Saddle Sores - Sorry maybe TMI

[Aquila]

I think you're getting great advice so far.

I just wanted to add, that NOTHING is TMI when it involves our bikes and butts! We've all been sore, and everyone here is great about helping.

[sarahlou]

I use a homeopathic silica tissue salt for "the temporary relief of pimples, boils, ulcers," etc. and find that it really works well for me. I tend to get very big, deep, hard sores and after a few days of the silica pills feel much better. The brand I use is Schuessler, but I bought them in Australia and don't know if they are available in the US.

Good luck.

[cmac77354]

Thanks for all the replies. This past weekend I didn't have the problem. I really lubed up with Chamois But'r and it seemed to work.

[koala]

Wow, that sounds really awful. A couple of things jump out. One is your shorts. Tri shorts tend to have a really thin chamois, and PI's tend to have a really stiff chamois. My guess is neither one is helping in your situation, but they can make matters worse. Second thing is that you sound like you're pretty active on your saddle when you ride, you move around a fair amount. So you end up rubbing the front area more, and irritating it more, a vicious cycle. I would suggest less is more up front for you. Your cut-out looks small. There is better out there. Check out the Selle SMP line for h-u-g-e cut-outs. If there's nothing there at all, it can't irritate. Also, Selle San Marco makes something called an Aero Saddle. It has a big cut-out in a diamond shape that might just give your bruised parts clearance. Be sure it is the Aero, and not some other models that use the "arrowhead" cut-out as there is a difference in the front end.

I don't think you gain anything by going to the Butterfly. It is a soft saddle, and if you push on the cut-out you'll see it has a tendency to fold in under pressure & pinch in front. You'd probably be better off with something firmer that has as big a hole as possible but will still keep its shape if you shift around on it.

[newridder]

i, too, have problems like seeker. i got the bike to lose weight but that area is terribly painful when ridding. t have tried diff saddles; was fitted on bike- had the problem then. fitter used butt measurer. had another fitter in diff state take look. he tilted saddle back-- helped a little. tried the wonder seat but could not stay on bike when sudden stop. losing interest in biking. thinking of trying diff shorts-- any advice.

[KnottedYet]

Newrider - try doing the self measurements for your sit bones, and the cut-out test. Tell us what you get for those (sitbone span and yes/no cutout). Tell us what saddles you tried and what you liked or didn't like about each.

Someone here has probably dealt with finding a saddle similar to your needs, and will be able to help!

(and how does the saddle you have now feel if you ride in unpadded shorts?)

[Kano]

(and how does the saddle you have now feel if you ride in unpadded shorts?)

This is a good question Knotted!

My little tale kind of asks the reverse: what happens if you do ride in padded shorts? -- on the possibility that newrider hasn't discovered the joys of padding yet!

I'm riding a 143 Specialized Ariel saddle comortably in the right shorts, and the other day, went on a 3.5 mile ride in "street shorts" and standard issue underwear. What the heck, it's only the post office and back, right?

HAH!

My butt, where I sit, is fine. Creases at the groin are still unhappy from the elastic in my undies, which was covered with fabric, and other parts, well, they got the seam of the shorts, and there's still grumbling, days later. (no serious damage, it was only 3.5 miles, after all!)

When I started riding, I didn't want to be out where the world could see me in them, but those lycra shorts we who get bikes to help us with the battle of the butt like to avoid are VITAL to our riding pleasure! Newrider, if you're not wearing padded shorts yet, find some -- and my suggestion is to make sure the pad doesn't have a seam that hits any creases! For a while, you might be happier doing what I did at first: padded shorts with others on top of them. I've seen several people here say they prefer skorts with the padding inside. (yeah, they're expensive, but the money is well-spent!)

