Recommendations for womens cycle shorts

[Manx Cat]

I did 80 miles on Monday, and Im currently nursing a burst blister on one bum cheek, and a raw patch on the other... ouch (sorry if its too much information) Im rather sore right now... .

Its very uncomfortable to sit anywhere, cycled to work yesterday and regretted it. I was wearing cycle shorts and a pair of cosy leggings on my Audax ride, but I am thinking that the brand I use are perhaps not padded enough for my needs.

When I was a lot tubbier they were fine, but now I am a size 12 and have lost a lot of weight in the bum department, I feel those sit bones all the while on the bike. My saddle has been stretched as much as we dare, and this improved things enormously, as I can now cycle a good distance, whereas before I could only manage about 10 miles on it.

On this particular ride, I was just about half way round when I started to feel uncomfortable, but carried on.

Next summer I want to cycle to Norfolk, this will mean 3 days of at least 60 miles per day to get there, with just a couple of days rest before I return.

So best get this sorted.

Any ideas?

I am currently using new Corinne Dennis shorts.


Mary

[anniesboy]

My wife has some by Corrine Dennis,she much prefers Polaris.
It could be a saddle issue ,Brooks does not suit everyone, a good quality suspension seat post might also help.
Certainly not too much information far to many suffer in silence.

[Wesh-Laurence]

I'm no expert.

Blisters are often caused by wearing too many layers which ruck up or rub between them. I couldn't work out if you only wear cycling shorts with nothing underneath them which is the way they should be worn. Also the problem could be rubbing between your saddle, shorts and skin.

If you have lost weight could you possibly need a different shaped saddle to compensate? It is strange that the most comfortable saddle for long distance riding I have (I've tried about 10 saddles) is a Selle SMP saddle which is a very odd shape. This saddle is also very firm, it isn't a soft gel saddle, I find soft saddles feel really comfortable when I first sit on them and then get very uncomfortable, I am conscious of my Selle SMP when I first sit on it but it doesn't get more uncomfortable.

If you have a good bike shop that has the equipment, get measured for a saddle, Specialized do saddles of varying width.

[cycleruk]

As has been said above.
Creme (vaseline) may help with friction and repelling moisture.
Another thought is saddle height.
If too high then the hips move from side to side.

Take great care with the sore bits or could give you grief for a long time.

[rootes]

chamois butter helps

assos make some nice mentholated stuff..


also I got my other half some soft cannodale lycra shorts, but they are not shiny and they do not have leg grippers or a tight waste band - v.comfy so she say

[Big T]

My wife accompanied me on our JOGLE ride and never complained of a sore bum. We were averaging about 60 miles a day over 18 riding days. She has women specific shorts from Altura and Pearl Izumi and also an old pair of Bellweather womens shorts.

Assos reputedly make very comfortable shorts, but they are not cheap (over £100 per pair).

[reohn2]

I use Conotrane (large tube £1.45)as lubrication especially when I have saddle sores to contend with.
As for shorts Mrs R2 likes both Polaris and Corrine Dennis.

[eileithyia]

I use either Lusso Coolmax ladies' specific shorts or Assos Lady (much more expensive but look far better), no undies (unless going to work) and, at this time of the year I ususally wear some sort of cycle specific longs; again lusso coolmax or Assos Lady. Because they are cycle specific they do not have areas that ruckle underneath you.

I do not generally use any creams and unguents as I think the pores can become clogged, though will sometimes use baby lotion as a lubricant on parts that tend to "rub together". Luckily I have never had any blisters but do get bruising over the sit bone area from time to time and esp after a lay off or on a particularly long ride.

I always soak my shorts in Napisan before washing to ensure bacteria is destroyed.

[WildCorgi]

Decathlon El Cheapo ladies shorts, possibly with Altura women's tights on top, work for me; also padded longs from Altura or Decathlon. Depends on how light you want to travel, but might it be worth carrying an extra dry & clean pair of shorts to change into half-way? I have a walking chum prone to blisters who fights them off with a change of socks halfway through the hike.

I agree it could be the saddle: it was for me the one time I had something similar, on a relatively unpadded saddle. I've avoided a repeat by changing to the same moderately padded saddle on both bikes, which means I've never had a repeat of the Near-Blister Incident on the Norwich 100 back in 2000 when large layers of skin peeled away from under seat bones. (My guess is the actual blister stage didn't last long.) If yoru shape has changed, it's well worth going back to scratch on the saddle just in case. My more svelte friends claim Brookes are carnivorous.

