Saddle Sores

[JodiC]

I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to send a heart felt thanks to all of you that contributed!!!
After years of riding with no problems and generally without chamois cream, I started to have the weirdest chaffing problems recently! It was bizarre. And I was wondering about things like prep H, which seemed to help (but I thought I was very weird for trying that!!!).
I think most of my problem was related to a hot weekend where I was looking for/buying a new touring bike, and wound up sitting around in my shorts alot, which generated some irritation that I wasn't dealing with correctly since never experiencing it before (well, and also figuring out saddle adjustment on the new bike which is crucial for me - DH enjoyed the first few rides of our tour where I was like, wait, have to stop and adjust the saddle every 15 minutes!).
Butt - anyway - thanks again for all the helpful suggestions ... this is such a great website .... and I have determined that I am going to buy stock in Anti-Monkey butt powder and always have it on hand for such occassions - it's the greatest stuff in the world! Cheers, Jodi
much happier now!

[kenyonchris]

I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to send a heart felt thanks to all of you that contributed!!!
Butt - anyway - thanks again for all the helpful suggestions ... this is such a great website .... and I have determined that I am going to buy stock in Anti-Monkey butt powder and always have it on hand for such occassions - it's the greatest stuff in the world! Cheers, Jodi
much happier now!

At the concert I worked (on the horse) a few weeks ago, I got poured on. Because of how wet I got (I wear my bike shorts when I am going to be on the horse for 12 hours) I wound up getting rubbed. Because of my preparation H prevention, it wasn't as bad as it could have been but the second day after the rain was miserable. However, I had put the anti-monkey butt in my saddle bag. At lunch, I went into the portapotty and liberally doused my behind with it. I came out and hauled my chapped butt back into the saddle (a long climb)...when I sat down a huge POOF of antimonkey butt escaped through my waistband and engulfed me and settled about my horse's mane, ears, eyes, and most of his neck. He was sweaty, so it stuck. He stuck his big ears out to the side and sneezed.
The lesson learned? Wear a belt? Less Anti-MonkeyButt? or carry a little brush?

[channlluv]

Chris, that's a hoot.

This has been a really educational thread for me, too. I've had those little cysts, too, but I didn't know they were saddle sores. I thought that was soem kind of open wound from the chafing.

Where do you buy DZ Nuts? D*H likes Chamois Butt'r, and I've used it once, but I don't like what you guys said about parabens, so I'll need to be more attentive to product labels.

I like Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle body wash. I don't know if it has enough tea tree oil in it to be medicinal, but it does have a nice tingle. Can anyone suggest a better brand?

Roxy

[Biciclista]

At the concert I worked (on the horse) a few weeks ago, I got poured on. Because of how wet I got (I wear my bike shorts when I am going to be on the horse for 12 hours) I wound up getting rubbed. Because of my preparation H prevention, it wasn't as bad as it could have been but the second day after the rain was miserable. However, I had put the anti-monkey butt in my saddle bag. At lunch, I went into the portapotty and liberally doused my behind with it. I came out and hauled my chapped butt back into the saddle (a long climb)...when I sat down a huge POOF of antimonkey butt escaped through my waistband and engulfed me and settled about my horse's mane, ears, eyes, and most of his neck. He was sweaty, so it stuck. He stuck his big ears out to the side and sneezed.
The lesson learned? Wear a belt? Less Anti-MonkeyButt? or carry a little brush?

rotfl. Is AntiMonkeyButt a powder? what color?
that is hilarious!!

[katluvr]

Ditto!

Nice visual image! And w/ a name like "monkey butt"!

Good AM laugh w/ my coffee.
Thanks, Chris!

K

[OakLeaf]

hehe

I've had that happen with gloves - my hands break out from too much moisture, so sometimes I dump some cornstarch into them, which can billow out in clouds. But having the powder come out your butt is a whole 'nother picture!


Anti-Monkey Butt Powder:

[bluebug32]

The DH and I use Asmaster chamois cream. It has a pleasant tingle and seems to serve it's purpose. The one longish ride I skipped using it on this season was the one where I came home with two saddle sores. They also have free trial packets of the cream, which we stick in our jersey pockets to reapply during really long rides. I second the tea tree oil as a good treatment option. Also keeping the area as hair free as possible has proven beneficial.

[channlluv]

Okay, keeping the area hair-free...that's a good topic, too. How do you ladies manage? Razor? Laser? Some kind of depilatory cream?


Roxy

[OakLeaf]

Okay, keeping the area hair-free...that's a good topic, too. How do you ladies manage? Razor? Laser? Some kind of depilatory cream?


Roxy

I just trim it very short. Any time I actually try to remove the hair, I wind up with ingrown hairs and infected hair follicles.

Could be that's part of why I'm not much on swimming, either... my "natural" hair seems like it grows halfway down my thighs...

[bluebug32]

An electric razor

[Norse]

+1 on the electric razor. Every single time I have tried a non-electric razor I break out in bumps worse than any saddle sores.

[bluebug32]

Agreed. Anything other than an electric razor turns my skin into braille!

[Tri Girl]

Ok, so I have a really, really, really dumb question. I feel so much more comfortable asking you ladies than going to the quick clinic and dropping trouser to show a strange doctor.

I think I've developed a saddle sore. Been riding for 4 years and never had one. I also have never lubed up before rides, but certainly will now.
Like LPH said; it feels like an olive is trapped under my skin. It's not open, it's just big and sore. It's gotten bigger in the last couple days since it appeared. I've taken everyone's advice and have bought some prep H (hasn't worked so I'm off to buy acne cream today). Here's my really, really dumb question: can the saddle sore be on your lower labia (near the sit bones)? Soooo sorry if that's TMI. I just read a ton of stuff online and most sites indicated that saddle sores are on the buttocks or sit bones. Mine is not. It's close, but not.
Also- at what point do you go to the doctor, show him all your glory and get medical help? When it's been there and hurting for a week? Two?

Thanks for any help. I will try all the remedies listed here one at a time until I find relief or until I don't and break down and go to the doctor. It's not an open sore, so that's good I suppose.

[kermit]

I had them. They look like blood blisters, hard under the skin. I got into a tub and actually popped the first one. Then a little acne cream will dry it up. Mine was right where my upper thigh meets my crotch. I'm sure you can get them anywhere there's pressure.

[endurancerider]

hey Tri Girl, I think that different bodies must respond better or worse to different treatments. Acne cream, tea tree oil, antibiotic cream (including prescription) all did nothing for me (didn't try Prep H, will keep that in mind for next time). I got them even though I used Chamois Butt'r, Assos cream, and Hammer's saddle cream. But when I followed Levi Leipheimer's method and tried petroleum jelly, I finally had some relief.

In complete honesty, over the last year the only thing that really makes them go away completely, once they're there, is--time off the bike. It seems to take a week. Luckily (?) every once in awhile I have to leave my bike behind for work-related travel, so a week/ten days off the bike can happen!