Boils - not so fun

[Eeberhar]

Any one have any experience with boils in the saddle area?

I have had 3 in the last 2 months. The last one got kinda ugly and ended up on antibiotics for 10 days.

I have washed all my clothing in soap and vinegar after each ride, trying to drink lots of liquid. The 'puss' is super contagious so...maybe I just keep infecting myself.

I have spent hours online looking up info on boils.

Seriously not fun stuff though.

[Cicli]

No photos please.

Dosent sound like fun though.

[Eeberhar]

No photos please.

Dosent sound like fun though.

No photos, I promise but google it, you will get the idea...it will make you want to keep all your cycle clothing extra clean :) and go wash your hands - twice....

[makoti]

Any one have any experience with boils in the saddle area?

I have had 3 in the last 2 months. The last one got kinda ugly and ended up on antibiotics for 10 days.

I have washed all my clothing in soap and vinegar after each ride, trying to drink lots of liquid. The 'puss' is super contagious so...maybe I just keep infecting myself.

I have spent hours online looking up info on boils.

Seriously not fun stuff though.

Good luck. Teatree oil stings but can help. I used Dr Scholls corn pads around the boil if I had to ride, to take some pressure off it. Best help is rest. Time off the bike.

[donevwil]

I had such issues many a few years ago, for me the cure (as in not getting new ones) was better fitting shorts with better chamois (washed after every ride if that's not obvious) and bag balm instead of chamois cream. When a boil was bad enough I stayed off the bike 'til, well, you know.

[Eeberhar]

I had such issues many a few years ago, for me the cure (as in not getting new ones) was better fitting shorts with better chamois (washed after every ride if that's not obvious) and bag balm instead of chamois cream. When a boil was bad enough I stayed off the bike 'til, well, you know.

Dr Scholls = good idea
Tea tree oil - trying that and yes it does sting!

Bag balm? whats the deal, is it supposed to prevent more or stopping the hair follicles from getting inflamed? i.e. stopping bacteria from crawling down the follicle?

What about washing shorts, anything special?

thanks!

[Peter P.]

Some chemicals in the detergents used to wash clothes have been shown to be the cause of problems "down there".

Right now I can't think of the specific issues, so trying searching along that line, and consider trying a different detergent.

[rnhood]

I think some people are more prone than others. I have trouble with every saddle I use, but no boils. Just irritation. You might want to visit a good fitter or bike shop, and let them have a look at your position, the type saddle you are using, and your pedaling dynamics. This won't cost much since it's not a full fit.

Always be sure your rear end is clean before riding. Baby wipes work great, or even a quick shower will work fine.

[donevwil]

Bag balm is effectively a slightly weaker antibiotic ointment than, say, Neosporin. I use it instead of chamois cream if I feel something brewing, but always use it on longer or hotter rides (for me > 5hrs chamois time + sweat = bad). If something has brewed I keep it covered with BB off the bike as well. It works (for both my wife and I).

Nothing special on the washing front for me.

[Louis]

There's a lot of info online on this. Here's one link:

http://cyclinguphill.com/saddle-sore/

[Eeberhar]

Bag balm is effectively a slightly weaker antibiotic ointment than, say, Neosporin. I use it instead of chamois cream if I feel something brewing, but always use it on longer or hotter rides (for me > 5hrs chamois time + sweat = bad). If something has brewed I keep it covered with BB off the bike as well. It works (for both my wife and I).

Nothing special on the washing front for me.

Bag balm has just been ordered, I think I will go wait by the front door, wave if you see me :)

[djg21]

But I've had folliculitis and developed small pimple-like saddle sores from time to time. I've found that cleaning with an astringent, anti-bacterial anti-acne body wash after riding helps, and if I get any inflammation looking like the start of a saddle sore, I apply a topical antibiotic like Neosporin. I keep Preparation H wipes in my travel bag -- it's just Witch Hazel, which is an astringent good for a quick cleanup after riding when I can't immediately shower.

[quattro]

Bag balm has just been ordered, I think I will go wait by the front door, wave if you see me :)

Or, you could just go to your local CVS,Walgreen or other pharmacy and buy it off the shelf, just saying.

[donevwil]

Or, you could just go to your local CVS,Walgreen or other pharmacy and buy it off the shelf, just saying.

Too true, sold everywhere. I buy mine at the local feed store where people actually think it's not made specifically for cyclists. ;)

[Eeberhar]

Or, you could just go to your local CVS,Walgreen or other pharmacy and buy it off the shelf, just saying.

