Swollen "ahem....."

[Gowest]

Hi ladies - I just finished my first time trial on my new TT bike. I had the bike set up by the same professional who set me up on my road bike - which has an awesome fit. I had been using my road bike with clip on aero bars for time trials - until I got my new Orbea Ora. I raced her tonight and used a selle time trial specific seat (ie the nose was padded with gel) I have never been in so much pain in my life. My labia are swollen to about four times their normal size. I could hardly get off the bike. I came home and sat in a tub - but the pain is quite intense. I have a high pain threshold - but this is pushing it!!! I have put ice on "it" and taken some ibuprofen.

I have two questions: (1) Any suggestions for treatment (2) What kind of saddle should I put on this bike?

The funny thing was - it didn't hurt until I sat up at the finish - it was a 20K time trial. I like time trialing - but I don't think I can bear this again. I suspect I will be off my bike for several days...,.good thing I was not going to race the entire omnium.

I am sure I am not the only person this had ever happened to.

Debi

[Blueberry]

OUCH!!!

I think you're on the right track with ice and Advil. If there are abrasions, then either Vagicaine or A&D work well.

But OUCH, just OUCH!

As a completely unrelated aside, we've been taking about the Bicycle Inn for Labor Day on another thread - any interest??

CA

[Dianyla]

I am sure I am not the only person this had ever happened to.

No, you're definitely not the only one. I got a massive case of the Hot Dog Bun Labia somewhere around mile 150 of a double-century. The only thing I could do was slather on some vagicaine and grit my teeth the rest of the ride.

Consider trying a different saddle, and also realize that a "good" saddle can quickly turn into a "bad" saddle if you don't have tip angled down for using aerobars.

[Wahine]

I agree with Dianyla. You may need to tip the saddle nose down a bit.

Ouch, I hope you feel better soon. I can sympathize.

[RoadRaven]

My "ahem" gets swollen at times too.

After a TT is common as I don't move from the one position at all for 40 minutes or so (and have usually warmed up for 30-40 minutes before hand, so weight is already being applied before the race starts).

And just echoing Dianyla and Wahine... the nose of the seat on my TT bike (which has bull horns and aerobars, and a low front end) is angled slightly more down than my road race bike. I have posted pix of them both in my thread in the "TE Member Race Results" forum if you want to see. The difference is much - only millimetres, but thats often all it takes.

So Gowest, are you going to post a race report for us of your first TT? There are several enthusiastic TTers here on TE and we're always keen to read about how others have found their TTs.

And what bike do you have for TTing on?

[Zen]

Orbea Ora

HotDogBunLabia is too funny

[teigyr]

HotDogBunLabia is too funny

yes it is. The sad thing is I know what she's talking about. Been there...don't usually notice until I'm in the shower. Why don't men have these problems?

[RoadRaven]

Men don't get swollen labia cause they dont have labia

However... seriously... they do get other problems; numbness, sweeling, lumps etc etc

Why do you think Lance didn't realise he had cancer til it was well progressed? He thought the swelling and lumps were normal/expected swelling and lumps from his hours in the saddle!


Oh... and Zen... are you saying Gowest has an orbea for her TT bike? Somehow I missed the post about that - or didn't register it was for TTing...

Cheers
Road ~ off-to-find-pic-of-GWs-bike ~ Raven

[Zen]

When I was first learning about bikes,I had a male friend reveal that they eventually develop scar tissue at the base of the scrotum.
I was somewhat shocked at the time but now? Nah.

A woman does NOT want to develop scar tissue in the corresponding area

[sundial]

Oooowwwww, just thinking about it made me squeeze my knees together.

I really admire you TT gals because I don't know if I would want to hunker down like that on my bike.

[Gowest]

Well, I had to go to the doc today - ha ha - the doc went to the doc!! He put me on four meds - (1) topical steroid (2) diflucan (for possible yeast) (3) antibiotic (I had a fever) and (4) pain med.

So far I have refused to use the pain med - and have not had the nerve to apply the topical cream. He said he has never seen anything as bad as what I had today. I am taking baths about every four hours.

Raven - this was my fourth TT - first three on Orbea Orca with clip-ons - then switched to the TT specific Ora - will post pic of me finishing this race soon - I placed a little lower than the middle of the field for cat 4 - not bad considering this is my first year on the bike and first year racing. Other than the aforemention issue - I love the TT - it is awesome......can't say enough.

Do you tri ladies or TT'ers have any saddle recommendations?? Right now I am 1.5 degrees nose down - and will increase that angle - but may want to switch saddles totoally. Yesterday I think I would have been better off with just a seat post!!!

Just call me the Angelina Jolie of time trials........(I can laugh now....)

debi

[RolliePollie]

Yowza! I had a swelling issue once before I got my new saddle...wore skirts to work with no underwear for two days

[Wahine]

Just call me the Angelina Jolie of time trials........(I can laugh now....)

debi

OK, that's even funnier than "hot dog bun labia".

I'm a long course triathlete and I used to use a Terry butterfly saddle. It worked great except that for training distances like IM I was breaking them down too fast and it was getting to expensive to keep replacing them. I would think that for time trials at 40 km it would wrok very well. Now I use a WTB women's specific gel saddle and that works well, but works best if my chamois is thin. With a thicker chamois I can also start to resemble Angelina.

[tricanada]

can definetely relate to the swelling troubles. I am a long course triathelete and have also tried MANY different saddles and have cursed almost all. On my tri-bike, I have settled on a Profile Design men's tri saddle - the women's version didn't work for me. On my road bike, I have a Selle Italia Gel Flow Trans Am. I also discovered that traditional bike shorts do not work. I need less padding and always use tri shorts. Good luck.

[sundial]

Here's an interesting saddle posted on a triathlete forum.



It's a DDWings saddle. Here's the website: http://www.bikemania.biz/DDwings_Rev...ngs_saddle.htm