Tricks for keeping the 'bits' happy [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

SpinSpinSugar

07-22-2010, 01:34 PM

The Girly Bits I mean! This season I have learned a few tricks for keeping my girly bits happy on the bike for long rides besides the normal stuff we all know like bike fit and tight shorts. I haven't seen some of these posted before so I thought I'd share what works for me. Hopefully this will help some of you too!:

#1 - most important - AZO UTI relief pills. Take 2-4 immediately before the ride, and take again if the ride is more than 4 hours long. Available over the counter at nearly any drug store, Target, Walmart, etc. It stops any pain/burning/etc before it even starts. I can't say enough how this has been a miracle for me.. http://www.azoproducts.com/products/azo_standard

#2 - AZO Yeast Tablets - Take 2 the day before the ride and again 2 the morning of - Preventative measures are the best cure - Available over the counter at most drug stores, Target, Walmart, etc. http://www.azoproducts.com/products/azo_yeast

#3 - Do not shave for at least 3 days before a ride. Even the panty-line. Helps prevent chafing

#4 - Tuck up! - yes, shove those bits as high up inside as you possibly can - nothing worse than "feeling the pinch" :o

#5 - Use the most dry, sticky lube you can find, and use it everywhere but the edges of the labia. (or else those bits will slide back out!)

Please feel free to add to this list ladies. I'd love to know how you stay comfortable in the saddle.

SpinSpinSugar

EDIT: Allow me to add that I have a lot of '''uummm''' soft tissue down there.. so this may not be helpful or necessary for everyone - but if you read this and go -"A-HA!" then you may be in the same well-endowed group that I am in..

SpinSpinSugar

07-22-2010, 01:49 PM

This lube is sticky and dry.. "BodyGlide" http://www.rei.com/product/745879
Not slippery and messy like Chamois Butter or Butt Paste

shootingstar

07-22-2010, 01:58 PM

kermit

07-22-2010, 01:58 PM

+1 on shaving, learned that the hard way!

SpinSpinSugar

07-22-2010, 02:11 PM

Is all this advice for real? :cool:

Ok. I'm a woman. I bike alot.

But I've never had to do/try any of the above.

I have nothing to add. And I don't wear padded cycling shorts. Yep, probably not normal..but maybe I'm just lucky wierd.

I've been cycling nearly last 18 yrs. Many thousands of kms.

Believe me, my saddle is not in a wierd position. :o

Yes, It's for real. Why would you respond like that? :confused:

Yes, I really do all of these things before I ride. No my saddle is not in a weird position, nor is my reach too far, or any other fit issue on this bike.

Considering the number of threads on this forum regarding pain and sores in that area many ladies deal with why would adding any more info be a bad thing?

SpinSpinSugar

nscrbug

07-22-2010, 02:19 PM

Funny that you should mention the AZO pills...because after my last few rides, I've had really intense burning when I pee. But I just assumed it was because my girly parts were all inflamed and tender. Maybe I'll try this.

OakLeaf

07-22-2010, 02:34 PM

SpinSpinSugar

07-22-2010, 02:44 PM

Burning and frequency of urination during and after a long ride was what prompted me to try the AZO. I even went to the DR and got tested for a UTI, Yeast infection, Bacterial Vaginosis, etc and it all came up negative. Cranberry juice and Cystex doesn't help because it's not a UTI - It's temporary inflammation of the Urethera opening and soft tissue, but it feels exactly like a UTI. The AZO works great to prevent that from happening.

But yes, it will make your pee bright orange, but it hasn't permanently stained anything so far. I don't take it daily.. only for rides that last longer than 2 hours or if it's very hot out and the sweat makes it harder to keep things from sliding around..

shootingstar

07-22-2010, 03:01 PM

I don't know that I'd take pyridium regularly.

Is it safe to numb your urinary tract when there's nothing wrong? If nothing else, it will stain your underwear and chamois that bright yellow.

nscr, that stuff is just an anesthetic. It doesn't cure infection, just keeps you from having to pee every three minutes. Try cranberry juice, and if that doesn't work and you want to try one more OTC remedy before going to the doctor, Cystex has an antimicrobial.

