By Fred Matheny
A saddle sore can ruin a ride. Even a tiny zit can begin to feel like you’re perched on a golf ball. Nearly as painful are crotch abrasions caused by shorts that bunch or have an irritating seam.
Even the pros, hardened by thousands of miles in the saddle, fall victim to what cycling author Arnie Baker, M.D., calls “crotchitis.” Fabled tough guys like Eddy Merckx and Sean Kelly had to abandon races when the pain became too great.
Most medical experts say that saddle sores are actually boils caused by skin bacteria that invade surface abrasions. Remedies have come a long way from the era when riders would put slabs of raw steak in their shorts to cushion the abraded area.
Of course, avoiding saddle sores is better than curing them (or ruining a good sirloin). Here’s how:
- Improve your bike fit. If your seat is too high, your hips rock on each pedal stroke and strum your soft tissue across the nose of the saddle. The result is irritated skin and a greater chance of infection. Especially if you suffer from chronic saddle sores, have your position checked by an experienced coach or knowledgeable bike shop person. Read more about saddle sores from this pro bike fitter.
- Stand frequently. Doing so takes pressure off your crotch and restores circulation. Get in the habit of standing for 15-20 seconds every few minutes. Use natural opportunities such as short hills, rough pavement or accelerating from stop signs. Stand and stretch when you’re at the back of a paceline or group.
- Move on the saddle. Sit mostly toward the rear where your sit bones get maximum support and take pressure off your crotch. But also move farther back on seated climbs, and more to the middle when bending low to make good time. Each shift relieves pressure points.
- Choose a smooth chamois. Look for shorts with a one-piece liner or one That’s sewn with flat seams. It may take experimenting with shorts brands or chamois types to find the model that works best. Women often do better with shorts designed specifically for their anatomy and that have a liner with no center seam. See our article How to Choose Cycling Shorts.
- Select a supportive seat. Saddle choice is crucial. Excessively wide saddles rub your inner thighs. Narrow saddles don’t provide enough support for your sit bones — your weight is borne by soft tissue that can quickly become bruised and irritated. Thickly padded saddles can press upward between your sit bones, causing uncomfortable numbing pressure. The best choice for any individual rider can only be found through trial and error. Hopefully, your bike shop will have a saddle test-ride program or liberal trade-in policy. See our article How to Find a Safe Saddle.
- Lube to reduce friction. To prevent the chamois from abrading skin, apply lubrication before each ride. Try a commercial product such as Chamois BUTT’r or Bag Balm, or simply a light coating of petroleum jelly. Apply a dab the size of a nickel to your crotch before putting on your shorts. (See our review of Chamois BUTT-r products.)
- Keep clean. Always wear clean shorts for each ride. If you seem susceptible to saddle sores, you may find it helpful to wash your crotch with antibacterial soap and warm water before lubing up. Dry your skin well first.
- Strip quick. After a ride, get out of your sweaty, germy shorts as soon as possible. The environment down there breeds bacteria and encourages them to enter abraded skin. Then shower or clean up with soap and water. Dry well and put on loose-fitting clothing that allows your skin to breathe. For underwear, try boxer shorts. The tight leg bands of briefs cut across the junction of your glutes and hamstrings, right where many saddle sores develop.
- Sleep in the buff. It keeps your crotch dry and free of clothing contact for as long as you’re in bed.
If You Get a Saddle Sore
- Medicate it. Besides keeping it clean, treat it with an over-the-counter acne gel containing 10% benzoyl peroxide. Perhaps even more effective is the topical prescription product called Emgel (erythromycin). If a sore is getting out of control, ask your doctor about a course of oral antibiotics.
- Rest it. As you medicate a troublesome sore, take some time off the bike to help it heal. It’s far better to lose three days now than a week or more after infection sets in. If you continue to ride on an open sore it may eventually form a cyst that requires surgery.
If You Must Continue Riding
Sometimes you can’t take time off. For instance, you may be on a tour or at a cycling camp.
- Change your shorts or saddle. Your problems are probably isolated in one small area — a boil or abrasion. Changing your saddle and/or shorts can reduce pressure on the sore and lessen pain.
- Use a heavier lube. If you’re getting irritated, apply extra lube or switch to a more viscous one. Many long-distance riders swear by Bag Balm, which was originally made for sore cow udders but is now available in most pharmacies.
