Bras - First off, everyone needs to go get fitted for a good regular bra...no excuses. I was 22/23 before I actually had a good bra that fit properly. Some women don't think too much about the bra they wear. For those of us who are top heavy, it's a major concern to get a good bra that doesn't feel like you're going to give yourself a black eye walking down stairs. For those of you who aren't so full on top, be thankful. As a big chested girl, I find them to be rather a nuisance. Not that I would change them but they can be a problem sometimes...any way.
Let me share with you my first bra fitting at a proper shop. I went in because my sister and I had had a discussion on the fact that my underwire poked out in the front. It looked weird and it was pretty obvious it wasn't supposed to do that. At the time, I was wearing a DD cup. Went into a specialty bra shop and was fitted with a G cup. I about died...I felt great because the bra fit perfectly and then freaked out because I kind of felt like a freak, I mean you don't hear about these sizes unless they are talking about Dolly Pardon. After my initial panic, I bought two bras for about $100. Yes, the price was shocking for someone who'd only bought the bras at Walmart before but I had the extra cash at the time so I did it. After the first week, I felt I had made the right decision because they were super comfortable and everyone kept asking if I'd lost weight. See if you put your breasts where they belong, you look slimmer :). And thus began my life as a G cup bra seeker.
When I decided to get into shape, the bra thing was a big concern. Sports bras are meant for high impact activities, and frankly I had nothing that would prevent injury in the event of a jumping jack. So I went online. I am posting the link to the bra I use because it's awesome. If it works for me, it should work for you. I have 3 of them if that tells you anything, and I do jumping jacks. Awesome Sports Bra Link
Go get fitted, I highly recommend Dillards as they have larger sizes than JC Pennys. If you have a true bra shop in your area go there, and no I'm not talking about Victoria Secret. Victoria Secret only goes up to DDD and they will try and shove you into one...at least the store I went to did. Dillards and Lane Bryant both carry larger sizes and will help you find a good fit. You can also measure yourself and order online. If you don't have a measuring tape, you can get a free one here. Here are two bra specific sites that have measure directions, barenecessities.com and lindasonline.com. I would like to note that I have checked sizes on these sites and then found the same bra on Amazon.com for cheaper. Also don't be afraid to send them back if you don't like them, just double check the return policy. If you have good bras please remember to hand wash (or the delicate cycle on your washer) and hang dry for longer use. Okay, I'm off my soap box and on to underwear. Btw, if you are chesty and haven't seen the busty girl problems cartoon, go here, they are hilarious and true!
The other three topics are bike specific :)
Underwear. Frankly the only thing I can tell you is wear what is comfortable and beware of seam lines. Once you've been on a bike for over an hour, you will find that the seams (especially the thicker seamed ones) will start pushing into you skin and make you sore. And if you're wearing padded shorts, you shouldn't be wearing them at all.
Padded shorts. This one is prompted from a discussion with my husband yesterday. First, yes they help on long rides. No they don't eliminate the soreness. As my friend Rhi says, you have to condition your butt. And lastly not all padded shorts are created equal. There is foam vs. gel and they are gender specific. As I had to explain to Jason yesterday, I have two pairs. One that I bought that are for women and one that he bought that are unisex. In my opinion, the unisex ones are little help to anyone. The differences between them are placement of the padding. Obviously men and women have different parts and there for need different padding in different places. So I highly recommend going with the gender specific ones. You don't wear underwear with padded shorts to avoid pressure points as previously discussed. I also don't wear padded shorts unless I'm going more than 20 miles or so.
Bike Seats aka Saddles - If you're new to biking like me, you wonder what everyone is talking about when they say saddles. I'm still confused as to why they call them this, as saddles belong on horses but hey. The number one thing I hear from my non biking friends is that the seat makes their butt hurt. Yes, yes it does. But here's the thing, it does get better if you have a good fitting saddle. The general recommendation is try to ride with the seat your bike came with. If after a few weeks of consistent riding, the soreness doesn't go away, you should try a different seat. I went a month on the one that came with my bike, and not only was I sore on the bike, I was sore several hours later on my couch. Needless to say I got another seat and life was much better. Most bike shops will help you find a seat that will fit you, don't be afraid to ask for help. On a side note, mine has a ventilated area to help with sweating. It helps tremendously, and no you don't feel the air coming through the vent, you just know you are less sweaty.
Okay, well I hope I have offered some good information. All the information I have given has been achieved through personal experience and I am by no means an expert on anything.
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