Hi folks. New to the site, so late to the party. I'm a pretty accomplished cyclist, as well as someone who enjoys admiring a stunning female, so when I found this site doing a wnbr search, and this thread in particular, I hit the jackpot
As an pretty experienced rider, I can answer some of the questions raised here.
Bike shorts. They're not really padded. They have a thin chamois liner (most of them are only 3-5 mm thick). They do give you a little padding, but that's not their main purpose. That's to wick moisture away from areas that can chafe from sweating--like your crotch, your crack, and under the folds of your butt cheeks. This is for both men and women, and for men, they have the added benefit of being tight enough to hold your junk nice and secure. Helps a lot on bumpy roads, or when mountain biking. Wicking isn't an issue when your ass is bare.
Why is she standing so much? Couple of possible reasons. If you look at the bike she's riding, it's an old steel frame touring bike from the 60-70s. Probably not the bike she rides most of the time. Sometimes serious riders don't like to take a good bike to an event like this, as it could get damaged if a less experienced rider makes you crash. If she's doing 1,500 foot climbs over mountain passes, that ain't the bike for it. With those big tires and fenders, probably weighs close to 30 pounds. It could be that she's just not used to that seat. Seats are different, and not every ass, even a world-class one like hers, is right for a given seat. Seats are contoured, and that's where the cushioning comes in. If your seat doesn't fit right, or you're not used to it, it's not the butt itself that gets sore. It's the sit bones, and especially the perineum, that tissue that runs from the scrotum or vagina to the anus. A well fitting seat doesn't put pressure on these areas. They also make seats designed for women, that have a cut-out down the center, that eliminates pressure on the perineum. That could be why she seems to be standing, an uncomfortably fitting seat. Experienced cyclists also like to stand when slowing down to look at what's going on ahead, or in a crowd. Helps to avoid trouble. Also, if you noticed, she has the chain on the biggest gear in front, which makes it harder to pedal. Some cyclists prefer to ride slowly by keeping it in a high gear and standing, on a ride like this.
I would venture to say that both her and her guy are pretty serious riders. She has a cyclist's body. Slender in the upper body, flat as a table stomach, but thick in the butt, thighs, and calves. He's also wearing a helmet that costs close to $200 US. I've seen almost a hundred pictures of her ass, and there's no sign of any irritation. Probably just a seat she hasn't ridden much that's causing some sit bone or perineum pain. And whoever speculated that this was a one-time deal to please the guy is probably spot-on. I haven't seen a single shot of her from 2012---and I'm sure you guys would have found one by now.