I would be phoning my doctor-sister on this. Any drug is absorbed by the skin for a long period of time can't be always good.

For certain, I wouldn't be going on a long touring rides for several days/weeks by using such a drug often, without consulting a doctor. I still wouldn't. It doesn't sound right, an anaesthesia. Maybe look into different chamois for shorts, saddle type/adjustments. Takes time to look into the latter non-drug options.

Takes me awhile to find the right types of saddles whenever I buy a new bike. Or at least, I try alot of different saddle positions. I have 4 bikes.

OakLeaf

07-22-2010, 03:06 PM

I'd be more inclined to try to prevent it with cranberry juice, probiotics, and general immune health. If you get inflammation every time you ride, something's not right.

There's nothing I take that regularly "without a second thought." That includes my calcium/magnesium supplement, which I do take daily, and find quite challenging to keep in balance. Honestly I'd rather take a prescription drug day in and day out than something OTC - at least I'd have some sort of medical supervision.

SpinSpinSugar

07-22-2010, 03:18 PM

Ladies, allow me to clarify..

The AZO is not taken daily. It is for long rides (2-3 hrs plus) only.

I was checked for UTI, yeast, etc. it is not that - it is simple inflammation of the urethrea opening and soft tissue.

Chamios bunch, sweat happens, some ladies have more down there than others and it gets rubbed, pinched and chafed after a while no matter which saddle we use. I have experienced no ill effects from using the AZO, and it has kept me doing something I love... riding my bike.

Kiwi Stoker

07-22-2010, 03:50 PM

I think the OP means other measures you can take APART from saddle and bike fit to avoid problems.

I mean that one day you can ride 100km and everything is OK and another day you ride it's not. And often it's due to OTHER factors, not your bike.

I also have to try other ways for reducing discomfort. When I ride stoker on the tandem you cannot shift yourself around or stand to coast as much as you can on a single- so I have to use other methods to reduce discomfort on some of my rides.

I would rub a bit of chamois cream onto the saddle. I find that having a bit of slip means the shorts etc don't catch and pinch. I found this out as chamois cream often sinks through the shorts and greases the saddle.

SpinSpinSugar

07-22-2010, 04:03 PM

Yes, that is correct. Thank you for the clarification.. what can be done apart from the usual.

To answer your question Muirenn:

I've had a professional fit done - ended up changing my stem to a shorter/taller one so I'm not reaching so far and putting less pressure on the front. I use a Brooks B17 Imperial at the moment, but I have used many many different types - all with a large cutouts. (My sitbones measure 155 on the Specialized butt-oh-meter)

Saddles I've tried:

Specialized: Sonoma, Jett, Alias, Dolce, and one that does not have a model name that came on a bike that my friend gave me
2 different Bontrager models with cutouts (cant remember which models)
Terry: Butterfly, Butterfly Ti, Liberator, Butterfly Tri-Gel
Selle An-Atomica
Selle Italia Gel Flow
Brooks: B17, B67, B17 Imperial S, B17 Imperial mens (current saddle)
Serfas RX
Respiro Moderate Bike Saddle

The issue seems to be that I have a lot of tissue down there and no matter what I do or what saddle I use it ends up getting sweaty and eventually "untucks" and gets pinched and chafed. Tight shorts help, but eventually those too bunch up and get shoved up in there and the chafing begins. I have read many threads on this forum about women who have more down there than others (I am definitely one who falls into that category) and are having discomfort due to that extra tissue. (Since we can't just shove it aside like guys can) So that is why I posted what I do to work around this issue. I probably should have clarified that at the beginning.

SpinSpinSugar

SpinSpinSugar

07-22-2010, 04:29 PM

Hi Muirenn, I do all my "tweaking" with a measuring tape and the measurements the fit professional gave me. -Actually I ended up lowering my saddle and raising my bars a few cm from what the fit recommended just to put myself back on my sit-bones even more. And I do tweak it often during the ride to keep myself in the comfort zone - usually into more of an upright/shorter reach position.

