Saddle Sores & Butt Rash

[BudgieBoy]

Howdy bikepacking gurus. I'm an almost retired Aussie hack MTB enduro racer (45y/o) who is in the early stages of researching this Bikepacking bizzo as the next phase of my MTBing lifestyle. Like everyone, I dream of the ultimate, the Tour Divide. There is so much stuff/info on this website it is phenominal, but scary at the same time. I traditionally race the long stuff and have really struggled with Butt Rash from sweat etc so the thought of being capable of backing up for multiple long days in the saddle concerns me. I race in the Champion systems lycra gear which is the best stuff I can find to help with this issue, but what are the tricks to avoid Butt Rash and Saddle sores peeps? Please help me!!!! How can I stay in the saddle for hours and days on end like you dudes. Please talk to me gurus.

[forgivenick]

I get saddle sores occasionally, though they are very localized, deep tissue, boil like sores and only overture exactly between my sit bones (illiac crest is the anatomy term I believe) and my saddle..that skin at that pinpointed location. I never have had a rash.
I have used many different shorts and chamois creams, but still get then occasionally.
Best thing I have found is to clean and disinfect the area as often as possible.
I used diluted tea tree oil and rubbing alcohol immediately after rides and do not sit in my riding shorts for any period of time after every ride and that seems to help.

[bartspedden]

From what I've read saddle sores are an infection. So, like many infections, keeping the area dry and clean while adding an antibiotic like neosporin will go a long way for treatment.

Treatment is secondary though, prevention is the real key.  forgivenick uses the same logic I do, keep yourself clean and clean yourself often. Sounds simple, but it's basis for prevention. I also rely on chamois buttr.  Never tried the tea tree oil trick, but I like the sound of it.  I'll give it a shot this spring!

I've also learned a couple of other things worth sharing.  I got the rash version in 2010 after a sweltering hot section of single track on day 1 of the CTR.  I didn't know what to do so I continued to ride.  The rash turned into large sores and I bailed in Frisco. After doing some research it seems like it's a good idea to keep from overheating.  I'm no doc, but it seems like if your hot enough to have your butt sweating, the sweat pores are exposed to some pretty nasty stuff and can get infected. Better to slow down a bit and stay cooler.  The other thing I try to do is to get out of the saddle a handful of time per hour, keeps the blood flowing.

I try to give myself a fighting chance.  After 16+ hours of riding I get out of my shorts and into a breathable pair of long underwear. I also sleep in a highly breathable bivy.  The year that I got saddle sores I was using a non breathable bivy.  My goal is to clean myself up before getting into the long underwear and then let things dry out over night. Maybe it's all in my head, but using a highly breathable bivy goes a long way to keeping things dry.  I seem to give off a lot of moisture at night and I don't want that trapped near my body (temps permitting).

And lastly, if you deal with saddle sores a lot you might consider bringing 2 pairs of shorts. The idea is to clean one and let it dry while using the other pair.  Not exactly the lightest option, but if it keeps you from getting sores...

good luck 

[KootenayB]

The veterans seems to love A+D ointment (baby butt cream) for chafing and it works great for me too.  Cheap and available at most pharmacies/Target/Wal-Mart? type stores in US.

As for the boil type, the solution is a bit more of a puzzle I find.  If I get one early in the season, it may stick around in some form or another for months if I keep riding but you adjust.  An ingrown hair at the butt bone pressure point is usually the cause.  If you can prevent or get sorted early in the season, rest of season seems trouble free.  Would also highly recommend investigating the best seat width for your butt.  Try the Specialized device at a LBS - it gave me a much different butt width number than I thought (much narrower than I had measured at home).  So, you get the right width measured, then measure seats at you LBS (not total width, but where you butt bones would sit based on the measurement), and then pick one.  Seems to have helped immensely for me.

[bartspedden]

The veterans seems to love A+D ointment (baby butt cream) for chafing and it works great for me too.  Cheap and available at most pharmacies/Target/Wal-Mart? type stores in US.

Thanks for the tip KootenayB! I hadn't heard of this but it makes a lot of sense.  This will be a second thing I try this spring.

