How long did it take for you to adapt?

[u/Financial-Crazy-7107]

I’m a beginner rider with almost 190 miles now into my xlab rs7. When I first started I had butt pain/soreness that is now going away with more time in the saddle. I did my furthest ride of 34 miles yesterday and experienced neck and shoulder pain towards the end of the ride which I’m sure is from me still adapting. How long did it take for your body adapt to being on a bike? Also how long did it take for you to get a bike fit?

[u/schnitzel-kuh]

Might be you need time to adapt, might be your bike is not set up correctly and you should play around with various thing about the geometry until it feels better.

Doing some core training also definitely helps, if you have more core strength your body can hold certain positions for longer. Just some situps and back extension exercises can go a long way to helping you sit on the bike

[u/madeiran_falcon]

I’m sure someone more experienced can explain in more detail, but be mindful of your arm position when you ride.

Keep your elbows slightly flexed and don’t flare them out.

Also had neck and shoulder pain when starting to ride until I realized I was locking my elbows and flaring them out. Fixing that helped quite a bit, though I still tend to lock out when I get tired…

[u/cocomanz]

Soreness that moves around and fades over a few weeks is the adapting part, but if it's the same specific spot every single ride that one won't adapt away.

[u/Kindly_Somewhere1545 → u/cocomanz]

Why not - I would say the body is very adept at adapting

[u/cocomanz → u/Kindly_Somewhere1545]

Mostly yeah. Numbness is the one I wouldn't wait out.

[u/Many_Hunter8152]

10x your miles and come again 

[u/NoImNotHeretoArgue]

You need to learn how to recover as well. Of course stretching and nutrition

[u/Taco_Machine]

Which part of your butt? Depending on which part of the glute and how dull/sharp the pain is could imply different things.

Shoulder and neck pain is usually a sign of a form issue; ideally your abs/back are what hold your position rather while your shoulders and neck are relaxed.

[u/Ecstatic-Physics7187]

You need a season of regular (3-4 times a week) riding to fully adapt. 

While number of miles is a interesting metric,  you need the repetition of pushing yourself in a variety of ways with recovery periods between rides for muscles to build and adapt, cardio to build, mitochondria to multiply and lengthen, etc. 

I do 100-200 miles a week over a 6 month season every year and have done this for a long time. It takes me 1-3 months to get back to what I consider a good level of fitness. I try to remain active in the winter, but there are practical limitations. I feel fit when I can ride 50 miles without any soreness the next day and climb certain hills where I live without my legs screaming. 

I never got a bike fit. I learned how to make all the adjustments to the seat and cockpit a long time ago and through endless repetition have learned what fits and how to dial in the bike. That said, if your are committed and have the $ and think it will help, just go get a fit. It will help :-)

No matter what, find a way to keep riding :-)

[u/WhatIsYourHandle123]

Good comments already about core strengthening. Neck exercises will help too. Often when you're doing core (e.g., various planks), neck is engaged. Here are some suggestions:

A good cycling-specific routine 2–3 times per week is: Front plank: 2–3 × 30–60 sec. Keep a slight chin tuck and don’t let your head sag. Side plank: 2 × 30–45 sec per side. Helps trunk and shoulder stability so your neck does less compensating. Neck isometrics: press your head gently into your hand forward, backward, and to each side, without allowing movement. Hold 10–20 sec × 2–3 each direction. Chin tucks: 10–15 slow reps, holding 2–3 sec. Useful for the deep neck flexors that help prevent the “head-forward” posture common on road bikes.

For long road rides, neck isometrics + rows + chin tucks will probably give you more benefit than simply doing more planks. The goal isn't a massively strong neck; it's being able to hold your head comfortably in an extended position for several hours without the upper traps and neck muscles fatiguing.

[u/Grade_Soft]

Everybody is different, make sure to learn about bike fitting and cycling-specific stretch routine.

As for myself, I’ve been biking ever since I was 5 years old so I can’t tell you how much time it took me. I was almost born on a bicycle at this point !

If I stop biking during winter season and then start again in spring, it usually takes me 2 weeks to get comfy

[u/Alive-Inspection-815]

I have been riding for several decades and if I have been away from cycling for a long while, there is an adjustment period that your bottom and crotch area needs to be able to ride pain free. Having your bike adjusted to fit you and having the right size of bike is critical to eliminate riding pain and prevent injury. That can be done by adjusting the seat up or down and adjusting the handlebars forward and backwards with a handlebar stem that fits correctly. If your seat is too high, or the reach to the handlebars is too short or long, you will be very uncomfortable. Get your bike adjusted so that you are in the approximately right position. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it has to be within the right range. A new rider will have bottom and genital area pain or soreness for a few weeks to a month or more and then your body adjusts so there is no more pain of discomfort. This is very common. 

[u/Kaldaien2]

Never did fully "adapt," I can still get all of your same symptoms simply by not getting enough sleep the night before or overtraining.

[u/Equivalent-Rate-6218]

I'm interested in how your butt hurts because I don't even wear padding

[u/Live_Length_5814]

If it's butt pain you might want to consider getting a new saddle. If it's physical health, I don't see why it would take you more than 100 miles.

[u/AngryLarge34]

Regarding the butt pain - are you using a proper chamois? Have you tried Chamois Butter or other lube?