- Numb it. OTC pain reducers and anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen, can help. In extreme cases, pro team physicians will use a topical anesthetic on riders so they can finish a stage race. It’s not recommended for recreational riders because when you’re numb, you can ride yourself into greater damage.
- Try Preparation H ointment. No, not for that reason. Prep H works on saddle sores because it shrinks swollen tissue and soothes pain. Apply it five minutes before slathering on your chamois cream and putting on your shorts. Also try a dab on sores after rides to dull discomfort.
- Have a donut. In the foot-care section of drug stores, you’ll find donut-shaped foam pads in several diameters. They’re made for corns but can help you ride more comfortably with a saddle sore, too. Simply place it with the sore in the center of the cutout to relieve direct pressure. The adhesive backing will keep it in place.
I have personal experience with this situation and had surgery to remove a “core” after it stopped me from riding on my first cross country attempt.
A solution that I found to be very effective fro me in helping preventing future issues and increased my comfort in riding was to wear a smooth, tight fitting, compression type undershort. I have found ones that fit to mid thigh, not longer than my riding shorts, and have no cotton in them. Make sure they fit tight so they don’t creep up and all the seams are smooth.
I used to be a butter user but found this solution for me was cleaner and much neater. Rather than dipping and spreading the butter I just adjust and ride on.
Along the lines of keeping clean, but more convenient than antibacterial soap and water, is a tip I learned from an interview with a doctor from British Cycling. He recommended using an antibacterial wipe before lubing up. Especially if I’m getting dressed away from home (race, century, etc.) it’s easy to keep a tub of wipes in my kit bag.
I’ve been athletic all my life and had infections on my butt from extensive exercise. I went to the University of Michigan and have had various treatments. What I found is DO NOT scratch down there. It braids the skin just enough to let bacteria settle in. Never re-use your cycling shorts. Clean your self quickly after a ride and keep the area dry. AND, use different chamois types. I wear high end ASSOS for the longer rides but you still need to have different types of shorts for riding. For instance I have a few pair of compression ASSOS shorts with a smooth chamois and mille ASSOS shorts which have a thicker pad. If you wear the same chamois you risk getting creases or grooves in your crotch which breed bacteria. When riding to Starbucks I wear compression underwear rather than cycling bib shorts, basically switching it up. AND, I never wear underwear when not cycling.
I also had to quit a cross country bike ride due to saddle sores, and had a core cut out. I have implemented all the suggestions in this article, and they all help. However, I am surprised that the article misses what was for me the most important thing – a pair of tight fitting Assos bib shorts and the use of their cream. Bingo, no more saddle sores after 100+ miles!
Bibs definitely reduce or eliminate saddle sores. Less movement in the chamois so less friction. Shorts move too much.
Oil of oregano!!!-cures “everything”.
Clean the area.- from dropper bottle put a couple
drops on your index finger & rub on the involved area.
If it burns, that”s good sign. Would do 2-3 times per day. Stuff kills a lot of different
bugs.
After 25 years of Candida/toenail fungus-got cured.-
put some in wife’s empty cuticle remover bottle.
Brush on toenails daily-then put on socks-amazing!!!!
Great on bug bites, minor abrasions. If I feel a cold or
upper respiratory problem coming on, I put 5 drops
in glasss of water & chug it. Also would gargle with it
& rub on upper lip & huff it. At night, I’ll brush my teeth
with a diluted solution. Amazing Stuff-some real victories
in the saddle sore area with friends who finally caved &
asked me what to do.
Maurice
After training for the last several weeks for a tour starting this Saturday, I had re-developed an old saddle sore that had popped up a couple of years ago. In 34 years of cycling, this was my first experience with those little buggers. I tried everything to fix it. I even had to back out of a tour midstream. I was fearing that I would have to cancel on this tour as well. I tried the OIL of OREGANO and it is working amazingly. I can’t recommend it enough. Thank you from the heart of my bottom, Maurice! 😀
Thanks for the feedback. Did you use it the way he describes where you cleaned it and rubbed on a couple of drops with your finger?
A few years ago, while riding an 8-day event in California (Arthritis Association) I developed a ‘sore’ on day 5. At that time it was the beginning of a saddle sore. I asked advice from the mechanics for the ride one tip got me thru the rest of the ride!
Wear 2 pairs of shorts! Really! I wore a clean pair against my skin and a ‘used’ pair over that. It worked just fine for the next 3 days. And by the time I got home, the ‘sores’ were gone.