[pq]

Assos are by far the best, but they cost a serious amount of money. If you're struggling to justify the cost bear in mind that they outlast pretty much any other brand.

[Flinders]

Used to have a cheap, very old, slightly padded saddle on the old bike and no special kit, but didn't do more than about 20-25 miles, and got pretty sore on the longer rides.

First I changed the saddle to a Ladies Intake Airflow Gel Volute. (They have a similar thinner one for a more forward racing position as well.) That made a heck of a difference. Cooler where it matters for us chicks, and softer on the seatbones. When I changed bikes, I put that on the new bike and the old saddle back on the old one. (I had to ride the old bike back into town on one occasion, and was forcibly reminded how nasty and uncomfortable the old saddle was -red patches in some places, and burning hot in others.)

Then I upped to more like 40 miles a time, and began to be told that I might be more even comfortable in proper shorts. I got a pair of De Marchi ladies ones with an antibacterial chamois and separate individual 3/4 leg warmers, as I was advised that this was a more flexible combination. I put the leg warmers on first, and then the shorts. Great- much more comfortable, and that way the length of the legs suited me too. The legs on proper one-piece leggings were always masses too long, where as the 3/4 leg warmers are full-length on me. There is only a small overlap between the leg warmers and the shorts, and I don't wear any other layers.

I then lost a bit of weight, and though I didn't get sore, i'd agree with a previous poster that losing weight makes a difference in some ways, as on pony saddles I started to feel those seatbones when I hadn't before. The padded shorts coped, though, but given that I wash the shorts every time I wear them, they didn't always dry in time for my next ride. Couldn't get a pair exactly the same, so went for a pair of Altura Pro Gel. They felt horribly stiff and bulky when I first put them on, I was walking like John Wayne and I wasn't sure why I'd need gel shorts with a gel saddle, but they shaped themselves after the first ride and have been very comfortable indeed. I forgot I was wearing them the very next ride- didn't think about my nether regions once, and that was nearly 40 miles. I think the gel ones might be a bit hot for summer, but now use the gel ones for longer rides and the others for shorter ones when they're drying.

[Doris]

Hi Mary,

I used to have padded shorts, but found them too hot in the summer. I now wear baggy cycling shorts or normal trousers with normal underwear, nothing extra. I find I am quite comfortable even after 95 miles. More usually 50-60 miles a day when touring. I have a basic Brooks ladies saddle, and I assume that it has now worn in to my shape, which is why I don't need anything else. By the way, I have a fairly skinny backside, but this works for me.

[pedalsheep]

Another vote for Assos - more than twice the price of my other shorts but more than twice as comfortable too.

[Manx Cat]

Hi All,

many thanks for the replies and recommendations. Bum is still too raw to cycle with at this moment but bruising at least has subsided now, I have a day off work today as part of half term, and hope that by tomorrow things will be a bit easier and intend to ride again but only for a short trip somewhere local. Ordered teh C.cream by Assos, and gritted my teeth hard, and have ordered a pair of shorts.

(not told Chas how much they cost!)

As the discomfort is only on long rides over 40 miles, I shall keep these for bestest I think.

Yep, I do wear underwear, leaving them in the drawer are one of those hurdles Ive still to leap over.....

I ride on a brooks and this saddle has met my comfort needs for 5,000 miles or more. I did try another saddle recommended on here by eileithyia, but pride came first Im sorry to say.... I like the look of a brooks, and cannot find a replacement sadly, even tried an expensive Terry saddle, but nope.... It was too modern, and not that comfortable.

Oddly, I can normally cycle on my commute to work without padding whatsoever, but the saddle is very hard when i do this, but bum can cope as its only 12 miles per day. Its the long distance stuff that I really suffer on.

So, holding out for these shorts....

Found it quite hard to find a supplier, but ended up going to these guys for them.

https://www.sigmasport.co.uk



Will let you know how I get on. I intend to ride the Audax route once more before Christmas, so I shall have bagged 5 rides this year.


Mary

[pq]

If you wear underwear under your spangly new Assos shorts, you'll have wasted your money.