My Dr. is the one who approved the use of AZO for the discomfort (when I asked her about it) since all the tests for UTI/Yeast/BV came back negative. She also said that if the pain/burning lasted longer than 3 days after the ride then it should be looked at, but for temporary inflammation - 24 hours or less - that AZO was harmless but would stain my underwear.

SpinSpinSugar

trista

07-22-2010, 04:49 PM

+1 on the tucking of the bits. I felt the pinch the other day and had to stop do to some readjusting. I felt like a man, grabbing my crotch, lol.

Something else I learned was to keep the hair, um, short. Nothing worse than a rogue hair.

KnottedYet

07-22-2010, 05:36 PM

Does it make any difference if you wear snug compression shorts under your bike shorts?

I did that a couple times and it certainly made my chamois-shorts far more comfortable.

Things stayed tucked up and smoothed out, and the compression shorts slid over the chamois instead of me sliding. Almost no friction. It was nifty.

sarahspins

07-22-2010, 07:13 PM

It is a good point. But I think in this case the regimin sounds too extreme not to be masking other problems.

I agree with you, and the primary reason I agree is because of suggestions #1 and #2... they may work for the OP, and she may do so with the blessing of her doctor, but IMO this should absolutely NOT be standard advice for someone experiencing any degree of saddle discomfort - because it's potentially covering up issues that have the potential to lead to permanent problems, and it fails to address the cause. It's not normal to "need" so many extreme measures.

Good shorts and chamois cream for longer rides, and no shaving (if you don't shave regularly) is reasonable advice.. but AZO isn't.

Crankin

07-23-2010, 02:54 AM

I have the same issues when I do a long or hot ride. I just deal with it... I have never mentioned it here, but I think you guys need to go a little easy on the OP. The Body Glide and some of the other usual tricks mostly work for me, but I get the burning after a ride still, at times. I actually went for my annual exam once, after I had been cycling a couple of years, and my gyn. told me I had "lesions," which she knew weren't cancerous or anything, but it looked very raw. I knew right away it was from my saddle, so I switched to a Terry Falcon. That helped a lot... but I still have the burning issue after rides sometimes. I've been professionally fit, and have tried all of the usual lubes. I am fine if I don't pee during a ride (not usually possible!) and I make sure I don't touch myself when showering after a long hot ride, because at times, any pressure will make me go through the roof.
It's the combination of sweat and some pressure, as well as having "ample" bits.
I did try a Brooks saddle for 6 months and it was an instrument of torture for me. I hated it. And, I don't have the patience to keep looking for the "perfect" saddle. Mine is good, I have it on all 3 bikes and the problem is much better. But... I have to say that not everyone is so super concerned regarding taking otc meds. If it works for the OP, then it's good.
When I was on my tour in Spain, it was so hot that I had the worst issues ever! I learned that I can't wear the Terry Bella shorts in really hot weather and that my Shebeest S Pros are really good for that. But, you guys would most likely be horrified to know what I used to keep the problem from totally ruining my trip; basically a combination of Body Glide, a lube the tour dour director got me, and Neosporin. That and a box of Baby Wipes worked.

arielmoon

07-23-2010, 05:59 AM

I ride 6 days a week and I have to something. My solution is to trim instead of shaving. A cheap trimmer does a great job and I trim everything.

OakLeaf

07-23-2010, 08:02 AM

I keep looking at those. I don't know that DH would appreciate me using his down there. Although, with men, you never know. ;)

KnottedYet

07-23-2010, 09:26 AM

(I'm dying to try one and have been researching sizing. Was it Knotted Yet or Oakleaf who posed the math on that?)

Sit Bones and Suspended Saddles

The metal cantle plate is NOT a good place to set the bones.
Actual sitting space is the overall width minus the width of the cantle plate x2 (for left and right sides of the saddle)

So, for a Brooks B17 the math goes like this:

170mm - 2(10mm) = 150mm
(saddle width) - 2(plate width) = (what you can sit on)

What you can sit on must be equal or greater than the outside width of your sit bones, or else you are sitting over the metal plate rather than on the suspended leather.

