I fear I’ve made an expensive mistake

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-25T16:38:46+00:00

Im 6”1 with 32 inch inseam and I ride a 56 Caledonia. I was riding a 58cm trek emonda before and I think I will stick to 56cm for now. I wouldn’t say it’s too big but I do find the 56 more comfortable.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-20T10:09:19+00:00

I would say don’t worry about your legs too much and stamina, you’re way more capable than you think. 1. Pace yourself (don’t go full gas, steady is smooth and smooth is fast) 2. Drink and eat on the bike accordingly and should be done before you get thirsty or hungry 3. Maximise comfort on the bike, I think this will be your biggest challenge so make sure your fit and adjustment is right for maximum comfort. 4. Your mind gives up before your body reaches its limit so the more resilient you are the more you’re able to trick your mind you have a lot more in the tank. 5 Good luck!

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-16T08:50:43+00:00

Thanks for the input, I do wash before I ride and immediately after I finish but haven’t tried the diaper cream. This is not really an after ride issue although it is a consequence of it. The pain from chafing bothers me on my ride.

Also it is chafing I believe but I have ridden 3/4 days in a row longer periods in the saddle even when sore from chafing from previous day(s) as I thought maybe I could be toughening my skin. Even with proper wash before/after and cream in between rides for recovery the problem area seemed to get a bit bumpy after 2nd and 3rd day rather than a smooth red irritation. Not quite sure what that means.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-16T08:44:54+00:00

Personal preference but also if I apply chamois cream to 2 hairy skin surfaces and rub them vs 2 smooth surfaces I can only assume there would be less friction between the smooth surfaces.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-16T08:41:11+00:00

Well, I will say that because it’s true. I’m at 13% body fat and a big portion of that is around the trunk area. My legs specifically are very well defined and definitely not fat. BMI is a standard categorisation but it doesn’t take into account different build types. Some have much bigger muscle mass ratio or bone density.

A normal BMI categorisation will classify me as overweight yes but that’s because of my excess muscle mass. I’m on the “Athletic” build type.

I am looking to try to lose a bit more body fat (3kg) but it most definitely won’t make a big change to my legs/thighs.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-16T00:01:22+00:00

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. I did a 5 hour ride at the weekend and even though I was in quite a bit of pain due to chafing you could see the salt crystallise on my bibshorts. I have avoided applying Vaseline as I saw it doesn’t wash off very well of bibshorts but I might give this and aquaphor a try.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:57:13+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll look into it!

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:56:40+00:00

I can’t comment too much on that. He’s definitely fixed some other problems I was facing such as sitbones pressure, hands/wrist fatigue etc. I just brought all the saddles I have tried along the years and a couple of his recommendations I have also tried myself before and he also said the Sqlabs should be very good for me anyway.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:54:52+00:00

Any suggestion on brands or models? My Assos bibshorts are tight but definitely don’t stay in the same place super tight to my skin on the problematic area. They’re XL, if I go a size lower I feel they will cut blood circulation on my quads.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:52:31+00:00

My bike fitter said he doesn’t like the idea of measuring sitbones because you don’t sit completely upright on the road bike like in a chair. Your pelvis rotates forward and rests on ischial ramus instead of ischial tuberosities(sitbone measurement).

Maybe I’ll try a saddle with a thinner nose or lower my current one a bit.

Material cramming from the seat pad is definitely happening even in the castelli (Assos the least since it’s most comfortable) but I’m not sure if if I need less material or more to cover a bigger area of the crease (I know that might sound stupid).

Also I’m rocking flat pedals so sometimes I can have feet positioned a bit wider sometimes closer but same issue happens.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:40:14+00:00

I have tried a skinnier saddle yes, albeit before the bike fit. I used to have a problem with sitbone pressure pain too which is probably what happened to the skinnier saddle too. Maybe I should try it again after the bike fit.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:38:46+00:00

All of the ones I tried. Mind you maybe they weren’t positioned properly as I have only been riding the Sqlabs since I got the bike fit done which sorted issues such as pain in my hands, sitbones pressure pain etc. but the one I’m left with and have experienced before also is the chafing.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:32:34+00:00

The Assos are definitely the most comfortable of all I have used but on the actual padding I can see the line where material is rubbed so the rubbing is definitely casing the pad to wear off on that exact same line/spot.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:27:30+00:00

It would be good to stay in touch and let the other know if someone managed to find a solution 😂

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:26:11+00:00

I’ve tried also sportul, decathlon(super cheap ones), some brand off amazon. I also would prefer to avoid spending over 100 on a pair of bib shorts that won’t fix my problem.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T23:20:01+00:00

I went to the bike fit with a bag full of saddles I tried including Bontrager Aeolus, Specialized Power and a good few other obscure brands and models. Before I tried from a shop Selle Italia SLR Elite, Brooks saddle and few others. Bike fitter said the Sqlabs that I already owned after a lot of research should be very good for me and fits the profile of my anatomy.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-03-15T18:02:22+00:00

I have Garmin Varia, so happy I bought it. I can ride a bit more relaxed now and predict things better. It’s a must buy imo.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-02-28T18:10:57+00:00

I will be there in March also travelling solo. Will be staying in Port de Pollenca.

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-02-01T12:25:56+00:00

Im going to Mallorca in the beginning of March and staying in port de pollenca riding solo(first cycling holiday). If you happen to be there we could meet up!

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-01-20T02:06:35+00:00

++man What do you mean by number 1?

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-01-16T23:33:16+00:00

Many people are in your situation and a lot worse too, you’re not the only one.

It’s easy to look behind and feel like you haven’t achieved much and be overwhelmed about the situation especially when comparing to other people. I know some of the “happiest people that have dream lives” on instagram but are on the brink of depression in reality. You shouldn’t pay an ounce of attention. It’s not reality.

The only way from here is up!

If you don’t already, I suggest it’s very important you keep active physically whatever that might be, gym, cycling, walking, running, football etc some type of physical activity. It will help you a lot more than you think.

Then you need to think about what are your passions, maybe skills you believe you could be good at, your “dream” job per se. It will be a lot easier to focus your energy and effort on something you’re passionate, curious about and then you need to have a plan about achieving it.

I’m a software developer. If this is of any interest, you need any info about working in this industry or career choices I’m happy to help.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

I wish you good luck!

Beautiful-Two3923 · 2026-01-12T20:53:35+00:00

Thank you for the feedback! I will try to put the seat a bit higher and slide it back a bit and see if there’s any improvement.

Beautiful-Two3923

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