I've been having problems on long rides (4hrs +) with my underside becoming sore. This is the main thing that's now limiting the length of my rides. I bought a Brooks because I had Amazon vouchers burning a hole in my pocket, but that has caused some other problems (http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=78970). Thought it would be worth seeing if anyone had views on the root of the problem.
I suspect that they are saddle sores, but all descriptions seem to suggest that the sores occur in the main area of contact, whereas mine seem to form a ring around the outside.
I have produced a tasteful schematic of where the soreness appeared after a 15hr ride (I'm certain no-one want's to see the original picture!)
Saddle_Sore.png (5.4 KiB) Viewed 3818 times
Hopefully it should be obvious what you're looking at . The red shows the band of soreness that appeared.
I start any of these longer rides with clean shorts. I try to stand up sometimes while riding, but this seems to be something that build throughout the day, so I'd need to spend an hour standing to shift an hours riding.
I can't see saddle angle or position would help at all as the soreness is pretty evenly distributed. The saddle I have main experience on is this http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/%20...%20w-10-37548. The problem also seem to occur across a range of shorts (though none of mine are that flash).
I get the same problem, but for me it seems to be cheap bib shorts causing it. Either the seams are in the wrong place or the pads are poorly designed. I have some more expensive three quarter length bibs that I wear in the spring/autumn and they are fine. Some shorts are of the so called 'race line' design and they seem to cater for riders on the drops much of the time, ie the pads are too far forward for riding in a more relaxed position.
that does look like the edge of the pad, doesn't it....?
A simple suggestion; you could try wearing some cycling specific underwear or something to give you an extra layer. It could just be that the edge of the pad is chafing or you are reacting to the thread in it or something like that.
Once an area is irritated in some way it can more easily become infected. Definitely don't want to carry on like that....
Or just ditch the padded stuff? ....nobody used to use pads at all.... When I started, everybody on the club/CTC run just wore "shorts"....specific cycling shorts had a "double seat"....that was so they didn't wear out, not for comfort. racing men wore knitted woollen(?) shorts with a chamois crotch lining, but I don't remember seeing anybody wearing them other than actually racing....?
I did try some padded Lycra shorts once....horrible!
I'd suspect the seams. Our club ordered some new kit earlier this year, and I wore a pair of the shorts two days in a row, 100+ km/day. They were brilliant. A few weeks later I wore them again for a 300k Audax and had exactly the same kind of damage as the OP from about 60k on: the last 150k were horrible. The difference? They'd been washed in between.
Moral: shorts that start off well can turn cruel & unusual PDQ.
On the washing score, I went through a phase when I found that 'bio' washing powder was causing (or, at least, exacerbating) soreness and had to use non-bio to wash cycling kit. It might be worth trying that if your kit usually gets washed in bio stuff.
Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
RickH wrote:On the washing score, I went through a phase when I found that 'bio' washing powder was causing (or, at least, exacerbating) soreness and had to use non-bio to wash cycling kit. It might be worth trying that if your kit usually gets washed in bio stuff.
Rick.
Yup. NON Bio powder. V good rinse and hang dry. Don't tumble dry.
531colin wrote:Or just ditch the padded stuff? ....nobody used to use pads at all.... When I started, everybody on the club/CTC run just wore "shorts"....specific cycling shorts had a "double seat"....that was so they didn't wear out, not for comfort. racing men wore knitted woollen(?) shorts with a chamois crotch lining, but I don't remember seeing anybody wearing them other than actually racing....?
I did try some padded Lycra shorts once....horrible!
I wore shammy padded shorts from the late sixties for all riding. Racing, touring and Sunday runs.
My mum would sew the shammy patch in with a couple of layers of old nappy between chammy and wool. The terry was sewn to the wool and the shammy covered that stitching with very delicate stitching which wouldn't chafe. Regular applications of shammy cream ( golden butter ) would keep the shammy supple and flexible to the leg action.
More recent, I have successfully repaired two pairs of Endura FS260 by regluing the gel insert back into position. I have just received delivery of two pairs of AeroTech Designs 'Century butt pillow' shorts from Pensylvania USA. Fantastic.
Agree that it looks like the edge of the pad, but it doesn't feel like that on the bike. Remember the "area" is stretched out somewhat to get the picture...
Maybe I will take a risk & try 100k padless. I have some tights with no pad & it'll soon be cold enough for em.
I like the pad to absorb the bumps more than anything. Suspension seatpost perhaps...
