From: sasart@hornet.unx.sas.com (Annette Tharpe)
Subject: Re: Seat Padding: was Re: Bicycle Question
Originator: sasart@hornet.unx.sas.com
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 22:01:35 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.


In article <1992Sep10.085653.1@jaguar.csc.wsu.edu>, jnorberg@jaguar.csc.wsu.edu writes:
>In article <26178@dog.ee.lbl.gov>, jane@tortoise.ee.lbl.gov (Jane Colman) writes:
>> In article <63620026@hpcc01.corp.hp.com> brooksp@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Peter Brooks) writes:
>>>I noticed that the saddles
>>>felt a *lot* better after I lost my weight.  (Guess that's one of
>>>the few areas of the body that never gets any fat padding.
>>>
>> My experience has been entirely to the contrary.  One of the
>> ways I can tell I am really getting thinner is that all of a
>> sudden seats (all seats, not bicycle saddles) start feeling
>> a lot harder.  Probably it has to do with the different places
>> in which men and women tend to carry their fat.
>> 
>
>Not necessarily!  I've the same problem as you!  Just bought a new bike a 
>couple of weeks ago and ended up bruising my bum pretty good after my
>first ride.  
>
>And I no longer can sit on the front porch of the house enjoying a warm summer
>night like I used to!  Small price to pay I guess!
>
>John

Disclaimer:  The following observations are based on my personal 
experiences only. 

There is good news and bad news about the bruised-bike-butt condition:

The good news is that it will go away.

The bad news is that you just have to be persistant.  Eventually, you'll
notice that you have "broken in" your rear and it doesn't hurt any more.
(I don't EVEN want to think of the implications:-)  

Personal experience: When I bought my bike last year, I didn't ride it 
very often because of the bruised feeling.  Then winter came and I just 
quit riding altogether.  This year started out the same way but I 
persevered.  The way I did it was to start out riding short distances 
as often as I could.  I was eventually able to increase the distance 
without additional discomfort. Now, if I am able to at the very least 
ride once a week, I am able to "stay in condition":-)

Since our winters are fairly mild, I aim to "stay in condition" through
out the year this time!

Other solutions, which I can't vouch for, include:

   Padded bike shorts - I didn't own a pair until recently, AFTER I had
      broken in my rear.

   Special (designed for women) bike seats - I was on the verge of 
      buying one.  I was ready to do anything to stop the pain so that 
      I could enjoy the investment that I had made in my bike.  However
      the problems went away before I convinced myself to buy one.  I
      had trouble convincing myself because my bike came with what was
      supposed to be a very good gel (mountain not racing) seat, and I
      hated getting rid of a perfectly good one.  I somehow don't think 
      that a different seat will work huge miracles anyway.

   Gel padded seat cover - (same comments as for the special seat).
   
Hope this is somewhat encouraging!
-- 
  /\        Annette R. Tharpe, QA Analyst
 /__\_____  SAS Institute Inc.
/    \ |    SAS Campus Dr., Cary, NC  27513
       |    sasart@unx.sas.com
From: brooksp@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Peter Brooks)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 20:19:24 GMT
Subject: Recipe: Sorta Chili (Odd)
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server