Chafed bottom on long rides (text may be NSFW, contains description)

[damerell]

Are you sure it is chafing? Does the redness last? I sweat quite a bit and get red skin where I have been sitting but the redness disappears after a couple of hours.

Well, I don't know for sure what causes it. The photo was taken about an hour out of getting out of the saddle, and I was still very sore [1] when I fell asleep a couple of hours after that; after sleeping on it, I was not significantly sore and the Bottom Inspector reports that I look somewhat better.

[1] I notice I have failed to mention that it hurts. It hurts; in particular if I dismount and sit for more than about half an hour - like at an arrivee - it _really_ hurts upon remounting. If it just turned red I wouldn't really care too much.

[damerell]

Assiduous cleanliness of both me and my attire prior to a ride = Spot on (not that I'm suggesting you do otherwise).

Well, you can suggest it if you like, and you might be right; I don't particularly make efforts to bathe immediately before a ride (and, gah, I can't say whether or not soreness is correlated with when I last washed because I don't keep a diary of every shower I take. :-)

That seems like it might be a good thing to try.

[delthebike]

[1] I notice I have failed to mention that it hurts. It hurts; in particular if I dismount and sit for more than about half an hour - like at an arrivee - it _really_ hurts upon remounting. If it just turned red I wouldn't really care too much.

Hurts like a bruise or like a burn? My red bits burn, not extreme but enough to make me change position after a while.

[GruB]

I was not being patronising, well not trying to be anyhow.  I was being blunt.  I am close to making you an offer very similar to Annie.  Twice in about 4 years I have suffered what you have pictured.  Both times I did not use enough cream for the distance I rode.  This has not happened recently.  Twice rashed has made me remember to lather sufficiently.

I understand you would like a cheap option, as would I but sometimes there is not one. I just bite the bullet and get what I need to ensure my cycling remains comfortable.  When the comfort goes that makes cycling much less enjoyable.  I don't like that.

[chillmoister]

I use Aqueous Cream on all the long audaxes I've done ....a really librel application on the nether regions before the ride and I also carry a small pot in my bag to apply during the ride if I feel any chaffing starting.  Seems to work for me and did sove my chaffing problems in the past.

[Jurek]

I don't particularly make efforts to bathe immediately before a ride

Oddly enough, nor do I.

But I do make a point of washing the critical bits immediately prior to donning my 3/4's.

[hellymedic]

Fungal infection (thrush, tinea) can cause sore skin in this area.

It's obviously important to keep the skin and everything in contact with it scrupulously clean. I'd recommend 'Femfresh' wipes, which can be bought in individual foil sachets for this. (You might need to ask a friendly girl to buy them if you're shy) (Andrex moist loo paper is OK for home use but difficult to pack conveniently for long rides.)
Canesten anti-fungal cream can be bought without prescription from a pharmacy.
It has made my fanny much more comfortable when red and sore and might well help you.

(It's pretty good for athlete's foot too...)

[inc]

Lots of useful suggestions in the thread but the basic cause seem to be that you are rubbing against your shorts where the ideal setup is your shorts rubbing on the saddle. This could be caused by your shorts not being tight enough or/and there is too much bunching if you have tights on as well. As your shorts are getting sweaty and gripping the saddle you are then rubbing your skin against the chamois, a lubricant here  may help but you are treating the symptom not the cause. There may also be some part of your position not quite right. Earlier in the thread someone mentioned saddle height but you were quite dismissive mentioning damaging your knees which is very unlikely dropping your saddle a touch which may help move your weight slightly rearward which may relieve some of the perineum pressure and will also help if you are rocking even slightly. The fact you can go for hours before the problem start means your position can't be far out but could also mean your position is changing slightly as you get more tired, less pressure on the pedals maybe so putting more weigh on the saddle.  As others have said it could also be some sort of sweat reaction with your washing powder. For chamois cream I have found Udderly Smooth as good as any but my wife uses most of it for hand cream, she reckons it is the most effective she has used. For keeping the area bacteria free I use the hand gels which come in small bottles.

[Chris S]

There's a lot of good stuff in this thread.

