[background music] Manon: This video is for women. Sorry, guys.
As a woman, it can be a little bit challenging riding a bike sometimes.
Nature breaks, for example, men have it easy. Well, I'm here to help. In this video, I'm going
to give you some tips and tricks on how to make riding a little bit more comfortable as a woman.
Let's start with the one that's going to make the most difference to the comfort on your bike.
If you're uncomfortable in this area, it's going to be very hard for you to enjoy
riding your bike. There isn't one saddle that works for everyone. One saddle might
be absolutely perfect for one person and it might be absolute agony for someone else. There are a
lot of different saddles out there, including some gender-specific ones. You might have to try out a
few saddles to find the one that works for you. Don't be put off by the way the saddle looks.
A cut-out saddle like this one, or a really wide saddle can be really comfortable for some women.
Everybody's bottom hurts when you first start riding a bike but the more you ride the less
it will hurt as your muscle tissues get used to it, trust me. Secondly, don't be put off
by men-specific bike stuff too. For example, some women will prefer men's shorts or a men's saddle.
A good pair of cycling shorts is going to make a difference to your comfort too. The
more expensive the product doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be better or work for you. It
all comes down to personal preference. Wash your shorts after every ride and use chamois cream.
It's antibacterial so you'll be killing two birds with one stone.
Infections breed in hot and sweaty conditions, making it the perfect party location for bacteria
to breed. If you'll be riding in the rain a lot, it might be worth investing in some
mudguards to keep all the spray off your legs and bum. Having a soggy shammy is not fun. We
don't really get that problem in Wales because it's always beautiful weather.
Some women find it a little bit more comfortable to sit further back on the saddle,
so there's more pressure on your bum and less pressure on your sensitive parts.
If you are struggling with comfort on the bike, it might be worth getting a bike fit.
You should be able to tell how to adjust your position. Think about where the pressure points
are during and after each ride. Are your sit bones aching? If so, then you might need to sit a little
bit further forward. You can do this by moving your saddle backwards or tilting it slightly. It's
a good idea to take a multi-tool with you on each ride so you can adjust your position as you go.
Now, this is probably the one that us women find the hardest compared to the men,
when you're out in the middle of nowhere and you need a wee. There's nothing worse than having
to strip four layers off to go to the bathroom, especially in the winter months. Oh, I need a wee.
Why am I running? I don't really need to run. There are a few different ways to avoid having
to strip off all your layers. The first one is having cycling shorts without the bib straps.
This is going to make it a lot easier. Don't worry if you do have bib straps, there are
a few other different tricks that you can try too. The first one is actually one I picked up
from my old teammate on the road, where you roll up your short legs and then pull it to the side.
I haven't actually tried this one, and for obvious reasons, I'm not going to demonstrate it today.
The next one is pulling down your bib straps underneath your jersey.
You go in underneath your jersey, pull down one side of the bib straps, and then the other side,
and then bib shorts are free to come down. I'm not sure how to get them back up yet without taking
the jersey off. I'm still working on that one. Some shorts are being developed for women with
a zipper on the back or detachable straps to make it easy for us women to have that nature break.
Cycling is a great social sport. There's nothing I
love more than going out with my mates, stopping at a cafe for coffee and cake.
It is great. It's very important to eat and drink a little and often on the bike.
As a rule, I like to eat every 45 minutes. An energy bar or a banana will do to avoid
you running out of energy. If you have a local cycling club, why not go along and take part in
one of their sessions or group rides? Us cyclists are a real friendly bunch so don't be worried.
There are also women-specific cycling clubs available too. My mum got into cycling a few years
ago and she went along to one of these groups that have the aim to get more women on bikes, no matter
what their ability. She absolutely loves it. Don't shy away from riding with people better
than you because you're worried about getting dropped. I used to ride with people better than
me all the time. I really used to suffer because I just wasn't as fearsome but it is a great way
of improving really quickly without really even noticing. Not only will your fitness improve,
but you will learn so much from riding with other people, cornering, descending, drafting,
and even just by chatting to the person on the bike next to you about bike things.
Oh, and if you get a mechanical or a puncture, someone in the group will always help you out.
If you're fairly new to cycling, try and find a car-free bike path like this one,
to build up your confidence and endurance without having to worry about any traffic or cars. Then,
when you feel comfortable, you can head out and tackle the big climbs on the road.
Next up, some cheeky little bonus tips. If you do have really long hair,
why not plait it or put it in a bun like this for the aero gains. When you do go out,
remember to share your live location with your family members or friends so they always know
you're safe. You can do this on different apps on your phones or on a Wahoo head unit like this one.
Thanks for watching everybody. I hope this video has helped and given you some tips and tricks.
If you have any own tips that I haven't mentioned, please share them with us in
the comment section below. [00:06:23] [END OF AUDIO]