, planning on getting a pump/gauge and a repair kit), would welcome views on what attire / accessories are necessary (have been looking at some shorts/bibs on vinted), i am getting overwhelmed with footwear and pedal choices

b) what top tips do you have for someone trying to build their confidence / ease into the sport? what do you wish you knew as a beginner?

thanks so much in advance!!