tenniscyclist

I ride my road bike once during the weekend (40-50 miles/17-18 mph) and ride relaxed sessions on my stationary bike twice during the week (2.5 hours a session). I have developed friction spots on my sit bones area that are irritated (ouch...stinging sore) from my road bike saddle. I have been riding for a couple of years, and although my sit bones would get sore at times in the past, this chafing/friction is a relatively new situation with the same saddle. Where I live now, I don't have a bike expert/store within two hours driving distance, so chamois cream has been the most helpful thing at this point. I have experimented a little with saddle tilt and tried a different saddle. Are there any standard recommendations (e.g., saddle tilt or saddle height) that might help fix this problem? Thanks in advance.

CAT7RDR

Quality bibshorts/Chamois and Bag Balm stopped this issue for me for good.
My saddles are perfectly level.

rsbob 

Sitting on a stationary bike for long periods of time keep you in a more fixed position. As a result, your pressure points/sitz bone areas tend to get the brunt of it. This has happened to me too when riding on my trainer for longer than an hour. I would recommend using chamois cream on those areas and standing more and/or reducing stationary cycling time. First you need to heal which means time off the saddle. You can do this by out of the saddle spinning. But really cut back saddle time or you will just make it worse.

spelger

neosporin till it clears up.

what are you wearing when riding on the stationary? when i rode the stationary i was just in cotton gym shorts, i thought i was so smart till the chafing started. went back to my regular cycling shorts. the chafing is there, more like callouses now but i do spend a lot of time on the saddle.

Pop N Wood

What saddle do you have? in my experience chaffing is usually the result of too much movement causing friction. I've never experienced it with a bike saddle by have from ill fitting hiking boots.

jadmt

so had an interesting conversation with a dermatologist. He said not to use neosporin on saddle type sores. He also said you do not want tough skin down there as it will do more harm and more chance of getting more sores that end up taking a long time to heal. He said keep the skin soft like with chamois butt'r cream. I had thought neosporin would be good but he said no. again only repeating what he told me.

Iride01 

If you have a hairy butt, then trim the hair shorter. Doesn't need to be shaved clean, just short.

phughes

Double check your seat height. A too high seat height will cause you to rock a bit, which causes the chaffing and saddle sores. That is the most common cause of saddle sores. If you are firmly planted on the seat, you should not be moving on the seat where your sit bones are. If you are getting chaffing there, you are rocking at least enough to cause chaffing.

urbanknight

Things to consider:
- Try different saddles
- Saddle tilt: level or slightly forward gets pressure off the sit bones (but onto other bits)
- Try different chamois
- Use chamois cream
- Wash your posterior with an acne wash with salicylic acid and an exfoliating cloth
- Don't leave too much time between the ride and the wash
- Stand more often while riding

boozergut

In addition to chamois cream added to a good pair of cycling shorts, I rub a layer of petroleum jelly to the spot that tends to chaff.

Eric F 

This ^^^. Grooming of the undercarriage can make a significant difference to comfort.

As others have mentioned...
- Saddle shape
- Saddle position (height, tilt, fore/aft)
- Shorts/bibs (a good quality pad is a game-changer)

Jicafold

Likely because Neosporin is an antibiotic. Saddle sores are not an infection. If your initial saddle sores develop an abscess, it's time to see your physician.

"Sit bones" = ischial tuberosity.

noimagination

My experience agrees with what phughes said. If my saddle is too high, I can get chafing in the sit-bone (ischial tuberosity, to be pedantic) area, while if my saddle is the right height I can get sore there, but no chafing.
Even if your saddle is the same height it's always been, your body can change over time. If your flexibility is a little less for some reason, a saddle that was the right height before could be too high now. Or, if you've done any maintenance or installed any new gear and you had to move the saddle/remove the seat post/etc. then the saddle height could have been affected. IME, even just a few mm can make a significant difference.
Saddle model can also play in to saddle height. If I put my Brooks B17N and my Selle Italia (different bikes) at the same height, the Selle Italia will effectively be higher, and I'll need to drop it 5 -10 mm or so to get it right.

philbob57

Some people claim petroleum jelly can clog pores, which doesn't seem like a Good Thing. Chafing implies friction, though. How are you getting friction under your sit-bones? If your sit-bones are moving, I'd think in terms of a saddle that's too high.

urbanknight

Might have to experiment with the length. As I am part sasquatch, I noticed that too short makes the hairs prickly and chafe everything, and too long does absolutely no good.

jgwilliams

I really feel for you, having had the same issue myself. For me, like you, it developed quite suddenly and for no readily apparent reason. I seem to be pretty much on top of it now but I'll pass on the benefit of my experience.

For the most part I resent spending huge amounts of money on cycling apparel. I really can't see that spending over £130 on a jersey gets me greater benefit than spending £30 (suggestions, please?). My single major exception to this rule is shorts. My first foray into expensive shorts was a pair of Assos shorts; adjusted for inflation they are probably the most expensive shorts I've ever bought, and they were a disaster. Not only did I find them really uncomfortable but the stitching around the pad started to come undone fairly early on. So that simply goes to prove that cost isn't necessarily an indicator of comfort or quality. Move on some years, though, and I picked up a pair of Castelli shorts in a sale. I was immediately impressed and got a second pair not long afterwards. These lasted me for quite a while, but when they did finally wear out I decided to try out some Endura FS-260 Pro shorts. These have been yet another step up in comfort, and I have now added a second pair of bib shorts and some winter bib tights from the same range. It's all very personal, of course, and you may find they don't suit you at all, but I highly recommend searching for some good shorts that fit you snugly.

