Cycling UK Forum

Does anyone have any advice on how to reduce the amount of "undercarriage" soreness when doing a long ride. Have sorted out the bottom but the front end gets sore.
Is this a common ladies problem? Apologies for the delicate question.

Do a search for 'saddle sore', 'padded shorts' and related key words. There are lots of threads in various places on this forum.

Basically...

1) Make certain that your saddle is correctly adjusted. Pressure should be on your sit bones. If it isn't, see http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html#adjustment I find it quite fiddly to get my saddle in exactly the right place & fine-tuning can only be done by trial & error
2) Some people find that frequent rides sort of break-in ones bits to cycling. Cycling infrequently, or riding many more miles that one is used to can lead to soreness in the best of circumstances
3) Padded shorts may help
4) If none of the above have helped, a new saddle may; one should consider whether a new saddle should be narrower, wider, softer, slipperier, etc.

Manx Cat (female) recommends the Rido R2 in her post here. I'm considering trying one -- I'm pretty comfortable on my old Brooks B17 up to 60 miles but I don't think I would like to go much further for the reasons you state.

Some women like saddles with cut-outs but it depends on your anatomy.

Edit: there are a couple of long but good threads on the women's cycling forum Team Estrogen:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=25954
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=39475
They include tips on measuring, finding out if cut-outs would suit, positioning and so forth.

Angle the nose of the saddle down by a few degrees at a time and see it that helps.

Copious amounts of chamois cream and decent padded shorts of course.And as suggested make sure saddle angle ok i.e not too angled up!Sounds painful......

I don't think we should be afraid to discuss "delicate" problems here - the alternative is to be uncomfortable on your bike, and no one here wants that!

I don't think anyone should be offended by an honest discussion of how one's anatomy interacts with one's bike. Anyone who doesn't want to read it doesn't have to, and it can be really helpful to others to discuss this stuff.

Here's a link to the most frank and thorough article I've seen online about women's anatomy and cycling http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/04/ ... ddles.html

Personally I've experienced chafing on both sides at the front where my knicker elastic goes, after several long days in the saddle. I've found it can be helped a lot by a) using some sort of cream before I start to have a problem, and b) not wearing knickers, even when wearing shorts which aren't padded - the elastic is simply in the wrong place. Doing without either padding or underwear helps to keep me dry, and I think with me it was getting sweaty which caused the chafing.

Hope this helps.

Don't be worried about discussing 'delicate' issues. Speaking from the male perspective, we can get sore undercarriage too, also a loss of sensation i.e. 'anaesthesia'. Cycling shorts has eliminated the chafing from 'knicker elastic' and I cannot overstate the value of a smear of vaseline.

Ladies have a different featured pelvis. They have a 'Pelvic girdle' big enough for a baby's head to get through. Therefore, all the upper body weight is on the Ischium ( sit bones ) and the pubis bone at the front.

The only other parts that can provide support are the pelvic floor muscles. Exercising these would be a bonus. Search the web for 'Pelvic floor exercises'.

Get some Ladies cycling shorts. It is best not to wear anything under them.

Ayesha wrote:The only other parts that can provide support are the pelvic floor muscles. Exercising these would be a bonus. Search the web for 'Pelvic floor exercises'.

Cycling does exercise the pelvic floor.

Alan D wrote:I cannot overstate the value of a smear of vaseline.

Yuck! No vaseline near my undercarriage, please. I don't think this would be a good idea for ladies, as Vaseline can hold germs. It might make things worse rather than better.

Vorpal wrote:

Ayesha wrote:The only other parts that can provide support are the pelvic floor muscles. Exercising these would be a bonus. Search the web for 'Pelvic floor exercises'.

Cycling does exercise the pelvic floor.

Alan D wrote:I cannot overstate the value of a smear of vaseline.

Yuck! No vaseline near my undercarriage, please. I don't think this would be a good idea for ladies, as Vaseline can hold germs. It might make things worse rather than better.

And don't use Ultrasound lube gel. Frig*ing heck, that stings.

There's stuff called "Masocreme". Don't use that either.

I find E45 cream ( a bit pricey) or Aqueous cream good. But I am male.

If the problem is one chaffing try Conotrane cream,its an antiseptic cream similar to Savlon but less than half the price I use it regularly when riding everday.
PS it also washes out of cycling shorts easily.

Thank you all for your advice. It is much appreciated. Keep cycling.

alicej wrote:I don't think we should be afraid to discuss "delicate" problems here - the alternative is to be uncomfortable on your bike, and no one here wants that!

I don't think anyone should be offended by an honest discussion of how one's anatomy interacts with one's bike. Anyone who doesn't want to read it doesn't have to, and it can be really helpful to others to discuss this stuff.

Here's a link to the most frank and thorough article I've seen online about women's anatomy and cycling http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/04/ ... ddles.html

Personally I've experienced chafing on both sides at the front where my knicker elastic goes, after several long days in the saddle. I've found it can be helped a lot by a) using some sort of cream before I start to have a problem, and b) not wearing knickers, even when wearing shorts which aren't padded - the elastic is simply in the wrong place. Doing without either padding or underwear helps to keep me dry, and I think with me it was getting sweaty which caused the chafing.

Hope this helps.

Good article. Thanks for the pointers.