For the example of someone with 155mm sit bones, a B17 is too narrow. For a suspended leather saddle to fit, this must be true:
(what you can sit on) = or > (outside bone width)

150mm suspended leather span is NOT equal or greater than 155mm sit bone span.

Someone with 155mm sit bones will be planting bone on metal. The body doesn't like that sensation, and will go into an anterior pelvic tilt. That presses the soft tissue into the saddle as the pelvis rocks forward onto the rami in an attempt to get clear of the metal.

Quick-n-dirty Formula

(width of saddle) - 2(width of plate) = > (outside sit bone measurement)

BleeckerSt_Girl

07-23-2010, 11:00 AM

What a thread.
Dry sticky lube?....that's an oxymoron. Dry and sticky is the opposite of lubricant. Maybe rubber cement?

Taking various pills just for a 3 hour ride... Something else must be wrong there somewhere. Is your diet healthy? Are you eating and drinking enough healthy stuff? Do you get frequent urinary infections?

I personally feel if you have lots of problems with irritation in that area, you shouldn't be shaving down there at all. A modest trim is just the ticket.

BleeckerSt_Girl

07-23-2010, 11:05 AM

When I was on my tour in Spain, it was so hot that I had the worst issues ever! I learned that I can't wear the Terry Bella shorts in really hot weather and that my Shebeest S Pros are really good for that. But, you guys would most likely be horrified to know what I used to keep the problem from totally ruining my trip; basically a combination of Body Glide, a lube the tour dour director got me, and Neosporin. That and a box of Baby Wipes worked.

Horrified? No, sounds to me like a good plan for a drastic situation of a long tour in terribly hot weather.

Crankin

07-23-2010, 11:15 AM

Thanks, Lisa...
It's just that we all come up with our own solutions and it made me think that I am not "organic" enough for this forum :).
My problem is mostly solved 95% of the time when I am at home, though.
And thanks for the Anti-Monkey Butt powder suggestion (that was you?). I found the regular brand at the drugstore and I am going to order the "lady" brand. It got Steve to switch from all these years of using baby powder.

PamNY

07-23-2010, 11:34 AM

Crankin, if ever there were something that's different for everyone, it's the "bits." (I think of Monty Python's "naughty bits" every time I see this thread.)

Personally, I'm thankful for having knowledge of what works for a wide variety of people. I'm sure I can solve any "bit" problem that comes up.

Catrin

07-23-2010, 11:34 AM

4. You were measured for sitbones at the shop? I've heard of a couple of people doing that, then trying at home and discovering the shop was off by 30 mm. Perhaps try this at home just to double-check?......

I am one of those people and they were off quite a bit. Nothing wrong with checking for yourself just to be sure - personally I found the play-doh method (making your own with flour, salt and water) to be simple and effective. Also easy to read afterwards :)

There are whole threads here about difference methods check your sit-bone width - here is a good one (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=38436&highlight=measure+bones) but there are plenty of others.

OakLeaf

07-23-2010, 11:39 AM

I'm not criticizing what's working for the OP, with her doctor's blessing.

I did suggest that maybe there was something mechanical or systemic contributing to her issues that could be remedied less invasively. Even if the doctor is a cyclist, not all cyclists have the wealth of collective knowledge and experience that this board offers.

What I wasn't thrilled about was the tone of the post, advising intense chemical warfare as the #1 best solution for everyone.

Everyone DOES have to find her own solution, but choosing drugs as the FIRST thing to try is as wrong here as it is in psychiatry.

shootingstar

07-23-2010, 11:54 AM

What I wasn't thrilled about was the tone of the post, advising intense chemical warfare as the #1 best solution for everyone.

Everyone DOES have to find her own solution, but choosing drugs as the FIRST thing to try is as wrong here as it is in psychiatry.

