Are my cycling days over?

[mutterphore]

I'm looking for positive stories about women still being able to cycle, post-menopause.

I'm almost 60 and usually cycle about 80 miles a week and it's my main and favourite form of exercise. But now I'm 8 weeks and counting into a UTI (my first ever) and very very sore! Three lots of antibiotics plus lots of topical creams have still not got me back to normal and after a couple of gentle cycle rides, about 2 weeks ago, to test things out, the UTI returned with a vengeance.

Any advice?

Given your age (similar to me) I'd be thinking vaginal atrophy caused by lack of oestrogen, which can also contribute to UTIs.

Maybe try topical oestrogen, either Vagifem or Ovestin to see if it helps.

What's your saddle like? I think this is a common problem for women and some companies have made saddles specifically designed with this issue in mind.

Thanks @DramaAlpaca and I've seen your other response on the Menopause thread too. Maybe I'll have to follow that route just to get cycling again. I'm going to lose all my fitness levels for cycling if this goes on much longer.

@Cherry60 my bike is a hybrid bike and I've currently got a large gel cover on the seat. However, I'm wondering (from my research) whether I actually need a cut away seat or a saddle with a soft insert?

On one cycling website, I read the following:

"Some women will get on perfectly well with the complete freedom of an empty cutaway, while other will find that their soft tissue can ‘fall in’, which can lead to swelling on long rides. To solve this, there are saddles with very soft inserts, such as Specialized's Mimic line, which are designed to solve this exact problem - providing extra relief without causing problems with swelling."

Does anyone know which might work best - the large gel seat cover (what I've got now) or a cut away seat - or a soft insert seat? Any recommendations of brand too that would fit a ladies' hybrid bike?

A large gel cover will not be helping at all. If you’ve got a hybrid with a more upright position you need a saddle with some cushioning under the seat bones as that where most of the weight should be. Then the saddle should have a cut away to allow your soft tissues to sit in and receive any pressure up front.

@mutterphore yes I think a cutaway would help

I'd try a few different saddles before giving up 😊. I found a surprisingly comfortable one at Lidl this past year. But good to see if you can try a few out. Maybe a local bike shop would let you have a look at a few?

Thanks very much. I'll definitely look into other types of bike saddle, if I can ever get back on my bike again!

I had my menopause ten years ago and have recently taken up cycling again.
My old bike had a large gel saddle and I was finding it uncomfortable. I’ve just bought a new bike and have found the smaller saddle it came with more comfortable.
The biggest change was getting the right cycling shorts. They all differ and again, bigger is not always better.
I have vaginal atrophy. Menopause also has a big affect on the urethra and this is what causes me most discomfort on the bike. Vagifem or it’s equivalent is what you need, it’s not just for the vagina, it sorts out the old water works too.

I find gel saddles give to much movement & friction.

id rather wear padded shirts, but make sure they are tight/snug fitting so they don’t move and again cause friction or rub

brtish cycling team set told not to shave to make things more comfortable

Thanks for this advice @TherebytheGraceofGodgoI and @ivykaty44 . Can you recommend any specific type/brand of padded cycling leggings as opposed to padded shorts? I'm at least a size 18 these days and don't do shorts. I'm also wondering if padded cycling leggings would work in hot summer weather too? I trend to wear pure cotton leggings for coolness but I'll do anything right now just to be able to get back out cycling at all.

I'm currently still in the midst of various medical interventions and assessment and not yet been advised to try topical HRT but quite frankly, I still can't even contemplate sitting on a bike at all.

Also, I'm still interested to hear specific recommendations for a suitable cutaway saddle with padding round the gap. Any thoughts on what brand/type/size to go for, for a hybrid bike?

I wear These the more panels in the shirts the better they hold you

ive got dhb but although decent not as good as funkier

my longs don’t have very much padding at all, which I’m fine with but sometimes I wear the funkier shorts and gym leggings over the top in winter, so that’s maybe an option for you

The 'Hit Play Not Pause' podcast is hosted by a competitive cyclist in her 50s and is all about female athletes going through peri/menopause.

Definitely worth listening to

livefeisty.com/category/podcasts/hit-play-not-pause/

And I think a PP mentioned vaginal oestrogen (which I think you can get OTC now without a prescription) is likely to help your persistent UTI and discomfort.

It's definitely worth trying.

I had what seemed like an endless UTI that turned out to be pelvic floor dysfunction and signs of perimenopause. I would definitely recommend topical ostrogen to protect you against UTIs, also D-mannose supplements for the same. Also there's a very helpful Facebook group for people with vaginal atrophy. And possibly see a women's physiotherapist - mine worked wonders.

