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I am off the bike for 7 days. (that hasn’t happened since sept 2009). Feel free to share your saddle sore story in the comments section. How gross can you get?
So I went running today. At noon. There’s nothing like some mid-day humidity. My run sucked ass. My legs felt like cement. It reminded me of Ironman training last summer. Part of me wishes I was training for an IM but part of me is glad to have more free time. I am looking forward to actually having a summer this year.
I was supposed to race a crit tonight. My very first. This particular crit series does not have a women’s start time (we have to race with the Cat 4/5 men). So a bunch of us have asked the club to reconsider if so many women show up to race. Here’s how that conversation went. The club that puts on this crit series is DEFINITELY a man’s club. We need as many women as we can get to show up and race so we can have our own start time. Come on guys, is that so much to ask?
This is Margaret Gast, the “Mile a Minute” gal. She was a world champion cyclist in the late 1800’s. How rad is that picture? I can’t imagine what a bad-ass this woman must have been. I wonder how many women showed up to race in those days?
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Sorry, Judi, hope you get some of the sisterhood out there for you….LOVE the photo.
Our Margaret looked a bit cramped on that bike. But, she went fast so what the hell do I know?
Get better soon, Judi. Baboon Ass is no fun. Unless you happen to be a baboon. Then it’s sunsplashed fields of flowers and puppydogs.
Get the DZBliss chamois creme. It not only prevents saddle sores, it will also help treat the sore itself.
I had a big problem last summer…to the point that I had a sore lanced by an ER doc friend of mine. We just aren’t as close as were used to be…don’t know why…
Saddle sore ? No problem . Clean it , slice it , squeeze it ,compress it . Put some first aid spray on it with neosporin then wipe all the juicy puss and blood and protien membrain off . Then count to ten and squeeze it real hard . Then clean it again then compress ,direct pressure then gauze . Super glue then duct tape . Take some Aleve after that and ride ! Works everytime
doesn’t hurt in the shower when you pull it off !
Judy,
start clean, that the first thing, so get some alcohol and some swabs and clean up before you step into the shorts. Those old strydex pads that kids use for zits for their face work really well. Then ride. Then when your done get the hell out of your shorts. No standing around talking about how good you are, go home and get out and clean up. Shower pronto. Or at least get out of your shorts and hit the strydex pads again and either wear some clean underoos or go commando in a pair of pants or shorts. Then when you can take a shower and get clean.
Then make sure all your saddle heights and set backs of saddles are realativly the same. Your MTB might be a little higher depending if you use mtb pedals and shoes vs road shoes and road pedals but make sure everything is about the same give or take a few.
More than a few stories out there of bikers cutting their saddles out to fit the sores. You could always ride standing up!
…judi…bet cha’ never had so many guys interested in your crotch at one time since high school, huh ???…
…bwahahaha !!!…oh, sorry………
…no particular solution (topical or otherwise) other than maybe cleansing hourly w/ hydrogen peroxide…
Absolutly no peroxide . If you talk to the nurses they say its to hard on the skin , but Bedadine is much easier on the sensitive skin . Do you shave or do you have a a little fuzz becuzz hair is no friend to the area in which we talk .
Was gonna say, shave, brazil needs to end sooner than later.
Bag balm. Trust me on this.
Badge of honor, Judi. Badge of honor.
My only other bit of wisdom comes from my gamer friends: “pix or it didn’t happen”.
Judi,
What Snake said with a couple of adds: Chamois cream. Assos, or Butt Buttr Euro Style. Noxema in a pinch The wash those shorts after each ride and hang inside out in the sun so the UV kills the nasty stuff. 1 ride = 1 wash, regardless of ride length. Have at least 5 or 6 pairs. Don’t skimp on shorts. You get what you pay for. It’s your ass.
Years ago in Burlington I was working for one of those speed demon contractors and mistakenly stepped through a false ceiling and my scrotum connected with a rafter. I removed my saddle + post, continued to ride to town from Crombie St. for a few days with nothing but a Champagne cork in my seat tube.