Agree. OP needs to recognize how rare her physician's advice is to use that particular type of drug even though I realize she spent time investigating other solutions initially.

I still wouldn't use that type of drug regularily in the women's nether regions/crotch for cycling long hrs. Some of us cycle for several hrs. up and down some hills several days per wk.

This is important, because newbie women looked to experienced women cyclists for safe, sound advice when returning to cyling.

BleeckerSt_Girl

07-23-2010, 12:42 PM

Thanks, Lisa...
And thanks for the Anti-Monkey Butt powder suggestion (that was you?).
Yes that was me. But I hope you made sure to get the one made entirely from organic monkeys.
(JUST KIDDING!) lol!

...if ever there were something that's different for everyone, it's the "bits."

A classic new TE QUOTE OF THE MONTH!
Would make a great bike bumper sticker, but it'd be awful small.

personally I found the play-doh method (making your own with flour, salt and water) to be simple and effective. Also easy to read afterwards :)

Easy to read afterwards? Then you should use Silly Putty and put the comic section under neath when you sit down on it to make your sitbone print. Then after you get the measurement, you can read the comics and stretch D ick Tracy and Orphan Annie into wacky faces.

(note I inserted a space in the word "D ick", otherwise the forum software censors it into ****.) :D Sheesh.

ny biker

07-23-2010, 12:58 PM

Easy to read afterwards? Then you should use Silly Putty and put the comic section under neath when you sit down on it to make your sitbone print. Then after you get the measurement, you can read the comics and stretch D ick Tracy and Orphan Annie into wacky faces.

This sounds much more fun than putting the folded yoga mat on the dining room table and sitting on it for 5 minutes while playing word games on my phone to waste time...

OakLeaf

07-23-2010, 02:18 PM

Can you tell my fortune?

Owlie

07-23-2010, 02:29 PM

Can you tell my fortune?

"You need a new saddle." ;)

SpinSpinSugar

07-23-2010, 02:35 PM

[BEGIN RANT]

Wow.. I'm utterly shocked by the level of intensity of the responses received from this post. Generally speaking I have very few female friends because of situations just like this thread. I simply don't get it.

It's a F*(^&^**G Urinary tract numbing pill!! Get a grip! We're not talking laxative abuse here. I'm not suggesting anything more extreme than taking a few ibuprofin before a long ride to help with aches and pains. (Which I'm sure more than a few on this forum do without a second thought.)

My diet is excellent. I am a healthy, fit, 35 yr old woman, 145lbs 5'5" tall - size 8 pants. For 7 of the last 8 years I never even went to the DR. - I had no health insurance. Common sense use of self treatment kept me well and functioning properly. Amazing how little actually goes wrong with a person if you can't run to the Dr for every little sniffle or ache.

Yes, I have tried so many saddles that my riding group joke about it. I've learned that FLAT saddles with a large cutout usually feel great up front, but KILL my sitbones or give me lower back pain within 20 miles or so. Saddles with a cutout and a curve to them (specialized sonoma) and a full/wide back feel the best on my sitbones and lower back but usually the nose is too wide and the sides of the cutout bruise my labia.

So far the brooks B17 Imperial (mens) has been the most comfortable - great on the backside, passable on the front after loosening the tension so it has more give. But after an hour or two, no matter what the tissue gets sweaty, things slip around and then the pinching chafing begins and shortly after the burning.

If I take the AZO, nothing gets inflamed despite the sliding and pinching and in a few hours it runs it's course and is out of my system. No residual pain or inflammation, no harm done. PERIOD.

Don't make a mountain out of a molehill ladies. Seriously. [/END RANT]

KnottedYet

07-23-2010, 05:23 PM

As I watched this "bits" drama unfold, I kept wanting to post "Different strokes for different folks".... but I was afraid I'd get into trouble. I'm not familiar with the medication mentioned, so I had nothing to add there. (but oh, boy, did compression shorts under my chamois shorts make a huge difference... I'm happy to add lots about that trick!)

Since my outside sitbones are 160, that means I need minimum 180 to compensate for the 20 mm plate-total, right? Inside distance doesn't matter.

