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

[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.

[marepaso]

Minitabby, Thanks so much for the advice!

[mimitabby]

hey, welcome to TE, why don't you find the "get acquainted" thread and introduce yourself~
I hope what i said helped a little.

[Meaux]

I am getting a new saddle soon too. It's been okay, but I've been going on longer and longer rides and now my sit bones and the area around my perineum feel bruised as all get out. Any clue as to what kind of saddle to look for? I'm sort of interested in the Specialized Dolce. It's a little wider in the back and has the cut-out channel.

[merryn ferguson]

I am getting a new saddle soon too. It's been okay, but I've been going on longer and longer rides and now my sit bones and the area around my perineum feel bruised as all get out. Any clue as to what kind of saddle to look for? I'm sort of interested in the Specialized Dolce. It's a little wider in the back and has the cut-out channel.

Hi I rode a Dolce for years and recently a year ago changed tothe Jett and at first I loved it and now oh my god I cannot stay on it longer than 20 miles and I am trying to train for a double century so after todays ride I went back pulled the jett off and put my old Dolce back on...you know originally I took the dolce off because I wanted a sleeker faster cooler ( I guess) looking saddle and at first it was so good but now ................the LBH said i just need a new saddle ...well heck how often are you supposed to change your saddle good luck

[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.

[KnottedYet]

Sundial - what are the outside measurements of your sit-bones?

The rule of thumb I've heard is to have 1 or 2 cm margin to the outside of each sit-bone for a comfy saddle that lets you weightbear on the bones rather than on soft tissue.

My 180mm sits never land on the nice cushy part of any chamois, but they are nicely supported by my Brooks B67. Once you figure out the width range of the various saddles it makes shopping a whole lot easier.

[sundial]

Sundial - what are the outside measurements of your sit-bones?

Knotted, I'm actually a 130 mm in sit bone width, but I went with a 143 mm saddle. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra room as I change positions on the saddle.