recurring UTIs

[Crankin]

Maybe change your shorts after a certain distance on these long brevets? Bring wipes made for female anatomy? I know I have shorts that are lighter weight that I wear in hot weather; very compressive material seems to promote bacterial growth in hot/humid weather.

[antimony]

Maybe change your shorts after a certain distance on these long brevets? Bring wipes made for female anatomy? I know I have shorts that are lighter weight that I wear in hot weather; very compressive material seems to promote bacterial growth in hot/humid weather.

The weird part was that I was having symptoms after like 60 miles, when other times I'd been OK for 250. Changing shorts isn't impossible although I don't usually carry a bag big enough for a spare pair.

I'll start looking for more breathable ones; 200k is about my limit for fleece-only tri shorts because eventually I want a little padding, but something in between that and my terry bellas has to exist.

[rebeccaC]

I’d talk to a gynecologist or urologist about it!! I use cranberry juice and especially the lactobacillus in probiotics with its good bacteria in my regular diet. That helps me. For a few days before a long ride drinking LOTS of water to induce more frequent urination helps to flush out and mitigate infection too. If post-menopausal again talk to a gyn or urologist about low-dose vaginal estrogen cream.
For a chamois those with a bacteriostatic layer helps too. Castelli’s progetto X2 air donna chamois works really well for me especially on long hard rides.

hoping you find a good solution antimony!!!!!

[north woods gal]

UTIs have been an issue for me, once the weather warmed up in the spring and through the summer, prior to my accident. Still an issue, now and then, during my recovery because I walk, everyday, and do a workout on the indoor trainer.

I know this solution I've found will cause some to gasp in disbelief, but one thing I found that has helped is to ... stop wearing padded bike shorts. For me, that hot and sweaty environment caused by the padding and no ventilation of the typical bike short was my undoing. Really hard to fight off an infection with that working against me. My solution has been to use well-ventilated, light and loose polyester exercise shorts I found at Walnut-mart. I know wearing bike shorts is a scared cow among the faithful, but I absolutely don't miss padded bike shorts tor need them. Too constricting, anyway. Maybe I've just spent so many hours on a bike that I am now immune to being sore from riding, kind of like a cowgirl who has spent a lifetime in a saddle. Have also been riding long enough to know what is and what is not proper seat adjustment, so I can avoid chaffing and sores. No, I'm not recommending anyone ditch their expensive bike shorts, but it's now one less thing I need for my bicycling and I don't miss them at all. My padded bike shorts are now in mothballs, right along with all my fancy SPD bike shoes. Yeah, old rebel without a clue, me.

[antimony]

I know this solution I've found will cause some to gasp in disbelief, but one thing I found that has helped is to ... stop wearing padded bike shorts. For me, that hot and sweaty environment caused by the padding and no ventilation of the typical bike short was my undoing. Really hard to fight off an infection with that working against me. My solution has been to use well-ventilated, light and loose polyester exercise shorts I found at Walnut-mart.

I like tri-shorts for rides 200k and under, but eventually I think I want a little padding. I'll have to try a 300k that isn't an important one in tri-shorts some time. It hasn't bothered me (at least not to this extent) before.

Anyone have any recommendations for shorts that have more than just fleece but breathe? (I'll look into the Castellis, although IIRC their XL is a little too snug on me. (Terry XL fits me great.) I've also had leather saddles recommended, but I really try to avoid leather. (Though I might be playing saddle roulette anyway; the underside edge of my saddle was annoying me as well, although that might have been because I was sitting differently to keep pressure on my bladder down.)

[Crankin]

I would also consider the saddle/shorts combo. You have to get both right. I had constant pressure, an increase in UTIs, and an actual lesion in the soft tissue from a saddle that I thought was great, but wasn't. When my doctor was puzzled about the lesion (she said "it's not cancer, but I can't figure it out"), I knew immediately it was cycling related. When I got the saddle I have now, I was skeptical, as the weight was much more on my sit bones, which took about 2 weeks to get used to. The LBS owner/fitter told me my butt would hurt, but eventually I would get used to it, and he was right. I have had no burning, pressure, or any other discomfort since. It took me 8-9 years after the lesion to make this change, so I was used to having issues all of the time.
I recently got a pair of Terry Chill shorts. They have the "light Flex Air" chamois. I do not like too much padding, and while I wouldn't use this for a longer ride (40-50 miles+), it's more than a tri chamois, so you might find this to be happy medium. They are expensive, though.

[north woods gal]

Couldn't agree on the saddle part of the equation. I switched to the wide old lady comfort style saddles for my snow biking, this last winter, because it is essential to get planted on the seat, instantly and perfectly, as you hit the pedals to get rolling in the snow. That's when I discovered just how wide my sit bones really are and how all my life I had been riding saddles too narrow. I'm a big gal, anyway and now I'm also an old gal, if that has anything to do with it, but if you're saddle is not properly supporting your sit bones, you are setting yourself up for all kinds of issues, not just UTIs. Then, too, if your saddle is too narrow for your sit bones, you are not getting the max leverage out of your legs when you pedal. Only problem I have, now is finding a wide enough saddle in a performance saddle, instead of the big clunky comfort saddles. Wide AND light is a tough combination to find.