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Extreme soreness and numbness in my butt after about 400-500kms

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Extreme soreness and numbness in my butt after about 400-500kms

Old 08-09-22, 06:52 AM
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Morimorimori
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Extreme soreness and numbness in my butt after about 400-500kms

Hi everybody.

Previously I already asked for some advices on the best strategy for my first 400 and 600kms brevets this year. I thought it would be useful to share some thoughts now, and also may be find a solution to another issue I bumped into while riding them.

To provide some context: I had zero experience with any kind of sports until I strated cycling 4 years ago. I rode my first brevet last year, and this year I've successfully completed Super Randonneur series (200, 300, 400 and 600kms in one year) in my country. I also tried to overcome 1200km distance last month, but it ended in a total failure..

If somebody recall my previous topics, I was mainly concerned about nutrition and sleeping question. The later is still a big problem for me - it seems I just can't recover fast enough to maintain sufficient physical fitness for more that a couple days without at least 5-6 hours of sleep per day. I just can't understand how people are able to sleep for a couple of hours, then continue riding with an average speed of 20-22kph; my leg muscles get incredibly stiff and sore, I lose strength dramatically and become overly-fatigued. That happens at about 500-600kms mark, and that's where I had to end my ride during the failed 1200km ultramarathon (though it was only a part of a problem, see below).

But the worst issue I encountered is - quite embarrassing - extreme soreness in my butt after about first 30-35 hours on the road. I had certain issues in that department before, even in much shorter training sessions when I rode for 2-3 hours without stopping and sitting in my saddle all that time. But back then it was more like a numbness of sort, and was "cured" easily by riding out of saddle for a couple of minutes per each 15-20 minutes of riding. That wasn't a big issue in training rides, as normally you stand in pedals often there. But when it came to really long distances (200+kms), I found out that it gets worse and worse with time. Usually I tried to be out of saddle on descends, to get my butt a so needed rest; I don't pedal in such cases, also giving a rest to my legs. But it's not always an option (depends on how much steep descends you have on this segment of route), and as my butt gets more and more sore and numb, I have to do it more and more often - so I end up pedaling out of saddle for a significant amount of time. This really tires my legs quickly, and probably is part of the reason I can't continue riding past 600kms.

I observed other riders on these events, and it seemed to me that almost all of them almost never ride out of saddle. They just sit in their saddles and spin their legs for hours after hours, without any issues like mine. So something has to be wrong with me.

I tried to find out the cause. I've tried both stiff and soft saddles, tried wearing cycling shorts with padding, and a regular running underwear. I even tried applying zinc cream and dexpanthenol cream to the affected areas, both preemptively and before going to sleep during the ride - that doesn't change much, about 600kms my butt is on fire, and I lose any motivation to continue riding while enduring this hell (worsened by the overall accumulated fatigue).

I'm really out of ideas here. Are there somebody who was dealing with something like this?

Last edited by Morimorimori; 08-09-22 at 06:56 AM.
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Old 08-09-22, 07:52 AM
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What saddle, bike, seatpost and specific tire model, size and pressure? Optimizing those can help.

From what you wrote, I am interpreting your fire pain to be soreness in the deeper tissues and not surface abrasion or irritation from salt, feces, etc. Skin irritation can be helped with a viscous lubricant. I used to use Lantiseptic but the last three times I ordered it, it was very thin and watery and did not last long. I am experimenting with others. When it is hot, I sweat and you do not want bacteria to enter thru your skin and want to minimize friction but it sounds like this is not your issue.

A very common problem is a too high saddle. I see it all the time on brevets. Too high of a saddle will result in excessive hip movement with the hinge point being the connection at the saddle. I would check that. Some degree of butt discomfort is common. I used to never have any saddle issues but I used to ride a lot more and was younger. Fitness comes into play. As a rider tires, they sit up more and more. They put out less power. These two factors place MORE weight on the derriere especially transients, the arms are not there to take some of the shock. So, it all goes into your ass.

The right saddle is one key. A leather saddle will mold to your bottom and distribute the forces over a large area. Some like them and some do not.

Congratulations on the SR completion!! Sorry this is not to helpful
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Old 08-09-22, 07:54 AM
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One more thing I have to mention: I also have issues with my wrists starting about the same 400-500kms. They develop prolonged numbness and pain, probably because I instinctively try to lean forward more, to provide some relief to my sore butt, instead of just sitting in my saddle firmly.
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Old 08-09-22, 08:13 AM
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Originally Posted by GhostRider62
What saddle, bike, seatpost and specific tire model, size and pressure? Optimizing those can help.

