Saddle Sores

If it's a true saddle sore, think of it as a deep rooted nasty zit. Get to a Doc and get some anti-bacterial meds stronger than neosporene (possibly even oral if bad enough). Keep your shorts very clean (hot soapy wash after rides, use chamois creme with anti-bacterial properties), don't keep old shorts, rotate which shorts you use, bath soon after riding... think extreme hygiene.

If it's more like saddle discomfort (no actual infection) then different shorts will help (might be why your tri shorts feel better), so will bike fit and different saddles. I've found my favorite saddle on one bike is my worse saddle on an other bike. I've also found certain shorts seem to go better with particular bikes.

A guy I ride with was complaining of his annual saddle sores when we did a local century ride a few weekends ago. After chatting with him during the ride about it, his hygiene is horrid. He'll wear shorts 2 or 3 times before washing them, never thought to use chamois creme, keeps old shorts, let's them sit in the dirty laundry before washing them.... Not saying that is your case, but just using my buddy as an example of how to get saddle sores. Not sure how he is still married after learning about his bike hygiene....

Do you actually have a sore (similar to a pimple or cold sore) that has developed? To get rid of it try using an over the counter cold sore medication.

As to preventing it from appearing it may be the chamois in your bike shorts is the cause. It could be a seam that hits you in the wrong place, or it could be that you need some chamois cream. Another possibility is that your seat height is optimized for your thinner padded tri shorts and the thicker pad in the road shorts causes you to reach a little thus creating extra friction.

scott

ETA: as the previous poster states, clean your shorts after every ride.

Edited by yaqui 2009-06-22 3:08 PM

That will only work if it's viral (which could be the case of biking has agitated something like a herpes outbreak), a bacterial infection would require different treatment. Partly why I suggested seeing a Doc if its truly a saddle sore (looks like red infected bump). Can you tell I live with an Nurse that also does IM's?

Last year I had a bad one that just would not go away. I went to the dermatologist and he gave it a cortisone injection -that cleared it up in about 2 days.

You can try the Dr. route. I got mine shot up, lanced, all of that last year. They just kept coming back. I had clean shorts, bag-o-balm when it needed to be. Just never went away.

One finally popped when I was riding. Hurt like h@ll, but at least it was "fixed" momentarily.

Honestly, being off the bike for 5 months while I was marathon training is what finally fixed the issue for me.

I wash everything everytime I use them.  I am thinking the seam hitting a certain spot could have something to do with it because I don't feel them when wearing my tri shorts more often.

I will have to get some meds for it also.  Thanks for the replies.