For all the small ladies out there, this is a great fit. I’m 5’ 4.”

I realize this Reddit forum focuses very heavily on technical matters for cycling— bike mechanics and geometry, comfy clothing , safety.

The above topics should continue, but just expanding on what cycling has given to you— fitness, empowerment in transportation, etc.

Cycling sometimes stimulates wonder (over vistas, weather) and creative thinking for me. A great destressor. A blog post with pics:

https://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/cycling-fires-my-five-senses-inspiration/

Beyond gear, routes, and performance, what keeps you coming back to cycling? I’d love to hear the routines, feelings, friendships, or everyday benefits that make riding meaningful.

I went on my longest ride yet and immediately when I got off I felt two painful pea sized bumps on my labia and am now victim to saddle sores :( at first I didn’t know what they were and thought they were ingrown so I did unfortunately try to pop them. I didn’t break any skin and have since left them alone, but my question is- what now? At what point do I go to the doctor? What would the doctor even do? I’ve googled and freaked myself out. I do wear padded shorts and will take a break, unfortunately I wore underwear and padded shorts and I think it just got me good.

Hi,

I’ve always been a fan of those beautiful vintage/dutch style bikes - like the low step frame and just the overall look - but can’t get them for a few reasons;

- not much storage space in my house so prefer folding
- i’m too short for most models
- they’re relatively heavy but I looooooove the style

So if anyone has any recommendations :)

Last 5 months have got back into cycling after a 10 year break. Initially for commuting but enjoyed it so much I did a bike upgrade with the cycle to work scheme and have started doing longer bike rides on my days off too.

Brought inner tubes and a small tyre pump and planned to learn as I went with changing a tyre. Until it happened! Couldn’t even get the old tyre off so a friend picked me up and took me home. Tried for over an hour at home and still couldn’t get the old tyre off. Thought maybe it was my tools, was using a tru tension tyre leaver but found it really hard to even get the knack of getting it under the tyre, never managed to pop the tyre over the edge.

Took it into my local bike shop who said it was normal not to be able to change one, they fixed it and put tyre slime inside which they said would make it unlikely to get a puncture and if I did it would be such a big one the tyre would need replacing anyway. Any one had any experience with slime and never get a puncture?

It’s a road bike but it’s got thicker tougher tyres on as wanted to be able to take it on rougher tracks and get less punctures. Not sure if that’s why it was so hard to get the tyre off, or if I’m just not that strong!

Just worrying a little as it’s a half hour cycle to work, and had started joining some 30-60k group rides where they expect you to be able change a tyre, or at least have a spare inner tube and give it a go before someone helps. Could be quite far from a station or area where it’s easy to get an uber home.

Is it normal not to be able to change a tyre? And would the slime in the tyre mean that even with help wouldn’t be able to change the tyre as the inside would be covered in slime? Any advice appreciated :)

My front bike wheel was recently stolen off of my hybrid, and now I need to go through the process of replacing it - and I have no idea where to start. It’s a standard 700c disc brake - but a quick google search suggests there are SO MANY wheels at so many different price points. I would love any suggestions of what sort of features / quality to look out for and how to evaluate one wheel compared to another. This bike is primarily used for commuting and occasionally an exercise ride. Any help is appreciated!

Hi All, I started cycling (MTB though I'm mostly riding on gravel and light trails at this point) several months ago after not having ridden a bike since I was a kid about 30 years ago. I'm struggling with a sharp pain right to the inside of my right sit bone, especially on the down stroke. It's kind of a pinching pain (internal, not skin) but doesn't feel related to a nerve. It starts about 10 minutes into my ride and gets worse until it's hard to keep riding. Once I stop riding, the pain pretty much goes away unless I really overdo it or press on the area. I'm wearing chamois shorts and have no issues with chafing or saddle sores. I don't have pain sitting in chairs.

I've tried 3 saddles (stock saddle, an Ergon and a Bontrager) and haven't found one that helps this pain. I got them at my LBS after they measured my sit bones. They thought my bike fit looked good though I haven't had a proper fit done yet. I know it can take awhile to find the right saddle so I'm still looking and I have some ideas to try from reading through other posts here.

I'm wondering if anyone has experienced pain like this. I'm not convinced this isn't something to do with my body and not the saddle or the fit of my bike.

I am a pea-head. I’m usually a small or extra small in helmet size. Just about every helmet I have had - but especially mountain bike helmets - make me look like a mushroom.

Ladies with similar issues: what are your go-to MTB helmets that don’t look ridiculous? Features I want are mips, visor, venting. Full face or not doesn’t matter.

