Remember when you were young? Some still are, and it may not have been that long ago for others, but people in their 50s like me, remember the 'good 'ol days?'

The days I'm referring to were the ones when we could pretty much do whatever we wanted to, and our bodies would rebound in a short amount of time, with little or no muscles soreness 'repercussions.'

The latest case in point: Bike seats, or 'saddles' as they are called. When you're young, your backside is fairly forgiving, meaning you can ride a bike for a good deal of time, regardless of how well the saddle fits you, and no lingering soreness (or sores) will occur.

As you age, the muscles that rest on the seat don't deal with the compression quite as well, and thusly you need a seat that matches your sit bones.

I've been cycling quite extensively for the last four years, and in that time I've acquired a large collection of saddles, looking for one that would allow my 'nether regions' to bounce back after a day of riding, so that I could do it all again the next day.

I spent almost two years of constantly trying different saddles: Some with more padding, some with less, some wider, some narrower.

Finally, I decided it was time to get a bike fit. I wish I'd come to that conclusion sooner.

Not only did the bike fit (most local bike shops offer the service) correct all the issues I had with the way my bike was set up, it also solved my saddle issues, since that was part of the process.

I sat down on a mock-up saddle of very dense foam and sand, which recorded my sit bone dimensions. The fitter then took measurements and determined that I had been riding with saddles way too narrow for my anatomy.

I soon bought a 155-millimeter width saddle, and after riding on it for only a couple of days, I could tell the southern part of me was much happier.

There is no standard for saddle design. Some taper more sharply from the nose to tail, some less. Some are wider in the mid-seat section, some have less (or less dense) foam in certain parts. To sum up, most saddles - even of the same width - are distant cousins if related at all.

I've found that I require a split seat - one which has a hole in the center that alleviates the pressure the perineum region of your crotch endures while riding. Many people have no problem riding a traditional saddle, but I see fewer and fewer of those out and about these days.

I now have 155-mm saddles on my training and race bikes. The training bikes (which get ridden up to 200 miles a week collectively) have very good foam support, since I'm not too worried about weight, just ensuring my backside is happy. The race bikes get the same width, but are much lighter, to save weight during races. The races aren't usually long enough to cause any problems down below, since you tend to build up a little callus.

The only problem I've had with the split saddle is when it rains, you can get a nice stream of cold water coming up there from the roadway. But at that point, I'm mostly wet anyway, so a little more I barely notice.

The majority of bikes sold in the nation come with saddles in 130-mm range, and most of mine were in that ballpark. They made my sit bones sag down to the sides of the saddle, where there's no support. The constant motion of the cycling rotation then takes its toll on your backside, and eventually you can end up with saddles sores, or ingrown hairs. The best remedy for either of those ailments is a week or so off the bike to allow it to heal.

If you're like me, one full day off the bike seems like an eternity, so taking care down there is worth the effort.

Once you find a saddle that fits you correctly, you should be able to put in some serious miles, once you work your way up to it. Professional riders cover as many as 200 miles in a day, and often will do stages of 120-plus miles per day for as long as three weeks. I don't need to tell you that a saddle sore is the last thing they want in the midst of the Tour de France. Racing is hard enough when you're feeling perfect.

Once you've received your bike and saddle fit, you also need to learn about chamois cream. This is the stuff that you spread on the inner crotch of your riding shorts that reduces the friction produced by hours of pedaling.

There are a ton of brands on the market, and I won't go into any testimonials here. Suffice it to say, trial and error is your best bet - what works for one cyclist might not for the next.

Finally, when you get home from your ride, take off those shorts as soon as possible. No matter how much cream you slather on, bacteria can still build up (especially on a hot day or if you're a heavy sweater). Take a shower quickly and dry yourself thoroughly to ensure everything down under is hunky-dory.

Take care of your body and it'll take care of you on those long, relaxing bike rides.