Sore bum saddle sore.

[smifffymoto]

Having read the solo ride thread and just doing our first 100 km ride my backside is sore,not aching sore,red raw sore.
Is there a trick to lessen the suffering?
I wear decent bib shorts,no chamois cream.Also being a hefty chap I sweat alot so that trickles down my back and probably doesn't help the situation.
To be blunt,does having a hairy arse crack make it worse?

More time in the saddle will help but is just a case of greasing up with chamois cream and wearing good kit.

[WinstonWolf]

Pretty much. If you're red raw at the chafe points chamois cream will help. What sort of saddle are you using? Larger ones are often worse than small ones for chafing.

[ALawson]

Maybe stop for a few "Gruffy McHygine" checks. You can take some of your chosen arse cream of choice in a small container and a few wipes.

I expect you arse hasn't got conditioned to the treatment it gets, are you running wide tyres and a lower pressure to help or 23mm at 120psi?

[Pachydermus]

smifffymoto said:

I wear decent bib shorts

decent doesn't mean they suit you - I tried some alternative, well rated shorts a while back and ended up with saddle sores which cleared as soon as the alternative shorts went in the bin.
Also, this may seem obvious but make sure they're the right size - they're supposed to be tight not even slightly baggy and no undies.

Edited by Pachydermus on Tuesday 27th September 15:19

[richardxjr]

Sudocrem will clear that up.

[anonymous-user]

Chapeau and Chamois butt'r comes in single use sachets which are pretty handy too. Just keep one in the jersey pocket,

[Dannbodge]

Chamois cream should help.

I've just changed my bib shorts and started getting a sore patch after a long steep climb so bought some Muc Off chamois cream.

Haven't tried it yet but it gets great reviews everywhere.

[Gruffy]

Make sure the shorts are a good fit. This is a prerequisite.

Assuming your shorts fit well, your saddle is an acceptable shape for your arse and there aren't any glaring issues with bike fit (saddle to high makes you rock etc) then it is highly likely to be simple conditioning. You're describing soreness and redness rather than saddle sores. Ideally you'd gradually up your distances to get the body used to the punishment, without any huge leaps in mileage. It doesn't always happen like that though so I use chamois cream (Sudocrem) any time I'm making a big increase over recent distances or if I'm going for a particularly long ride.

Contrary to perceived wisdom, a hairy arse may not actually be a bad thing. I tidied things up before the Transcontinental Race and I suspect this contributed to my woes. The Olympics were happening during the race and British Cycling came out with some new thinking about how pubic hair actually helps to prevent chafing and saddle sores. Start by eliminating other potential causes before busting out the razor.

[lufbramatt]

Is your saddle smooth or does it have any raised logos or seams? these are a nightmare for creating pressure points on your tender bits.

[Daveyraveygravey]

What everyone else has said, and a +1 for Sudocrem. It does the same as chamois cream, but expensive rip off cycle merchants haven't cottoned on to it yet.

Hairy crack can lead to another issue - pilonidal sinus. It's an in growing hair follicle which is very unpleasant, but the only way to get rid of it is very medieval. I had the misfortune to get one about 25 years ago, luckily I haven't got one since.