NSFW : Saddle sore?

[dusty_nz]

WARNING: Not NSFW, Graphic content and flashes of unpleasant images may occur.

Just recently has a number of back to back 6 hour+ races (not rides). 2 MTB races (100km+) and some big road races(100+)

As a result my bum suffered and lost a bit of skin and significant discomfort.

Scars have healed and scabs dropped off but..

Went for a ride last weekend, my left bum (contact point) is still very sore and uncomfortable to sit on. Been 2 weeks now.

Saddle sores? Would this be the issue, How do I tell? What are they and how do I treat?

Need to be back in the saddle soon for training.

Help.

 

[wilddemon]

WARNING: Not NSFW
Help.

You need to give it a rest. Maybe cross train some, or try to stay out of the saddle. Use plenty of chamois cream when you ride. Get the wound dry, use sudo cream as a moisture barrier. Concentrate on getting it better first. Consider a new saddle. Maybe New Knicks. In future if you have to shave do it at least half a week before, and or use plenty of chamois cream / butt butter to keep bacteria out of the hair follicles. Sounds painful, get proper medical advice, good luck.

 

[dusty_nz]

Thanks

Will add some info.

Always use Aussie Butt cream (Any good?) before long rides, Nothing on short rides.
5 different bikes with different saddles. 2 road, 2 Hardtail mtb, 1 full susser.

One ride I used sunscreen as I forgot butt cream, Prob the soruce of the problems.
Chamois always clean, mulitple pairs and styles.

Shave?? Lets assume a little bit of hair. Just the contact point/area? or belt to ankles??

Currently skin is clean and dry, No wounds but can't see if its red (Can't really see). I think exposing this problem to the wife will provide further ammunition for the anti bike brigade. Will try mirror but even I don't really want to look.

There is a harder lump under the skin but can't feel anything on the surface.

 

[wilddemon]

Wow. 81 views, each viewer has an arse and rides bikes, and only 1 person comments. This is, I believe, the source of the problem. I have asked once in a forum, and asked each of my mates, and a few randoms, how to protect your backside when riding and on each occasion every person seems reticent to talk about it. Its not like I'm asking how you pleasure your wife. If someone started a thread on gangnam style or derailleur adjustment, or even yet another elixir vs shimano brake thread we'd be up to 3 or 4 pages by now. So in the interests of backside safety I will openly discuss my experiences, and hope that those of you that have any similar issues will benefit. I'm not an expert, and I'm not especially experienced either, but this seems to work for me.

I had been riding for about 6 months when I had my first arse injury which I believe was a result of too much sweat and not using butt cream. About 5 hours of riding and I was fine but sometime during the long drive home it seemed as if someone poured a cup of sand down the back and rubbed vigorously. It was interesting that I had asked a small group of people (girls) earlier in the day what they did to protect themselves and each of them were shocked and embarrassed and said that they weren't going to discuss it. One of the girls, aside, said that she used butt cream. That was enough for me. A single assurance from a single rider, and only one experience with cheeky chaff and I was at the LBS looking for a tube.

My current method is this. If I am planning a long ride involving the SHITS (six hours in the saddle) I will shave all moving parts about a week before hand. This will give the hair and pore a chance to recover. Tell me I'm wrong but this works for me. If I ride that day or the next day it feels uncomfortable and I believe it is because bacteria can work into the pore. Now when I say moving parts, I mean my arse (yes I get in there), my sack and my perinium (the part in between). I don't shave my legs or my upper thighs. If you have ever experimented with shaving and a woman you will know that shaved and non-shaved is ok, shaved and shaved is not. If you have never experimented you haven't lived. So on that theme, its ok to have a shaved surface rubbing against a non shaved surface. I'd still use a cream but it's not a catastrophe.

When it comes to the cream, a close friend shared with me that he put the butt cream straight onto the chamois. I tried this and just felt like it was wasted. Let's face it, the chamois doesn't need the cream, your ass does. I clean the area with a wet wipe. A small packet of wet wipes is usually standard fare in my riding kit. I give it a quick clean to remove any bacteria that normal dry paper wiping will not remove. Then squirt chamois cream (butt cream should be similar enough) onto my hand and I apply directly to the site. I do not gain any pleasure in this, for those of you that are wondering. I get in the crack heavily, perineum moderately, and the creases between my thighs and butt cheeks, and the creases between my inner thigh and sack moderately, and my sack just a little. If it is more than a 2 hour ride I do this. If it is a six hour ride I do the same but use more cream.