+1 on the Bag Balm… It’s used for chapped teet’s on a cow…
…there’s a joke in there about you n’ that cork, littlejar…
…but, far be it from me to go there…
…just sayin’, right ???…
…(okay, okay…hope ya didn’t hurt yourself to badly…been there, done that myself)…
What Snake said. Bag Balm is great for chafing, but with a sore you need some stronger antibacterial gel. Also, a long hot bath will soften it up and help it drain.
To all you hipster fixie riders out there thinking that you were the first. Not. What snake and skippy said.
What snake and skippy said x2. Chamois cream might feel weird when you first put the shorts on, but it will literally save your ass on longer rides. Even after a short ride at an absolute minimum rinse your shorts out and let them air dry. Throw them in the shower with you. Do not be tempted to re-wear shorts without at least doing that. Better yet get a few pair and rotate them through with a full wash in between. Plus no underwear in riding shorts! Underwear is for keeping our junk comfy when we’re wearing street clothes. It is not meant for riding. Riding shorts are meant for going commando.
Medicate it. Besides keeping it clean, treat it with an over-the-counter acne gel containing 10% benzoyl peroxide. Perhaps even more effective is the topical prescription product called Emgel (erythromycin). If a sore is getting out of control, ask your doctor about a course of oral antibiotics.
Rest it. As you medicate a troublesome sore, take some time off the bike to help it heal. It’s far better to lose three days now than a week or more after infection sets in. If you continue to ride on an open sore it may eventually form a cyst that requires surgery.
If You Must Continue Riding
Change your shorts or saddle. Your problems are probably isolated in one small area — a boil or abrasion. Changing your saddle and/or shorts can reduce pressure on the sore and lessen pain.
Numb it. OTC pain reducers and anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen, can help. In extreme cases, pro team physicians will use a topical anesthetic on riders so they can finish a stage race. It’s not recommended for recreational riders because when you’re numb, you can ride yourself into greater damage.
Try Preparation H ointment. No, not for that reason. Prep H works on saddle sores because it shrinks swollen tissue and soothes pain. Apply it five minutes before putting on your shorts, then slather on your chamois cream. Also try a dab on sores after rides to dull discomfort.
Have a donut. In the foot-care section of drug stores, you’ll find donut-shaped foam pads in several diameters. They’re made for corns but can help you ride more comfortably with a saddle sore, too. Simply place it with the sore in the center of the cutout to relieve direct pressure. The adhesive backing will keep it in place.
Dont over manage your saddle sores . Time off is BS . Tape up and deal with it . When the goin gets tough the tough get goin ………….
hey all – thanks so much for your tips and advice. This fucker started festering up IN APRIL. i refused to take time off the time then. so here i am 3 months later and i just picked up ROUND #4 of yet another antibiotic. keeping fingers crossed.
Judi, if we’re talking about something that has been around for weeks & weeks, consider some time off the bike seat. Get it sorted once, and then the balance of your year will be better. Take a good, long look at pressure points on/with your choice of saddle. Good luck with it!
BJ – thanks! me and dirty biker have been discussing this via IM for weeks now. he’s been up my ass to get off the bike for a minute and let it heal. i am doing that now and not liking it very much.
Great tips so far. I would lance & drain sore post after ride hot shower, then cover w/ bandage that has gauze soaked w/ rubbing alcohol. Change bandage & repeat lance & drain as needed. Works best if done right before bed. As far as pushing through & riding I have used those blister bandaides for feet w/ gel in the bandage to cover the sore- works awesome & best if utilized at first signs of sore forming. Above listed advise for cleanliness and good shorts / bagbalm will stop this from happening again. Lets shoot for 40+ comments on this baby!!
Very cool photo!
First saddle sore I ever got, I thought that some how I had busted a blood vessel down there and was so freaked out I almost went to the hospital. was about the size of a nickel and a 1/3 of an inch high. Talked to a fellow cyclist about it and took a hot needle to it squeezed the crap out of it, hit it with rubbing alcohol good in about two days. Scared the crap out of me though. Thought I had damaged my junk and area somehow.
Has the doc gotten in there and met this issue face to face, or are they just treating it based on what you’re describing to them. An in-grown hair can make a helluva sore as well and won’t go away until the hair is pulled out.