Red welts from shorts

[easterbird]

What the heck! I used these shorts last season,earlier this year and last time I rode I noticed a very angry looking welt on my backside where seam hits me. I used a different pair on Sunday(same brand,similair style) and came back after 79 miles with another welt at a slightly different spot. I am washing everything in woollite as I have done all along. Are the shorts worn out? One season? Am I wearing out? What up...anyone else ever have this? Pearl Isumi brand have been great on my inner self, ya know?
carol

[Starfish]

I dunno. For me, I get red welts under the silicon band after a long day in the saddle, but not from seams. Sorry!

[Zen]

looks like you've Stumped the Band with this one.

[Thorn]

And you haven't changed your saddle or position lately? How about have you lost weight or lost dimension (firmed up or lost weight)?

Depending upon the short and how many times you've washed them, I have noticed that the seams is where I see the wear on my shorts. Usually due to a break down in the lycra so that the short doesn't fit as snug as it once did and you get friction at the seams.

My current batch of shorts has an average age of about 1.5 years and I'm starting to see problems. However, they weren't a very heavy lycra to start with and I wash in hot water so I expect a shorter life span.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'd say maybe heat rash that is only occuring at "stress points" like where the seam presses into your skin. How about trying a bit of powder on your skin there when you ride, or some sort of soothing lotion? Has the weather been hotter than usual when this happens?
Try washing the shorts in a mild diluted baby shampoo or something to see if that makes a difference. Sometimes things that don't normally irritate our skin will get irritated under hot sweaty circumstances.

[maryellen]

Something similar happened to me a few years ago when I was riding a lot training for an aids ride. All of a sudden, when I took my bike shorts off I would have red welts -- though in my case they were all over my butt and thighs. Didn't hurt, weren't uncomfortable. Hadn't gotten new shorts. Hadn't changed laundry detergent. Just a mystery.

I handled it by taking off my bike shorts as soon as I returned home and got in the shower as soon as possible. The problem seemed to subside when the weather got cooler and hasn't happened since.