by Associate Coach Melissa Sanborn
Saddle sores affect riders of every stage and walk of
life. Though preventing saddle sores is always
preferable, you should know how to treat them as
well. It's often a tough topic to discuss with anyone,
whether friends, family or your personal coach, but is
an issue that seriously needs to be addressed. Who
would find it easy to talk about these nasty little, or
sometimes large, polyps on or around their private
parts? We have all had to deal with them in some
way. When there's repetition in riding involved,
there's room for saddle sores to develop and often
times they occur when the rainy season begins or
time in the saddle increases. Shorts get soaked
allowing dirt into your chamois, excessive sweating,
or a moist environment can cause irritation and hair
follicles can get clogged.
Saddle sores can be extremely painful and even
detrimental to your cycling career. I've known
athletes who have been forced to take months off
the bike and required surgery to remove sores. So
it's best to do something about them before it gets
to that point!
True Story
I had a saddle sore during the middle of a 7-day
stage race that was so painful I had to apply
numbing cream at the start of each stage. The
problem was that the creams prescribed by the UCI
race medics wore off after several hours so I had to
carry a tube with me in my jersey pocket. You can
imagine my embarrassment when I had to drop to the
back of the pack to apply the cream, hand down my
shorts, just so I could survive the stage!
While this is just one extreme case, every rider
should be attentive about avoiding or treating saddle
sores. There are several ways to prevent saddle
sores:
1) Get some proper cycling shorts with a seamless
and comfortable chamois. Make sure you have
enough pairs of cycling shorts to ensure you start
with a clean fresh pair every ride.
2) Always wear clean shorts with a clean chamois.
Don't reuse a pair of shorts even if you've only ridden
in them for 30 minutes.
3) Hygiene: Bathe often and bathe well!
4) Don't sit around in your cycling shorts for hours at
the coffee house unnecessarily.
5) Use chamois cream before rides. Apply to the
skin. Don't put it on your shorts. I find that just
makes your shorts icky. Use a chamois cream that
breathes and has antibacterial properties. I like
Assos brand chamois cream. Other riders have their
own favorites.
6) When the pavement is wet, use a fender. It will
prevent some of the dirt from reaching your skin and
help keep your bum drier.
7) Try out different saddles. This makes a huge
difference. Your bike shop might have some to try or
perhaps get a recommendation from a friend or coach
with similar build. Perhaps a saddle with a narrow
nose or flexible rails works better for you. Also, I
personally think that carbon seat posts dampen the
vibration and make the ride more comfortable. Again,
that's personal preference and you should try it if
you haven't.
8) Have a proper bike fit done. Make sure that your
saddle height, fore and aft position and seat angle
are correct and comfortable. Our coaches are well-
versed in helping you get a proper fit. Use your
consultation time or spend the extra $60-$90 with
your Wenzel Coach and get checked out. You'll be
glad you did in more ways that one.
9) Cleat placement can make a difference as well.
It's part of the bike fit and is super important in the
overall comfort of riding.
10) Shave or not to shave is a personal choice. Try
it both ways and decide what works for you.
Shaving down there can irritate but it can
alleviate.
11) On longer rides, alternate between seated and
standing, shifting your position occasionally by riding
out of the saddle every 10-15 minutes to remove
pressure from your sit bones.
12) Gradually increase mileage. Sufficient
conditioning is important and duration of ride time
should increase gradually.
What to do when you have a saddle sore
Although saddle sores can vary in severity, the
treatment for each is quite similar; and all of them
typically resolve spontaneously, or with minor medical
therapy performed at home.
1) Modify your cycling regimen: Complete avoidance
of cycling until the lesions heal is the most
appropriate treatment; however you may be able to
continue riding. This will depend upon your pain
threshold, and whether or not an infection is present.
Alteration of your riding position is one option,
although this may result in trauma to other areas,
while a few weeks of cross training, such as cycling
2 days a week and running 3 days, and gradually
transitioning back to full-time cycling, is another
option. The latter option may provide enough relative
relief to allow the lesions to heal without
compromising your cardiovascular endurance, or your
cycling skills. For maximum benefit, the alternate
activity should be non-seat bearing, such as running
or swimming.
2. Skin care: In general, keep the skin clean and dry.
Moisturizing creams can be used for mildly inflamed
tissues, while topical antibiotic gels may promote
healing, and prevent infection of skin ulceration or
chafed regions. Avoid using rubbing alcohol, or
topical steroids for any saddle-related skin lesions.
Tight fitting clothing should be avoided as well, as
this helps minimize the elevated temperature and
moisture which promote bacterial growth.
3. Treatment: If the sore feels like a small hard lump
under the skin, try a drawing salve (available at drug
stores) applied to a Bandaid and stuck over the
bump. Replace the salve and Bandaid every few
hours. If the lump is larger than a pea, see your
physician as it will most likely need to be lanced.
4. Medical attention: Seek medical attention for any
lesions which are worsening, particularly if they are
increasing in size, or those that don't seem to be
improving. In addition, any infection that is increasing
in size, with which there is an accompanying fever,
should be evaluated by a physician or other health
care professional.
