New Saddle = New Sores

So ladies, I want to hear from ya'll about saddle sores. What product do you recommend?

Pros?

Cons?

Thanks!

A & D lotion - the kind that they use for diaper rash. Also, tea tree oil or cream can be helpful.

I usually try and lance it (pop it) after a hot bath and then 10% acne cream dries them out quick. I'm talking about the kind that look like hard little blood blisters, uuuuggggghhhhhh!

Depends on what you're talking about exactly.

If it's chafing/abrasion - calendula ointment or Nubutte (which is useless as a lubricant IMO, but nice as a healing ointment)

If it's small pimples - thoroughly wash and pat dry, then dry with rubbing alcohol or alcohol gel (careful where that goes! :eek:)

If it's a large pimple or boil - squeeze or pop it with a needle to remove the blockage, then clean and dry the same as with small pimples

Hibiclens. It's a great scrub, antimicrobial. Good for road rash or cleaning saddle sores. I then like to use an acne gel to help dry it.

I rarely get sores, and if I have any kind of raw rough skin down there after a ride, it's because I either forgot or did not apply enough shea butter or butt cream. The best saddle sore is the one you did not get- so look at the clothing, saddle and bike fit to minimize their appearances.

I've been treating one with various products for over a month now.

What hasn't worked for me: acne cream, tea tree oil, A&D ointment

What HAS helped: cleaning with alcohol wipes IMMEDIATELY after the ride and putting on clean shorts/pants. Applying Bag Balm.

I tried popping mine, but only blood came out. One day later and it still looks the same (like a medium-sized pimple). So. Frustrating.

It's been a while since I've had one, but I remember it was filled with blood like a hard blister. After I got it out the acne cream dried it right up.

You should not be getting saddle sores. If you are, there is something wrong with the fit of your saddle, the fit of your bike, the fit of your shorts.

Figure that out and you won't have to worry about how to treat them. Cycling should be fun, and saddle sores do not seem like much fun to me, although I've never had one so I cannot speak from experience ;)

Chafing is a fit issue. Infections and clogged pores are not, I don't think. More a product of your own body chemistry and how much "breathing" happens down there (which has as much to do with anatomy as it does with what the saddle, shorts and lube-if-any are made of). And simple time in the saddle.

Saddle Sores: It appears my problem came about from not using a lube of any sort for a 50 mile ride on a new saddle in a lesser quality short. A and D helped heal very quickly.

I'm learning from my mistakes. I'm using a "little dab will do ya" even on short easy breezy rides. And my skin is adapting to long periods in the saddle.

By the by, prior to probelm I had two bike fits, the last being awesome, and my sit bones measured and saddle selected specifically for my rear gear and I invested in a higher end short rated best quality for long rides. (to my amazement, I didn't know shorts were rated by length of ride). I just didn't know about using creams first.

So I think I'm going in the right direction. Just put in 45 miles with no problem.

Speaking of saddle sores, ugh, I got one too. I commute almost every day but a few of weeks ago I got caught out in the rain and noticed a little irritation once I got home. I don't wear bike gear to commute cuz it's only 3 miles each way. I guess when you get a little wet it changes things b/c I have had this thing close to 3 weeks now. I've been sitting on a heating pad trying to get it to come to a head but it just stays hard, hot and sore. It's so freaking annoying! There's a hard core underneath the skin, is that normal?