So, now you know when you see me on a long ride, I've creamed myself. And I feel no shame.

PS. I wash my hands afterwards.

Demon

 

[dusty_nz]

Thanks WildDemon.

Will give that a go moving forward.

 

[cleeshoy]

WildDemon - I think a youtube video would certainly help in your description too - who know it might make you a few dollars on the side also

dusty - I used to use Aussie Butt Cream but found it wasn't as "resilient" enough - after a few hours in the saddle I found it "disappeared". In wet conditions its lasted even less. Am now using a brand called "Morgan Blue". The tub looks like a bit like this -> http://www.bicyclestore.com.au/morgan-blue-softening-cream.html

Much more resilient then Aussie Butt Cream - only downside I have found is the cream itself (appears more waxy based) is harder to remove in the washing machine (occasionally it feels like a "residue" is left even after washing). Oh I also wipe an antiseptic cream on my chamois to kill any bacteria.

Oh yes I have the same saddle on all my bikes (same model, same width)

 

[harmonix1234]

Don't know if this helps, but...

I had a saddle that was almost perfect. Almost.
But it put too much pressure on the inside edge of my sit bone and I ended up having a few ingrown hairs right on the inside of my ass cheek.

I didn't know what caused it at the time, and it hurt like fuckery for about a week.
I pinned it down to (best guess) being a saddle sore and took a few days off the bike.
When I got back on it still hurt like hell.

So, after giving my hurty ass bump a bit of a massage I noticed it felt like there was a hard object like a marble deep in the tissue.
I squeezed like buggery and the thing exploded like Krakatoa. Infected ingrown hair had gone festy and turned into a massive blind pimple.

Never happened again. But just check it's not the same thing. Might just be a really sore infected ingrown hair.

Since finding a fitting saddle I have not had this problem again.

 

[disappearin]

From my experience enduropluse racing the most important aspect is bike setup. It took me awhile to find the right setup for me but a couple things I learnt are to:
1) ensure correct seat height, if its too high your hips rock creating extra movement hence friction.
2) you've prob heard this a thousand times but you need a great saddle. No easy way to find one but when you do buy spares or measure it so can get something similar.

Another tip if you are using a HT mtb for enduro or stage racing is run suspension seat post. I'm running a thud buster ST at the moment on my 29er HT for 6/12 & 24 races with good success. It's also made a few appearances on my roadie on long rides.

As stated earlier, good nixs and chamois cream (make sure its anti bacterial) are a must! Make sure they are clean, dry and no loose stitching etc. I like to wipe a bit of anti bacterial cream in my nix after I was them too.

As far as treatment goes, if it comes to it ive used acne creams which cleared it up fast. Ive heard a few people talk about a miraculous cream called 'preparation H' but ive never used it. sounds like it would be worth a try.

If you must ride with saddle sores I've used little donut type padded foam bandaid things from the chemist to ease the pain. They are designed for corns on your feet but saved me once and kept me riding while touring.

Goodluck

 

[dusty_nz]

Don't know if this helps, but...

I had a saddle that was almost perfect. Almost.
But it put too much pressure on the inside edge of my sit bone and I ended up having a few ingrown hairs right on the inside of my ass cheek.

I didn't know what caused it at the time, and it hurt like fuckery for about a week.
I pinned it down to (best guess) being a saddle sore and took a few days off the bike.
When I got back on it still hurt like hell.

So, after giving my hurty ass bump a bit of a massage I noticed it felt like there was a hard object like a marble deep in the tissue.
I squeezed like buggery and the thing exploded like Krakatoa. Infected ingrown hair had gone festy and turned into a massive blind pimple.

Never happened again. But just check it's not the same thing. Might just be a really sore infected ingrown hair.

Since finding a fitting saddle I have not had this problem again.

Sounds like what I have.

Will try and pimple cream.

All my bikes have different saddles and I mix and match. MTB tend to be wider and harder for the hills and not as much support needed. Road a bit softer and narrower for support and long hours sitting.

 

[October26]

Couple of things I don't think anyone has mentioned:

Get yourself some decent knicks. I rode for years with some 'Descente' brand kncks that I bought of Torpedo 7. Nothing wrong with them but for longer rides they were not the most comfortable. Bought myself a set of Pearl Izumi knicks (Forget which model but a little more expensive) and they were heaps more comfortable. You can go crazy in this department if you have the cash $500+. Not sure about knicks that expensive as I have never used them. I use Assos cream with these. I tried some petroleum based stuff but that was shite.

