I just got a new bike

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haha i didn't know i posted here last night. well i love the bike, it's so much fun to ride compared to my old one, it just glides and i've got to say, it's nice not to have to reach down to the frame to shift gears. one problem i had with my old road bike, and i have it with this one, is that the seat hurts my rear, not quite my butt but between my genitals and my bum. am i leaning too far forward or something? is it just something i'll get used to with more riding, and has anyone else had that problem?

I know exactly what your talking about. You need to break your ass in, or get a different saddle. If after a week or so, maybe longer, of riding if the pain does not go away, then you need a different saddle, also if it is to painful and is causing saddle sores. If you a riding in rowing tights, then that would be another reason, why I said about bike shorts. Sometimes the bike shorts have more padding then the saddle, just don't use a saddle with to much padding, as this cuts off blood flow, and you dont want things going numb . If you are commuting and never want to use bike shorts, then a bigger saddle and a more upright position will help a bunch. If you are doing rides of 20 miles or more then good bike shorts is just as important as your saddle. Not every saddle is right for every person, so like I said, if you gave time for your butt to adjust and it still hurts then try a new one.
I am thinking your new bike saddle has a slot down the middle? Most of these type of saddles cause me pain where you are talking about. Also what brand is the seat?

there's no brand on the seat other than the bike manufacturer, Marin. the soreness has gotten better, i can barely feel it now, and it didn't bother me on my ride yesterday... either that or i was too frustrated at the ridiculous headwind. it was a 35km ride, i've done it before on my old road bike and it's not too bad, but there was a massive headwind the entire way. for most of the ride i'd say it was over 30km/hr, with some portions (especially toward the end) where there were gusts that almost brought me to a crawl. I hate wind in sports, i don't sail so any sport i play is only hindered by wind. rowing is more difficult technique-wise in a tail-wind but is more physically demanding in a headwind, so either way it's a pain, and biking into a headwind SUCKS.

other than that it's been going pretty well. at first i kept forgetting to push through the whole stroke because i'm new to clipless pedals, but the other day it just sort of clicked and i'm going so much faster. also i haven't had any screw ups with them, slow speed falls and the like from forgetting to unclip, so i'm happy about that.

That's close to our daily average. I wish I lived in a place that didn't have to deal with it when I want to ride sometimes
Today our gusts went to 27-31 km/h. Head winds sometimes rule though. When I first started, I always either took paths through taller buildings, alleyways and such or rode with the wind hitting me from the side when the wind was bad, but one day that was not an option and I took a 10 mile route with a head wind. It sucked, but picking up to 35 mph with almost no effort to speak of was worth it. Tailwinds are the reward for hard work you put in in a headwind, just like a downhill is for the uphill.
It's an odd sensation being out in the wind and actually outracing it. You can actually feel the space between yourself in the air if you do it right.

well the frustrating thing was that no matter where the road turned it just seemed to get stronger. the road would turn right with a really steep hill and all of a sudden there was a big gust, then it would turn back, still wind, then it turned left with a long, not so steep, hill and it was stronger, i just couldn't win. the other thing was that my parents were driving me back since they didn't want me riding in the dark, and i can understand why, the roads back aren't the safest ones at night and people drive like idiots, so i couldn't enjoy the tailwind, i was just working for nothing. if i got used to it i might not find it that bad, but i just really hate wind.

well i had my first fall today . I was sitting at a light, already unclipped on my left side but i was fiddling around and started to lean right a bit, then fell over. i unclipped my right foot quickly enough so that i didn't fall flat on my side, but it was still embarrassing, and it didn't help that a truck driving through the intersection saw and honked at me haha.

They yelled and wolf whistled at me.

And I meant our gusts went to 88.5 km/h totally sucked.

Judging by this thread, I see I am not the only one who likes bike riding! Whilst I don't do it for sport, I do ride to work and for exercise and enjoyment. I am not really interested in getting a driver's license at the moment, and any long distances I do is mostly for the fun and challenge.

My bike is in the shop
Stiffer crank/bottom bracket
new tires too I think if the dude has them. mine are gashed and scarred.
Also, new pedals. I have a nice bike but when I'm not using clipless, I'm on 14 year old trek pedals that totally suck lol

I have started wearing udershirts/a-shirts on my rides because I always sweat really bad on my back and end up with a huge spot on the back of my shirts where my pack sits. (also it's preperation for possible shirt-free rides on really hot days )

Does anyone really dislike cycling clothes? I used to race (road and cyclo-cross) and I really don't like them. I still ride everyday, but now I just wear sneakers, jeans (with the leg rolled up!), tshirt and a hoodie. Gloves and a beanie if it's cold out. The saddle sore thing can be alleviated by uh.. riding. A lot. Stretching while you're on the bike helps a lot too.

And does anyone find that those "comfortable" saddles are absolutely awful? I have a very thing and hard saddle and it's been really nice thus far.

What Sheldon Brown says about those comfort saddles is that it is more of a marketing ploy than anything.
The shape and width is more important than the softness.

The thrift store is a bike riders' best friend. I have bought countless pairs of khakis and promptly turned them into 3/4 knickers. Even during the winter, I would buy a pair and cut off only one leg, and wear a warm sock on that leg. This one dude at work made a really swift remark about it and I replied "That's how far my cyclist's leg will go if you f--- with me."

I am happy with the specialized toupe saddle

weilawei, why did you give up racing? what cat?
If I am riding around town or something I will just wear whatever, usually jeans and tshirt. While mountain biking I wear baggy mb shorts and tshirt.
But the team kit is free (and I am poor) so that is what I wear most of the time.

The toupe looks nice. I've got a Fizik Pave on mine. I went looking for reviews and everyone seemed to say it wasn't fun to ride on--but I like it. I stopped racing because I had no life outside of that. While it's fun, it's sort of a lifestyle thing for me, not one of my obsessions.

You can't argue with free. ^_^ I stopped wearing most of my team gear because I felt like a walking billboard. Although, the plain, stretchy pearl izumi shirts I used to get were pretty cool on long rides and fairly cheap. And nothing beats having those three extra pockets.

Damn I wanna ride all the time
makes me lose my mind
if enthusiasm were equal to skill I'd be Eddie Merckx

i wish i was riding right now. it's been crappy weather for the last few days and i've been sick. i started getting sick on the best day of weather i've had this spring though

We're supposed to have a "mass" ride today but with 75-96 km/h winds I hope they reschedule...
totally sucks.


erm, Blows.