Saddle sores
 

For the past few months I have started getting a really sore sit bone on just one side, it swells up and takes about a week for the swelling to go down again but it doesn't fully go before the next ride. Its only on one side and nothing has changed from my normal riding position or kit, I use chamois cream and have good pads in my bibs.
I didn't ride for nearly 2 weeks, the swollen lump had nearly completely gone, but rode 40 miles yesterday and its come back.

Has anyone else suffered with this and what did you do to fix it?

Just seems wired its all of a sudden started happening but nothing has changed?

Keep Trying Different Saddles or go Trike.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bccf8439cb.jpg

It doesn't sound like you're talking about a saddle sore. A painful lump under the skin isn't a saddle sore. A saddle sore is basically a skin infection, usually caused by abraded skin that gets a (normally) mild infection that causes a dark colored raised lump on the surface of the skin.

What you're talking about (the swelling is under the skin, near the sit bone) sounds more like ischial bursitis. Personally, I experience this occasionally if I increase my time on the bike significantly, or if I'm riding unusually slowly for a period of time (for example, when my kids were small and I was riding with them on the bike path), because then more of my weight is on my butt instead of my legs. For me it is mild, and goes away over time as I become accustomed to riding more. You can try giving your butt a break during your rides, by shifting position on the saddle more often and standing occasionally. Get the blood flowing under your ischial tuberosities ("sit bones").

Another possible cause is a change to your position that you're not conscious of. For example, a sprain or strain on one side that causes you to put more pressure on one side of the saddle (it doesn't even have to be a sprain or strain to your leg, it could be your back, neck, or an arm/shoulder, etc.).

Also, check your saddle, if it has shifted (the nose of the saddle isn't pointed to where it usually is), that could cause more pressure on one side. A cracked (or bent?) saddle rail could also be a cause, though that would likely announce itself more dramatically. Recent weight loss could also result in less "padding", and that change could result in sore sit bones. Etc. There are many possible causes.

When it's happened to me I've just put it down to riding more, and waited for my body to get used to it. For me, it's a part of riding to get this occasionally, but if you're concerned see a Dr.

I have tried changing saddles, I tried a Specialized Power Comp saddle which made it better for a little while but the problem came back, I now got a Fabric Scoop Radius Race saddle which again made things a little better but then the issue is back again!

IME, it's never the saddle. I have no reason to disbelieve people who have said they've switched saddles and that has solved their butt issues. However, FOR ME it has always been something other than the saddle that has caused problems. I've worn out more than 6 different saddles. Each has, after varying periods of time, eventually worked for me (once properly adjusted).

Gradually increasing your time on the bike may solve your problem. Yeah, I know, wrong time of year (that sort of thing usually occurs in the spring), and you're so eager to get back on the bike, but 0-15 miles in a ride gives your body a chance to adjust that 0-40 just doesn't.

You may be looking at a disparity between your legs. No personal experience, but I've read you can shim the cleat on your shorter leg a bit. (Do a web search!)

Make sure the cleats on your shoes are placed symmetrically. I've had a similar problem that ended up being caused by the cleat on one foot placed a quarter inch further back than the cleat on the other foot.

Also, put on your flameproof suit and consider a leather saddle. When broken in, you may have a deeper divot on one side than the other. Looks horrible, feels heavenly.

I've ridden for years without issues and my rides are usually between 40-65 miles, I haven't increased my mileage. I also haven't changed my cleats so they have always been in the same position. Just seems weird its flared up and now can't seem to shift it, I may try stopping riding completely until the lump is gone but that could take 3-4 weeks but don't really want to be off the bike that long!

Try one of these. All the pros are using them and swear by them.

https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.hlmMPL...r=1.25&pid=1.7

On one side? Always the same side? Your seat is probably too high and you are dropping to one side slightly to compensate. Saddle sores are most often caused by a seat height that is too high.

Slightly rotate your seat left or right, toward the side that hurts. Pointing the nose upward might also help.