[aaron w]

My doctor is also one of my riding buddies and I spoke to him about this topic before the ctr.  He said neosporin is a bad idea as many people will develop skin rash if using it multiple days in a row.  He recommended a and d and that's what I've been using ever since.  My routine is before bed clean myself down there with baby wipes.  Then apply a and d to sensitive spots. Then get on some breathable underwear for sleeping.   I carry butt buttr but only use it if I'm getting a hot spot.  Used less that one little package for the entire ctr.  Keeping things as clean as possible seems to be key. 

[BudgieBoy]

Loving the tips and feedback everyone. Greatly appreciated. Thanks so much and please keep them coming.

[gdillon]

The geronimo pain cream from fall river botanicals is what I use. That, combined with a totally dry sleeping layer, has kept me happy. Switching to a brooks saddle has also done wonders.  Finally, when I dropped the riding shorts and went straight to spandex, many of the heat issues discussed above were fixed.  For me, cleaning with alcohol didn't work nearly as well as soap (Dr. Bronners) and using 2 pairs of riding shorts has also worked, especially if the chamois were 2 different shapes.  Good luck... And 2nd on the comment about prevention!

[Tommi]

I have used Neosporin, Peniten baby bum cream, and have some stuff custom-made for chafing; i find that if applied before the days activities, I'm good to go. As an amateur, i've never had a saddle sore, just a sore ass.

[Briansong]

I just started using DZNUTS.  It is a product created by cyclings own David Zabriski. It has witch hazel and I believe menthol. Seems to calm down and prevent.   

[joeydurango]

+1 bigtime for forum member Mark (dream4est)'s Fall River Botanicals Geronimo Pain Cream.  This stuff is for real, and not made in a giant, chemical-laden factory somewhere.

[Tommi]

More on Chamois Butt'r: My wife got me some of this for my 52nd birthday; it's pricy, but seems very effective. Comprised mainly of mineral oil and lanolin, with aloe, you apply this to the chamois of your cycling shorts as well as to your chafed bits. So far, trials have been successfully comfortable. It is produced in the USA, by Paceline Products. http://www.pacelineproducts.com/

[sivilized]

Are you guys going commando and riding without underwear? Skin to cycle shorts? I use "tactical" underwear that is polyester and dries quick, but this is only for my rides during the week, I have not taken on a multi-day expedition.

[phil_rad]

Like the others said, keeping things clean and dry is the way to go. I've also had good results from A&D. Ordered some Geronimo Pain cream as well, great stuff.
I only go commando, 17 years. ;-) Way more comfortable and with underwear, having a "second" layer down there will just heat things up, not to mention you could get blisters/sores from the fabric of the underwear bunching up and making a crease right where you're sitting.

[bmike-vt]

Lantiseptic. Hospital strength for bed sores and skin protectant.
Learned from my randonneuring friends, and don't use anything else.
Single serving packets work great for multiday trips.
Be sure to keep clean, and I pack a rubber glove - this stuff stays put and is tough to get off.

http://www.lantiseptic.com/product_skin_protectant.aspx

[Rob Colliver]

And remember, when it all goes wrong and a boil the size of a wallnut appears on your arse, you can always cut a nice correspondingly large chunk out of your saddle to accommodate it until the welt explodes....

[Tommi]

Commando is the way to go; underwear gets bunched up and will play havoc with your naughty bits. Bring gym shorts to wear around the bivvy, bro.

[sivilized]

Thanks for the info guys! Don't know why it never occurred to me to free ball it.

[Area54]

For me it's a nightly cleaning routine, and time in the saddle. Wipe down with a baby wipe, apply talc powder, maybe dab nappy rash cream on the chocolate starfish as required. Get your body used to riding in dirty clothes. Buut, we're all different - best way is to experiment and see what works for you.

[Tommi]

I concur with Area54; while serving in rainforested areas and on rafting trips, we'd have a drybag with a set of dry clothes for hanging out in the bivy and sleeping, and keep the wet dirty ones on a 'drying line' of some kind. Dry feet are good for everything in every season. Getting used to dirty clothing takes awhile.