I've used the Corinne Dennis brand and they definitely go up to (and more than) size 18.
I also agree with not having a saddle that is too padded. However is it possible for you to consider changing your posture when riding ? Could you do a more upright, Dutch-style posture ? That will alter where the pressure is between your body and the seat.

I have this saddle as do a lot of my female friends. It has no padding but it so comfortable. Other things I would suggest is getting someone to check your bike fit, the exact angle of the saddle or the height of the seat post makes a difference. Many bike shops offer this service. I would wear padded cycling shorts with no underwear, don't shave or wax, plenty of chamois cream. I would also see about the vaginal oestrogen and maybe a physio who specialises in womens health. It is probably one of those things that will be solved by several small adjustments but don't give up. Some of the healthiest and happiest 70 and 80 year olds are those who are regular cyclists . You have years of cycling ahead of you !

Forgot to say re shorts / leggings / bib tights and so on - also have a look at fatladattheback.com/collections/womens-cycling-shorts-and-tights

I've had some tops from these people which were really good quality. Also the branding of "FLAB" can be very discreet if that bothers you !

I hope you find a good saddle soon. Btw i recently saw this podcast series recommended for active women who are going through the menopause- 'Push play not pause' open.spotify.com/show/6kFkBGOZZkpz156dyqeULx?si=VjrVtUVOTpGx5a4gxcY_qA&utm_source=copy-link

I also have the Selle Italia saddle - actually, I have three, one for each bike. I really recommend them, I’ve not had a UTI since I got them. Other stuff I do - don’t shave pubes, take kit off and have a wee the minute I’ve finished, and if I don’t have time for a shower then rinse my pubic area with warm a flannel and warm water.

It's really important to make sure your seat is wide enough to support your sit bones, and that it is angled and positioned correctly. Try angling it so that the nose of the seat points down slightly. Also make sure your seat post is not too high and your bars are not too far away. And wear shoes with a rigid sole! All of these things can put pressure on your external genitalia.

You want a riding position where pressure is comfortably on your sit bones and there is very minimal pressure towards your front end.

I used to have that Selle Italia saddle, but found it was a bit too padded for me, and now I have what looks like a very short and hard saddle with a cut out. The biggest improvement in comfort was a) the right shorts for me (Stolen Goat or Endura with narrow pad) and b) a bike fit where it turns out I have one leg 5mm longer than the other. Putting the shim in my shoe to even me up make an incredible difference as I'm now sitting totally still on my saddle

Thank you very much everyone! This is massively helpful and very reassuring too. It looks like I have a lot of shopping to do plus some podcast listening as well.

The Selle Italia saddle looks like a good idea and I think I'll have to try this. Is it easy to take off one bike saddle and replace with another and will all bikes fit this saddle? Also, is the area around the cut out part cushioned for the bones? Can you even perhaps get a saddle cover that provides softer cushioning for bones with a large cut out in the middle?

My local bike shop is run by a rather shy man who works alone. Might I need to find a shop where there at least some women who can understand and talk about the issue I'm getting at?

I'd just ask at your local bike shop if they have trial saddles you can borrow. My LBS is run similarly by a shy man on his own, but he is absolutely fantastic and helpful. When I had saddle problems I only had to say that my saddle wasn't comfortable and he got out a whole selection of saddles and told me to pick the best and then take it home and ride on it, then see what I thought and I could keep changing them

The saddle should fit any bike - it attaches to the seat post with rails underneath the saddle. The saddle with a cut out will be cushioned all over - be mindful that harder saddles can sometimes be more comfy that a soft one. I have no idea, but they are. Some of the elite riders I know also ride with saddles that are U shaped or have a cut-off nose.

In my experience (worked in the cycling industry for 10 years and me and my female friends spent a lot of time discussing this very frankly indeed) cut outs are better for women whose vulvas are “outies” and not “innies”. I am an outie but my friend is an innie and prefers a Brooks saddle. If you say to a bloke in a bike shop “I might need a cut out” - he’ll kind of understand why.

Also look at your position on the bike. Saddle position and seat post height also play a part in discomfort. So does the measurement of reach between your seat post and handlebars.
The bog standard saddle you get with a new bike is rarely good if you’re riding an entry level bike - it will have an entry level saddle to go with it.

This article gives you loads of great advice - hopefully you’ll find something that’ll keep you riding for many years - www.cyclist.co.uk/buying-guides/10628/best-womens-saddles

These are good cycling shorts and well cut for bigger sizes (I'm a 16, but 14 in them). The name is very tongue in cheek.

or these, to wear under your own shorts/trousers (I often wear them under craghopper capri length walking trousers)

You might want to look at mountain biking shorts eg these if you want something baggier and longer, and wear the undershorts underneath. Some mtb shorts come with undershorts.