For me, I've only had real problems when I've not been obsessed with cleanliness. You need to have a sterile arse.
Bluntly, if you take a dump at any point before or during a long ride (200km+), don't rely on bog paper alone - use Baby Wipes or some other alcohol-based antibacterial wipe. If you don't have time/opportunity for a shower before a ride - use wipes to clean your arse.

You also need to ride lots to toughen your arse up. Leathery skin doesn't get annoyed.

Finally - I find I get more problems if I use two layers of clothing - eg Longs over Shorts. If it's Summer, and I only use shorts, then providing I've got the other main points right (cleanliness and enough time in the saddle), then I don't have problems.

[Julian]

FemFresh wipes are good and in individual packs which fit neatly into a saddlebag.  They're marketed for ladies' sweaty bits but would work just as well on a sweaty perineum. 

I find Savlon makes me sweat more, under the cream, so it might actually be helping to cause your barse issues.  I've used Udderly Smooth in the past but I'm fairly sure that's just a triumph of marketing.  One thing that has made a discernable difference (for me it was the tops of my thighs rather than my arse, but same red soreness) is using Ecover washing liquid instead of whatever's on special offer. 

[Tim Hall]

I find Savlon makes me sweat more, under the cream, so it might actually be helping to cause your barse issues.

This, I think is very important. Savlon and Sudocream are aimed at preventing nappy rash. It seems they work by making a waterproof layer - ideal if you'retrying to keep out urine from a wet nappy, but great at trapping sweat. Sudocream seems more "solid" than Savlon.

[Tourist Tony]

I have moved on from the sore bum stage......by trial and error.
Brooks B17 for breathability
Clean, well-fitted shorts with a lot of rinsing to get rid of all soap traces
Clean bum and barse
Sudacrem slather before ride
Antiseptic wipe (liquid from a bottle on bumwad) followed by Savlon after ride, and of course after a shower
Stringent efforts to avoid too-sandy campsites...got rather sore from that

[simonp]

For anyone who clicked...

[mattc]

... but I'm first going to try things that are a) cheap and b) not from manufacturers that talk nonsense.

Decathlon do a really cheap "anti-frottage" cream.
Chemists also stock some V cheap stuff recommended by TimW in Arrivee - C-something, will try to check later.

Both seem similar, are not marketed at cyclists, and have worked for me.

(And another +1 for washing lots, or using Fem-wipes - ladies, please send me your spare packs!)

[hellymedic]

Femwipes are pricy and I'm a cyclist...

[Biggsy]

Try different shorts.  Some pads chafe less than others.

(I would recommend Lusso, but I think they've discontinued the versions with the blue pads).

[damerell]

[1] I notice I have failed to mention that it hurts. It hurts; in particular if I dismount and sit for more than about half an hour - like at an arrivee - it _really_ hurts upon remounting. If it just turned red I wouldn't really care too much.

Hurts like a bruise or like a burn?

More like a burn.

I have read the rest of the thread, I'm just answering this direct question. And wondering what to do about half a dozen suggestions each of which will need about 2x200 to test. :-)

[jane]

For the soreness I would use the Kamillosan in the tube- the ointment, to help heal that up.  I never really used the white cream nappy rash stuff they made.  I see that some people have recommended using Femwipes or some simiar product- you may find they are fine for you, but I discovered very quickly I have a horrendous allergic reaction to every brand of babywipe type thing I've tried to use on any more intimate parts of my anatomy. I've tried quite a few of them as I do a fair bit of cycletouring and haven't found one yet I can tolerate.
           

[ChrisO]

[1] I notice I have failed to mention that it hurts. It hurts; in particular if I dismount and sit for more than about half an hour - like at an arrivee - it _really_ hurts upon remounting. If it just turned red I wouldn't really care too much.

Hurts like a bruise or like a burn?

More like a burn.

I have read the rest of the thread, I'm just answering this direct question. And wondering what to do about half a dozen suggestions each of which will need about 2x200 to test.

TT's regime sounds like the one to try first IMHO.

It looks just like nappy rash and all those things are good for it. There's clearly some irritation or reaction, not just chafing.

Thank god for the kittens too. Next time can you get one of them in the shot as well ?