"The stiff one" is Brooks Cambium, and "the softer one" is stock saddle of my Merida Sculture Endurance road bike, it's like a stiff carcass with a bit padding on top, not really that soft, an average softness. The next thing I plan to try is a saddle with cut out. I use 28mm wide tyres and pump them up to 75psi.


Originally Posted by GhostRider62

From what you wrote, I am interpreting your fire pain to be soreness in the deeper tissues and not surface abrasion or irritation from salt, feces, etc. Skin irritation can be helped with a viscous lubricant. I used to use Lantiseptic but the last three times I ordered it, it was very thin and watery and did not last long. I am experimenting with others. When it is hot, I sweat and you do not want bacteria to enter thru your skin and want to minimize friction but it sounds like this is not your issue.

You may be right about it being a deeper tissue issue, as I get uncomfortable even on short runs (2hrs+) - when I ride in saddle all the time. It feels like some kind of numbness which steadily grows after about 20-30mins of riding in saddle, until it becomes unbearable and I have to stand in pedals. Usually I just don't wait till it come to this, and spend a few minutes out of saddle per each 15-20 minutes of the ride. It never was an issue in my first couple of years cycling, because back then it were recreation rides with friends with a lot of stops for photos, snacks and site seeing. It's only when I had to run in saddle for hours it became a problem. It's also much less of an issue when I ride more aggressively, pounding the pedals, storming hills out of saddle etc


Originally Posted by GhostRider62

A very common problem is a too high saddle. I see it all the time on brevets. Too high of a saddle will result in excessive hip movement with the hinge point being the connection at the saddle. I would check that. Some degree of butt discomfort is common. I used to never have any saddle issues but I used to ride a lot more and was younger. Fitness comes into play. As a rider tires, they sit up more and more. They put out less power. These two factors place MORE weight on the derriere especially transients, the arms are not there to take some of the shock. So, it all goes into your ass.

I actually even paid for bike fitting session last year, that's where they said me that my saddle is way too low, like 4-5 cms lower than it should be. I tried the saddle height they recommended for some time, and in the end decreased it about 1-1.5cms. The final number I came to matches closely to the one that frame size calculator on Specialized web site recommends me for a road bike. So I reckon it's more or less fine now.


Originally Posted by GhostRider62

The right saddle is one key. A leather saddle will mold to your bottom and distribute the forces over a large area. Some like them and some do not.

The question is how to know what is right for me.. I already paid for that Brooks (not leather), it wasn't a cheap one. I can't continue buying them blindly just to try out, these aren't very cheap.


Originally Posted by GhostRider62

Congratulations on the SR completion!!

Thanks Welp, I did it, but not much joy in it, minding all the suffering I have to pass through. It just I first rode 400kms - and the last 200kms of it was a total hell, I thought I should call it an end season. But after that it was only 600kms which stood between me and SR, and it was so tempting.. So I gave it a shot - it was a total hell again, past first 300kms. Certainly not something I would like to repeat, until I'll able to solve the issues above.
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Old 08-09-22, 08:56 AM
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Cambiums don't have any padding, right? The old fizik aliante saddles were good, but then they had to change it. I'm not sure if there is a soft version.
It's probably not going to be easy to find a company that has a fizik test program in your country
Might try finding a used aliante. The old ones have a triangular indent in the back, new ones are pointed in the back.

Okay, looked into it more. The Aliante Gamma is the one you want. Still a current model.

I have a cambium to try out, but I haven't mounted it on a bike yet. However, it looks like it's nearly the same shape as a Cambium, so I think an Aliante should fit you.

Last edited by unterhausen; 08-09-22 at 09:00 AM.
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Old 08-09-22, 09:26 AM
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A couple of ideas: one, a lot of bike shops have loaner/trial saddles, or some type of policy where if you don’t like one in the first month you can either return it no-questions for a refund or store credit (which you can turn around and use to try a different saddle). If you can’t take a loaner on a long ride, at least try it out the day after a long ride when you’re sore and tired.

