How do you avoid saddle sores?
One of the most painful and irritating injuries any cyclist can sustain is saddle sores. They are literally a pain in the butt. They are an annoying side effect that most riders will experience sooner or later. At best they just make for uncomfortable riding, but at their worst they can keep you off your bike completely.
Before we get onto how to avoid saddle sores it’s important that you understand what they are, and where they come from.
The term ‘saddle sore’ is pretty self explanatory. They are a skin irritation that occurs in the area where your skin rubs against your shorts and saddle. They can be excruciatingly painful and generally result from the excess friction and pressure from spending extended periods in the saddle. People new to cycling are often more susceptible, but even the more experienced riders can still suffer from them.
Saddle sores begin with superficial skin abrasions caused by chafing. So nothing to alarming early on but most riders will find them unbelievably irritating, and if you just leave them and don’t treat them properly, the wounds can become open sores infected with bacteria, which will potentially lead to folliculitis. If you get to this point and have still left them untreated they can develop into more serious conditions, such as pus filled abscesses.
No one likes riding on a razor blade. Don’t let saddle sores develop into something worse.
If you notice that you are developing saddle sores don’t hesitate to seek treatment straight away. Catch them early and you can control them. Leaving them alone will just lead to further time off your beloved bike.
So how you can avoid saddle sores?
Once you understand what saddle sores are and how they develop, it’s easier to come up with a preemptive tactic to avoid them. Below I discuss five preventive tips that will help you remain as saddle sore free as possible.
Invest in good cycling shorts
Don’t go cheap and attempt to save money when it comes to cycling shorts. Cycling shorts with a good chamois on the liner are an investment. Generally you get what you pay for, the more expensive ones should be made with higher quality materials, and their design is usually better as well. The chamois pads in cycling shorts often come in different shapes to suit different types of riding and distances covered. For instance if you tend to ride for longer periods of time and cover greater distances, you should be looking at an endurance focused chamois. These are generally thicker with a denser foam to cater for the longer hours in the saddle.
You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to brands for cycling shorts, but look for quick drying and high wicking materials that obviously provide a comfortable fit.
Use chamois cream
Many cyclists are now turning to chamois cream. Most chamois creams should help to reduce the chances of inflammation and infections caused by bacteria. The cream also acts a lubricant to limit the friction caused between your skin and shorts. You simply just apply the cream onto the area of your skin where the chafing and friction occurs, or for a little more protection you can also apply the cream directly to the chamois. This has the added bonus of actually prolonging the life of the chamois in you shorts.
Correct saddle height
Ensuring your saddle at the right height effects how comfortable you will be on your bike. The right saddle height will also make a huge difference when it comes down to how much power you can put through the pedals, it’s also essential to avoid saddle sores. Too high and you will be straining and sliding side to side as you pedal. Too low and not only do you run the risk of injury due to a poor mechanical position at the top of each stroke, you will also likely cause excess chafing due to the sharp bent position in the leg. None of which will do your butt any good after a few hours on your bike.
Choose the right saddle
The saddle that comes with your bike doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the right one to suit you. Saddles come in all different shapes and sizes, as do everyones butt. Like saddles, our backsides are all made differently. Bike manufacturers don’t know who is going to buy their bike so they will just use an average size across all ranges. Don’t assume that just because a saddle is quite soft, that it is better than the others, more often than not the harder saddles tend to cause the least amount of friction. When looking at saddles, you should focus your attention to the shape and width, not the weight or design. Your saddle should be a match for your butt. Most good bike shops will offer some form of a bike fit as part of their service to help you find a suitable saddle, if they do offer this it’s well worth it to help make the decision making process of which saddle to purchase much simplier.
Most riders once they’ve found a saddle that works for them will stick to the same one, or at the very least a saddle with the same dimensions.
Hygiene
Sounds obvious, but make sure your body and clothing is clean before riding, especially your liner shorts. Only if it’s absolutely necessary should you wear the same cycling/liner shorts 2 days in a row. Even on multi day trips try to pack enough liner shorts for the duration. It’s also good practice to get changed from all your cycling clothes right away after a ride, and go for a shower where possible. Once you have washed your cycling shorts ensure they are completely dry before wearing them again. Bacteria and folliculitis thrive in dirty and damp surroundings which is way its vitally important that you try to wear clean shorts for every ride, and avoid sitting around in them once you’re finished.
What about treating saddle sores?
If you have the unfortunate pleasure of getting saddle sores, there’s not a whole lot that you can do. As mentioned already they require time to heal. I would always recommend taking a few days off the riding to let the affected areas of skin heal and get some much needed rest. I’ve known riders change their saddle so they can continue riding, with the idea being that it will change the pressure points. Personally though I would just rest.
Cleaning the infected area regularly and letting it breathe should speed up the healing process. This doesn’t mean walking around butt naked, just simply wearing loose fitting clothing. You can also apply specific creams to the infected area which should also help ease the problem. Sudocrem is usually recommended, and I have found Diprobase creams to be quite good.
If you are sensible and immediately treat any saddle sores when you notice them they shouldn’t develop into a huge problem. The sooner you treat them the better, and the above tips should hopefully help you avoid them.
If your saddle sores develop to the point of absolute torture you should seek professional medical help, just keep your fingers crossed that your doctor rides, or you will just hear the terrifying words ‘stop riding your bike!’.