I shift around quite alot between the hoods drops and (not low) tt bars. None seems particularly prefferable.
Right then - I've had that problem - ten years-ish or less ago. It could be the edge of a sweat-rash or it could be the stitching..............
You may laugh (with my full permission) when I tell you that for many, many years I wore loose, cotton cord shorts. Not what you'd call baggy but certainly well ventilated. As far back as I can remember I wore M&S aertex versions of Y-front underpants. From being in my early teens (in the 1950s) to being 55+ in the late 90s, doing rides up to 24hours, looking rather "out of it" in time-trials (and I got under the hour for a 25 - not much under the hour, but I wasn't poddling) that was my lower body ensemble. I was always comfortable. In winter, I was riding "Tudor" type plusses and longs. Always comfortable.
Then the source of my cord shorts dried up. I tried all sorts of shorts, from army-store khakis to M&S shorts of various values. My problem was that I'm short and, shall we say generous around the middle. To get shorts that fit me around the waist, and around my equally generous thighs, they were down to my knees. I tried lycra shorts, but despite the "stretch" claims they didn't fit - and they didn't ventilate. On any ride in hot weather they were far too hot and sweaty. Then I found some shorts which were supposed to be made for mountain-bikers and people who had NOT retained their schoolboy slim proportions, made by an expensive top of the range manufacturer - BUT - THEY WERE PADDED! I wore them at the end of a winter, with leg warmers to look after my knees and still preserve ventilation. And then one day, it became warm - you would not believe the discomfort - it came on after about 20 miles, and I had just under a hundred to go. The padding was not removeable - the description of how I felt would cause the moderators to delete this post due to bad language.
I was a couple of years without a solution - and then - at the late-lamented York Rally I found the Corinne Dennis stand, and her Men's Touring Shorts. They are of a lycra-ish material which stretches around my middle, but is not baggy. They dry very quickly after rain. My first pair must have dome 12,000 miles and I think there's as many miles still to come. I have bought another two pairs. I wear no underpants when the temperature so dictates - I get plenty ventilation and there are no seams that bother me. They are not of unsightly length, yet give enough overlap over the top of my leg-warmers to keep me warm. They're not cheap - but I really find them worth it. They do have a double seat, but not padded and the stitching, which is always an issue, does not coincide with any of my rubbing points.
I really do feel for JohnBug - I've been through it!
I fully identify with what Colin531 says.
I did, once in the 1970s try to get up to date, and I bought some thin wool black stretch shorts - a bit clingy - with chamois seat. They were ok, but not as ok as my Corinne Dennis shorts.
I did one have a sore rash problem, that lasted for a week or two, but then my wife re-converted from Bio washing powder, and it cleared up. I knew a few cyclists who have problem with bio-liquid or powder.
I note that you shift your position on the saddle - but is your saddle position right? If you switch to a padded saddle, the risk is that you may make it worse.
I hope you get this sorted JohnBug - because this can ruin your cycling and thereby ruin your life.
You will let us know how you get on, won't you?
As a sort of afterthought - if you want to go on the Corinne Dennis web-site - my spelling may not be correct - is it Corrinne? - or Corinne? - or Corrine?............oh, I don't know.
Having only recently taken up riding again, I applied '80's principles to my clothing (the last time I'd ridden seriously), and wore unpadded cotton underwear etc. Result was a very sore backside, and someone here suggested their underwear. It's a cotton lycra mixture which feels soft to the skin with sensible padding too, and I can wear them all day with no problems.
Again with having skin problems generally, washing in non-bio powder is important and to make sure they're rinsed properly too. They may not be the cheapest but they simply work for me and I now have 3 pairs.
I hope you can get this sorted and I sympathise with you.
Q; do you think you are sweating much when you get this problem?
The reason I ask is that I don't get sore on the bike like that but (and this is going to sounds daft I know) I can get sore when playing golf in the summertime. A little perspiration and a little chafing and the result is soreness like I couldn't believe. Probably my nether regions have seen nothing like it since nappy-rash, and if that is anything like it, it is no wonder babies grizzle so much with it.
Apologies if this is bloomin obvious, but a 'cure' -well, a prophylactic- which lasts for a few hours at least is to apply a little vaseline beforehand.
It is worth bearing in mind that a good deal of the pain, redness etc may actually be your body's reaction to the irritation, and once inflamed, it may not take much another time to provoke a similar reaction.
. The red shows the band of soreness that appeared. 
