Have you ever had such a bad saddle sore....

[bulliedawg]

that it kept you off the bike? I've got the mother of all saddle sores that kept me off the bike last week. Actually its more like two saddle sores side by side, connect to each other I think. I rode today and it hurt like hell.

Practiced a little self-surgery last Tuesday. Been powdering the undies, applying liberal amounts of antibiotic ointment, washing with hebisoap (?), and I think I'm finally turning the corner.

[Dekonick]

I have only had a few - small at that.

Washing yer privates n that crack with alcohol before a ride helps by greatly reducing the population of critters making yer arse home...therefore lessening the chance of getting a boil...and/or saddle sore.

I'm no long distance guru but it works for me:)

Keep dem shorts/bibs washed too! I know a guy who only washes em every 3rd ride or so. SICK! :confused: :butt:

Hope yer sore heals soon!

[sam235813]

I originally suggested a particular medication but I'm no doctor. So, in a revision of judgement, all I will say is that there are come marvelous corticosteroids that will clear up saddle sores in short order (available by prescription only of course.) However, my original recommendation is Officially Retracted...

--sam

[vandeda]

dawg ... I hear 'ya man. I did a century about 3 years ago, mostly in the rain. I guess the constantly wet spandex rubbing for all those hours (I was solo too, so a slower pace) caused mucho chafing. That night, I went out to a rodeo ... I couldn't sit on my bum ... I had to sit on my hip. That made driving interesting, especially since I still had a manual transmission then too.

I hope you recover quickly!
Dan

[Birddog]

Hey Bullie, I ride with no jersey as much as possible, and let those silver chest hairs glisten in the sun, esp when little sweat balls start forming. I haven't had a saddle sore since I started doing this.YRMV

One dog to another,

Birddog

[1centaur]

The last couple of times I had saddle sores that were tough to ride on, I switched to the Saddleco Flow (that's the mesh saddle) for a day or two to provide the necessary comfort - could get no other saddle to work (this was on the trainer BTW). That saddle does not work great for me otherwise, but for that use - excellent.

[jkap]

Surprisingly, revert back to the salve of your (and yours) youth, specifically, desitin ointment. A little cream post ride and again overnight seems to facilitate healing.

[CNY rider]

Not sure exactly where you live but if there are any dairy farmers in the vicinity you should buy a product called Bag Balm. It comes in a green tin, and can heal just about anything. I use it as chamois cream. Farmers swear buy it. As one of them put it, "A cow with sore tits ain't no use." :banana:

[palincss]

Not sure exactly where you live but if there are any dairy farmers in the vicinity you should buy a product called Bag Balm. It comes in a green tin, and can heal just about anything. I use it as chamois cream. Farmers swear buy it. As one of them put it, "A cow with sore tits ain't no use." :banana:

No need to go searching out dairy farmers: you can buy Bag Balm in just about any drugstore these days. It's great stuff, too. Just don't leave the can in a locked car in the summertime...

[dirtdigger88]

are you sure its a saddle sore-

maybe it is VD?

have you been exposed to any strange women lately

Jason

[Ginger]

You might also want to do a search on the board for Too Tall's Kitty Creme. It looked like it would work well.

Personally I will not admit to getting any of those disgusting things you guys write about here (infected hair folicles), but if I did, they didn't go away and I had to have my gyn perform some general surgery to open, drain, and cauterize the thing and then spent 10 days off the bike...and the issue never returned. Not that I've had something like that.

And no Jason...only you have to worry about the VD I think...

[dirtdigger88]

no ginger

I have been with only one strange woman for the last 8 years-

oups

I think I just called my wife strange :D

Jason

[Marron]

Don't laugh, but for really bad sores I've found it helpful to surround the sore with those hollow foam pads sold by Dr. Scholls. It provides a bit of cushioning and a pocket to hold your salve of choice. Fortunatley, it's been at least three years since I've had to resort to anything so extreme.

[Dekonick]

Don't laugh, but for really bad sores I've found it helpful to surround the sore with those hollow foam pads sold by Dr. Scholls. It provides a bit of cushioning and a pocket to hold your salve of choice. Fortunatley, it's been at least three years since I've had to resort to anything so extreme.

thats a mighty good idea!
Hope I dont have to resort to that any time soon....but good idea!

[wasfast]

thats a mighty good idea!
Hope I dont have to resort to that any time soon....but good idea!

I started riding again 1 1/2 years ago after 23 years off the bike. I had all kinds of trouble with saddle sores. I settled on using Bag Balm for the first year.

This winter (I can ride all year round here in Oregon) I stopped using any "lube" based on a posting I saw. The theory is that instead of softening up the skin, you let it toughen up instead. With modern chamois material, this seems to make some sense.

I have noticed that with the hot weather, I have more issues with saddle sores. I've had 2 minor ones so far this summer. I am diligent about washing shorts every time I ride, washing well, keeping the area dry, not being in my shorts after riding etc. I truly don't understand why they suddenly decide to happen.

Not much help but wanted to offer an alternate idea. YMMV.