Unusual? Saddle Sore

I'm not sure if this classifies as a saddle sore or a chamois sore, but I have 2 rubbed raw spots on the bottom of my butt where the edge of my chamois hits. I've been hunting for a new saddle and have changed to a Specialized Lithia Gel - it's the right size, feels great, but on longer (50+ mile) rides I think it causes these abrasion problems. I say I think because the area in question is not in contact with the saddle at all, but I haven't had an issue before this. I wear Pearl Izumi shorts, so I don't think it's a chamois quality issue ... any thoughts on what might have caused this issue and how I can avoid it in the future?

Is there stitching in the shorts around the area where it hurts, and do you use any chamois cream?

Knot says that chafing pattern often comes from a saddle that has more of a pear-shaped transition to the nose than is suitable for the action of your hip joints.

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Originally Posted by Trek420

Knot says that chafing pattern often comes from a saddle that has more of a pear-shaped transition to the nose than is suitable for the action of your hip joints.

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Yep. And changing saddles to a more t-shaped one completely eliminated that sort of chafing for me, too.

The one pair of PI shorts I have, the chamois is really bulky. Bought them when I was just coming back to cycling, don't wear them unless everything else is dirty. The chamois could be the problem, if that's the case with yours.

But the saddle is a possibility as well. The Lithia is awfully squishy (I used to ride one), so combining it with a bulky chamois is a recipe for trouble IMO.

There aren't many saddles more T-shaped than the Spec' line, unfortunately for me and possibly for you. Brooks; SI Turbomatic, which is the one I'm probably getting when my Jett wears out; I'm not aware of any others.

There is stitching in the area that rubs. I've never used chamois cream and am not sure if it would help my issue since it's near the edge of the chamois.

The Lithia is pretty squishy. Would it make sense to switch to another, firmer, specialized saddle or are all their saddles the same general shape?

The Jett is firmer but nearly identical in shape. I'm not exactly sure about the shape of the even firmer Ruby - the pictures look pretty much the same.

I actually tried a Ruby before the Lithia. I couldn't get comfortable on it, but I certainly didn't have any of these problems. Maybe my sores are more a squish issue than a saddle shape issue.

Once you get a saddle that works, you'll have to shop around for shorts that work. I recently bought a different brand of shorts than I usually wear and I had a disastrous ride last week because of them. When you find what works, stick with it.

What kind of problems were you having with the Ruby? If the shape was good but it was too firm, a Jett might be a good compromise.

I think the Ruby was just too firm. I'll order a Jett, wait for my butt to heal, and give it a try. Thanks for all your help!!