If the ‘saddle sores’ are more like nodules under the skin then I would read the road.cc article about Ischial Bursitis. They are not a matter of cleanliness or friction / rubbing but of reducing peak pressures in your seat / saddle interface. If the ‘saddle sores’ are on the surface of the skin and due to in grown hairs, cleanliness or friction then some kind of sanitary regime or chamois cream is more likely to do the trick.
I dealt with ischial bursitis-type issues for around 15 years. I tried chamois cream, I tried different pre/post-ride sanitization approaches, neither solved my problems. Reducing the pressure did. But it took me 15 years to even figure out what the real problem is/was and that no amount of lubrication or cleaning would solve my problem. My solution was a combination of 1) confirm saddle is good width / padding for my anatomy, 2 ) fit changes that allowed me to rotate my hips forward and reduce pressure in the problematic areas - this is where the pressure mapping helped me, 3) find bibs that have high density foam chamois that aligns with my anatomy.
I would hypothesize that many / most cyclists have encountered an issue due to ingrown hairs or cleanliness or friction / abrasion but that a much smaller segment of the cycling population has experienced ischial bursitis-like issues so most of the discussion occurs around hygiene / anti-abrasion approaches.
Highly recommend you book yourself in for a bike fit, and get one from a reputable operator who provide you with sample saddles to try out. I already had a bike fit for a gravel bike but I purchased a road bike from lbs who set it up for me (taking exact measurements) - 6 months later of riding on the road bike I was in such pain riding that I took it back to my bike fitter who measured me up and had to lengthen the stem and raise the saddle by almost 6cm.
No saddle soreness, no numbness, don’t even use chamois cream, even on long roads of 100km+. I did buy a few saddles before I settled on what I have found most comfortable (155cm Bontrager Aeolus Comp)
Also +1 for having a quick shower and tidy up before putting on kit.
Hi, yes it was your comment on the aforementioned link that I was commenting on above. I think that is what I need. There is a nearby store that offers this service, but they say they are still tied down by lockdown restrictions. So it is a waiting game. Thanks though for your comment.
I’ve been looking at saddles a lot recently to “cure” a long standing pudendal nerve problem which kept me off the bike for 6 months. I have just got myself a Selle SMP saddle:- big cutout in the middle, gel pads and it’s a game changer. Check out their website and follow through the “what saddle is right for me?” steps and you might find a good solution.
WhatsApp does wonders for me was to measure my leg leg lenght. Advice you can find in youtube CGN Show. I found out I Was sitting to high.
Saddle horizontal. And flattop. Maybe fotward so your sitbones are anchored. Take 5mm steps.
And try a Workout.