What's best to put on saddle sores?

Jamey

I was snowed in for the first two days of the week but despite missing two days of cycling my end-of-week saddle sores seem to be worse than normal. Obviously I want to be better for Monday so what, in your experience, works fastest? Sudocrem? Germolene/antiseptic? Vaseline?

I know prevention is better than a cure so in future I might consider Chamois Cream but is it much better than using, say, vaseline or something else that's cheaper and easier to come by in a supermarket?

il_principe

Savlon.

Do you ride 100's miles a week? I'm suprpised you are getting sores really. Perhaps consider trying the following:

Better cycling shorts - with a better designed wicking chamois
More regular washing of cycling shorts
Change saddle
Alter saddle position
Use chamois cream

I've never had saddle sores despite regularly spending hours in the saddle. I use Assos chamois cream, Castelli bibs and a Specialized Toupe saddle. I'm usually nice and comfy.

Littigator

Jeezuz...how much do you ride? If I go over 50 miles a day without any cream I risk getting boils but no sores as such. Sorry is that too much info?

+1 on the savlon both during and after riding you can never slap too much on.

cjcp

Littigator wrote:

Jeezuz...how much do you ride? If I go over 50 miles a day without any cream I risk getting boils but no sores as such. Sorry is that too much info?

+1 on the savlon both during and after riding you can never slap too much on.

Way too much there, my friend. But at least you stopped short of saying that you had to lance them.

Kenjaja1

Get some sudocrem. This is designed for nappy rash so you may find it in the babies bit of the health and beauty section of your supermarket (or in any pharmacy.

It is great for saddle soreness and you'll probably find plenty of other cyclists singing its praises.

Best of luck

always_tyred

What saddle does a Tricross come with?

I just bought a cross bike and immediately removed the spacehopper saddle. Even sitting on the bare seat tube is preferable.

Soft saddle = chafing.
Soft saddle + cheap shorts = gangrene.

I've never needed chamois cream. Its on the list of "cycling must have's" somewhere near CO2 cannisters, latex tubes, ceramic bearing jockey wheels and toe covers.

Jamey

I don't ride particularly far - 14 miles each way, so 28 miles per day or 140 per five-day commuting week. And I've got a Specialized Toupe saddle too, which I'm pretty happy with. Went through a few saddles before settling on that one.

I am a big chap though, so lots of weight down through the saddle area which doesn't help. Unfortunately that also makes it quite tricky to find shorts that fit properly as I'm both large and tall. Assos, Rapha, Pearl Izumi and all of the normal brands that you guys usually recommend for good shorts (I've been quietly reading other threads on the subject here) stop short of producing clothes in the size I need, so I usually have to settle for what I can get which limits my options somewhat, hence my considering chamois cream.

Feltup

cjcp wrote:

Littigator wrote:

Jeezuz...how much do you ride? If I go over 50 miles a day without any cream I risk getting boils but no sores as such. Sorry is that too much info?

+1 on the savlon both during and after riding you can never slap too much on.

Way too much there, my friend. But at least you stopped short of saying that you had to lance them.

I know some people think he is a pain the arse but this takes the biscuit.

always_tyred

Littigator wrote:

Jeezuz...how much do you ride? If I go over 50 miles a day without any cream I risk getting boils but no sores as such. Sorry is that too much info?

+1 on the savlon both during and after riding you can never slap too much on.

Do you rub it in?

I'll get my coat.

dirk_van_gently

I use this stuff, no problems.
+1 for all of the above.

singlespeedexplosif

+1 for Assos minty @rse lard. Wonderful stuff.

I've never needed chamois cream. Its on the list of "cycling must have's" somewhere near CO2 cannisters, latex tubes, ceramic bearing jockey wheels and toe covers.


5 of my favourite things listed right there...can't remember what I used to do before 3 of them, anyway. Ceramic bearing jockey wheels are a bit gratuitous, and CO2 cannisters are fairly redundant since moving to latex tubes, as is my pump.

gpsBRM

Assos seemed to have changed their cream recently, now its a blueish color and comes in a different tub

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Assos ... 360031286/

Not sure if its as good. Anyone else noticed a difference?

cjcp

Jamey wrote:

I don't ride particularly far - 14 miles each way, so 28 miles per day or 140 per five-day commuting week. And I've got a Specialized Toupe saddle too, which I'm pretty happy with. Went through a few saddles before settling on that one.