I am looking for a lowish cost (~$100) cycling watch that just tracks my mileage. Any recs?

Looking to purchase a new pair of full finger gloves. Size small hands. Don’t need padding, just looking for warmth. EDIT: I have good circulation. I think I need more wind proof than warmth.
Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

Hello,
Je me suis prise de passion depuis quelques mois pour le cyclisme sur route !
Je suis une femme de 33 ans. Je croise très peu de femmes lors de mes sorties 😥 Je cherche à créer un groupe de copines pour pouvoir faire des sorties ensembles et partager !
Je suis dans l’Herault !

Im a gravel rider who moved somewhere new and I’m having a hard time deciphering if trails are really gravel bike friendly or just mountain bike lite lol. It’s whatever, I’m not above walking my bike around technical bits, but today I was 9 miles in with 15 more to go and the first 9 had taken me over an hour lol. I just turned around and went home😂 Have you been on a trail or a ride and had a “what have I done moment”? Would love to hear your (everyone ended up fine) stories!

hi! i’m a college student buying my first bike (yay)! i found a 50 dollar bike on facebook marketplace that i’m going to pick up tomorrow. it’s technically a mountain bike, but i’m really just going to use it for getting around my campus and maybe the occasional leisure ride. (it’s a giant boulder se, if you’re wondering. it’s an oldie, but i don’t have the budget for much else)

the question is, what else do i need? obviously a helmet and a lock. i’ve been doing a little research on that and have found a couple options. i’ll be keeping my bike outside my apartment on a bike rack. it’s a pretty quiet residential street in a college town, so i’m not super worried but definitely want to get a sturdy lock. any recommendations on that would be appreciated! as far as helmets, i think im just gonna see what walmart has (maybe the local bike shop, if i can make it there before they close). i also dont need to worry about it fitting hair, i have super short hair.

i think bike, helmet, lock is all i really need, but my birthday is coming up so i can ask for some extras!maintenance stuff is also something i should think about, but we do have a free bike repair shop on campus so i would really need just the essentials. i’m also considering mudguards so i can ride in the rain/wet weather, as im in PA so that’s common.

wish me luck! i’ve not ridden a bike in like 4 years. but my campus is flat so it should be easier than my childhood, where i flew off my bike trying to ride down hills far too many times. i’m really excited to try something new, and to actually have a mode of transportation for myself!

update: thanks for all the info! i went to the local bike shop and bought a nice helmet with mips. i’m paying too much for my education to play around with brain injury lol! my mom is gonna pay me back for it so happy early birthday to me. i’m also bringing my friend who bikes with me to pick up the bike, so hopefully they’ll be able to notice if anything is odd. the photos look like it’s in good condition, but obviously you can’t tell everything from that. i’m hopeful though! it just needs to get me around for the rest of the year, as im a senior and will likely move cross country post-grad and my hometown is scarily hilly and not bike friendly. i appreciate the recommendation for gloves, i wouldn’t have thought of that! i have a pair of leather motorcycle gloves i bought for a halloween costume last year so perhaps those will become my bike gloves. thanks to all again!!!

update 2: i just got back from my first ride! i mostly just rode around in circles to get comfortable but the bike is in good condition for being 26 years old. no rust or visible damage, will take it to the bike shop this week to get it looked at to be safe. i do need to get some wd-40 to be able to adjust the seat height, but im sure someone i know has that. brakes work, gear change works, tires are full. i’m genuinely so happy!!! thank you all for the help.

Basically title, I've been commuting by bike more this year, but now it's getting to the rainy season and the one thing I can't figure out is how not to let my makeup get wrecked in the rain 😭 any tips??

Hey ladies! I’ve been riding a hybrid bike for the past 6 months and taking it seriously. Recently I did my first social group ride and I was the only one in a hybrid and slower than everyone else. After much research I’ve concluded that the biggest factor was my hybrid’s weight and geometry, so I’m considering getting a road bike next. But I’m a bit intimidated… 😬
How hard is it to get used to the different posture on the bike and the gears?
Would love to hear your stories if you’ve done a similar transition/upgrade.

Hi!

I have been cycling for a few weeks now, as a beginner (and plus-size cyclist), and I will be riding with a group for the first time tomorrow. The most I've ridden is 12.7km (7.89 miles), and I am still quite slow and frankly, terrified to be riding with a larger and much faster group. Any tips on how I can keep up, and what you all did to avoid chickening out? How long does it take to build confidence to ride with others?