Secondly get the right sized seat. I went to a Specialized store and measured my sit bones. Got a 155mm (I am 198cm tall) wide saddle and the difference has been enourmous. Only reason I didn't go wider was that they don't make them much wider. My girl also got a 155mm saddle even though she is much shorter than I. Sit bone width matters!

I did my first 8 hour earlier this year and had no bum trouble.

Oh and posh to those that think a wider saddle will stop you getting off the back. I used a 155mm wide saddle on my Yeti 575 with dropper post and I have no trouble whatsoever.

 

[Art Vanderlay]

Hasn't everyone had some sort of saddle sores / trouble down there at one stage or another.....I've been through many saddles and I have finally found the one http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=25683
Its lightweight, weighs just a smidge over 200g but so comfortable! Will be getting another one for the roadie shortly.

I hear you on the ingrown hair problem, I have had this a couple of times and it is certainly a relief to get it out.

I think the main thing is to get the right saddle for your sit bones. I pretty much went with the trial and error method. Previous to this saddle I thought it was just something you had to put up with when riding. Also a quality set of knicks/bibs is a help also. Funnily enough, when I sit on the wind trainer I am happy in the lycra shorts without padding. Probably not hitting any bumps makes this a bit easier on the body.

Also Dusty, that's quite a bit of racing you've been doing there. Keep it up. I would love to get that many enduro races in over a year!!! Work, family, life is just to busy at the moment!!

 

[dusty_nz]

Chemist advice

Went to the chemist to buy some acne creme.

Turned out he was a cyclist as well.

Acne creme is only good during the pimple stage. Its penetration depth is only a few mm and you need to be carefull as the creme can cause more damage as the chemicals can cause skin irritation in the area

For saddle sore or boils when the infection has moved under the skin the best advice is to use a small piece of gauze (10cent size). Place it over the opening (Shiny side against skin) then fix it in place with some good tape

Leave it for 5 days to a week. No ointment needed. no changing needed. Shaving first is advised.

Seems to have worked. I got my boil/saddle sore. I took almost two weeks of the bike and was still very sore and present. Tried to pop it etc and no luck. 3 days after the gauze trick I have no discomfort and have been riding daily.

 

[clintooo]

I used Benzac (pimple cream) from the chemist and about a week with it cleared up the hotspot I had. however, they sell it in 2.5%, 5% and 10%. Just go straight to the 10%, chemist will give you the speil about it causing unsightly dryness etc. and that you should start with the 2.5%. But really that is for pimples on your face. for me it is all out of sight anyway

After that I revisited my Bike fit measurements on my road bike and found that my saddle was about 25mm too low and needed to be moved forward. Seems my changing over saddles by eye was not quite good enough. Since fixing my riding position I have been fine with it.

 

[wilddemon]

A lot of those pimple creams are drawing creams with anti-bacterial. So if its a blind in grown hair you might struggle. You could benefit from a lance, not the epo variety. The gauze trick I've never heard of and don't understand how that works, tho I'm glad it did for you and I'll keep it in mind if i have any issues in the future. Now your backside can continue to cop a pounding!

 

[dusty_nz]

A lot of those pimple creams are drawing creams with anti-bacterial. So if its a blind in grown hair you might struggle. You could benefit from a lance, not the epo variety. The gauze trick I've never heard of and don't understand how that works, tho I'm glad it did for you and I'll keep it in mind if i have any issues in the future. Now your backside can continue to cop a pounding!

YEah, Thge gauze trick worked well. Also two chemists gave the same advice. First chemist I had bad ordering the pimple creme as going against his advice so went to another the next day and got the same advice. Not a local so still brought some pimple creme.

Bum is all happy now so I am good.

Thanks for all the adive and support on such a delicate manner.

 

[dusty_nz]

Will warm this thread back up.

In preparation of the 3 Peaks race in 4 weeks time my riding has gone exponential. Hitting over 500km/week now and in the saddle almost every day. Also including 8+ hour training rides

As a result my bum has taken a pounding. Have been trying various saddle (at much expense) and whilst there are better and worse saddles the first 30 minutes was always uncomfortable and the entire ride uncomfortable.

