Seats or Shorts for "the boys" on a bike?

Question

My boyfriend recently took up cycling and he's trying to figure out how to comfortably ride with the "twins". Do padded shorts really help with that situation or is that only for padded longer rides? I got him a ergonomic seat for men but he said that it only helped slightly from a regular seat? Any men cyclists have any advice for him?

Answer 1

If your boyfriend is serious, padded shorts (shorts with a chamois) are a must. There's no way I'd do anything more than like a 15 min ride without them, especially on a MTB (commuting is a bit different). I'd check out Performance Bikes. Their shorts are cheap and decent, I'd recommend the Performance Ultra short if your boyfriend is serious about cycling and definitely if he's a mountain biker. Also, when looking at shorts the more panels in a short, the better it is. I usually get at least 6 panel shorts. Oh, and advise your boyfriend to ride without anything underneath the shorts. There's nothing worse than riding with boxers on under those things. Other than that, it's just "arranging the boys" in the shorts.

The seat is also really important. It depends on what type of cycling your boyfriend is doing: casual, road, or mountain. For casual (like some hybrids or a beach comber), I don't have any recommendations. For a road bike, I'd take a look at the Specialized Alias saddles (these seats have been tested to make sure they don't decrease blood flow). For mountain, I like the Terry Fly Ti a lot. If your boyfriend is a mountain biker, make sure the seat has titanium rails. In general the seat should not be cushiony and it should have a cutout. Fluffy gel-padded seats are not a good thing for mountain biking or serious road rides.

One other important point: make sure that the seat is not titled up. Take a level and make sure that the seat is at a minimum level. You can also point the nose down a little, but it should not be pointed up (especially if he's riding without padded shorts). If it is pointed up, that puts a lot of pressure on that area (especially if he's in an aggressive stance).

Hope that info helps, but it really depends on the type of riding and what exact issues you boyfriend is having. The above stuff is pretty basic for serious riding and a must for mountain biking to avoid numbness.

Answer 2

! i had a specialised BG Alias come standard with my Tarmac. it was supposed to be cutting edge technlogy with the "medically proven cut outs". It didn't work for me, the boys were always going to sleep. I put a Fizik Arione on and away we went - works a treat...for me.

Everyone is different. If your seat isn't comfortable, try adjusting it - not huge differences, just a little bit at a time. You can move the seat up or down, back or forward, tilt it up or down. A good idea is to measure from the centre of the seat to the centre of the crank and centre of the headstem before you make any changes. That way if it was more comfortable before you adjusted it you can always put it back the way it was.

Also padded bib shorts definitely help, so if he doesn't have a pair already it is a pretty good idea to get some

If unsure how to do all these things, take your bloke and his bike to a bike shop and get it fitted.

Hope this helps

Answer 3

Good Lord, how in the world will you become bored with a 250 Ninja in a year? This total nonsense. First things first, have you sat on a 250 Ninja? Can you sit flat footed? If not, consider a motorcycle with a lower seat height. Second, 600 cc sport bikes will without exception be too tall for you. Third, one season of riding will not make you a skilled, experienced rider. I have been riding for longer you have been alive and I still learn something each time I ride. Look at the site below to see what you are capable of on a Ninja 250R. Dr. Yeager has yet to get bored with the 250R. Yet he will crank out more miles in a year than the vast majority of riders on Yahoo Answers including me.

Answer 4

Unless this guys carrying grapefruits around, they really shouldn't be in the way when riding. Typically, the area of concern for new cyclists' should be a little farther back then the boys. Your not supposed to sit on them, you may need to adjust, tell him to reach down his shorts and pull them up so he's not sitting on them. Make sure the seat is not pointed up at all. He really should be fitted properly, it could be the the handle bars are too far away causing him to reach too far or the bars could be too low which would have him leaning forward.

Answer 5

Padded shorts definitely help specially on long rides. But he cannot expect to be totally comfortable. Riding a bike for long periods will always result in some kind of discomfort.

The proper choice of saddles & shorts will go a long way to alleviate those discomfort.

Answer 6

it depends because i like harder, more firmer seats and a softer chamois (the gel in the shorts). This is just what i prefer because i find it makes more of a difference. The seat isn't going to affect the comfortability in "the package" as much as the shorts because u can adjust u spot on the saddle for comfortability but the not the shorts. i hope that helps!

Answer 7

Unfortunately, saddles are like shoes. He needs to try several to find out which fits him better. For some, padded shorts or lycra feel good. I like plain shorts or sometimes jeans.

Some saddles are more rigid than others. I wouldn't look for gel covers since they actually increase the disconfort rather than helping it.

Also, saddles come in different widths. And not always the widest is the best. I started riding with wide saddles, but I find that narrower saddles fit my behind better than wider ones. But like I said, saddles are like shoes, maybe a wider will help him.

Answer 8

Tights will sure help!

As for saddles: only 1 brand comes to mind. BROOKS http://www.brookssaddles.com/

Since 1866!

I am an avid cyclist and tried many lite weight techno sudo science saddles. Nothing works.

Only Brooks! I have them on my MTB, my comutter and my road bike. At 1st it hurts but after a while, the saddle molds to the your shape and all is well.

Just have to take care of them. Like any leather shoe a bit of dressing once in a while is enough.

Answer 9

He'll never be 100% comfortable but tell him to find the right clothing and a seat that fits him well.

Answer 10

He is not supposed to be sitting on his boys. Proper cycling shorts will solve the problem as long as hi is smart enough to put them on properly.