painful hoo-ha needs help

I think the subject says it all. But, girls- I went on a 35 mile ride this past week end (with 8 miles of moderate to steep hills:eek: ) and the soft tissue on my unmentionables aka hoo-ha, as I like to call her, was killing me. i thought for sure that I was going to give myself a bladder infection but I circumvented it with herbs. I couldn't walk right for 2 days. So besides over doing it, I think I may need a new saddle that supports my butt bones better so not as much pressure on the goods. Any suggestions on saddle? and, yes, I made sure that the angle is good and even slightly tilted down (too much tilt and I'll have problems with my upper back)

Saddles are like jeans, no one saddle is best for everyone. I am new to all this as well, but the saddle was the first thing I tackled. I hear great things about the Terry saddles, there are several different ones. I lucked out and tried this really inexpensive Forte saddle. It was only $30 so I figured if it didn't work, no biggy. I have had it for 2 years and love it. Most places are pretty good about returns when it comes to saddles. Look for some that have a cut out in the middle. It puts the pressure on the sitz bones and pelvic girdle instead of the soft tissue. Try a few out. Good luck.

Jen L

Please visit the Favorite Saddles thread! (Somewhere in the middle, on the forum home page.)

I find shorts with too much padding gives me the same problem.

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I hear great things about the Terry saddles, there are several different ones.

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I know there's a whole thread about saddles somewhere, but I just wanted to weigh in on Terrys... I have a Terry Gellisimo I bought last summer and it's incredibly comfy. I'd consider myself a big girl and this seat works out pretty well for me.

Also, I would suggest that you get measured for a saddle. When the specialized group came to town talking about wsd's they had they also had a a seat measurer. If you have the chance sit on one of them and that should help guide you to the right size.
I also ride a terry and I have gotten a ton of use out of it. Unfortunately it's busting at the seams (for over 4,000 miles, not too shabby). I even put the same saddle on my commuter b/c I like it so much.
Good luck finding a saddle and get that soreness gone!
PS Butt cream/butter/lube works real well. If your not using it for the long rides, try it out. There are different kinds so look around.

I just bought a specialized Dolce road bike which came with the BG specialized saddle. I have had no complaints from the saddle which is very unusual for a saddle that comes with the bike.

I was having bad hoo-ha issues as well...I got a new Terry Butterfly saddle and tried Chamois Butt'r. But still, on rides with lots of hills, I was in pretty severe pain for a couple days afterwards. I felt like I was really injuring myself. Chamois Butt'r seems to be irritating to my skin (isn't that weird?) and I am afraid to put it in the actual hoo-ha region because the last thing I need is more irritation when I'm trying to prevent irritation in the first place! So I tried two other things that I felt safe basically smearing everywhere: A&D ointment and Vagisil cream. The A&D ointment completely stopped any hoo-ha injuries but it's super messy and greasy and smelly. You can't wash it out of your shorts. The Vagisil cream is WONDERFUL! I know it's safe to put "down there" because that's where you're supposed to put it. I use a ton of it...way more than you'd ever think to use. At first I was thinking it might end up being really expensive, but if you get the generic brand, it's not bad. And Chamois Butt'r isn't cheap anyway. Oh, and I also seem to have more problems if my shorts have too much padding. The thinner the padding, the better everything feels.

So that's my two cents...maybe try a new saddle and use A TON of Vagisil.

I do best with a thinnish chamois; and a saddle with no cutout, no padding, thin nose, wide "flare" in back, and T shaped top rather than pear shaped. (abrupt transition from sitting area to nose.)

Mine's a Brooks B67, and I want to get a Brooks B68 (same thing, just without springs) so each of my bikes has a Brooks.

Once you find the saddle of your dreams it might be a good idea to buy a spare. Or two!!:D

I went through a handful of saddles over the last few years, going back to an old standby Terry saddle in between each. The Terry gave me the least trouble, but even it didn't totally relieve the bruised feeling I always ended up with after a long ride. This year I had a very thorough bike fitting that included raising my stem and handlebars. Voila! By balancing my weight more evenly between the bars, pedals and saddle, I now sit more naturally on my sit bones. I've had no hoo-ha pain since :D

Sometimes the problem is the saddle, other times it's how you're positioned on the saddle. Be open to experimenting with your bike fit and see if that makes a difference.

Sara,
I use just simple fragrance-free handcream/skin lotion. Even cheaper than Vagisil! The one i like is VaselineIntensiveCare skin lotion, fragrance free.
Washes out great too. Keeps my girly bits from chafing when on the bike for hours.
Like you, I would NOT want greasy ointment stuff embedded in my chamois! :eek:

Lisa - I'll try the Vaseline Intensive Care. Thanks! My saddle seems to pretty much take care of the bruised feeling, but, as graphic as this may be, keeping "those" parts well lubricated seems to be the key for me. Grinding into the saddle does not feel good if things can't slide around easily. Geez, I can't believe I just typed that. :eek: But...I'm just being honest here and I don't think anyone likes days of discomfort after a long ride!

I can relate, sister! :D :rolleyes: :cool:

I do recommend the fragrance-free cream though- to keep things comfy for hours you need to put on a fairly generous amount, and I don't think you really want clouds of cucumber/melon/vanilla/lavender scent billowing up from down there! :eek: :rolleyes: :cool: :D
Thinner/cheaper hand lotions don't work well because they evaporate too quickly and get quickly absorbed by the chamois.

P.S. the subject line of this thread cracks me up.
....What's all the brouhaha over the hoo-ha? :D

Tea Tree Oil Cream. Kid you not.

SouthernBelle made me slather a massive amount all over my No No Good and Plenty after a 52 miler, and it was bliss!

Vitamin World online sells it cheap, and they have soap, too!

I think it's a combination of a long work day and the glass of wine I am consuming but I re-read "Painful hoo-ha needs help" and I swear it sounds like a dating advertisement :D

Then again I am still giggling over No No Good and Plenty. Now THAT sounds like a band!