I am a big chap though, so lots of weight down through the saddle area which doesn't help. Unfortunately that also makes it quite tricky to find shorts that fit properly as I'm both large and tall. Assos, Rapha, Pearl Izumi and all of the normal brands that you guys usually recommend for good shorts (I've been quietly reading other threads on the subject here) stop short of producing clothes in the size I need, so I usually have to settle for what I can get which limits my options somewhat, hence my considering chamois cream.

+1 for sudocream. You can also get organic equivalents for babies' bottoms too, so they might be worth a look.

Have you also checked your saddle position?

Jamey

Yeah, the saddle position is right for me. I'm fairly sure the soreness is just the natural consequence of a fat bloke on a bike.

Littigator

I've got some pics if you like...wha what?

lost_in_thought

Having never had such issues, and having nothing to do today, I googled and found some tips:

http://www.teamjudson.com/articles/sores.htm

redddraggon

To avoid saddle sores make sure you're not slipping off the saddle and having to continuously reposition yourself. So make sure the angle and setback of your saddle is correct, and make sure the saddle is not crap.

Wear decent shorts.

Use sudocreme.

Really you should be doing serious pro mileage before you start getting saddle sores if you have prepared properly.

Jamey

With regard to Sudocrem, are you saying to use it afterwards or to use it during, instead of chamois cream?

singlespeedexplosif

Really you should be doing serious pro mileage before you start getting saddle sores if you have prepared properly.
not really, some people are very susceptible. Folliculitis can be a major cause and there's not a great deal you can do to avoid that. However, antibiotics can work a treat.

Feltup

Jamey wrote:

With regard to Sudocrem, are you saying to use it afterwards or to use it during, instead of chamois cream?

On long rides or even shorter rides if it is going to be wet I use sudocrem before I go out.

Jamey

Ok, I think a combination of most of the suggestions so far is in order. Will give them a go and see if there's an improvement.

biondino

You're not wearing underpants, right?

biondino

Oops, sorry, wrong forum :oops:

greg66_tri_v2.0

[quote="Always Tyred"I've never needed chamois cream. Its on the list of "cycling must have's" somewhere near CO2 cannisters, latex tubes, ceramic bearing jockey wheels and toe covers.[/quote]

Aside from the ceramic bearings, I have or have had all of the above.

I have quite a short list of "must haves" now. Let's see:

1. ceramic bearing jockey wheels
2. some impractical and ludicrously expensive handmade wheels using Edge 45 carbon clincher rims.
3. errrrr, that's it.

Jamey

biondino wrote:

You're not wearing underpants, right?

Heh, no, nothing with a central seam.

The sore patches are at the sides anyway... Well, back of the legs, right at the top in the crease where the back of the legs becomes the bottom of the, err, bottom. If that makes sense.

God, this is all getting rather clinical now.

greg66_tri_v2.0

lost_in_thought wrote:

Having never had such issues, and having nothing to do today, I googled and found some tips:

http://www.teamjudson.com/articles/sores.htm

Nice to see Nurse Undercarriage is on the ward.

biondino

Nothing with a central seam means you are wearing some form of underpant, right? Even if it shouldn't chafe, it still may well be doing so, so try riding without and see how it goes.

Jamey

No, no pants, commando under the bib shorts (well, bib tights in this weather).

flattythehurdler

Having had similar problems, I would suggest some iodine paste called metanium. Not sure of price as I just get wifey to pick it up with her barrow of cosmetic products from the chemist. Need top be careful as it is a sticky brown paste, but works better than savlon or sudocreme and must be cheaper than anything by assos.

robmanic1

I was a sufferer until I discovered ASSOS! It works for me and it leaves you with a "minty-fresh" gusset, and LA uses it (Armstrong backlash debate starts here!)

lost_in_thought

Greg66 wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Having never had such issues, and having nothing to do today, I googled and found some tips:

http://www.teamjudson.com/articles/sores.htm

Nice to see Nurse Undercarriage is on the ward.

At least I'm trying to help rather than just ranting about expensive wheel fetishes like SOME people...