Saddle sores

I thought I had a great fit too, but I developed saddle sores when I started to pile on the mileage. I used - and I am not making this up - Dr. Bodreaux's Butt Paste, available at Walgreens, and you smear it on exactly where you think you would. It worked great for me, but the only thing that made the saddle sores go away was to tweak the fit. Heretical as it may seem, "Ride Lots" might not be the best answer in your case, though I am otherwise 100% supportive of it. I also looked at your logs - not many miles there. Maybe you just started posting, but if you're getting sores at low mileage, more miles will just mean more sores. Good luck! 

You got saddle sores riding 11.5 miles? That's a little hard to believe, maybe a sore tushy but saddle sores?

Folks around here swear by boudreaux's butt paste

Used it. Excellent. Works great for adults wearing diapers in races too....wait...nevermind.

If you like a "cool" sensation down there, then find a product by a company named Assos (I kid you not, I think its a Swiss company).  Its a chamois cream that not only lubricates, but also has a touch of menthol.  When you stand up and the air hits you down there, you get that refreshing cool sensation.

Here's a link:

http://www.all3sports.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=assos&osCsid=76717de6c10b1e98711d1c7a6e2f158c&search_in_description=1

Edited by Motivated 2005-09-26 3:30 PM

I'll second the recomendation of getting a hard saddle.  The more gel in the seat the more "mushing" around your privates.  Its better to glide and slide, side to side. (I didn't mean to ryme).

-Michael

I'm assuming by saddle sore you mean broken skin/open sore on your arse.  right?

if so, congratulations, yes, you have officially got saddle sores.  if no and your "saddle" is just "sore" as bear suggests, then....ride more and you may be rewarded with one.  (ha ha ha)

anyway, I got my first saddle sores (yes, one on each cheek) this season after a 120 mile ride on saturday (open, bleeding, round sores...OUCH) and then had to ride 5 hours on them the very next day.  This I DON'T recommend by the way. 

what I found is changing to less padding in my shorts (switched from pearl izumis to oomph shorts) and changed from a gel saddle to www.saddleco.com

Never had any trouble after the new combination and I've done several centuries since then including back to back rides of more than 100 miles each.

I HIGHLY recommend saddleco.com if it works for you.

I've learned the hard way that more cushion usually makes saddle sores easier to be created.  Something I learned for our good friend chris (coredump) as well as my coach.  thanks chris and brett!!

Jacie...meet Haley and Janelle. Halley and Janelle...Jacie.

• Ride Ride Ride! Get out there and toughen up your A$$! Increase your volume in increments and your butt will take care of itself, given the correct bicycle fit and saddle.
• Get yourself some Pearl Izumi Ultrasensor or Microsensor Shorts. They are expensive, but worth EVERY penny. They are wonderful. You will see an immediate comfort improvement.
• Tweak your saddle. Maybe down... even a cm... will make an enormous difference.
• Make sure your handlebar stem isn't too short. Leaning forward can put strange pressure on delicate places.
• If all else fails... read Dave Zabriskie's account of how to handle... below....

MAIN-TAINT-ANCE

An often overlooked part of being a healthy and fast cyclist is the taint. The taint is the part of your body that contacts your saddle. I believe the name was derived from the taint not being the parts that are well know by name: as in it taint that and it sure taint those! If you can’t comfortably sit on the saddle you taint gonna be able to ride your bike very far. This can negativly effect training and racing, so one must keep this area well main-taint-ed. There are three simple concepts to accept and follow: Cleanliness, Lubrication and Dryness. Trust me all of this was learned by experience! Here are the steps to follow:

Begin with a clean taint and chamois (if you are a hairy beast like me you may want to shave the area—USE CAUTION!)
Generously apply chamois cream
Ride, Train, Do what you do
Dismount bike (Follow the next steps immediately and without fail)
i. Remove chamois
ii. Shower
iii. Use a truly antibacterial soap like Hibiclens
Exit Shower
i. Dry taint with towel
ii. Dry taint with air
1. Either remain naked while making your after ride meal or use hair dryer
2. Antique yourself ala Jackass with a handful of Baby Powder

Why do we do this?

The chamois cream, helps reduce chafing that occurs while riding. There are a number of products out there and here are a few that I know work well:
Noxema
Butt Butter
Bag Balm
Assos Chamois cream
Sixtufit

Try them to determine what works best for you. Often when things are getting a bit raw I mix a few to exploit the full potential of each. Do yourself and your training partners a favor by not using too much. I have been known to have a little seep out of my shorts and it never fails to gain the attention of those behind me. Make sure your chamois is in good shape. Don’t use one that is old and worn out. After the ride get out of your shorts ASAP, you don’t wanna start growing mushrooms down there. Get into the shower and wash up, if you are having “problems” use Hibiclens, it is a surgical scrub and very powerful. I take it to races because each hotel has different soaps and who knows which could cause an irritation. After the shower make sure the area is dry either walk around naked for a while and let it air out or use a hairdryer. The final dose of goodness comes from a little shot of baby powder to the taint. By following these steps you should be main-taint-ing fairly well. If you are experiencing some saddle sores sometimes the only way to get rid of them is to stop riding for a couple of days. If it’s really bad you might have to see a doctor. I am sort of an expert so if you want you can send pictures and I’ll give you my opinion on the best way to proceed. PLEASE DON'T!

Oh yeah one more thing I think that can help is to shave all of that “bum fluff” down. It can be tricky, use electric clippers and be careful, I recommend a mirror.

HA HA HA.  that's hilarious.

You don't butter your butt, you put it on the short's padding.