Saddles tried.
Selle Italia SLR
Selle Italia Max flight
Specialized Chicane
Specialized Ronin
Numerous other brands

All used with combinations of Aussie butt creme, Spare creme on long rides, Double bagging (two pairs of cycling shorts), Top quality bib's etc.

Whilst I was surviving, every shower was painful and stung and every ride for the last 4 months was involved a continuous butt dance trying to relieve pains and pinches.

That was until TBE (Osborne Park, Perth) fitted a Selle SMP Dynamic to my bike free of charge as a test. Popped in mid ride and the remaining 3 hours I didn't think of my butt at all. first time in months.

The relief was instantaneous

3 rides latter I am impressed, Very impressed. If you want a really comfortable saddle then do not shy away from the bizarre looking SMP

Few other things I have learnt
Bum Ventilation is critical, Keeping your bum clean and dry during the ride is very important. The SMP has a very wide gap which obviously helps.
Double bagging while improving the padding prob made the above worse due to decrease airing and poor drying
Clean chamois. Never wear chamois twice without a proper wash.
Detol or pimple creme is a good post ride anti bacterial.

Interesting the Dynamic has minimal padding, 1mm of dense foam. The guys however recommended that the composite with no padding apart from the leather is just as good. Going for the dynamic was due to my lack of trust in the saddle but would give the composite a go next time.

The SMP saddle is expensive, in the order of $300 but having spend 2-3 times that above searching for comfort and the expense is now easy to justify. Note Cell have them at $213.


Hope this helps someone.

 

[abc1234]

My current method is this. If I am planning a long ride involving the SHITS (six hours in the saddle) I will shave all moving parts about a week before hand. This will give the hair and pore a chance to recover. Tell me I'm wrong but this works for me. If I ride that day or the next day it feels uncomfortable and I believe it is because bacteria can work into the pore. Now when I say moving parts, I mean my arse (yes I get in there), my sack and my perinium (the part in between). I don't shave my legs or my upper thighs. If you have ever experimented with shaving and a woman you will know that shaved and non-shaved is ok, shaved and shaved is not. If you have never experimented you haven't lived. So on that theme, its ok to have a shaved surface rubbing against a non shaved surface. I'd still use a cream bu

When it comes to the cream, a close friend shared with me that he pught onto the chamois. I tried this and just felt like it was wasted. Let's face it, the chamois doesn't need the cream, your ass does. I clean the area with a wet wipe. A small packet of wet wipes is usually standard fare in my riding kit. I give it a quick clean to remove any bacteria that normal dry paper wiping will not remove. Then squirt chamois cream (butt cream should be similar enough) onto my hand and I apply directly to the site. I do not gain any pleasure in this, for those of you that are wondering. I get in the crack heavily, perineum moderately, and the creases between my thighs and butt cheeks, and the creases between my inner thigh and sack moderately, and my sack just a little. If it is more than a 2 hour ride I do this. If it is a six hour ride I do the same but use more cream.

So, now you know when you see me on a long ride, I've creamed myself. And I feel no shame.

PS. I wash my hands afterwards.

Demon

Why does shaving help ?

 

[wilddemon]

Straight off the bat everyone is different so what works for me may not work for you. I have found that once the hair gets to a certain length it gets prickly and uncomfortable. I can get through that, but once it gets longer, well, stick a hairball in yer arse crack and go for 100 km. On top of the abrasion, there can be tugging of said hair, whick can be uncomfortable to painful. And I don't think I'm particularly hairy. I ride a lot of road and don't shave my legs. I'm having a bit of time off due to minor injury. Maybe I'll try some brylls hair cream next lol

 

[wilddemon]

Hey Dusty, noticed you've been putting in the big ones. Well done and keep it up. Don't forget to taper and load. And good luck. I look forward to debrief!

 

[wembas]

I suffer quite badly sometimes with sore butt syndrome..... i get the big nasty blind pimples and general soreness.... but i find the more i ride the better it gets... i joke with my riding mates about building up the gooch callous !!! once you've worn in a saddle its usually sweet after that regardless of distances being ridden....

swapping between bikes is difficult though - ive just got a fixie to ride to work - so my ass is not real happy at the mo...

i use Savlon antisepctic cream after each ride - in our family we call that stuff 'Miracle Cream'....... "SHIT IVE CUT MY FINGER OFF..... SOMEONE GET THE SAVLON !!!!!!!