Hmmm - thats what my wife just said, I thought it was a secret sauce, guess I will have two containers soon. Guess I will go back into the house and stop waiting :)

[Andy sti]

I'm constantly battling small nodules and hoping they don't worsen. Biggest thing that works for me is early cleaning after a ride. If I can't get a shower soon I wash with alcohol or wipes. I think the alcohol poured on a towel works best though.

[eippo1]

Not a fan of these at all. Big thing for me has been making sure I wash my clothing immediately after a ride. So the past couple years just wear my kit in the shower immediately after rides and scrub down with a loofah and some Dr. Bronners. No issues since except for the occasional flare up of my cyst, but I've given him a name at this point -- I think it's my long lost twin. :p

[oldpotatoe]

I'm constantly battling small nodules and hoping they don't worsen. Biggest thing that works for me is early cleaning after a ride. If I can't get a shower soon I wash with alcohol or wipes. I think the alcohol poured on a towel works best though.

What works for me..is alcohol rub down, down there, right outta shower(whoo-WEE!!) and then a very thin coat of Dr Naylors..

[weisan]

Do you sweat a lot, or ride in the rain? Has it been really humid lately? Are there excessive dampness in your short?

[spoonrobot]

I'd always get a random one or two during the year but like clockwork I used to get one every October as the weather changed and I didn't sweat as much. Last year I was more proactive, starting taking 50mg zinc with my lunch and using antibiotic ointment as a base before putting on chamois cream as well as washing up a bit before going for my ride.

I had no issues this year and have been pretty psyched not to lose 2-3 weeks due to saddle sore issues during one of the best times to ride here.

[benb]

Worth going to a dermatologist. I talked to mine about one last month.. they have a lot of things they can do that don't involve slicing you open. It was a lot easier then I thought.

Then check your saddle and cleat position.. it shouldn't happen that much unless your pedal stroke is causing your sit bones to rub back and forth on the saddle. I've really struggled with that as I need a pretty asymmetric cleat position to keep my legs from pulling me to the left on the saddle.

Also your soap. The doctor had me change my soap, it made a difference pretty quickly.

[cdn_bacon]

in order to relive the pressure on the boil a hot ( almost unbearable heated cloth on the area) will cause the inside stuff to come to the surface.

70% alcohol spray and jock itch cream works just fine. gone in a few days.

it needs to dry up.

[false_Aest]

I got them kind've regularly until I changed my saddle.

I also used to get them on my back. Massive painful things that hurt even when a t-shirt rubbed on them.

One day I ran out of soap and bought a different brand. I've never had one again.

[drewellison]

I've never had boils, but for general red, inflamed, tender saddle sores, The only thing that's worked for me for treating saddle sores is
1) always put on clean shorts,
2) shower right after ride,
3) Douse the area with Ammens powder. It's a baby powder with lots of zinc oxide in it. The baby powder helps keep the area dry and the zinc oxide must have some sort of therapeutic effect. Dunno, I'm not a doctor.

I tried creams, alcohol wipes, neosporin, all sorts of stuff. None worked for me.

Only Ammens works for me. Got it at the LDS - local drug store.

[zap]

What about washing shorts, anything special?

thanks!

Wash right after your ride. Use Dreft. Remove from washer immediately when done and place out in the sun chamois side up.

You might want to join your bibs/shorts outside...........but be careful, Americans are pretty square and don't care for that sort of thing.

[fiataccompli]

Good bike fit (now nearly limited to a single style if not model of saddle for all my bikes), immediately taking off bibs & washing after rides (bum bath mix of green rubbing alcohol & witch hazel is a nice thing...as long as you don't mix it up with your shop spray bottle of simple green), and a little bag balm for every ride in lieu of a "fancy" chamois cream have done wonders for me. Took a while to narrow down the causes, but varying subtle differences in bike fit between bikes was a big factor.

Oh, clean livin' is good too, right?


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[cinema]

Took a while to narrow down the causes, but varying subtle differences in bike fit between bikes was a big factor.


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me too. i'm taking just fractions of a degree of handlebar and saddle tilt would kill me enough to be off the bike for over a week. takes months to rectify mm by mm

[benb]

I used to do the traditional thing but interestingly the doctor really no-noed alcohol type wipes or anything like that when I asked. Anything you do like that which can dry the skin makes it easier for bacteria to enter an abrasion.