Chaffing?

[blueberryskyes]

I'm new to cycling and have a personal question/issue. I've noticed sometimes that the soft tissue between the labia majora and labia minora will become swollen, red, and stinging a day after a ride. Does anyone else have this problem and what do you do to avoid or relieve? I'm wondering if I'm chaffing against myself.

[ny biker]

Does the problem start while riding or immediately after, and lasts through the next day, or does the problem start the next day?

[blueberryskyes]

Does the problem start while riding or immediately after, and lasts through the next day, or does the problem start the next day?

At first I didn't notice it until the next evening when the sting woke me up. Now that I'm paying more attention, I can tell it slightly starts towards the end of the ride, then progressively gets worse the next day. It goes away after a few days of not cycling and the day after cycling is always the worst.

I've tried to notice how I am seating when riding and adjust so I'm not leaning to one side or tilted to forward. With those minor adjustments, I haven't had an "episode" as bad as the first time.

I have a specialized BG riva that came with the bike. A fitter told me the width is appropriate for me.

[KnottedYet]

Did the fitter actually measure your pelvis?

(you lie on your back and hug your knees, and he palpates for your sit bones - or has you palpate for them - and measures the actual bones themselves)

There are butt-o-meters (you sit on it and make dents) that can put you in the size ballpark, but they don't give a lot of information you really need for proper saddle fitting.

Either your saddle is too narrow, too padded, or too tilted up at the nose. Or your posture is too sagged so you are going into an anterior pelvic tilt. Or the saddle just s*cks.

If you've got a fitter, he should tweak your fit for free for the next year. Give him a call and tell him there is a problem with the saddle he set you up with or the way he set it. He'll fix it, his reputation is hanging on that!

[blueberryskyes]

I didn't get a full fit, just a consultation from a pro fitter. He coached me a bit on posture, so I'd guess it's my posture, which is really slouchy. I'm working on that. He did get me on a trainer and watched me ride. He did a cleat adjustment, posture coaching and said the saddle width looked appropriate.

He did ask me to ride for a couple of weeks and then come back in for a full fit, so that I would actually be able to tell him things I notice.

Maybe it is the padding or something and I know saddles are a very personal, any recommendations?

[KnottedYet]

He did ask me to ride for a couple of weeks and then come back in for a full fit, so that I would actually be able to tell him things I notice.

Considering you are suffering for days after each ride now, I don't think you have to wait a full couple weeks before getting a hold of him!

[OakLeaf]

Either your saddle is too narrow, too padded, or too tilted up at the nose. Or your posture is too sagged so you are going into an anterior pelvic tilt. Or the saddle just s*cks.

Or it's too wedge-shaped and forcing you onto the nose, which can't support your sitbones even though the width of the back part should be wide enough for you. Or the cut-out is the wrong size or shape for your anatomy, or you don't need one (but my guess would be that you do) ...

+1 that since you know something is REALLY WRONG there's no reason for you to wait to contact your fitter. For one thing, until you can sit comfortably on your saddle, you won't be able to figure out your relationship with the bars, pedals and levers.

[blueberryskyes]

One last question, is it okay to put butt'r on the soft tissue? Or do you think there is a possibility of it causing an infection? I'm not talking in the canal mind you.