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...a painful lump, as you describe it, is not what I reference as a saddle sore, either. I get occasional saddle sores, and they all take the form of a skin infection, and treatment with an over the counter antibiotic cream seems to cure them. A painful lump like you describe might reflect a variety of conditions, and if you can't cure it with rest, I would seek out a hands on professional opinion from a general practitioner. If the lump itself goes away with rest, might be a muscle or tendon issue, from many years of chronic overuse, or poor body mechanics. But that's a WAG.

You missed your calling as an evangelist. :speedy:

Folks are volunteering a variety of ideas which vary wildly here but I might as well offer my saddle sore theory (since this is what happened to me and I finally got it healed).

When I got a swollen lump I actually had 1 large and 2 medium sized hard “grape” or “raisin” type hard nodules in that area. I think mine were all on one side too and the bigger one may have been over my sit bone. I actually went to a urologist for an exam since they were close to the base of my scrotum. He said they could refer me to a surgeon for a consult to see if they could excise what he called a “sebaceous cyst”. I didn’t really want surgery so I took time off for a bit and the swelling went down slightly when off the bike a bit more during the cold months. But the smaller nodules that had softened got larger and hard again when I upped my mileage - very frustrating!

I decided to try an experiment: I had read that Manuka Honey is used to treat burns and scarring due to its unusually high antioxidant content and the anti-microbial action too so I made a poultice of sorts. I took a slab of fresh Turmeric root that I had for cooking with Indian rice. I used a slicer to get a flat potato chip piece of the turmeric maybe 1”x0.5” in size. I then buttered the Manuka Honey onto the Tuermeric Root and positioned it over the angry nodule and covered it with an extra large water resistant Bandaid. I made every effort to keep the bandaid on there and sealed off and to my surprise I got the poultice to remain in place for nearly 3 days! When it no longer sealed, I inspected the area and saw that an exudate of sebum (a waxy substance not pus) was being secreted around a hair shaft. I noticed that the nodule was still there but a little softer. It is important to not squeeze the nodule because this only increases the inflammation and makes the nodule harder. I repeated my secret poultice of Manuka Honey and Turmeric root 2 or 3 more times over the next couple weeks. After several weeks the sebaceous cyst was almost entirely soft and you could see where more sebum substance had exited alongside several hair follicles.

For all of this year I have stayed ahead of the game by scrubbing the area with soap and water, before riding and drying the area then applying some Shea Butter to soften the skin. After my ride I again wash the area with soap and water to prevent blocking the hair follicles. I don’t believe Shea Butter products block hair follicles but some other “chamois butter” products might.

Just thought I would offer up my wacky “cure” for saddle sores since we all know that riding deep into a biking season devoid of saddle sores is going to allow you to do longer, more frequent rides.

Treating a cyst or saddle sore is all fine and good once you get one, but preventing them is important. If you constantly get a sore on one side, it is most likely due to incorrect seat height, too high. You compensate by dropping to one side. Your seat doesn't have to be that high either. I had the issue my self on my touring bike. My first tour I got saddle sores. I continued getting them on one side while commuting. Mine also came at times in the form noted above, a sebaceous cyst. I later noticed the dimples formed on my Brooks B17 were skewed to the right. My saddle was too high and I was dropping to the right to compensate.

I used Steve Hogg's method of determining the correct seat height for me, and then even resisted that final drop to where it should be. On a tour across Indiana and Ohio a few years ago, I finally gave in a dropped the seat height that last little bit that I resisted. Instant saddle nirvana. I then went on to ride 50-70 mile days with zero discomfort, zero saddle sores, and could do it day after day. No padded shorts required. The same saddle, just lower. I am now more stable on the bike, and much, much more comfortable. The vast majority of "seat issues," are not the seat, it is the saddle placement, as well as reach at times. Until you get the seat height correct, you can try a hundred saddles, and you will have the same issue.

https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com...ard-can-it-be/

https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com...d-can-it-be-2/

A great video by Bikefitjames on this issue. Pay close attention tot he first two reasons for saddle sores. They are the most common reasons for saddle sores.