Two, and this relates to your hands as well: the more tired your legs get, the less you push on the pedals and the more weight your butt and hands are taking. Getting tired is inevitable, but Any way you can postpone that will help, whether that’s stronger legs, more frequent position changes, more breaks taken completely off the bike mid-ride, doing something different on descents when coasting. (I stand on short descents a lot, myself, or do the silly sounding but useful option those of us with a fair bit of inner thigh fat have of sitting on our thighs—can’t pedal that way but it gets me off my butt here and there.)
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Old 08-09-22, 09:42 AM
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Originally Posted by unterhausen
Cambiums don't have any padding, right?
Nope, they don't. Can't say it's absolutely stiff though - the material has some flex, I can bend it into by applying pressure with my palm to it.

Originally Posted by unterhausen
It's probably not going to be easy to find a company that has a fizik test program in your country
Not an option at all, we are small backwatters country nobody considers a valuable market anymore.

Originally Posted by unterhausen
Okay, looked into it more. The Aliante Gamma is the one you want. Still a current model.
I'll have a look, thanks. If I understand correctly, for a soft saddle I would need to use some regular synthetic underwear, not a cycling padded one?
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Old 08-09-22, 09:49 AM
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Originally Posted by antimonysarah
A couple of ideas: one, a lot of bike shops have loaner/trial saddles, or some type of policy where if you don’t like one in the first month you can either return it no-questions for a refund or store credit (which you can turn around and use to try a different saddle). If you can’t take a loaner on a long ride, at least try it out the day after a long ride when you’re sore and tired.
Sorry, not an option. As I said, we are small east europe country, our best cycling shops has quite a pathetic inventory. Mostly, me and other cycling enthusiasts are buying all the stuff and bikes from EU shops, sometimes using some proxy which handles delivery (as not every EU shop even ships their goods here).

Originally Posted by antimonysarah
Two, and this relates to your hands as well: the more tired your legs get, the less you push on the pedals and the more weight your butt and hands are taking. Getting tired is inevitable, but Any way you can postpone that will help, whether that’s stronger legs, more frequent position changes, more breaks taken completely off the bike mid-ride, doing something different on descents when coasting. (I stand on short descents a lot, myself, or do the silly sounding but useful option those of us with a fair bit of inner thigh fat have of sitting on our thighs—can’t pedal that way but it gets me off my butt here and there.)
I started to apply all these practices (standing on descends, changing positions, more breaks etc) on 300kms ride already. It provides less and less relief as distance grows. At about the 500-600kms, I have to stand about the same time I'm sitting - so it's not just descends, but I have to climb and ride planes standing as well. As I'm already pretty tired to that point, this exhausts me entirely very quickly.
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Old 08-09-22, 05:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Morimorimori
I'll have a look, thanks. If I understand correctly, for a soft saddle I would need to use some regular synthetic underwear, not a cycling padded one?
Fizik doesn't make any saddle that is soft enough that it would call for a change of shorts. But some of them have some give so that they aren't pressing so hard on your sit bones.
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Old 08-09-22, 07:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Morimorimori
I had zero experience with any kind of sports until I strated cycling 4 years ago.
Originally Posted by Morimorimori
I actually even paid for bike fitting session last year, that's where they said me that my saddle is way too low, like 4-5 cms lower than it should be. I tried the saddle height they recommended for some time, and in the end decreased it about 1-1.5cms.
So this means that more than two years after you started cycling, the bike fitter said that the saddle should be raised by 4 cm or more. You then lowered it, to perhaps no more than 2.5 cm higher than where it had been before you got that advice.

I have trouble believing that the advice you got was knowledgable. If your saddle should have been raised by 2.5 cm or more, you'd have wanted to raise it even before being advised to do so.

Originally Posted by GhostRider62
A very common problem is a too high saddle.
Yes.

Originally Posted by GhostRider62
A leather saddle will mold to your bottom and distribute the forces over a large area.
Or then again maybe it won't. After a thousand kilometres or so by me (and an unknown distance by its previous owner(s)), my Brooks Team Pro almost looks brand new. (If you look closely, you see some hairline wrinkles; that's all. Its contours are unchanged.) It's not as uncomfortable as it looks, but that's not saying much. (I've done at least one "century" on it; but if I planned to do another on that bike, I'd put a different saddle on it.)

