Saddle sore woes

Yes. That why i said shaving might not be the right solution for this, given the area.
Nair hair removal might be a solution.

1 Like

Second this, do not shave the area. Especially whilst there’s active issues. Don’t ask me how I I know. Trimming can help though, say with a 3mm blade guard on some body hair trimmers.

Also throwing my vote in for Assos bibs, it’s been a big part of the “magic” formula for me, and specifically Assos Cento EVO. I have the RS S9 as well but unfortunately they didn’t agree with me - although the chamois design and shape is very similar, it’s a slightly more rough texture.

Assos bibs + chamois cream is a pricey combo for sure, but I had also tried almost everything just like you @Kwalton839 and this was a big part of the fix, as evidenced by me immediately getting an issue again if I use a different set of my many other bibs, or a different cream. The other big part was saddle forwards and lower, but it sounds like you’ve already tried that.

1 Like

I personally use two fans…one is aimed lower to focus on the seat area…seems to work better for me.

No…

4 Likes

4 Likes

I had dealt with saddle sores until I stop using chamois cream on rides less than 1 1/2 hours. I was using Assos cream. Chamois cream can clog pores. I thought I needed it until I started riding without it. Perfectly fine.

1 Like

I could be off base, but based on what you’ve described, I would recommend finding a fitter that has a saddle pressure mapping pad. Real-time saddle pressure mapping would allow you to pedal and see the changes in pressure as your weight shifts. I would bet a lot of money that the highest pressure areas that show up on a pressure map match up with the areas that you have the recurring issues.

What you described, firm subcutaneous ‘nodules’, are due to pressure, not due to hair, abrasion, or lack of cleanliness. Those would manifest differently. The subcutaneous ones are deep, firm, painful, and my experience also took 5-10 days to disappear. You also mention that its worse on the road bike and on TT bike when spending more time in the horns, those positions would put more pressure through the seat. I suspect when you’re in a TT position you are likely rotated more forward and the weight is on different areas of your seat and more on your arms which reduces the peak pressure on the seat interface.

I had the hard, subcutaneous ‘sores’ like you describe for years and had implemented a number of mitigation strategies (thicker padding, lowering saddle, etc.) Last fall I went to a bike fitter and the fit included saddle pressure mapping and it was eye opening due to previously unidentified asymmetries in my pelvis. All of my reoccurring problem areas lined up with the highest pressure areas from the pressure map. Exactly. Seeing the pressure map in real-time and comparing it to what I was feeling and my history of issues was like opening my eyes for the first time. Everything clicked and the picture started to come together.

What ended up (mostly) solving the problems was rotating the saddle back (not what I expected) just the right amount and switching to a leather / plastic version of the saddle from the full carbon version. This allowed me to actually move the saddle up and back and get better leg extension while cutting peak pressure significantly. Due to my narrow bone structure switching to a snub nosed saddle or wider saddle would have made the problem worse. I had also cycled through a number of different saddles over the years and had temporary relief, but they didn’t address the real issue: peak pressure.

I think the key is figuring out the sit bone width, so you can test an appropriately narrow or wide saddle, figuring out the tilt on the saddle, and then dialing in leg extension and setback to minimize the peak pressure. We used the pressure map many times throughout the first 2 sessions to make sure the changes were not spiking peak pressure.

9 Likes

Is this always in the exact same spot?

Would these types of hard, subcutaneous sores have a wound on the surface still or no? If there is a pimple or a small wound opening could it still be the same thing?

This. If you have to hike the legs up to get the chamois against your skin, they’re too small.

Real talk: A standard fixed indoor trainer will always be less comfortable than riding on the road, no matter how many saddles or position changes you try.

Also, I recommend only using tube-type chamois cream, not tub-type. Too many chances for germs to get in there.

This is my experience also. I have “sharp sit bones” and many saddles are uncomfortable because they are too hard. I buy the cheaper, heavier, but more padded versions of saddles to help alleviate the pressure.

Interestingly, both my brothers have the same issue, so clearly something genetic going on.

Another thing I have found helps significantly is alcohol wipes, before and after. Kills any nasty germs that may find their way into pores to cause infections.

2 Likes

Re: op, I would look else where for the source of bacteria. Cycling really just reduces the physical barrier to infection. Partner’s hygiene? Other environmental factors?

It seems as though you’ve ruled out many other solutions. I would treat this as a medical issue. Talk to your doctor.

  • He is using a rocker plate. He didn’t include the info in the OP, but he told us after I mentioned trainer motion as something to consider.

Another thing that in my experience helps, and I don’t think has been mentioned yet, is sleeping in the nude. Getting as much air on that bad boy to dry it out when you’re not on the bike really helps speed up the healing.

1 Like

Additional things to try…

1.) Alcohol swab to clean the area BEFORE you ride instead of baby wipes.
2.) If I’m getting recurring saddle sores I’ll throw a teaspoon of triclosan powder in the wash. Or maybe just soak my bibs in some triclosan/H20 for an hour or so. Kills the critters that are living in the chamois.

2 Likes

I had the small hard nodules in the same area this spring to early summer. First time ever but probably happened because I was spending a lot of time on the trainer.

I had a few that were really pimple-like and were able to be popped(I know that is not what they recommend but that helped with those), but the hard nodule ones would not go away.

What really worked for me was a combination of diaper rash cream and hydro cortisone cream. I’d apply the cortisone cream first then some diaper rash cream on top and it took care of them in a couple of weeks. Not sure if this is what did it or not but I haven’t had a problem since and even stopped applying both creams a week or two after the sores disappeared.

3 Likes

I did not have surface issues other than a little occasional abrasion. They were all completely under the skin and did not extend into the skin layer like a pimple or small wound would. Almost like a blister that would form completely under the skin from repeated ‘impact’ at the high pressure points. Cleanliness, chamois cream, grooming had no effect as the issue was all below the skin.

1 Like

My brothers don’t ride, but it would be interesting to see if they would have the same problems. At least I can blame my parents!

This is why I would consider pressure mapping if the issues are subdermal. If the issues reach through the skin, then please ignore.

This is a before/after from my second session, peak pressures were worse in the first session. Guess where my problem areas were? My fitter was aiming for peak pressures under 1000 mbar. In the first session the left area was hitting over 2000 mbar.

Moving my saddle up and back also helped me extend my upper body and rotate my pelvis forward, taking more weight off of the ‘sharp bone’ areas. When I have relapses/issues now, it is usually from sitting up too much during recovery rides, which puts weight back on the sharp bone areas.

3 Likes

This is helped me a lot too. Super easy and doesn’t require changing anything. I’m sure it helps kill stuff and it also quickly dries the area.

And cheap. I buy a bottle of alcohol for $3 and it lasts a year.