Is this correct?

Also, I normally need a cutout. Both from experience and from the nifty chair/cutout test. Does it go the same for a Brooks? I know leather can give a lot. At least eventually.

I'm wondering if I'd need the cutout, or maybe just the one with the 3 holes. I do generally need one as much as the OP:)

I'd love to put Brooks leather bar tape and saddle on my old steel road bike. Especially in the honey-colored leather. Beautiful.

Plate total and outside width:
Yup, if the saddle you are considering has a 1 cm plate, you need to figure on NOT sitting on the plate. So subtract the plate (left and right, so 2 cm on Brooks) from the width of the saddle. (Brooks plates are 1 cm, I don't know Velo Orange or Selle An Atomica plates so I always use Brooks plates as an example) This is where your outside width matters. You don't want any part of the bones wolloping the plate.

Center-to-Center width matters more for padded saddles with curved top surfaces (Brooks are generally quite flat on the top). You would ideally have your centers land on the cheek centers of the saddle. So on the top of the domes of the saddle cheeks rather than on the slopes. If your centers land on the outer slopes of the domes you can just imagine how the wedging effect of the saddle top contour could jam up into your soft tissue.

Cut-Out:
Brooks are not known for their comfy noses. They are very narrow and very hard. I've had to work the leather of the nose on every one of my Brooks saddles by hand. They can be quite uncomfortable on the bits. A good half hour or more with lots of Proofhide. If you have any inclination that you need a cut-out, buy the Imperial version of whatever saddle you choose. I haven't heard anyone complain that the Brooks Imperial pinches shut like the Selle An Atomica, but since I have neither saddle don't take my word for it. Order your saddle from www.wallbike.com and you'll have 6 months to decide if you like the cut-out or not.

KnottedYet

07-23-2010, 06:12 PM

You know the B17-S would be too narrow, IF your 160mm is very accurate. If you think you may be a bit on the smaller side in riding postion (remember the rami and tuberosities angle in as they go forward) you could probably get away with the B17-S, but you'd have that shorter nose...

People with small bones ride the B68, etc. If the excess width is posterior to the ischial tuberosities, it shouldn't cause any difficulty. Nothing moves there. Just like you can perch on the edge of a 6 foot wide bench and still "air pedal." (thats extra wide, eh? but it doesn't interfere with hip motion)

If you are interested in a Brooks, try the one that appeals to you most. If that doesn't work within 6 months, send it back to Wallingford Bicycle Parts for a full refund.

soprano

07-24-2010, 05:21 AM

I haven't heard anyone complain that the Brooks Imperial pinches shut like the Selle An Atomica, but since I have neither saddle don't take my word for it.

I have a Brooks Imperial with right about 1000 miles on it. My experience was that as the saddle started to break in, the slot started to pinch. At that time I tightened up the laces. No more pinching. That was about 800 miles ago.

Muirenn, I also think that a honey colored Brooks with matching tape would be lovely. Unfortunately, the Imperials only come in black. Oh well, it's not as flashy so I suppose that it's less likely to be stolen ;)

ivorygorgon

07-24-2010, 05:40 AM

I am thankful to the OP for posting her ideas. I am having a terrible time with the bits. I actually get swollen and stay swollen for several days after a longish ride. I have also had a couple of yeast infections and I have never in my life had any problems like that until I started riding. Any discussion and ideas are worth throwing out there. Not everybody has to take every suggestion.

Thorn

07-24-2010, 06:05 AM

If I need 180 I'm going to assume 177 would be painful due to the plate and 210 just too wide.

Listen to Knotted. Never too wide.

That said, you questioned the cutout. When I finnaly broke down and bought the B68, I was hoping the lack of cutout wouldn't be a problem (I had been riding an SMP that was a skosh too narrow but had that awesome cutout). Nope.

At the time, there was no Imperial. I sent my brand new B68 to Selle Anatomica and had the leather reinforced and a slot cut into it. Bummer. It pinched.

