Saddle Sore From Hell, Need Help Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks for asking. I am totally healed and pain free since I switched to a Brooks Finesse Saddle. In retrospect, I realize the problem was that the buttefly wasn't wide enough in the back to support my sit bones, so all my weight was being borne by my labia, hence the irritation. Getting the Brooks just right also took a tad of work, I found that angling so it is higher in the back but level across the front works best. That is, I put a level across the front ~2" of nose and be sure that is level, but the result is the back of saddle is higher than the front. I also needed a very laid back seatpost for the brooks, since the rails are shorter than on the butterfly. Another problem I had on the butterfly is that is was too wide in front, sometimes giving me sores on my thighs, but that was secondary to the more serious problem I described. So for me, a saddle wide in the back and narrow in front (like the brooks finesse is best). I use to ride with a terry liberator that is more like that, but only switched to the butterfly when it came on a bike I bought, thinking it was an 'upgrade.'

[alpinerabbit]

As a trained microbiologist I urge you to please, please, not not not use antibiotic cream just because something is raw. Please use it only if you have a doctor recommend it on an inflamed wound.

Low-dose application of antibiotics increases the chance of resistance.

I know they are obtainable OTC in the US, please refrain...

[Crankin]

I was having the same problems, suddenly, after riding for 5 plus years with the same cut out saddle. Got my new bike and ouch!! Although I did not not have any cysts, I was raw and red on my left side, in the areas you described. I bought a Terry Firefly racing saddle and it improved a bit, but then tried a Brooks for 4-5 months. The Brooks saddle was torture for me. I broke it in, but the issue never went away. In my case, it was menopausal stuff causing the problem. The slight change in the geometry of my new bike set it all off. My doctor prescribed a Estring, which provides a continual low dose of estrogen to the vaginal area only. This way, it doesn't get "washed out" like the cream, or get into your bloodstream. This also has been a big help to, ah, other "areas" of my life. I switched back to the Firefly saddle and now all is perfect.

[Grog]

Wouldn't it be possible that the padding on a given saddle would start giving in and a new saddle would be in order?

Or maybe you tried that...

[Triskeliongirl]

Wouldn't it be possible that the padding on a given saddle would start giving in and a new saddle would be in order?

Or maybe you tried that...

Yes, and it helped but only for a short while, and I was blowing through butterflies at too fast a rate. The fundamental problem for me was that too much weight was being supported by my soft tissues. When the saddle was new it wouldn't be too bad, but as it got older the foam would compress around the cutout, and the problems would start. Same thing with the shorts, they were tearing for the same reason. But, once I got my weight back on my sit bones, I was fine. For folks that can't adjust to the firmness of the brooks, the terry liberator has a wider rear also. I think for me it got worse over time because I become a higher intensity cyclist, so going longer distances at faster rates of speed exaserbated the problem, as did issues with declining estrogen as I got older.

[marepaso]

I was so glad to see tis thread. I have also been riding for 23 years on all kind of saddles and all kinds of shorts then all of sudden I had chaffing on th soft vaginal tisssues and labia minora. I couldn't figure out wha to do to help. I'd always been able to "shift" things around and it would be fine but I think the fat pads that are in one's labia mjora when your young slowly disappear when you age (yeah, gross I know)so now there is no padding between the saddle tip and some VERY sensitive areas.

From what I read here from older women riders it sounds as if special saddles and shorts will help but that this is avery difficult problemt to solve--(maybe a pu___y translpant?) Any other thoughts.

[mimitabby]

I was so glad to see tis thread. I have also been riding for 23 years on all kind of saddles and all kinds of shorts then all of sudden I had chaffing on th soft vaginal tisssues and labia minora. I couldn't figure out wha to do to help. I'd always been able to "shift" things around and it would be fine but I think the fat pads that are in one's labia mjora when your young slowly disappear when you age (yeah, gross I know)so now there is no padding between the saddle tip and some VERY sensitive areas.

From what I read here from older women riders it sounds as if special saddles and shorts will help but that this is avery difficult problemt to solve--(maybe a pu___y translpant?) Any other thoughts.

It's a real bummer, but what seems to work the best for me is a saddle like my brooks B67 which gives broad support to the sitbones and lots of lube.
Add to that, good posture, and you're still going to irritate it in the course of a long ride, there are bumps in the road, etc.
You described it well. I hear that you can use local estrogen cream but it's a huge uphill battle.
A lot of people swear by their saddles with cutouts, but considering how much you move around on a saddle while riding, i can't imagine how much that really helps.

[Andrea]

maybe a pu___y translpant?

HAHAHAHAHAAA!
No idea why that made me laugh so much

I like bag balm when I get some chafing or something like that. Seems to heal it up overnight.

[LadyinWhite]

I use to ride with a terry liberator that is more like that, but only switched to the butterfly when it came on a bike I bought, thinking it was an 'upgrade.'

I have the Terry fly on my Girl right now. It's actually not bad except the nose is a little long and since I only ride recreationally (albeit for long rides) I don't really need a "racing" saddle. I'm waiting for the Terry Liberator to arrive for this exact design, wider in the back, shorter but also narrow nose and a bit more cushion. This "touring" saddle sounds like exactly the right mix of features for me but.. as we all know.. sounding perfect and feeling perfect are completely different.

Before the fly, I had a stock WSD saddle with no cutout. It was quite comfortable except for a steadily increasing heat/burning in my soft tissues as the ride went on. Although the cutouts aren't for everyone, it really did solve this problem for me.

[carolp]

I just got a Specialized that comes in varying widths. That, and wearing a pair of liner briefs-- the kind you are supposed to be able to wear with regular shorts (HA!) under my riding shorts. That, and lubing up liberally has made the last few rides actually comfortable.

[ChickWithBrains]

Definitely not a bartholin cyst -- the area she described isn't quite right for them, and unfortunately they don't go away with conservative treatment! (A doc needs to open them up.)

Bought a Serfas Carma a few months ago after a disastrously sore spot on a stock Allez. Life has never been better!

[Frayoch]

Hi Ladies, I came here seeking answers to the very same problem, chaffing! I ended up at the DR's cause I thought it was something bad and it was chaffing. I haven't figured out yet when it actually starts - definitely on long rides but everyone says lots of lube but what kind? This is more an internal chaffing some lubes I am fairly certian shouldn't be there!

I also ride a terry liberator which has a cut out, I kind of wish there was a bigger cut out and no padding in my shorts there......

[mimitabby]

welcome to TE, frayoch, it's clear why you are here.
Try getting fitted to your bike first?
as you read this particular thread, you can see that the original complainer
switched saddles and her problem went away. So that's related to fit to.
IMHO, the cutout doesn't help women. (but that's just my opinion)

I use chamois butter.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Perhaps the edges of the cutout are irritating your sensitive bits.

[La Victoria]

I know what you're describing as I had the same problem for several years. Nothing helped except heading off to my gyn to have them opened and drained. Several years ago, after once particularly painful episode, she recommended a device called an Estring, which had just been released. It is an intravaginal ring, made of a soft, pliable plastic and it is impregnated with estrogen. It slowly releases estrogen over a 90 day period and it keeps the vaginal tissues from drying and thinning out. This in turn helps prevent bacteria from getting a toe hold and starting an infection. That device has been a god send as the number of those little demons has dropped dramatically and I'm able to bicycle without worrying about developing a new sore.

For chafing problems I use A& D Ointment, the diaper rash stuff in a tube. It will heal chafing overnight and is also good for windburn, especially wind burned lips.

La Victoria