John Schader

Some years ago I had a saddle sore that occurred and then subsided in the same spot a number of times. It had become a cyst. It got particularly bad when it flared up one time and after much misery, neosporin (didn't work at all), hot compresses and time off the bike without much relief I finally went to my primary care doctor and he diagnosed it as folliculitis: infection of a hair follicle, probably by Staphyloccus. He prescribed Clindamycin gel, applied to the affected area. (It's often prescribed for acne.) It took a week or so, but that worked. I've kept a tube of Clindamycin gel ever since and have used it successfully when occasionally an incipient saddle sores appears and starts to get worse. Unfortunately it's not available over the counter.

Prevention is best though! Kill the bacteria and reduce rubbing on the skin. Launder bike shorts after every ride (rotate through a few pair of shorts), use chamois cream, change out of shorts immediately after a ride, be meticulous about washing before and after a ride (those antibacterial baby wipes are good), optimize your position on the bike, find a comfortable saddle.

________________________________
From: Chelsea Wolfe
To: obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Tue, November 10, 2009 2:13:58 PM
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Saddle Sores

This is a sore subject... no pun intended, but I have been having issues with chronic saddle sores and was wondering if anyone who has had this issue can let me know what they did to treat them, and have them heal etc..

I am looking for a doctor that has experience with saddle sores, preferably in the Corvallis or Portland area, as the other ones that I have gone too have not been much help at all. If you went to a doctor that was fantastic at healing the sores... please let me know.

Thank you so much !

Sincerely,

Chelsea

Seth Hosmer

Saddle sores are caused by pressure and friction. The usual first steps are using chamois cream and trying different bibs. If that doesn't work, maybe borrow a saddle from a friend and see if that helps.

If the skin irritation persists, the next step is to have somebody check your fit and biomechanics. If somebody has a poor bike fit, this can cause unwanted moving/twisting/shifting on the saddle that increases friction. Additionally, if somebody has tight muscles or a joint problem, that can also cause unwanted grinding on the saddle.

This mainly refers to a saddle sore that goes away with time off the saddle, then returns quickly when you start riding. If somebody has a saddle sore that persists despite time off the bike, it may need to be drained (by a licensed professional).

Home care may also include hot baths as this may open up the pores and facilitate natural drainage of the lesion.

In my experience, there is almost always a significant bike fit and/or musculoskeletal issue that is the main contributor for saddle sores.

Seth Hosmer, DC
HPChiro.com

Chelsea Wolfe

Thanks all for the helpful tips.

I guess I should probably be more specific on the type of sore that it is.
It is not the kind of diaper rash sore that heals within a day. It is a sore
that was caused by rubbing, and is like a lump underneath the skin that gets
irritated by riding again. I am worried that it may be a cyst.

I was riding a specialized ruby saddle, and felt that the edge was too sharp
and causing pain, but then stopped riding that saddle rested for 2 weeks.
Then started riding a Selle San Marco Regal, which seemed to be better, but
irritated the same spot again, and it seems to have reappeared.

On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 2:13 PM, Chelsea Wolfe wrote:

> This is a sore subject... no pun intended, but I have been having issues
> with chronic saddle sores and was wondering if anyone who has had this issue
> can let me know what they did to treat them, and have them heal etc..
>
> I am looking for a doctor that has experience with saddle sores, preferably
> in the Corvallis or Portland area, as the other ones that I have gone too
> have not been much help at all. If you went to a doctor that was fantastic
> at healing the sores... please let me know.
>
> Thank you so much !
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Chelsea

Chelsea Wolfe

This is a sore subject... no pun intended, but I have been having issues
with chronic saddle sores and was wondering if anyone who has had this issue
can let me know what they did to treat them, and have them heal etc..

I am looking for a doctor that has experience with saddle sores, preferably
in the Corvallis or Portland area, as the other ones that I have gone too
have not been much help at all. If you went to a doctor that was fantastic
at healing the sores... please let me know.

Thank you so much !

Sincerely,

Chelsea

Michael O'Hair

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Re: [OBRA Chat] saddle soars......sorry!

The preventive measures are clean shorts ( salt is an abrasive ), good saddle/shorts fit, and lubrication: Vaseline in the winter time, Cramer's Skin Lube ( thick vaseline ) in the summer.



Dealing with the things requires removing pressure from the inflamed area. If you can reach the affected area and said area will hold a pad, get some "moleskin" padding and cut a hole in the center a bit larger than the sore and then attach it with tape or that sticky stuff that is used to hold Tegaderm in place. Obviously, your "ride time" will increase quite a bit as you go through the whole put it on/take it off routine.



If you are factory sponsored or rich, you can also cut away your saddle. I saw some photos several years ago of some TdF rider's saddle being "contoured" to deal with a saddle sore. By the time the race was done, about a third of the left side of the saddle had been chopped away. What a way to make a living.







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<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Re: [OBRA Chat] saddle soars......sorry!</TITLE>

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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>

<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The preventive measures are clean shorts ( salt is

an abrasive ), good saddle/shorts fit, and lubrication: Vaseline in the winter

time, Cramer's Skin Lube ( thick vaseline ) in the summer.</FONT></DIV>

<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>

<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dealing with the things requires removing pressure

from the inflamed area.  If you can reach the affected area and said area

will hold a pad, get some "moleskin" padding and cut a hole in the center a bit

larger than the sore and then attach it with tape or that sticky stuff that is

used to hold Tegaderm in place.  Obviously, your "ride time" will increase

quite a bit as you go through the whole put it on/take it off

routine.</FONT></DIV>

<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>

<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you are factory sponsored or rich, you can also

cut away your saddle.  I saw some photos several years ago of some TdF

rider's saddle being "contoured" to deal with a saddle sore.  By the time

the race was done, about a third of the left side of the saddle had been chopped

away.  What a way to make a living.</FONT></DIV>

<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>

<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>





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Salvatore Collura

 what is the quickest way to get these little buggers to heal up?

stop riding



-sal

















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