Those are two very different saddles (flat and short vs. curved and long), and similar to the change I made from the Toupe to the Scoop Radius (but that's because I took a lot of time off the bike and came back weighing more and favoring a more upright position). Have you thought about trying something in between, like a Scoop Shallow?

Is there anything that has changed in your riding style since before this issue started? Bike fit? Riding position? Less time standing out of the saddle?

The first thing you need to do is examine that Fabric Scoop closely. I had one and one and one side was slightly higher. I didn’t notice it at first and was a little upset that my butt hurt worse on this new saddle with all the good reviews.

Second, chamois with segments rather than a smooth surface can dig into your skin. I’ve had particularly bad luck with “the black bibs” despite their good reviews. No amount of butt cream can fix that.

Ideal saddle position changes. This is due to low back flexibility, arm strength, core strength, weight gain and loss, and also mileage. Just because it worked for you last year, don’t be afraid to mess with the position slightly.

My skinny butt can get legitimately bruised. Three 60 mile rides in a row would most certainly leave my taint discolored and swollen.

Sometimes, repetitive pressure in the same spot doesn’t numb out the area or get you used to it. Sometimes it makes it hypersensitive. I have a neuroma on my ankle from high top boots. I basically can’t ice climb anymore from it and ski boots are a challenge to fit. No reason something like this can’t happen to your butt.

Finally, this does seem like something to mention to your doctor.

Good luck.

I disagree. I have been road riding since 1972 and have seldom had saddle problems but this year I bought a new gravel bike. I really liked the look of the saddle and wanted to use it but had to give up on it after a couple of months and hundreds of kilometres. I installed another saddle that I bought years ago on special for under $20. Instant relief. I traded my saddle to my son for another saddle that he didn't find comfortable. Even better so that is what I have been using for the rest of this summer. The saddle I traded to my son works well for him so everyone is happy

I was thinking what a pleasant contrast it was, to ...

A friend with who I have done long bike tours was constantly getting sores but I have never had a problem. The difference is that I wear jocky shorts and put on a clean pair under my bike shorts at the start of the day. No chance for bacteria to build up and cause an infection. The cotton jocky shorts get washed in a mild bleach solution that is going to disable any bacteria.

One could spray a disinfectant on the padding for the bike shorts but most of them contain chemicals that are absorbed through the skin and at the very least can cause a rash.

No need for disinfectant, you only need to wash shorts effectively to make them bug free.

How to ensure shorts are free of nasty buggies on a multi-day tour:

1. Remove shorts as soon as the ride is over,
2. Rinse shorts in clean water,
3. Massage into the wet shorts (especially the chamois) either liquid body wash or shampoo,
4. Let the shorts rest with the body wash/shampoo for 5 minutes,
5. Rinse shorts, squeeze out water or roll up in a towel,
6. Hang dry.

No nasty chemicals, no harmful buggies, yes happy bottom.

Seems as though you don't really have a handle of what the actual 'problem' is (cyst, bursitis, or what...) nor what caused it, and not getting relief from it. Since you're in the UK, I can understand that dealing with the NHS is prolly difficult; but getting a solid diagnosis is going to be the key 1st step in treating it. Persistent issues like these can hang on and linger for a long time.
Since it does seem to 'come and go', with riding; if you plan to continue, getting it diagnosed is going to be the fastest, best way to treat and hopefully get past it.
Having tried quite different saddle profiles, which all provide some temporary relief, my thought is that moving the pressure points helps a bit, temporarily. But eventually the existing issue becomes irritated enough and resurfaces.
The assumptions are, that being a regular rider, you have plenty of kit to change around frequently and keep in a clean state.
Getting off the bike for an extended time might help it abate. But for me, it would be awful to take extended time off, and then have it resurface at some point after getting back on the saddle, without coming to any real understanding of what it is, after all that time.
For me, I'd get it diagnosed, or get the diagnosis process going, asap.
Ride On
Yuri