headwind15

PEOPLE: Since no one here seems to want to believe me, try squirting water in your shorts (underneath) until they are soaked and ride up some hills for lets say; five miles. (in the saddle) do it let say, four times a week. Yea, it will grind your butt to death. I know because that is what happened to me. Different seat, different shorts, position seat tilt etc.. it all does not matter. Water in your shorts is a butt killer. I have been diagnosed with low vitamin D (I had a blood test done) Normal is 30 to 100. Mine was in the twenties. A symptom of low vit. D, can be excessive sweating. So, that is what is going on with me. End of story.

rsbob 

Can’t say i read one reply that discounted what you wrote. On the contrary, people were trying to be helpful. There are all sorts of medical conditions that the layman has no idea about.

Let us know how increasing your uptake of D works.

In the meantime, it MAY be helpful to use an anti-perspirant on your crotch area. Sounds strange but might help a bit.

I know that as I have aged my crotch sweats more than it used to but not excessively like yours.

A quick internet search found this:

“If you have curtailed your sun exposure to cut your skin cancer risk, you might want to look out for the signs of vitamin D deficiency. If you notice any of these symptoms, it may be time to see your doctor and have your Vitamin D levels tested.

‍Excessive sweating‍

Excessive sweating, especially sweating of the head, can be a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. A change in the amount you sweat or your sweating patterns should be cause for concern.

‍Feeling tired or run down‍

If you feel tired and fatigued, the issue could be a lack of vitamin D. Low levels of vitamin D can leave you feeling run down and unable to complete your daily tasks.

‍Unexplained depression or bad mood‍

Feeling blue, down or depressed can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D levels play a role in serotonin levels, and a drop in those levels can trigger feelings of depression.

‍Aching bones‍

Vitamin D is essential for building strong healthy bones, and a lack of the nutrient can leave your bones aching. Aching bones is a classic sign of vitamin D deficiency, as well as other serious illnesses. If you notice this problem, you should see your doctor immediately.

In addition to the symptoms listed above, there are some age and race-related risk factors to be aware of. For example, African-Americans may be at increased risk, as are people who are overweight and obese. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or if you fall into any of these risk categories, a test for vitamin D levels may be in order.

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One recommendation was to wash only your covered areas after a ride but not arms and legs since it takes 48 hours for Vit D absorption from the outer layers of the skin.

locolobo13 

Sweat is just a fact of life here. Don't think I sweat excessively but in the summers I'm soaked. Yes, the wrong underwear hurts. Saddle sores that take a while to heal. Been there done that. Will do it again.

Other than whatever your Dr is suggesting.. Try different shorts/underwear. Try different saddles. I wear plain athletic shorts under plain cargo shorts. One bike has a padded saddle. The other a hard saddle. They both chap my hide. Just differently.

terrymorse 

Sorry that you're having issues down there, but may I suggest the source of your problem may not be the sweating?

Everybody sweats, and many of us get quite soggy on rides.

I often ride long climbs that last up to two hours, and my bibs are always drenched at the summit. Even on relatively cool days.

If I sit down anywhere before descending, I leave a wet spot behind.

Even with all this sogginess, I almost never experience skin problems. My only precautions are wearing high quality bib shorts with a good chamois, and applying some Udderly Smooth chamois cream. Also, I get out of those wet bibs as soon as soon as the ride is done.

zandoval 

Careful on this one. Talcom powder can get out of hand. It can burn ya bad...

When your shorts get soaked ya gotta change um. Sometimes a thin synthetic material as a barrier (large women's granny panties) between your and your riding shorts can help, but not much.

When having problems with getting soaked down there don't forget the Butt Butter; but that's another thread...

Chamois Butt'r Original Anti-Chafe Cream

headwind15

Just a shout out to you. see you are in Palo Alto. I started (road) cycling out of Los Altos in the late 70's. I used to love riding hwy 9 out to Santa Cruz and back. I must have been sweating some on the 27 mile uphill coming back from Santa Cruz, right?I used to do that ride on Monday and Wednsday. Race twilight series on Tuesday, race at the Sanford S.L.A.C. race Thursday evenings and sometimes race on the velodrome down in Hellyer park on Friday nights. Even though I was riding over 10k miles a year, I never had saddle sore/ over sweating problems. Recently I have been using white "solar shield" arm warmers/ sun protection. and between the fact that I have little vitamin D in my diet, I have a deficiency.

terrymorse 

Thanks for the shout out, I feel fortunate to live where the road cycling is nice. The Highway 9 ride is a good one when the traffic is light, especially into Big Basin (but it's still closed after last year's fire).

About vitamin D. A little review of the research literature suggests vitamin D deficiency is associated with several different types of skin ailments:

Given that many riders (including you until recently) sweat a lot without skin problems, maybe it's not the sweating that's causing your bottom irritation, but a skin ailment associated with vitamin D deficiency.

I hope you can get the problem solved with some more vitamin D.

headwind15

I am now eating a (small) can of sardines a day (suppose to be high in vitamin D), to boost my "D" level, but from what I have read, it can take a while. I am scheduled to see my doctor again on the 20th. I hope to be re-tested again then, to see where my D level is by then.