On saddle height:


(Don't be put off by the hammy image that's provided for the video. It gets serious quickly. Unfortunately, though, he does speak quickly, and Youtube's auto-subtitling isn't up to the task. For example, I noticed that the verb list is rendered as "listen" in one place, "lift" in another; both are of course utterly wrong. If you like this video, look at others from Francis Cade's channel – actually all related by "Bike Fit James" – on saddle choice [tip: it's likely that you already have a saddle that's fine], saddle angle, and saddle front–back positioning.)

NB I've never ridden even 300 km, and often don't know what I'm talking about.
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Old 08-10-22, 04:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Morimorimori

You may be right..........

I actually even paid for bike fitting session last year, that's where they said me that my saddle is way too low, like 4-5 cms lower than it should be. I tried the saddle height they recommended for some time, and in the end decreased it about 1-1.5cms. The final number I came to matches closely to the one that frame size calculator on Specialized web site recommends me for a road bike. So I reckon it's more or less fine now.
A differential of 5 cm has alarm bells going off for me.

Can you post either a video from the side of you pedaling on a trainer or a photo with your leg/foot at the bottom of the pedal stroke?

I went to the Spesch fit webpage for giggles, it did my saddle height correctly but put me on a too small frame. HOWEVER.....if I added a mere 1 inch to the knee to floor distance....it increased my saddle height by 3.49 inches. SO, this software is ****.

Typically unaccounted factors that affect saddle height are cleat position, crank length, pedaling technique, and physical issues a rider could have.

A high proportion of riders have saddle too high. A long distance rider is better erring on the slightly low side.
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Old 08-10-22, 07:26 AM
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4-5cm is a big change. I don't think you can change that much in one go and have it work.

Having my saddle too low ends up hurting my right knee somehow. Screwed up my saddle height at PBP in 2019, and ended up with a knee the size of a grapefruit. They have massage therapists every 100km, but I needed one every 80km
I had my best sleep of the ride waiting for a médecin, too bad it put me so far behind on the clock.
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Old 08-10-22, 09:09 AM
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Saddle, bars, and fit

It sounds like you have done lots of long distance rides. So I’m assuming you ride regularly in between the brevets to keep up your conditioning, strength, and endurance. Therefore the soreness sounds like an issue of saddle and saddle position. That plus the hand soreness to me sounds like your fit is off. However, base level conditioning is still essential even with the perfect components and perfect fit. What bike are you riding? Some bikes by design are harder for some riders to do long endurance rides.
Personally, I have ridden 2 Brooks leather saddles (B-17 for about 10 years, B-15 for 2 years) without a cut-out. I now prefer the Cambium-17 with cut-out (about 4-5 years, including PBP 2019). I’ve only briefly ridden the C17 without a cut-out but knew immediately it was not for me. The relief it provides for soft tissue is significant. For me the C17 with cut-out is the only choice. If you are have narrow hips you might use the c-15.
With a performance bike saddle and bike shorts with padding I do not wear underwear. Underwear gets in the way and causes chaffing and sores. This is something experienced cyclists take for granted but people fairly new to cycling don’t often know this detail. I prefer higher quality chamois. They tend to be thinner and cost more, but they are made of better padding that resists compression longer and do much better on long rides than squishy thick cheap chamois.
To minimize hand and wrist fatigue I move my hands around quite a bit unless I’m on the front of a paceline or on very rough roads. On my own I move to the flats, the ramps, the drops, the hoods. Every cm of a good road bar should be comfortable and this technique helps stave off fatigue. I have Nitto Noodle handlebars which have room on the ramps. If I ride only on the hoods I get fatigue and soreness and eventually numbness. I also use gloves with no padding and only one layer of bar tape. Gloves with padding
and extra bar tape actually lead to more numbness on long rides for me.
The biggest improvements and the key that unlocked very long distances for me was starting with a good saddle, good handlebars, and then finally a successful bike fit. Before the bike fit my knee and lack of conditioning prevented me from doing more than 400k. After the fit and taking conditioning/training more seriously I was able to complete SR series and PBP. I have found core strengthening and stretching to be helpful with neck/wrist/hands as well. I follow vinyasa yoga videos online every now and then for guided stretching and core strengthening.
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Old 08-10-22, 09:12 AM
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“Merida Sculture Endurance road bike”
I see your bike now. That should be a good frame to work with for brevets.
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Old 08-10-22, 12:17 PM
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Yes, that's an issue which many of us have had. It's mostly a saddle and shorts issue in my experience. Exact saddle shape, both in profile and plan view are important, as is exact amount of padding or lack thereof. The thickness and shape of the pad in one's cycling shorts is also critical. Plus some saddles are more comfortable with one pad configuration, while a different saddle might be better with a different pair of shorts. Plus in my experience, what is the most comfortable saddle may change with time as one's butt changes shape and muscularity.