Karen in Boise

[newridder]

i used a specialized initially but it was too painful. i am now using a terry butterfly cut out, but the cut out does not seem to be as long as the one shown by another rider. i will try to get measurements tomorrow. i am very new at this and not sure i know how to measure the butt on the saddle. thanks for responding

[newridder]

Kano, thanks i may try the pads on pads. i could not ride without padded shorts. i ride in canari. but a friend told me today about pants that are pricey but well padded. i can't remember the name but the trademark looks like a scorpion. the pants are supposed to keep the body at a certain temperature and are supposedly very well padded. i enjoy riding but when the pain becomes so unbearable i stop riding. i stop shortly after starting and can't seem to become a "rider." i sincerely welcome your thoughts.

[OakLeaf]

i am very new at this and not sure i know how to measure the butt on the saddle. thanks for responding

Search for "butt-o-meter" or "measuring sit bones" and "cut-out test" on this board, it's been discussed a lot, including earlier in this thread.

At the bike shop, Trek and Specialized dealers have a gel-filled pad that you sit on, the gel changes color in response to your body heat and pressure. At home, sit on something that will take the impression of your sit bones (a piece of paper, a yoga mat, or both) on top of a hard, flat surface like a straight chair or an uncarpeted stair. Measure both the center-to-center distance and the outside-to-outside distance between your sit bones.

While you're on the hard, flat surface, bending forward as though you're in riding position (elbows on knees or farther), pay attention to whether the position is squishing your soft tissues. If so, you probably want a saddle with a cut-out.

When you shop for a saddle, look for ones that are somewhat wider than your sit bones - at least 1 cm on either side, to allow for a little wiggle factor and also to account for the curvature of the saddle.

The shorts you're talking about are Castelli. I'd get the saddle sorted first, personally.

[seeker]

Hi. I'm new here. I know a couple of your members from another site. They're always recommending that I come join you over here. I've lurked but never really needed to post anything. But I am now desperate for help and I've come to you.

I started biking in January and am training for a triathlon. My first sprint is in July. I have had saddle issues from the get-go. I've changed saddles. I've gone over this and over this with my LBS. They have been very supportive. We put my bike on the store trainer and tried several saddles. They sold me my bike and I was properly fitted.

So here's my problem and it is way tmi. I've tried to describe this to both the LBS and my coach but no one seems to appreciate my problem. When I sit on the saddle it splits my labia apart and all the pressure rubs right on my clitoris. I wear Peal Izumi bike shorts and I've also worn Sugoi tri shorts. I rode 30 miles today and it almost looks like I have 2 blisters on the lower part of my clitoris. I am constantly having to shift my weight to the back of the seat. When my saddle was completely level it was even worse. My coach tilted it slightly back and it took some of the pressure off and it was manageable. But my rides are getting longer and it has become unendurable. I currently have this saddle on my bike. I don't know whether I need a wider seat or a more narrow seat. The LBS thought maybe I need a men's seat. I'm 5'4" and weigh 125. I have no hips to speak of. I am starting to get a butt since I've been riding. The LBS told me I have more of a male body type than female and thought since I was narrow through the hips that maybe I should try a male saddle. But I think that will just make the labia splitting worse. I asked the LBS on Saturday if they could tilt my saddle back a little more. But they insisted it needed to go forward. But when I'm riding every ounce of pressure is on my clit. My coach coaches several women who use a Terry Butterfly seat. I asked him if I should try that seat. He's looked at my seat and feels it is a good seat.

Sex has obviously become an issue. Not only do I have the clitoral problems but my entire pubic area is bruised. It's been this way for 4 months.
Right now I'm riding between 60-90 minutes of trainer drills on Tuesday. 45 minutes of either trainer or road on Wednesday. Then 2 hours on Sat or Sun.
My time on the bike is only going to get longer. I have not been able to get any men to understand what my issue is. I've told them the exact same thing I've told you but they just don't get it.

