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.
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