Pins and Needles

What a great weekend we had for cycling!! I put 52 miles on my bike ... Woo Hoo!! 15.5 miles Friday, 16 miles Saturday, and 20.5 miles on Sunday. We climbed some pretty good hills and road into some pretty strong winds, but it was awesome!

I have a bit of a quandary, however. Certain body parts go numb while I'm riding. Going numb is okay after I've had a few drinks, but not while I'm on the bike! This causes discomfort and is a big distraction, and it's just plain annoying.

First, my feet. The tops of my feet and my toes go numb, I guess from the constant pressure on the ball of my foot when pedaling. It's like a thousand pins and needles! The cycling expert at the bicycle shop told me shoes and clip-in pedals would probably make a big difference. The clip-in pedals and shoes scare the heck out of me, though. I just know I will take a few tumbles. But I'm willing to take that chance to get the feeling back in my feet.

The other numb area is ... well ... ah hum ... in the saddle area, and not my tushy. Again, I asked the bike expert for advise. The first thing he asked me was if I was wearing padded shorts. YES, I did break down and buy the padded shorts, which made a difference for my gluteus maximus, but didn't help the 'other area'. He suggested that I tilt the saddle down slightly in the front to take some pressure off that area. If that doesn't work, I can try a new saddle. He said he will have to get the assometer out to measure my sit bones. Is he kidding? Do they make such a thing? And do they make the meter big enough to measure MY you know what? Good heavens ... Cycling is so humbling!