notelaine's Journal, 20 May 2016

Sounds great. I really need to get back on my bike but it feels so alien to cycle. Too long riding motorbikes and braking with my foot, I guess 

That's a real nice feeling when it all comes together. Enjoy! 

Super, By the way, your last photos, you look like you are at goal weight!!!, I know you are tall and by your photo you have a large frame like me (meaning large bones, so you can carry weight better) example: One time I got weight in at doc's office, and the nurse said to me "Pam I can't believe you weight that much" And I thought as first she was insulting me, but it turned out she weighed my same weight and I looked 20 pounds lighter than her!! Difference in Frame!! Have a super weekend!!! 

Aw, thank you!! I think we both just must be very dense, lol! :D 

wow...30 miles?! You are a rock star! 

It's great when we have those days that we can just do it and love it. I know how some days its like pulling teeth to do it but those days are good too because we can be proud when we are finished. Have a great day! 

Awesome - nutrition is everything! 

Nice ride...must have felt great..how was the new bike?  

win-win. Way to go. 

Steven the bike is great!! So much faster and fun than my old one 

Doing any activity with enough physical energy is always fun. Well done Notelaine. 

I've been thinking of getting a bike again. In the past my butt has hurt and I go numb "down there". I was thinking maybe with less weight I would be ok. gotta get something to keep up with the grandsons this summer! 

Go for it!! I think that comfort is mostly dependent on the saddle you choose. I looooove the one I have now. I don't even notice it, which is exactly what I wanted.  

Great work! I love to ride, it's peaceful until I got hit by a car lol. I never knew your body could bounce off a hood and then bounce off the pavement. I got right up and picked up my bike walked it home and threw up. All was well, could have been worse! 

I went back and looked at the pic of your new bike. The seat seems soooo small, but comfortable you say? Also, are bikes mostly unisex now? And is it comfortable bent over like that? The bike I had in the past had the straighter handlebars that you sat up more when on it. Ok, the family called it an old lady bike, lol! 

Oh no Misty!! That's one of my biggest fears. Hoping to never experience that! 

For long rides (anything over 45 minutes really), I really like a hard saddle. The idea is that only your 'sit bones' rest on the saddle, rather than a ton of pressure on your soft tissue. For me, my sit bones are 135 mm apart, and the saddle is 145 mm, so it fits great for me. Fun fact, to measure your sit bones, sit on a bag of flour and measure the distance from the center of each indents to each other! 

And there's actually a ton of women-specific bikes now! I'm just too tall for them, so I go with a men's bike. The more aggressive geometry of the bike takes a lot of getting used to, and I'm still struggling with lower back pain. But if you are looking for just something fun to ride around town, there's tons of options and nice big comfy saddles.  

gel saddles like the one below here are great for riding on for shorter distances. The cutout helps prevent any numbness 

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1119088_-1_400267__400267