Pain in the butt and numbness in the hands

[nobachi2000]

If I wear those tight riding shorts, will my butt stop hurting.  Is
there any exercise to build up my gluteus maximus.  It doesn't
matter if I have a soft seat or hard seat. Why does my hands
get numb? I ride a 15 speed mountain bike to and from work
everyday.

[dombrosk]

For your hands, you might want to try "bar-ends" on your mountain bike, if you don't already have them.  These are inexpensive (about $15) extenders that go up on either side of your handlebar to allow for more positions as you ride.  If you have "straight across" handlebars, you might be leaning forward too much and putting a lot of weight onto your wrists and hands.  For me, the key has always been to vary my position as I ride.
For your butt, about the only thing that seemed to work for me in the past was just time in the saddle, and even with a lot of miles on, after 60-70 miles the pain crept in.  "But" I've become a believer now in those split seat saddles.  I just got a Serfas at my local neighborhood bike shop, and was astounded to find myself having NO butt pain during or after a century ride last week.
Hope you find things that work for you, biking shouldn't have to be painful!  Good luck.

[wanderingwheel]

At first glance, it sounds like you are not positioned on your bike as well as you could be.  Numbness in the hands is usually caused by a poor grip on the handlebars.  The poor grip is usually caused by a poorly fitted bike.  Some common causes are handlebars that are too low or too far away.  It is also possible that the grips on the bars are not at the right width for you.  One other cause for numbness is gloves that don't fit right or have a seam in the wrong place.

It sounds like you have tried many different saddles, so the the saddle problem also probably stems from a poor bike fit.  You may be sitting on the wrong part of the saddle, or the saddle tilt may be incorrect for your position.

If it is a positioning issue, the best thing to do is to find a local bike fitter who can help you adjust the bike to a better fit.  Ask at you local shops for fitter reccomendations.  If you can't find a fitter, get a mirror and a friend who is an experienced cyclist.

Tight bike shorts do have cushioned pads, but their main role is to make your leg muscles function more efficiently by compressing the muscles and reducing fatigue.  Your bike and saddle should be comfortable without the padded shorts.

Sean