So I've come to you in hopes of two things. One, you will understand where my pain is and two, maybe have a few suggestions.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[mimitabby]

Hi. I'm new here. I know a couple of your members from another site. They're always recommending that I come join you over here. I've lurked but never really needed to post anything. But I am now desperate for help and I've come to you.

I started biking in January and am training for a triathlon. My first sprint is in July. I have had saddle issues from the get-go. I've changed saddles. I've gone over this and over this with my LBS. They have been very supportive. We put my bike on the store trainer and tried several saddles. They sold me my bike and I was properly fitted.

So here's my problem and it is way tmi. I've tried to describe this to both the LBS and my coach but no one seems to appreciate my problem. When I sit on the saddle it splits my labia apart and all the pressure rubs right on my clitoris. I wear Peal Izumi bike shorts and I've also worn Sugoi tri shorts. I rode 30 miles today and it almost looks like I have 2 blisters on the lower part of my clitoris. I am constantly having to shift my weight to the back of the seat. When my saddle was completely level it was even worse. My coach tilted it slightly back and it took some of the pressure off and it was manageable. But my rides are getting longer and it has become unendurable. I currently have this saddle on my bike. I don't know whether I need a wider seat or a more narrow seat. The LBS thought maybe I need a men's seat. I'm 5'4" and weigh 125. I have no hips to speak of. I am starting to get a butt since I've been riding. The LBS told me I have more of a male body type than female and thought since I was narrow through the hips that maybe I should try a male saddle. But I think that will just make the labia splitting worse. I asked the LBS on Saturday if they could tilt my saddle back a little more. But they insisted it needed to go forward. But when I'm riding every ounce of pressure is on my clit. My coach coaches several women who use a Terry Butterfly seat. I asked him if I should try that seat. He's looked at my seat and feels it is a good seat.

Sex has obviously become an issue. Not only do I have the clitoral problems but my entire pubic area is bruised. It's been this way for 4 months.
Right now I'm riding between 60-90 minutes of trainer drills on Tuesday. 45 minutes of either trainer or road on Wednesday. Then 2 hours on Sat or Sun.
My time on the bike is only going to get longer. I have not been able to get any men to understand what my issue is. I've told them the exact same thing I've told you but they just don't get it.

So I've come to you in hopes of two things. One, you will understand where my pain is and two, maybe have a few suggestions.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Seeker, i'd say you 're not set up right on the bike. If you were, you would have all your weight on your sit bones, not the front of your crotch.

I can't even imagine how you can ride that way for 5 minutes!

how about a photo of you on your bike from the side?

and here's a dumb suggestion; can't you position yourself so all your delicate parts are right over to the side a bit
so that the saddle nose isn't ON them?

And what kind of saddle is it?

[emily_in_nc]

I don't know whether I need a wider seat or a more narrow seat. The LBS thought maybe I need a men's seat. I'm 5'4" and weigh 125. I have no hips to speak of. I am starting to get a butt since I've been riding. The LBS told me I have more of a male body type than female and thought since I was narrow through the hips that maybe I should try a male saddle.

I feel your pain, though I have a problem with a persistent saddle sore in the area in the crease of my inner thigh. Anything down there that hurts badly is not right or normal. I once rode over 3000 miles a year without significant saddle issues.

I've just discovered that despite having small hips (34"), weighing 102-103, and wearing a size 2 petite, I actually don't have the "narrow sit bones" that I thought I had! My saddle sore started a YEAR AGO on a narrow saddle. I changed to a different narrow saddle. It never went away even when I didn't ride for three months in a row. I went to a dermatologist and got a cortisone injection right in the sore, which took all the pain away; however, after my second ride this spring, it came right back, angry and swollen as ever!

So yesterday I finally sat on my yoga mat in underwear and was finally able to see the problem -- my sit bones are actually wider than I thought. Maybe average for a female (about 130mm c-to-c), but a lot wider than I realized. If you go to a Specialized dealer, they can sit you on the "Butt-o-meter" (memory foam seat) so you can find out the same thing.

