For the last couple of months i have had occurring saddle sores, i have maintained a good hygene ethos, eg using antibacterial cleaners, and chamios cream, and regularly washing my shorts, im doing 150-200mls per week on average, but still they are there. Any answers to a defficult subject, although a common problem im sure
jr

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i like people... i just can't stand assholes

it could be the shorts you are using, could be the position you're on in the bike (ie- saddle height, fore-aft, tilt) are you using some kind of chamois cream?
I know I recently had to use a backup saddle and the difference in shape/position caused a small sore.

lots of things cause em... shaving habits, diet, systemic infection.


Go see a skin doc. They can give you medication that can help you get ride of what is now probably a fairly durable infection and help pretreat the area for a while...

Then it's down to a process of elimination, which is in and of it's self a pain in the a$$...

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charles@pezcyclingnews.com

are you talking about skin chafing or actual soreness?

i reckon chafing would be cured by creams and clothing, whereas soreness would have to do with bike fit.

yep- saddle height, crank length, fore and aft on saddle.

Guys have been riding a number of years, with no problems, so i doubt its the set up, its almost like a ingrowing hair folicle problem,almost like the little sucker has a root?
Im off to see a dermotologist see if i can get it sorted.
But thanks for the info
jr

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i like people... i just can't stand assholes

I rode for years with no problems but then developed painful bumps in the perineum area for no apparent reason. Squeezing them until I was almost in tears would sometimes produce pus (sorry for being so graphic but the subject makes this unavoidable!) Changing saddle (to a Fizik Arione) saved my riding as the pressure was redistributed and the area could heal. Been pain-free since.

If you have no luck with the dermatologist I suggest staying off the bike until the area heals, borrow/buy a differently shaped saddle and see if the problem recurs.

Good luck, I know how frustrating this is.

I have these saddles on all my bikes
jr

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i like people... i just can't stand assholes

I'm not saying use an Arione but after healing try a different saddle.

I get the same thing sometimes. They're almost like cysts. Very painful. For the most part they're very treatable.

1. Hygeine
2. Use some sort of chamois cream (I like Bag Balm and Brave Soldier stuf)
3. Pop those bad boys if they get really nasty to relieve pressure
4. Aggressively treat them w/ H202, Neosporin, and Bandaids

Hot bath, H2O2, hot bath, H2O2 scrub. Squeeze after rides, H2O2, .... until you get to the bottom of the problem (LANCE it with a phillips head! ). Change saddles, the magic rehab saddle for me was the Performance brand tri geek saddle. Now rehabbed back to an SLR, no problems. One these things start it will stick around for a while.

I was getting some saddle soars at the beginning of the season. I started using Noxzema as a makeshift chamois cream in the area I was getting the soars and everything cleared up fast. I have used it since and have not had one problem. It may be worth a try.

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Zanconato Blog

Ditto on the Noxema. It's gotta be the best cham cream out there.