Your observations about sitting versus standing as the miles add up are accurate in my experience. I do best with Castelli Endurance shorts. Others do better with Assos bibs. I like my Selle Italia MAN saddle more than anything else I've tried. I never could do long distance on an unpadded leather saddle, though many like them. Look around at other brevet riders who look like you. What are they using?

Another butt problem which is not spoken about enough is peroneal numbness, most noticeably penile numbness. That is an absolute no-no. Some shorts/saddle combinations can cause that, others not at all, for the same person and length of ride.

The scientific explanation for sore butt on long rides is oxygen deprivation of the tissues. They don't like that. And that's why standing helps - it lets in blood flow and thus oxygen. One tries to find the combination which is less likely to cut off the blood supply to butt tissues. It's always going to be reduced and to which they can adapt, but not too much reduced.
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Old 08-10-22, 12:55 PM
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I have some new ideas: I have had recently been having crotch issues. I am in monsoon country, which means extreme humidity. Sweat goes down my back and into my shorts. Wet grinding is really bad. If done repeatedly (like I have) it can cause little painful hard skin bumps and if you scratch them off, your situation gets worse. Now you have exposed nerves. I am just getting over it. I plan to put a foam sponge around my back's waistline to catch the sweat/ prevent it from travelin' south. (I don't know if wet shorts is a contributor in your case) I have gotten into the routine if coasting downhills with my thigh on the seat instead if my crotch, so to air can get to my (wet) chamois while I am doing the downhill section(s). Just a good crotch reliving practice anyways. You can count one of your feet going around and come up with a number, where, when the number comes up, it tells you that it's time to get your butt off the saddle, like every 100 pedals or something like that. Saddle sores are always about the relationship between your butt and your seat. I've never herd of someone who got saddle sore(s) while riding off the saddle all of the time.
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Old 08-10-22, 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by headwind15
I have some new ideas: I have had recently been having crotch issues. I am in monsoon country, which means extreme humidity. Sweat goes down my back and into my shorts. Wet grinding is really bad. If done repeatedly (like I have) it can cause little painful hard skin bumps and if you scratch them off, your situation gets worse. Now you have exposed nerves. I am just getting over it. I plan to put a foam sponge around my back's waistline to catch the sweat/ prevent it from travelin' south. (I don't know if wet shorts is a contributor in your case) I have gotten into the routine if coasting downhills with my thigh on the seat instead if my crotch, so to air can get to my (wet) chamois while I am doing the downhill section(s). Just a good crotch reliving practice anyways. You can count one of your feet going around and come up with a number, where, when the number comes up, it tells you that it's time to get your butt off the saddle, like every 100 pedals or something like that. Saddle sores are always about the relationship between your butt and your seat. I've never herd of someone who got saddle sore(s) while riding off the saddle all of the time.
Unfortunately, most chamois creams are relatively water-soluble. This one is not: https://qmsportsusa.com/products/antifriction-cream/
It works. Use plenty.

Between rides apply Nivea Q10 cream morning and evening: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N67426O

Saddle sores are not the same as "sore butt." Saddle sores are essentially bed-sores, break down of the skin due to long term oxygen deprivation resulting in skin ulcers. There are also friction-caused saddle sores, usually from too high a saddle or jerky pedaling. Then there are also infected hair follicles . . .
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Old 08-10-22, 05:24 PM
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WRT saddle sores, CFB is correct as usual.

I am experimenting with 100% Lanolin. It is $1.5/oz. It is pretty darn good but there is a slight odor that only off puts upon application. Many commercial products are water soluble and simply do not last long in rain or heavy perspiration. So, I might continue my search.
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Old 08-11-22, 06:25 AM
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Some where around 1997 or 1998, my wife and I rode a tandem down the California coast. Because of the prolonged sitting, we both ended up with Pressure points induced "sore butts". (not abrasion caused saddle sores), We ended up returning via train in San Luis Obispo. We definitely could have gotten out of this problem with some simple pedal counting and getting off the saddle more frequently.
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Old 08-11-22, 08:21 AM
  #20  
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I carry 3 small tubes of stuff since I have had ride-ending chafing. One is chamois cream, reapply as necessary. Early in the season, I put on another application at about 100km. Later, I don't need it as much unless it's really hot out. If things are starting to get out of hand, I have some bag balm. I guess it's lanolin and vaseline? Finally, if things have gone really bad, lantiseptic skin prep. It's just about the only thing I have found to fix a big problem like a saddle sore. Unfortunately the little packs only come in large quantities.