I guess everyone is different- I was on a 6 day tour and got horrible seat pain but no chaffing after day 2. Put on 2 pairs of shorts for better cushioning for the 3rd day and caused the worst chaffing I have ever experienced. Others on the tour acted like is was a serious cardinal sin and beginners mistake to wear two pairs of pants !!! Anyway, before I realized the damage being done I lost several layers of skin on each side from chaffing- two painful open sores. For whatever reason I reduced milage but did ride on them for 3 more, mostly painful days 4 days later I sill have open skin that is oozing. I would use caution with two pants for this reason, I think I would have been OK if the two pairs of pants hadn’t caused skin folds and direct skin to skin rubbing for 50 miles 🙁 I’m a little worried about how long this will take to heal. Right now I am treating it with neosporin, wearing loose or no pants whenever I can, and sitting on a doughnut so there is no pressure on the open skin. So far no signs of infection, but again- worried about long it will take for the sores to close up and how long it will be before I can ride again.
I rode cross-country in 2008. Many of our group were having saddle sore problems the first week or so. One rider had to drop out of the tour. Some tried two pairs of cycling shorts with some success. A surgeon who was in our tour group told me to use diaper rash ointment – which is not water (sweat) soluble. My problems cleared up within a few days. I always use a dab of A&D Diaper Rash Ointment now and have never had problems since. I have always had problems with numbness, though, and have had to stand up every few miles. I switched to an ISM seat three years ago and never have to stand up anymore. I now have ISM seats on my road bike, tandem and spinner. I grew up on dairy farm so am very familiar with Bag Balm. I use it daily on my heels and elbows. It would probably work on the butt, but I’ve never tried it.
I have cleared up and avoided any serious issues by ALWAYS wiping the area with Witch Hazel ( main ingredient found in Preparation H ) and Stridex after every ride . The witch Hazel relieves pain and reduces swelling. The Stridex keeps ingrown hairs pimples ect… at bay. If any concerning bumps appear, I will dab on acne gel containing 10% benzoyl peroxide ( Clearasil cream)
I also apply triple antibiotic ointment or diaper rash cream on any lumps or chaffing rashes.
Also, after a ride I wash up quickly, apply my above treatments, I DON’T put on underwear and I’ll wear loose fitting clothes (I’m a female and prefer a dress……Lol now I know why some men like kilts.)
Like many others have said, keeping the area clean, dry and protected before, during and after a ride is key to avoiding issues with the bum.
Thanks all for the helpful advice. I just bought oregano oil. Put 2 drops of 100% pure oil on the affected area and felt fine – for 30 seconds…
Wow that stuff bites after a while!!
Rushed into the bathroom to try n rinse it off which only worked with soap n tissue. Can’t imagine what it would feel like if it would reach eyes or more sensitive areas down there… Be careful all! I’m hopeful it will help though.
You need to mix it with a carrier oil, i use coconut oil other wise it will burn! Lol
Can you share the ratio by which you dilute the oregano oil?
It’s good to see an article like this, that shows the author thinks outside the box! You definitely made me think! Thanks-I wouldn’t have thought of things from your p.o.v otherwise. I have to share this…
I know these complications can arise, but I have never experienced anything close to these issues. The only problem I’ve ever had was getting used to the saddle after being off the bike a long time. Don’t let the possibility of saddle sores to detour you from riding. Take these precautions explained in this article and enjoy the ride. I just want new riders to be aware these concerns are not common with all riders.
One point on changing positions frequently – if you are scooting around on the saddle that can cause or worsen the chafing. Lift off the saddle, reposition then set back down on the saddle.
I just completed 4,511.3 miles across America. I developed saddle sores while I was training for the ride to a point that I decided to see a dermatologist as I could no longer ride and the cross country tour was in jeopardy.
After consulting the dermatologist, we treated the saddle sores for two weeks with an antibiotic cream. We replaced the saddle and installed a Brooks B-17 leather saddle. We ditched the padded cycling shorts and replaced them with a thin synthetic liner and thin loosely fitting hiking pants. We didn’t wear underwear under the liner and did not use any cream during the ride.
Before and after every ride, I cleaned the area with antiseptic wipes. I also used a clean liner every day and showered every day. I would pay extra attention to cleaning the area with soap.
I experienced no problems during the entire 4-month tour. No pain, no pressure points, no saddle sores.
I would not have been able to complete the cross country tour with saddle sores. These little spots will stop the strongest and toughest riders.