It sounds so cliche, but bike fit. It’s not even really an option on a road bike, at least in my experiences. Sure, on my mountain bike I can comfortably ride away like a slouchy gorilla flopped on the couch, but it’s got like 170mm of full suspension travel and this big cushy seat, and honestly you are always murder gripping holding on for dear life so you don’t even really notice anything about creature comforts.

That road bike though, I mean it looks awesome, but that thing is like riding a rock. It’s stiff as hell, everything is locked into place and there’s no give anywhere. Not to mention clipless pedals, and yeah, it’s uncomfortable unless someone slots you into that exact spot, at that exact angle, and I swear to god that magic spot must be like microns wide, we are talking human hair width kind of stuff, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. It’s like magic. You get someone to put you into that exact spot, and you could probably ride that thing all day long in your boxer shorts if you wanted to. Otherwise, it’s a death sentence for your genitals and your butt cheeks, not to mention all kinds of other soreness and unpleasantness.

Just go get a fit. They usually cost like a billion bucks, but there’s no cost too high for comfort.