Really hot weather leads to more issues.

My current saddle is one of the new Aliante version and I really should change it out for one of the softer ones. I had contact pressure soreness with it on PBP
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Old 08-11-22, 08:37 AM
  #21  
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Has anyone tried topical pain cream for derriere pain?

Like Voltaren (older cox 1 inhibitor, diclofenac IIRC)

Or, lidocaine oinment?

Recovering with 5 busted ribs, trochanter, scapula, clavicle, arm, elbow, I was surprised at the relief they gave. I did not want to take the oxycodone they gave me. I just recall thinking one of those could be useful on a 1200k. Assos cream has something mildly numbing in it. Not sure what but it helps a little
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Old 08-11-22, 08:58 AM
  #22  
Bogey Speedwell
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What about fore aft adjustment. Your seat may be too far forward and wedging your hips.

have a SMP saddle I can ride what seems like all day on my hybrid, when I purchased my gravel bike I swapped the seats while I was waiting for another SMP Saddle. I was starting to feel pain after the first half hour. Just slid the seat back about 1/2 and rode an hour his morning and had a noticeable difference.
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Old 08-11-22, 12:04 PM
  #23  
unterhausen
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Originally Posted by Bogey Speedwell
What about fore aft adjustment. Your seat may be too far forward and wedging your hips.
Fore-aft placement is very important. I roughly follow Peter J. White's instructions. I know other people do this same thing, but they didn't publish in a place that's easy to link to. https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.php

Originally Posted by GhostRider62
Has anyone tried topical pain cream for derriere pain?
I know Nigel G. used some on his first 1200k. You might ask him when he gets back from the UK. I wish I had bought more topical ibuprophen when I was in France, that stuff is great for knees. I also used it when I had circulation problems last year, it seemed to help relieve some swelling that was causing problems. It's not going to work quite as well as a pain cream though. I have heard people say that topical pain relievers are bad because they can mask problems that are getting worse. That's something to consider, but it's probably fine if you do your best to combat the problem otherwise. Like by standing a lot and using something like lantiseptic to stop the chamois/butt interface from moving.

Most chamois creams have alcohol, I think, so putting them on after a saddle sore has started is a very unpleasant experience.
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Old 08-11-22, 03:28 PM
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Like the OP, I struggle with deep tissue pain, rather than skin issues. I just DNFd LEL at 839k, with saddle pain the major factor. I actually have abrasions from so much time out of the saddle, with one inner thigh resting against the nose. It's about 40 hours since abandoning, and sitting in a chair is still agonizing.
I've been fitted, selected my saddle through a saddle lending library, and used this saddle on an SR series, many 200s, and more. Honestly I can't say it was great on the 600.

I think it's a matter of saddle shape and my anatomy. The fact that I weigh 210 lbs can't help.

On the bright side (aside from half LEL was an amazing ride), I found a new-to-me hand position that avoided all hand numbness. I prefer hoods, but hoods cause pinkie numbness after enough miles. The position is on the bend behind the hoods, with elbows pointed out. The curve of the bars bends around the palm of my hand. Access to brakes isn't instant, so only good for situations where that's okay.

The saddle quest will continue for me. I suggest the OP do the same. Note that expensive sales are not necessarily any better, when shape is the issue. Women's shoes, mtb saddles, cheap oem saddles - anything is fair game.
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Old 08-11-22, 05:19 PM
  #25  
headwind15
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Carbonfiberboy... it sounds like you know a lot about this...
Saddle sores are not the same as "sore butt." Saddle sores are essentially bed-sores, break down of the skin due to long term oxygen deprivation resulting in skin ulcers. There are also friction-caused saddle sores, usually from too high a saddle or jerky pedaling. Then there are also infected hair follicles . .

I am still unable to ride because of this. What would you do/ use to treat my long term oxygen deprived/ chamois abraded state of butt discomfort?
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