Soreness

[leulamax]

I have been riding for about 6 months now. I started out on a hybrid bike with a Specialized Milano 75 gel saddle. A couple of months ago, I graduated to a Trek Pilot road bike with the standard road bike saddle. I seems that once I started riding the road bike, I started having all of the lovely problems I have been reading about in some threads - pinching, abrasions, bruising, etc.
I have gathered by reading one of the other threads that Astroglide is a good lubricant for the internal abrasions and pinching. I had thought about using Bag Balm or Chamois Butter, but could never tell if this was for internal use or just the external areas.
What I am having the most problems with is the "bruising" type soreness around my girly bits and UT aggrevation that seems to happen every time I ride. If I start riding a lot, I feel almost like I have a bladder infection and sex becomes uncomfortable. This will go away after a few days if I don't ride. I thought about putting another Specialized Milano saddle on my road bike since I never seemed to have problems before, but I don't know if that is just from going to a road bike from a hybrid. My SO thinks that the Milano saddle is to big for a road bike and will not fit right. Is this just a matter of getting used to the road bike posture or can I put the slightly larger saddle on a road bike? Any other suggestions?

[mimitabby]

please try the more comfortable saddle on your road bike. It's not what it looks like that is important, it's what it FEELS like.

Lots of us here have nice big heavier saddles on our road bikes.

check out this thread:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=17382&highlight=brooks


you're way ahead of a lot of people, at least you HAVE a saddle you like.
Good luck!

[leulamax]

Thanks for the reply Mimi! Will the new saddle help with this, or is this just a normal part of cycling?
BTW, love the kitty picture!:)

[mimitabby]

not sure what you mean. I thought you were wanting to put your old saddle on your new bike. (which i thought was a good idea)
Pain is not something you should tolerate. Let's face it, if one of us does an extra hard ride, we're going to feel it in more places than we 'd like; but for just smaller shorter rides, pain should not be the result.

Also, I use chamois butter, it does help. anything that's going to come into contact with your bike shorts/saddle can use a little lubrication.

[indigoiis]

You may need to adjust the height of your saddle, and to make sure it is level. Even a little tilt forward or backward can put pressure on the wrong areas. And if it is not at the right height, you'll get chafing from your hips rocking.

Make sure when you adjust it that they are little adjustments - 1/4 inch at most... go with it for awhile and see if it is better.

(This advise is paraphrased from advice given me this weekend by a shop keeper who was fitting me.)

[Grog]

Thanks for the reply Mimi! Will the new saddle help with this, or is this just a normal part of cycling?
BTW, love the kitty picture!:)

I am tempted to look at the bike shorts you're wearing.

Are they the right size? They should be fitting, which probably means smaller than what you'd spontaneously buy. You have to get the smallest shorts you can fit yourself into, hence keep the chamois in its place. A properly fitting bike short should prevent pinching.

Also, a common cause of vaginal issues on the bike is not squeeky clean shorts. They have to be washed after every single ride, no matter what, especially if you are prone to infections. Some wear underwear under their shorts and wear the same shorts a few times, but if you're anywhere near prone to infections, I'd avoid doing that (both the underwear and the wear-again).

I'm also not sure what you mean by "internal". Chamois Butt'r and the like are certainly not meant to be worn INSIDE your vagina, but they can be spread on your vulva area.

Good luck!!

[IFjane]

I am tempted to look at the bike shorts you're wearing.

Are they the right size? They should be fitting, which probably means smaller than what you'd spontaneously buy. You have to get the smallest shorts you can fit yourself into, hence keep the chamois in its place. A properly fitting bike short should prevent pinching.

Also, a common cause of vaginal issues on the bike is not squeeky clean shorts. They have to be washed after every single ride, no matter what, especially if you are prone to infections. Some wear underwear under their shorts and wear the same shorts a few times, but if you're anywhere near prone to infections, I'd avoid doing that (both the underwear and the wear-again).

I'm also not sure what you mean by "internal". Chamois Butt'r and the like are certainly not meant to be worn INSIDE your vagina, but they can be spread on your vulva area.

Good luck!!

My thoughts exactly, along with the other advice about saddle height, angle, etc. Clean shorts are a MUST. I apply Chamois Butt'r to the chamois before every ride - no matter the distance. It helps tremendously.

leulamax, you say you are in VA - anywhere near Madison?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You say you started on a hybrid and then went to a road bike and started having this problem.
Road bikes put more weight on the front parts of your private areas, while hybrids have you sitting more upright with your weight more back on your sitbones.
Lots of women have more "saddle" pain when they switch to road bikes and a more forward/down racing posture.
Is there any way your LBS can install spacers in your stem to raise your handlebars up a cm or two? Might be worth checking out.
Also, contrary to what seems logical, sometimes a thinner chamois will put less pressure on your front bits where the saddle nose is.

[emily_in_nc]

If your road bike saddle does not have a cutout, you might want to try one that does. I get rawness and chafing of the inner girlybits if I do not use a saddle with a cutout.

Good luck, and let us know what works! You should not have to be that uncomfortable!