Then I got out the drill and put holes in the sides and laced it up tight. Better. A little sand paper to fine tune the slot and I've got almost the perfect saddle.

When I first put the saddle on the bike, I got a lot of snickers about putting a cruiser saddle on my go-fast road bike. Now that it is broken in and the sit area is dented, the snickerers are silenced. Some of us do need that width (and given how many live on this board, I sometimes question those oft-quoted percentile numbers....but maybe I just don't like to be unusual). But I digress.

As to the OP....yeah, sometimes TE-ers can get a little over the top. But, with a few rare exceptions, they mean well.

KnottedYet

07-24-2010, 06:05 AM

I realized that last night when I looked a little more closely:(

I think the main issue would be that I'm in between sizes.

Still want one though:)

Buy one or the other.

Try it for six months.

If the first one you buy doesn't feel right, send it back in exchange for the other one.

Bill at www.wallbike.com is a very understanding guy. His Brooks business is roaring along because he gets it that leather saddles need to break in, and he gets it that it can take months to decide on a saddle. He often sells out of particular saddles because customers trust that they can get saddles from him with no risk for 6 months. (he sells returned saddles on eBay, I think.) Many members of the TE Brooks Cult have dealt with Bill. I've talked to him several times and emailed him. There really is no problem returning saddles to him. It's part of his successful business model!

I'm just bummed he moved his business from Seattle to New Orleans...

KnottedYet

07-24-2010, 06:17 AM

When I first put the saddle on the bike, I got a lot of snickers about putting a cruiser saddle on my go-fast road bike. Now that it is broken in and the sit area is dented, the snickerers are silenced.

That was the part I didn't expect: the cachet of the dented and worn leather saddle.

Even my beloved B67 with springs gets respect from folks who know bikes. Leather doesn't lie. If your leather saddle is broken-in and showing wear, then clearly that puppy is being ridden.

(my oldest Brooks B67 is only 5 years old. By the time it's 30 years old like Biciclista's B66, why that saddle will look REALLY cool!)

malkin

07-24-2010, 08:03 AM

OP is not a registered user of TE. A guest.
Seems to me like weird internet behavior to stop by and disclose that much.

KnottedYet

07-24-2010, 08:10 AM

OP is not a registered user of TE. A guest.
Seems to me like weird internet behavior to stop by and disclose that much.

If you delete an active account, it shows up as "guest" and "n/a"

BleeckerSt_Girl

07-24-2010, 09:09 AM

Hmmm... Someone posts about their very painful problems while riding, and recommends some numbing/painkiller medications to solve it, among other tips. All fine and good.
Others suggest solutions that they think may help correct the underlying problems, rather than masking symptoms with medications or painkillers. I see it that they are trying to be helpful, not attacking anyone personally. Oh well.

OakLeaf

07-24-2010, 10:42 AM

OP is not a registered user of TE. A guest.
Seems to me like weird internet behavior to stop by and disclose that much.

I think maybe she deactivated her account. :( It wasn't showing up that way before.

I feel bad about coming on kind of strong. But I also thought that her post was way too strong about advising others to take some radical measures as their first thing to try. The OP was phrased as advice to others.

I'm not as crunchy as I sometimes come off, really. ;) You should see my travel kit. What I am, is careful about not using anything I don't need, and I try to encourage others to do the same.

gayledb

07-24-2010, 12:17 PM

KnottedYet

07-24-2010, 12:51 PM

I have read through all the comments but I struggle with this too, but not from the UTI point. I am on my 4th, or is it 5th, saddle for this season and hope this one will be satisfactory. I was uncomfortable to the point of bleeding last week so have allowed healing time and finally rode yesterday without that happening again. Chamois Butter, shorts, good saddle, seems all to have a bearing but am thinking it is low estrogen and thin tissues. Anyone else dealing with this and finding a workable solution?

If you post your sit bone measurements, I bet there will be a few people with similar experiences who can recommend saddles that have worked for them.

Saddles really are not supposed to make you bleed.
(regardless of tissue condition)