Soreness

[leulamax]

I have been riding for about 6 months now. I started out on a hybrid bike with a Specialized Milano 75 gel saddle. A couple of months ago, I graduated to a Trek Pilot road bike with the standard road bike saddle. I seems that once I started riding the road bike, I started having all of the lovely problems I have been reading about in some threads - pinching, abrasions, bruising, etc.
I have gathered by reading one of the other threads that Astroglide is a good lubricant for the internal abrasions and pinching. I had thought about using Bag Balm or Chamois Butter, but could never tell if this was for internal use or just the external areas.
What I am having the most problems with is the "bruising" type soreness around my girly bits and UT aggrevation that seems to happen every time I ride. If I start riding a lot, I feel almost like I have a bladder infection and sex becomes uncomfortable. This will go away after a few days if I don't ride. I thought about putting another Specialized Milano saddle on my road bike since I never seemed to have problems before, but I don't know if that is just from going to a road bike from a hybrid. My SO thinks that the Milano saddle is to big for a road bike and will not fit right. Is this just a matter of getting used to the road bike posture or can I put the slightly larger saddle on a road bike? Any other suggestions?

[mimitabby]

please try the more comfortable saddle on your road bike. It's not what it looks like that is important, it's what it FEELS like.

Lots of us here have nice big heavier saddles on our road bikes.

check out this thread:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ghlight=brooks


you're way ahead of a lot of people, at least you HAVE a saddle you like.
Good luck!

[leulamax]

Thanks for the reply Mimi! Will the new saddle help with this, or is this just a normal part of cycling?
BTW, love the kitty picture!

[mimitabby]

not sure what you mean. I thought you were wanting to put your old saddle on your new bike. (which i thought was a good idea)
Pain is not something you should tolerate. Let's face it, if one of us does an extra hard ride, we're going to feel it in more places than we 'd like; but for just smaller shorter rides, pain should not be the result.

Also, I use chamois butter, it does help. anything that's going to come into contact with your bike shorts/saddle can use a little lubrication.

[indigoiis]

You may need to adjust the height of your saddle, and to make sure it is level. Even a little tilt forward or backward can put pressure on the wrong areas. And if it is not at the right height, you'll get chafing from your hips rocking.

Make sure when you adjust it that they are little adjustments - 1/4 inch at most... go with it for awhile and see if it is better.

(This advise is paraphrased from advice given me this weekend by a shop keeper who was fitting me.)

[leulamax]

You may need to adjust the height of your saddle, and to make sure it is level. Even a little tilt forward or backward can put pressure on the wrong areas. And if it is not at the right height, you'll get chafing from your hips rocking.

Make sure when you adjust it that they are little adjustments - 1/4 inch at most... go with it for awhile and see if it is better.

(This advise is paraphrased from advice given me this weekend by a shop keeper who was fitting me.)

I'll have to check into this. It does seem that the more they rock, they more pinching there is.
Thanks!

[Grog]

Thanks for the reply Mimi! Will the new saddle help with this, or is this just a normal part of cycling?
BTW, love the kitty picture!

I am tempted to look at the bike shorts you're wearing.

Are they the right size? They should be fitting, which probably means smaller than what you'd spontaneously buy. You have to get the smallest shorts you can fit yourself into, hence keep the chamois in its place. A properly fitting bike short should prevent pinching.

Also, a common cause of vaginal issues on the bike is not squeeky clean shorts. They have to be washed after every single ride, no matter what, especially if you are prone to infections. Some wear underwear under their shorts and wear the same shorts a few times, but if you're anywhere near prone to infections, I'd avoid doing that (both the underwear and the wear-again).

I'm also not sure what you mean by "internal". Chamois Butt'r and the like are certainly not meant to be worn INSIDE your vagina, but they can be spread on your vulva area.

Good luck!!

[IFjane]

I am tempted to look at the bike shorts you're wearing.

Are they the right size? They should be fitting, which probably means smaller than what you'd spontaneously buy. You have to get the smallest shorts you can fit yourself into, hence keep the chamois in its place. A properly fitting bike short should prevent pinching.

Also, a common cause of vaginal issues on the bike is not squeeky clean shorts. They have to be washed after every single ride, no matter what, especially if you are prone to infections. Some wear underwear under their shorts and wear the same shorts a few times, but if you're anywhere near prone to infections, I'd avoid doing that (both the underwear and the wear-again).

I'm also not sure what you mean by "internal". Chamois Butt'r and the like are certainly not meant to be worn INSIDE your vagina, but they can be spread on your vulva area.

Good luck!!

My thoughts exactly, along with the other advice about saddle height, angle, etc. Clean shorts are a MUST. I apply Chamois Butt'r to the chamois before every ride - no matter the distance. It helps tremendously.

leulamax, you say you are in VA - anywhere near Madison?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You say you started on a hybrid and then went to a road bike and started having this problem.
Road bikes put more weight on the front parts of your private areas, while hybrids have you sitting more upright with your weight more back on your sitbones.
Lots of women have more "saddle" pain when they switch to road bikes and a more forward/down racing posture.
Is there any way your LBS can install spacers in your stem to raise your handlebars up a cm or two? Might be worth checking out.
Also, contrary to what seems logical, sometimes a thinner chamois will put less pressure on your front bits where the saddle nose is.

[emily_in_nc]

If your road bike saddle does not have a cutout, you might want to try one that does. I get rawness and chafing of the inner girlybits if I do not use a saddle with a cutout.

Good luck, and let us know what works! You should not have to be that uncomfortable!

Emily

[leulamax]

My thoughts exactly, along with the other advice about saddle height, angle, etc. Clean shorts are a MUST. I apply Chamois Butt'r to the chamois before every ride - no matter the distance. It helps tremendously.

leulamax, you say you are in VA - anywhere near Madison?

I am in Blacksburg, but I have visited up your way. Beautiful country....

[IFjane]

I am in Blacksburg, but I have visited up your way. Beautiful country....

Ahhh...I was down your way over Memorial Day for the Wilderness Ride/Mountains of Misery.

Give me a yell if you are ever up this way!

[leulamax]

I am tempted to look at the bike shorts you're wearing.

Are they the right size? They should be fitting, which probably means smaller than what you'd spontaneously buy. You have to get the smallest shorts you can fit yourself into, hence keep the chamois in its place. A properly fitting bike short should prevent pinching.

Also, a common cause of vaginal issues on the bike is not squeeky clean shorts. They have to be washed after every single ride, no matter what, especially if you are prone to infections. Some wear underwear under their shorts and wear the same shorts a few times, but if you're anywhere near prone to infections, I'd avoid doing that (both the underwear and the wear-again).

I'm also not sure what you mean by "internal". Chamois Butt'r and the like are certainly not meant to be worn INSIDE your vagina, but they can be spread on your vulva area.

Good luck!!

This is interesting that you say this. I have a pair of tri-shorts that don't seem to cause as much irritation, but I always thought that I just didn't ride as hard.
However, should a new saddle prevent the bruising type feeling?
Thanks!

[leulamax]

Tucker - I do have a Bontrager saddle. I am going to put a Specialized saddle on the bike and see what happens.
Thanks for all your help everyone!

[KnottedYet]

You shouldn't feel bruised or injured by your saddle, whether it's on a road bike, hybrid, mountain, unicycle, WHATEVER.

Put your old saddle on the new bike, and just see how it feels. Wear your favorite shorts and see if that makes it even better.

It's a place to start.

Then come back and tell us how it goes. We've all been through the what saddle/what shorts/what lube/what placement fandango, and we're full of ideas!