Emily

[withm]

OK once the damage is done and you are suffering soreness of the girly bits after a lengthy or hard ride, or the aftermath of a multiday excursion - what can be done to alleviate the pain and rawness of the affected area? Is there anything that can be applied to soothe the irritated areas?

[Grog]

OK once the damage is done and you are suffering soreness of the girly bits after a lengthy or hard ride, or the aftermath of a multiday excursion - what can be done to alleviate the pain and rawness of the affected area? Is there anything that can be applied to soothe the irritated areas?

Long skirts and no underwear!

Diaper rash cream, maybe?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have found Johnson's First Aid Cream to be very gentle and soothing for rashes and raw areas of any kind.

[Tuckervill]

And if it's a Bontrager saddle on your Pilot, that's probably part of the problem, too. Both of my Treks had identical saddles from Bontrager and they are hideous!

Karen

[leulamax]

You may need to adjust the height of your saddle, and to make sure it is level. Even a little tilt forward or backward can put pressure on the wrong areas. And if it is not at the right height, you'll get chafing from your hips rocking.

Make sure when you adjust it that they are little adjustments - 1/4 inch at most... go with it for awhile and see if it is better.

(This advise is paraphrased from advice given me this weekend by a shop keeper who was fitting me.)

I'll have to check into this. It does seem that the more they rock, they more pinching there is.
Thanks!

[leulamax]

I am tempted to look at the bike shorts you're wearing.

Are they the right size? They should be fitting, which probably means smaller than what you'd spontaneously buy. You have to get the smallest shorts you can fit yourself into, hence keep the chamois in its place. A properly fitting bike short should prevent pinching.

Also, a common cause of vaginal issues on the bike is not squeeky clean shorts. They have to be washed after every single ride, no matter what, especially if you are prone to infections. Some wear underwear under their shorts and wear the same shorts a few times, but if you're anywhere near prone to infections, I'd avoid doing that (both the underwear and the wear-again).

I'm also not sure what you mean by "internal". Chamois Butt'r and the like are certainly not meant to be worn INSIDE your vagina, but they can be spread on your vulva area.

Good luck!!

This is interesting that you say this. I have a pair of tri-shorts that don't seem to cause as much irritation, but I always thought that I just didn't ride as hard.
However, should a new saddle prevent the bruising type feeling?
Thanks!

[leulamax]

My thoughts exactly, along with the other advice about saddle height, angle, etc. Clean shorts are a MUST. I apply Chamois Butt'r to the chamois before every ride - no matter the distance. It helps tremendously.

leulamax, you say you are in VA - anywhere near Madison?

I am in Blacksburg, but I have visited up your way. Beautiful country....

[leulamax]

Tucker - I do have a Bontrager saddle. I am going to put a Specialized saddle on the bike and see what happens.
Thanks for all your help everyone!

[KnottedYet]

You shouldn't feel bruised or injured by your saddle, whether it's on a road bike, hybrid, mountain, unicycle, WHATEVER.

Put your old saddle on the new bike, and just see how it feels. Wear your favorite shorts and see if that makes it even better.

It's a place to start.

Then come back and tell us how it goes. We've all been through the what saddle/what shorts/what lube/what placement fandango, and we're full of ideas!

[Kano]

The saddle that made my bottom happy on my "hybrid" comfort bike was a bummer on my road bike -- the sit position is so very different...

I am doing pretty well with my Specialized Ariel that's a bit narrower than the saddle that I had on my old bike -- so far, anyway, and as long as I wear the thinner chamois. Oh, and the smaller ones rather than the ones that my measurements and the ones on the sizing charts say should fit!

Karen in Boise

[IFjane]

I am in Blacksburg, but I have visited up your way. Beautiful country....

Ahhh...I was down your way over Memorial Day for the Wilderness Ride/Mountains of Misery.

Give me a yell if you are ever up this way!

[leulamax]

Ahhh...I was down your way over Memorial Day for the Wilderness Ride/Mountains of Misery.

Give me a yell if you are ever up this way!

Awesome! I was manning the rest stop at the Newport Rec center. I haven't quite got up the courage to do MOM yet. Maybe next year..... :)

[Zen]

And if it's a Bontrager saddle on your Pilot, that's probably part of the problem, too. Both of my Treks had identical saddles from Bontrager and they are hideous!

Karen

I'll second that!
I got rid of that Bontrager for a Terry Falcon X. Ooo la la, what a difference.

[IFjane]

Awesome! I was manning the rest stop at the Newport Rec center. I haven't quite got up the courage to do MOM yet. Maybe next year..... :)


Oh, I didn't do MOM either - I was just THERE. :D We rode the Wilderness Ride the day before, however - had a great time & plan to be there next year.

[songlady]

The Specialized Milano saddle can work on a road bike, I am living proof. I tried several different saddles, including Terry and Specialized brands, but the best of the bunch for me is definitely the Milano. I believe it is the stock saddle for Specialized Sequoia road bikes. I had it on my Roubaix and now on my Ruby and I absolutely love it!

