How To Prevent Saddle Sores

Saddle sores can be incredibly painful, but are avoidable even for those who ride their bikes a lot. Here's how to avoid them.

Chafing and skin abrasions along with spots or boils can really spoil your riding, but saddle sores can be avoided by buying cycling shorts with a pad or chamois that fit you well can help to stop saddle sores.

Make sure that your saddle is comfortable and doesn't make your rear end move around on the saddle. Also chammy cream can help to prevent chafage, especially in the wet.

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[MrHugoloobs]

mannn I looove the comedy in your videos it just makes them the perfect cycling videos of all of Youtube. Keep it up GCN

[stefis]

If you HAVE got a boil and MUST ride, instead of or as well as performing surgery to your boil, operate on your saddle: cut a hole in it where the boil is. I've seen this done in top international races. Works.

[MyopicAdventures]

Not sure if anyone mentioned it already... A small amount of tea tree oil massaged into the area pre-ride works extremely well for prevention. If you have sores, do it pre-ride then post-ride after cleaning up.

[WmCRobison]

Thank you for delving into, what many might regard as, TMI.

Let's face it many are reluctant to ask.

[ohiodigger]

Dang it. The first time I used cream I used a cycling buddy's chamois cream. It was a hot sunny day and we were getting ready to start a 110 mile ride. He handed it to me and said "You'd better apply some of this." and walked away. I thought he was worried about sunburn. I had applied sunscreen already but nothing to protect my lips. So I dipped in and applied :(

[wnchester]

useful video..thanks!
I recently did a 600 mile ride, spread over 10 days. I got saddle sores and had to get some sudacreme after 300 miles. The saddle is a Brooks professional which i have had for 15 years and has never been a problem. The mistake I made was using a beard trimmer to lightly shave all the fine hair from my arse, along with shaving my legs. I had not done this before. I thought it would be cleaner and more hygienic. I also used just a very lightweight pair of Ron Hill lycra shorts when i probably should have invested in proper cycling shorts. It wasn't so much the chafing that was a problem as the heat and pressure over several hours a day. Its good to get off the bike every so often to let air get to your backside.

[TheMASDrummer]

I stopped getting saddle sores after I got my saddle height right. Dropped it down a bit.

[RixterNow]

I found a couple of years and many thousand kilometres ago, that my saddle was too narrow for my butt. I switched to one which supported my sit bones better and somehow that helped with saddle sores. Chamois cream on anything longer than 125k is a must

[abedfo]

I thought simon might be a fan of putting WD40 on his nether regions ;) 

[sphexes]

I've used a thicker viscosity cream called Calmoseptine (In the states) A mostly zinc oxide cream. Very helpful when the saddle sores did occur. I began to use this before 100k + rides. Very helpful. (Along with good shorts and proper saddle) A little Assos cream on the nips does wonders as well.

[joelrawlings]

The point of the hair on your under areas is to stop friction (i.e during reproductive activities!). So the bushier you are, technically the less chafing will happen.

[piershazelgrove]

Sudocrem is great for helping saddle sores

[MBergyman]

This is the best GCN video Si will ever do. Dead panned, just as it should be.

[connieback]

The key thing mentioned in the video is "clean." Clean body and clean shorts is all you need. It's the bacteria that cause irritation.

[ForbesDK]

Love the Seinfeld reference: You Double Dipped The Chip - Seinfeld

[stevemarshall]

Lol! Great information! A few people saying to gross etc, but this is good info.I'd rather know this than be afraid to ask.

[ProfeTa]

I actually find that shaving down there helps keeping things fresher and cleaner and the shorts don't smell half as bad. Also, if it's long enough, some hair might protrude through the lycra and that's a bit unsightly.

[podfunk]

Chafe-age!!!! I go touring in lycra shorts. I don't use shammy cream, as I can't get it here BUT loads of talcum powder on the old family jewels and right up in the cracks at the top of each leg. This works very well.

[Jooeffoh]

Creams, specials shorts... I used to do regular 50-90 mile cycles all over yorkshire with my mates as a kid, wearing normal everyday Y fronts and jeans. Never got sore at all, but i put that down to the decent leather saddle and being a regular bike rider.
Don't underestimate the importance of a good fitting saddle!

[rdkuless]

use CamelinaGold oil on you groin as a skin conditioner. CamelinaGold oil has many beneficial properties that protect the skin from chaffing and saddle soars. And if you get one because you forgot to apply the day before, use it to help with the healing process.