I’ve managed to pick up a nasty saddle sore. Anyone have any good advice on how to get rid of it?
Thanks,
Tubs
**Update: - **Thanks to all those who replied to this. I am now back cycling with no issues and just wanted to update on what I did to cure this. First of all I stopped cycling for a few days, not by choice but just the way my training panned out. I didn’t have time to get to a doctor but I did apply antiseptic cream to the area in the form of ‘sudocrem’ after every shower, swim or run. After a few days off the bike I made sure that I applied a shit ton of chamois cream prior to riding. The sore never came to a head but just reduced in size until I can now barely feel it. After 2/3 days off the bike it started to itch which I knew was a good sign as it was probably healing. For me, the lesson is to make sure I apply chammy cream before every ride which means keeping a tub at work as well as at home, as I had stopped using any cream at all and I cycle commute in all weather.
I’ve managed to pick up a nasty saddle sore. Anyone have any good advice on how to get rid of it?
Thanks,
Tubs
I feel your pain, having been through a fair few this last 12 months and tried a lot of different things.
Can you describe exactly what you have and where…as this helps with the advice I have!
it sucks, but from what ive read / heard the best thing to do is stay off the saddle. you’re just going to irritate it more.
i had one a couple of weeks ago from not having any lube for downstairs for a couple of rides. i am riding on a different bike / saddle right now that doesnt irritate the effected area so thats been helping.
It a small lump and is raised. The location is about an inch behind my sack and to the right of centre.
I suffered a lot through my recent 12 month IM period. In terms of advice…they can be bloody sore. There are a few different variations that I have discovered. Some just continuously discharge for a few days, like an infected hair follicle, despite thinking you have discharged all you can by squeezing they just seem to get more and then clear up quickly. Some become quite big and infected like an abscess and can be rock hard and very very sore. These can need antibiotics to help settle down.
If it is just hard and small at the moment I would just leave it. Definitely don’t lance it yourself unless it is clear there is fluid in there to drain. I just had to ride through mine as could not afford time off the bike in the build period. I have tried every cream under the sun (for prevention and treatment) and can honestly say I don’t think anyone is better than the other. I just use Assos now. A steroid cream can sometimes help with some variations of them, but not if discharging etc.
Once they do discharge (not all do…) they tend to heal very quickly, within a few days.
Good luck.
I experienced this a few times, up to the point where the skin split open.
I put coticosteroids cream (1%) for exzema for a few days ( careful not to exagerate on the cream as it thins the skin) and took a few days off the saddle.
It works suprizingly fast on “broken” skin.
If you have an ingrown hair it can be needed to pull it out.
1 travel size tub of vaseline
1 tube neosporin
1 tube antibacteria cream
empty both neo and cream into tub. mix with popsicle stick. lube your downstairs before every ride with this. lubes and kills bacteria and helps with healing. Then when done, shower, and scrub the downstairs. Dry off and put gold bond powder all down there to dry out. Never had a saddle sore
I got a small sub dermal one last year at key point in training. Wife is a dentist and loves gross stuff so with a carefully placed towel so she couldn’t see right up my ass she lanced it and treated it with tea tree oil cream. Took quite a while to properly settle down but brought us closer together.
This year I got a bigger sub dermal one at a non-key time of year. Went to doctor, got antibiotics and it went down. I went to Nice to see friend racing in 70.3 WC and used a corn plaster when I went for a long ride on the Saturday along to and up Col de la Madone. Little bit tender but corn plaster offered some protection. Over next two weeks, it disappeared.
Overall - the antibiotics were the easier fix and meant my wife didn’t have to interfere with my undercarriage with a needle. Maybe now we have a baby she’d be less delicate…
Final observation - last year I got the saddlesore after riding in some seriously grim weather. This year a similar thing happened. What I’ve done now is get a pair of waterproof bib shorts and if I have to ride in bad weather I throw them on with plenty of Assos chamois cream. I’m usually pretty meticulous with post-ride hygiene but for me I don’t think it’s a coincidence that after riding in bad weather and having grit and filthy road water completely soaking my ass and gooch I got a saddlesore. As with so many things n=1, some people seem to be able to look at a saddle and a pea-size lump starts developing in their gooch.
I got a small sub dermal one last year at key point in training. Wife is a dentist and loves gross stuff so with a carefully placed towel so she couldn’t see right up my ass she lanced it and treated it with tea tree oil cream. Took quite a while to properly settle down but brought us closer together.
Didn’t even ask for a finger slip!? what a missed opportunity haha
I used to get them once or twice a year when I used the original Chamois Butt’r. I switched to the “Eurostyle” formula from the same company, which has menthol and witch hazel that’s supposed to prevent saddle sores … and it prevents saddle sores! It’s probably been 4-5 years since I’ve had a real saddle sore. When I used to get them, I’d stop riding for a few days and use an antibiotic gel on the sore, and they cleared up in a few days.