[Miranda]

I'm a new cyclist, and don't have the wisdom that lots of wonderful ladies have on this board, but I do have the first hand experience of your pain, and have had some lady issues experiences that maybe can help answer.

Lots of good info on this site, and in the thread, but unless I have read over it, no one directly answered the question I think you have about the "internal" application of the lube--cuz I had the same one, without a really direct answer, so I just did what I hoped was ok, and ultimately it was--and it made it better--plus some other things. Let me clarify by what I mean as "internal" in this case...

Hope this is not too graphicly offensive :o , but when you are in this kinda pain, you'd just do/try anything to make it go away. I had to google a gyno pic to get the correct term for internal area of bleeding--labia minora--for lack of a better way to put it, the internal channels or tracks that lie below and between the exterernal labia, and soft center tissue covering the clitorous and uretha opening (while hurting I had my own private gyno exam area locked away in my bathroom with a standing swivel cosmetic mirror that sat on the tub edge, one leg up sorta deal to get a better view of what the h#$% had happened to me :eek: ). My bruising/redness was more on the outwardward labia covering the most prominent boney point of the pubic bone and center soft tissues.

When I first got the bleeding in the channels, I too called they gyno in that I wasn't sure what was ok to place in these internal folds--for tx, antibiotic ointment was ok to prevent infection and sitting in a plain mild water temp tub. But, really I found the ointment kept the abraision more moist and kept it from scabbing over to heal, if that makes sense. So, I just kept it gently sprayed off in the shower and patted dry with the towel, no time on the bike or spinning per doc, and skirts with no panties to work--ah, a looonng skirt I might add :o , no sex for the antsy SO/DH, and also if possible depending on your location (home vs public) tried to gently cleanse the parts with a plain water wash cloth after urination--your urine has a high concentration of acid and if some if left over after on your skin (and wounds) after urinating it will add to the burn.

At first I used Desitin--which really helped because it sticks like glue, unfortunately it trashed my shorts and soaked thru the chamois to give me a skunk bootie fashion statement (I posted and read on line how to get the stain out, no luck :mad: )--so I got the Chamois Buttr and one trial pair of shorts one size smaller as suggested to really get it really tight, and a more aero less bunchy chamois--it helped. My crazy ritual for lubing is this... I put a generous amount on the chamois, carelful spread the tissues part to expose the internal labia minora channels and fill them with the Chamois Buttr (be sure to stear clear of the uretha opening--use my mirror set up first few times to help), refold the channels of skin, and really layer the external labia as well--it did not burn/hurt. *I don't know about Assos (sp?) cream cuz it's ingredients say Witch Hazel, the tingly feeling must come from this I hear people talk about--Hazel is an astrigen, so that made try Buttr first on inside stuff.

Not sure if this applies to you, but after reading old post, I suspect I also have some perimenapausal issues that could aid to my problem and am going to the gyno--like it can start in your 30s--38 for me. Meaning, more dryness with changing hormones, and thining tissue--aka being more "boney down there"--some ladies said there is an estrogen thing (insert?) that can be used to help moisture--for now until the doc appt arrives, and pre-buttr application to not have buttr on my hands for this part, I try to vaginally insert a large globbed amount of KY jelly (not liquid version, won't stay as well) kinda like the concept of a tampon. Don't put anything like Vaseline inside because it's pet oil will seal an infection in and can break down things like condoms, etc.

Don't forget to have your "pre ride bladder empty" prior to all this lubing, or you'll have it wiped off on the toliet tissue and have to start all over--also, I do the wash cloth cleansing and towel drying to not not have any risidual urine acid on my skin to just linger in my shorts chamois. As soon as you get home and get your shorts off asap, urinate--no matter how small the amount, it will help to wash out any bacteria that has entered your uretha which has been irritated as well from the pressure. Have had some pelvic repair surgeries, and more prone to bladder infections in general, but my urologist said that the number one cause of UTIs in women is sexual intercourse--not that our men are unclean per say, but the pressure of sex on the uretha (and corresponding from the saddle pressure) and just the nature of things, bacteria enters--if ya pee at all, it helps rinse it out before it goes into the bladder.

Cranberry juice is known to have something in it that keeps the bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder, but will not cure an infection after you have one. I hate drinking juice, so I found it in a capsule supplement at the drug store--and no calories such as the juice (Ocen Spray "cocktail" is mostly sugar if ya read the label and very lil % of cranberries, the pure stuff is super tart and pricey).

I haven't changed saddles yet, but am looking at the Specialized because of the customized width varieties that are offered for sitz bones. I read a good thread about bike fit on this site before throwing out your saddle. Mine still needs more help, but my saddle was too high that caused my pelvis to rock on the tissue, and we shortened my reach (saddle more forward)--more reach angled pelvis downward and put my weight on my pubic bone, and as finding my balance on my road bike I used to always be in the drops (just felt more stable this way)--all weight angled down--so now that I feel more balanced, I vary my position seated (drops/hoods), stand while pedaling to break from my saddle and improve blood flow, etc.

Hope you heal and find some resolve :) , this is not a happy thing at all! :(