Through all those years I've continued to use Assos chamois creme. If I'm occasionally tempted not to bother I fairly quickly get reminded of why that's a poor choice. Obviously saddles play a part too. I've never found one that's been really comfortable for me over an extended period. The best I've ever had was a Fizik Arione, but it proved not to be very durable, given that it was fairly expensive. I now have a Fabric Line saddle which is pretty good and seems to be standing up to the daily rigour.

Whilst I agree in principle with the suggestion to stay off the bike until your sores are healed, there was a time in my life when I would have been off it more than on it. I eventually found a solution which worked for me; Compeed hydrocolloidal blister plasters. Obviously, what I was suffering from wasn't a blister, but it seemed to do the trick. You can leave it on for several days while the sore heals, it's made from a gel which seems to promote healing and the fact that it is stuck in place means there's no possibility of abrasion. I strongly recommend shaving before applying, though, or you will get to experience what hair waxing is like.

Best of luck!

tenniscyclist

Thanks to everyone for all of the replies. I learned some things and you all have given me a lot of things to try and info to digest. I'm grateful.

Hvac

Hey, I have a hairy butt. But then again my real name is Harry.

rsbob 

Why aren’t you watching the U.S. Open instead?

rsbob 

+1 on Endura shorts. They are now my ‘go to’ shorts. Have ASSOS as well, but only for medium length rides.

KerryIrons

There are 7 factors in preventing saddle numbness and pain:

1) saddle adjustment - tilt angle is very important and very small changes are noticeable

2) sitting properly - a lot of people ride too far forward on the saddle. Your "sit bones" should be perched on the rear, wide part of the saddle

3) standing up - you should never let things go numb or get painful. At the first sign of any lack of feeling or pain, pedal standing up for a short distance and repeat as necessary to bring the feeling back and prevent further numbness

4) easing up - you want to lift your rear end off the saddle any time you are going to hit a bump or sharp edge. It's easier on your anatomy, your wheels, your tires, and the rest of your bike.

5) bike fit: in addition to saddle height and tilt, there is fore/aft adjustment, reach and drop to the bars, and cleat position.

6) tires: proper width with the right PSI for your weight and roads so you don't feel every single road imperfection.

7) saddle - there are some people who can ride most any saddle if it is properly adjusted (see #1) and there are some people who have problems with nearly any saddle. It's hard to predict which type you are. Work on 1-6 and if that doesn't help, THEN consider a new saddle.

jadmt

last name Butz? brother named Seymour...I really did know a guy named Richard Harry. and you know everyone called him Dick and you know in school when they would call your last name first than your first...always got everyone laughing. There was a kid who ran track at the next town over named Mike Hunt. I believe he was a tough sob.

79pmooney

You haven't said (or I missed) that you wear quality cycling shorts or bibs. If you don't, buy some. Go to a store where you can try them on or bring them back. You want a snug fit with no wrinkles "down there" whatsoever. If you choose to go cheaper and stick to cycling shorts, buy and use clip-on suspenders. They will help greatly in preventing wrinkles.

Use one of the various chamois creams on your crotch. While you still have sores (or if they return and you are planning to ride) use liberal amounts of Bag Balm. (Any old school pharmacy. Comes in a green square metal can looking like it is from about 120 years ago. Don't worry. It was made recently but was originally formulated back then. So farmers could make life bearable for their cows that started refusing to have their teats abused by the early mechanical milkers. The milkers rapidly got better and farmer's wives now had all this stuff on hand that the cows no longer needed. And guess what? It's really good stuff for all sorts of skin chafe issues, especially saddle sores. No, it is not a medicine. But it is wonderful if you have to further abrade that already compromised skin.)

And as was said above - the indoor bike is probably harder on your saddle contact points than your outdoor bike. You may need to use the same shorts and lubricant (or better) when riding it. Cleanliness is also important. Bacteria is just as bad as the physical damage and just loves to jump in and do its thing as soon as your skin is broken.

You may find other clothes that work for you besides cycling shorts. For the vast majority of us, that is not cotton. Back in the dark ages when cycling shorts were pretty hideous or expensive, from Europe and had real chamois leather pads, we all knew men who rode in women's panties and stayed issue free. I never did but I also didn't laugh. For shorter rides like into town or as an extra layer on cold days I wear UnderArmor briefs next to my skin but I will start to chafe eventually. Use generous Bag Balm if I'm going very far.

Edit: Spending money on good shorts. For me, that's the Segoi shorts. Great fit. Again, try them on! In a setting without pressure. Call before you go to the shop. Do they have a dressing room? Can you bring them back? (Good shops know how important this is.)

And a tip that I do - trim my saddle contact areas with a beard trimmer at its closest setting. Not shaved with risk of cuts, but now the hairs are so short they do not get caught between me and shorts/saddle and get pulled out. Pulled hairs? Think about those bacteria that are just looking for a new place to set up shop.