I have had saddle sore flare ups for 2 years and need help. These extremely painful big pimples generally show up once I increase my saddle time. I do all the preventative stuff...wash, clean, lower saddle height, etc. I have seen 4-5 doctors with no progress. Time off the bike helps, but is only temporary. Any help advice or new ideas would be great. Thanks.
Recurring saddle sores
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Have you ever had a formal bike fitting? Usually when all else fails, give the Specialized BG fit a shot, especially saddle width in your case.
I had previously been getting saddle sores on my right side due to a leg length discrepancy, which the cleat adjustment helped fix.
I had previously been getting saddle sores on my right side due to a leg length discrepancy, which the cleat adjustment helped fix.
Something that's been working for me lately is putting double antibiotic ointment on the area before rides in addition to chamois cream (DZ Nuts) on top of that. I also wash the area with Selsum Blue shampoo after rides and re-treat with the antibiotic ointment. In addition, rolling my hips forward on the saddle to get the weight off that area seems to help. Could just be coincidence but these steps seem to be really helping with my recurrent saddle sores. In fact, it feels like the one sore on my left side is nearly gone for good (knock on wood.) Strangely though, mine weren't really painful but were still annoying nonetheless.
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How is your general health, when did you last have a blood test and look at the results? How is your weight and diet? Are you M or F? Do you shave that area? Are you very hairy? They are like pimples, not sore, so not a chafing but like an ingrown hair?
Health, weight, blood test all are good. Male and I don't shave that region. They present like big pimples under a layer or two of skin. They can't be popped, I tried, and it is very painful when attempting to pop/drain. I have also tried 5 or 6 different saddles. The last couple feel good, but I am still getting flare up sores.
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Jock itch? Not joking. It's a possibility. Try the anti-fungal stuff made for that.
Jock itch can feel like a saddle sore. It's a real bummer.
Jock itch can feel like a saddle sore. It's a real bummer.
Do you wear good shorts/bibs? Do you use a chamois cream? I used to wear Performance Bike shorts and would have problems with saddle sores on long rides. Chamois butter helped. I switched to better shorts (Pearl Izumi, and now I wear Gore) and it made a world of difference. I'll still use chamois cream on a very long ride, but it isn't even really needed.
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I had a similar problem. My underlying cause was my massive tackle. Ever see a male rat? Think like that, but scaled up for a 180 pound man. Thankfully having my testicles removed cured it, as well as now I don't worry about testicular cancer.
Okay, just joking. Have you seen a doctor about the issue? If it gets bad enough there are prescription creams to try. A proper fit and good shorts are cheaper options though. Many people think a pair of shorts with a bib like a diaper is the ticket, but others prefer a thin pad for comfort.
Just out of curiosity, what do you weigh, how tall are you, and what saddle are you using now?
Okay, just joking. Have you seen a doctor about the issue? If it gets bad enough there are prescription creams to try. A proper fit and good shorts are cheaper options though. Many people think a pair of shorts with a bib like a diaper is the ticket, but others prefer a thin pad for comfort.
Just out of curiosity, what do you weigh, how tall are you, and what saddle are you using now?
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In addition to all the good advice already given, it is my understanding that Preparation-H is a pretty good treatment - apply to the tender spot at the first sign of tenderness.
Any chance your issue is occurring at hair follicles?
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The best advice I've gotten for saddle sores came from my LBS manager: 1) get out of your cycling shorts and into looser clothing as soon as possible after a ride, and 2) angle your saddle a few degrees TOWARD the side with the sores. This absolutely worked for me.
The part about angling the saddle was counterintuitive, but now all my bikes have their saddles pointing about 5 degrees right. I don't know what to do if you get the sores on both sides. Best of luck!
The part about angling the saddle was counterintuitive, but now all my bikes have their saddles pointing about 5 degrees right. I don't know what to do if you get the sores on both sides. Best of luck!
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The getting out of the shorts ASAP is great advice. The only time I get saddle sores is when I don't change out of my shorts right after a ride. A lot of saddle sores are actually infections and not friction sores. What I've been told and it makes senses, while you ride and sweat the pores open up. If you don't change to a dry pair of pants the pores close trapping in whatever nastiness is on the chamois pad. I've heeded that advice along with using a chamois cream with a anti fungal/bacterial and I never get saddle sores anymore.
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Try Udderly Smooth ... it works well and is available inexpensively at your local drug store. :thumbsup:
Buy Udderly Smooth skin care products online
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Buy Udderly Smooth skin care products online
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I don't think that a follicular fungal infection is out of the realm of possibility, make sure you have clean shorts every time, some people treat their shorts like delicate flowers so they may not get a really good wash, consider using some oxyclean and let them sit in the sun (the chamois part) to try and nip anything that might live there, another consideration is MRSA, or that you really have cysts not sores or pimples. I would get your doc to do a swab during your next active occurrence. Chicks get Bartholin's cysts but I don't think blokes have that issue, but it is similar to your complaint. Use an antibacterial wash after riding, keep your shorts really clean, consider a cream that has active properties, I really liked A&D diaper cream, but now I make a lanolin based cream with lavender oil. You could try using some neosporin if you are not fearful of resistant infection, but the swab would be the first move because if it is fungal, that should be an easy enough fix, as long as you and your shorts are treated.
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I got saddle soars when I first started cycling. I no longer get them but what I started doing was always using chamois cream with anti-bacterial stuff in it (DZ Nuts) and taking a shower with anti-bacterial body wash after every ride.
Ive never done it, but I know some people reuse their shorts without washing them, if you do this wash em after each use.
As stated above also use loose clothing after the ride, cut down on time in shorts, get a bike fitting.
Good Luck. Hopefully with all the advice here you are able to do away with them because they make a ride miserable. :thumbsup:
Ive never done it, but I know some people reuse their shorts without washing them, if you do this wash em after each use.
As stated above also use loose clothing after the ride, cut down on time in shorts, get a bike fitting.
Good Luck. Hopefully with all the advice here you are able to do away with them because they make a ride miserable. :thumbsup:
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Another product that nobody mentioned was the skin repair gel from Assos. It bit the bullet in buying this product as it cost nearly $40 a tube, but it really works. I had tried A&D Ointment before that which helped but not as much as this stuff. I just use it after I wash and dry in the shower and put some on. The next day after applying it is 99% better than when I went to sleep.
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