Based on my measurements, I now realize my narrow saddles are too narrow for me; as a result, my sit bones are hanging off the sloping sides and putting way too much pressure on the inside of the bones and soft tissue in the crease of my thigh.

So...while I don't think you can know (yet) what width saddle you need, it sounds like you need a much better cutout for your lady bits! The saddle I'm taking off my mountain bike has an amazing diamond-shape cutout, so comfy, never a bit of genital discomfort, but the saddle width is relatively narrow (140mm). If you figure out your sit bone width and want to try it, I'm going to be putting it up for sale here over the weekend (w/pictures, etc.). It's a Selle San Marco Atola Gelaround like this. I'm not posting here to sell it, though, just to make a couple of points:

1. Don't assume because you're thin and/or have narrow hips that you have narrow, male-width sitbones.

2. With the clitoral issues you're having, it sounds like you need a much better cutout. Your clitoris should not even be touching the saddle if it is painful. I personally get very raw if I ride a saddle without a cutout for anything longer than short rides, and skinny, stiff cutouts are just as bad as no cutout at all. The diamond-shape cutout of the Atola is perfect for me in that area (just wish the saddle were wider in the rear!)

Good luck!
Emily

[OakLeaf]

It definitely sounds like you need a different saddle! The one you're riding is pretty narrow, and typically if someone's putting her weight on her genitalia rather than on her sit bones, it's because her saddle's too narrow.

Here's what I did: I sat on a piece of paper on my Pilates mat to make a butt print. (Sit on a low step-stool, or on a hard chair with your feet on a stool, to approximate a riding position.) While the indentations were fresh, I circled them so I'd have a permanent record of where my sitbones are. Then you can take that print and lay it over any saddle and see whether it's wide enough to support you.

Then there's pear shaped vs. T-shaped saddles, and the shape of the cut-out to consider. Just like trying on clothes, there's no substitute for trying on saddles. Many LBS's and many saddle makers will let you return a saddle that doesn't work for you.

I have to say this: your coach may be very good at teaching you to get stronger and faster, but he obviously knows nothing about saddles if he thinks he can look at one and say "it's a good seat" and therefore it ought to work for you. If he hasn't measured your sitbones, the Q-angle of your femurs, and the dimensions of your soft tissues he has no idea what saddles might work for you and what ones wouldn't.

[seeker]

Thanks ladies. I see your point about the cutout, however I am putting all my pressure on the nose of the seat, not over the cutout. That is why I thought tilting the seat back would help. When I had the seat level, my bits were right at the tip of the seat. We tilted it back slightly and now my bits are almost to the cutout but not quite. I wanted the LBS to tilt it back some more and they wouldn't do it. They don't think that will solve my problem. But they don't have a clitoris either. And yes I do move around a lot because I'm trying to shift my weight to the back of the seat.

I have tried shifting things around but I can't seem to keep my labia from separating. I know I'm not seated properly but I'm not sure what to do. I can't sit on a folding chair or a wooden bench without sitting on a pillow. If I sit directly on the hard chair, I'm sitting right on my sit bones. I don't have much padding there. I actually keep a pillow in my car because I can't handle the church pew. So I know if I were sitting on the saddle properly, I'd probably feel it in my sit bones. But I don't. It's all up front.

I'll see if I can get a picture but that might be a problem. DH is not supportive of my biking. And I'm not sure he can even operate the camera. I'll have to work on him.

If you have any more suggestions, please give them to me. As I mentioned in my first post, my tri coach has seen me on the bike. He thought I was seated properly. He didn't understand my discomfort and I was finally able to talk him into tipping my seat back. The LBS have seen me on my seat numerous times and they also feel I'm seated correctly so I don't know what the heck to do. I was hoping a simple saddle change would fix the problem.

emily, I may get in front of the mirror and see if I can measure the distance from sit bone to sit bone.

Thanks.