Saddle Sores - Help!

Prometheus7 said:

I hate asking this question, but what is this group for? I'm 5'7", 150
lbs., trim, been riding about 100 - 120 miles per week over the last year
with no problem. Then, last month I rode a mountain century with a Terry
Fly saddle, cushioned with a cut-out, same one I used last year and every
other day of the week. Found myself rubbed raw. My wife said it was
because I used a petroleum based cream for the chamois, said it held
moisture in to my skin.

I eventually heal and heed her advice. My next century, just a few days ago
and another mountain century, left me worse than before. This time I used
Chamois Butt-Butr. I don't expect any miracle answers, but is this a reason
people change saddles? I always thought it was for riding comfort. I know
there are some width differences, but haven't gathered there's a lot of
experimentation to avoid serious chaffing. Would a much harder saddle solve
this?

Thanks,

David

I sympathize -- saddle sores are a royal pain in the a&& for me too!

If you're chafing, look carefully at the shorts and saddle and change
whatever you can to smooth things out. For me it came down to a new
saddle (after lots of try-and-returns) and shorts that have a chamois
with *no* seams. (That baseball-cut chamois stitching really saws into
my skin!) If you still get chafing after fixing the shorts and saddle,
then use plenty of Assos cream.

If it's an infected follicle or pore, then consider topical
antibacterial treatment (my dermatologist recommended 10% benzoyl
peroxide, like anti-acne creams have). In the shower, wash clean (and
rinse *all* the soap off!), then dry the skin and apply the cream. I've
not used it during a ride; I use Assos cream instead. After the ride,
don't hang around in your shorts but get out of the shorts ASAP. While
changing clothes I wipe the area clean with a Huggies wet nap and let
the skin air out a bit. After I'm home and showered, it's time for the
benzoyl peroxide again. Caution: the benzoyl peroxide bleaches most
clothing.

That's what I think I know; it hasn't always worked as fast as I've
wished, so I'm also interested in being corrected or in others'
experiences.

Quoted message said:

saddle (after lots of try-and-returns) and shorts that have a chamois
with *no* seams. (That baseball-cut chamois stitching really saws into
my skin!) If you still get chafing after fixing the shorts and saddle,
then use plenty of Assos cream.

I agree here. It was a sad day when I realized that my Sugoi shorts were
the cause of my misery. My riding partner loves them, but he's a bit
larger-boned than me so I think the seams don't cut him the way they do me.

-eric

: Prometheus7 wrote:
: > I hate asking this question, but what is this group for? I'm 5'7", 150
: > lbs., trim, been riding about 100 - 120 miles per week over the last
year
: > with no problem. Then, last month I rode a mountain century with a
Terry
: > Fly saddle, cushioned with a cut-out, same one I used last year and
every
: > other day of the week. Found myself rubbed raw. My wife said it was
: > because I used a petroleum based cream for the chamois, said it held
: > moisture in to my skin.

No, that's not it. Sometimes I use a petrolatum-based cream and other times
I use a lanolin-based cream. Neither causes a problem. In fact, my
dermotologist said the point was to form a barrier on your skin to keep out
bacteria.

: >
: > I eventually heal and heed her advice. My next century, just a few days
ago
: > and another mountain century, left me worse than before. This time I
used
: > Chamois Butt-Butr. I don't expect any miracle answers, but is this a
reason
: > people change saddles? I always thought it was for riding comfort. I
know
: > there are some width differences, but haven't gathered there's a lot of
: > experimentation to avoid serious chaffing. Would a much harder saddle
solve
: > this?
: > Thanks,
: > David

Look to see if the seams are bothering you. Also, make sure the whole outfit
isn't slipping around. I had that problem; the shorts were stretched out and
moving sideways as I pedaled.

:
: If it's an infected follicle or pore, then consider topical
: antibacterial treatment (my dermatologist recommended 10% benzoyl
: peroxide, like anti-acne creams have). In the shower, wash clean (and
: rinse *all* the soap off!), then dry the skin and apply the cream. I've
: not used it during a ride; I use Assos cream instead. After the ride,
: don't hang around in your shorts but get out of the shorts ASAP. While
: changing clothes I wipe the area clean with a Huggies wet nap and let
: the skin air out a bit. After I'm home and showered, it's time for the
: benzoyl peroxide again. Caution: the benzoyl peroxide bleaches most
: clothing.

I had a saddle sore that I thought was a boil. It eventually went away. When
another one came along, I went to the dermatologist and said, "Doc, I think
I have an ingrown hair." He said, "Nah, you have a bacteria infection in a
pore." And he gave me some Mupirocin antibiotic cream. In 3 days, that sore
was gone entirely. Wonderful stuff.

Pat in TX

Do the sores line up on any of the seams on the saddle? Then that's the
culprit. Cut out saddles can offer fabulous relief for some riders, but
they also often introduce new and exciting rub points. Might be time to
explore a new saddle that's smoother if that's the case. Something firm
w/o a cutout maybe, that doesn't allow you to squish down and get
irritated. A classic Rolls might be worth a look as they're often on
sale at Nashbar, it's a rather firm saddle.

You might also want to quit the moist crotch balm. It works for
some--every now and then I'll even use a bit of petro-jelly for a
hotspot, but a lot of times such stuff will work against you, softening
the skin and making it more vulnerable. I'm most often for keeping the
underbits dry.

I'm voting saddle.

edit: the Rolls is on sale again:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=12302&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

for $25, it's worth a try, it fits most folks pretty well.

"Prometheus7" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I hate asking this question, but what is this group for? I'm 5'7",
150 lbs., trim, been riding about 100 - 120 miles per week over the
last year with no problem. Then, last month I rode a mountain century
with a Terry Fly saddle, cushioned with a cut-out, same one I used
last year and every other day of the week. Found myself rubbed raw.
My wife said it was because I used a petroleum based cream for the
chamois, said it held moisture in to my skin.

I eventually heal and heed her advice. My next century, just a few
days ago and another mountain century, left me worse than before.
This time I used Chamois Butt-Butr. I don't expect any miracle
answers, but is this a reason people change saddles? I always thought
it was for riding comfort. I know there are some width differences,
but haven't gathered there's a lot of experimentation to avoid serious
chaffing. Would a much harder saddle solve this?

Thanks,

David

I only provide this info because you say you never had problems before.
I had about the same thing happen to me after riding for a couple of
years NO problems. I thought it was chafing, too, but it was a skin
condition (similar to something that occasionally flares up on my feet
that I've had since childhood) that responded well in a very short time
to a steroid cream (perscription). What causes it has never been
determined, but I was more than supprised to get it where I did (at the
outside edge of the chamois). Yuk! It hasn't been back.

Quoted message said:

edit: the Rolls is on sale again:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=12302&s
toretype=&estoreid=&pagename=

Quoted message said:

for $25, it's worth a try, it fits most folks pretty well.

The nose of the Rolls is quite wide by modern standards, so if the sores are
being caused by the inside of the thighs rubbing against the nose of the
saddle, this might not be a good choice.

I have heard good things about Fizik Arione saddles. I ride WTB saddles
(Rocket V Stealth on MTB and Shadow V Stealth on road), and I'm happy. I
had chafing problems with the old classics (Sella Italia Turbo and Sella San
Marco Rolls) because of their wide noses.

Good luck!