[plug]

Chemists also stock some V cheap stuff recommended by TimW in Arrivee - C-something, will try to check later.

Conotrane

[Hummers]

I feel your pain (I also suffer from beaty swollocks) but am less than convinced that the answer lies with lotions and potions.  I think creams treat the symptoms but not the cause. For me too, problems do not always arise, even on 600s but on saying that, I had problems pretty much from the word go on a 100 last Saturday.

As for shorts, I used to only wear Halfords under shorts (no padding at all) and never had any issues. I think these worked as they let my parts breath. Vanity got the better of me when it was pointed out that I was riding around wearing underwear* and I have been a fellow sufferer of barse related issues on and off ever since.

For what it is worth, I have concluded the following:

1. Cleanliness is paramount - especially before and even during rides (>200).

2. If you are prone to sweaty parts, you may already have a fungal nasty which will become worse when you start sweating profusely. Canestan is your friend.

3. Be wary of wearing unclean shorts that have been left lying around because 'they'll be all right and probably won't need a wash'

4. Expensive shorts and shorts with lots of padding are not always the answer. You need appropriate shorts for the weather and I have found lightweight shorts are better for warmer weather as they keep the air circulating.

5. If you have been out on the beer the night before, your arse (and especially your ringpiece) is more likely to suffer.

6. Adopting a riding style that has you out of the saddle every so often brings respite and helps to dry out your shorts.

7. Avoid sitting around for too long in sweaty shorts after a ride or even during a ride.

The only cream I use consistently is Sudocreme and I wack this on around my groin before a 200 but never on anything less.

I also use a Brooks B17 but before that, had a plastic saddle and I don't think one was worse/was better than the other. On saying that, your saddle has to support you properly and the position has to be correct.

Good luck.

H



P.S.

Is it just me or was damerell's ring piece winking at us in that picture?

Hmmmmmmmm?

[Regulator]

OK - here's my tuppenceworth (as a fellow sufferer of chafing, although mine in Crohn's induced).

1.  Make sure that you have properly fitting shorts.  As Mr Hummers says, choose the shorts for the conditions.

2.  Make sure that you use a non-biological washing powder/liquid when washing your shorts and make sure they are properly rinsed.  Wherever possible air dry them outside.  Make sure they are completely dry before putting them on.

3.  Have a shower before going for a ride.  Make sure your undercarriage is dry and then use a light moisturising/barrier cream - I'd recommend Udderly Smooth or similar.  Avoid using a heavy cream, such as Sudocrem or Vaseline.  These will block the pores of your skin and make things worse.

4.  If you feel yourself getting sweaty during a ride, take the chance at a tea stop to nip into the loo, have a quick wash with plain soap and water, dry carefully (pat dry - don't rub) and reapply some of the light cream.  Do NOT use alcohol based wipes - this will dry the skin out and make things worse.  If you are already getting a bit red downstairs, then putting alcohol on it will make it worse.

5.  If you're riding on a particularly hot day, take along a spare pair of pants and change during the ride.

6.  When you get home from the ride, take a shower and make sure that you wash well.  Use a mild soap and rinse well.  Slip on a pair of loose cotton boxer shorts and let air circulate.

Having had a good look at the photo (for purely scientific reasons), does sir shave?  If so, leave off for a while and then get a back, sack and crack.  Less irritation will result.

The only other thing I would ask is whether you also get these problems when not cycling?  If so, it may be worth having a word with your GP, as soreness in the perineum area can be an indication of gastric/bowel problems.

[Charlotte]

Oh Gods that was horrible.  I knew what was going to be there but I clicked the link.  Why do I always click the link?

And now, I'm going to have to pause for a unicorn chaser.



*ahhhhh*

There's been a lot of good advice here.  I've suffered from horrible saddle rash in the past and I'd probably say that three quarters of it has been down to poor position and bad saddles.

Seriously - if you can get your position sorted on the bike, there ought to be nothing that's rubbing so badly as to do that to you 

I have shorter arms than most, so I tend to set my bikes up with taller handlebars than other people and this lets me balance out the weight between hands and bottom, whilst keeping my hips absolutely still when I pedal seated.

For the rest of it, the breakthrough moments were using Ecover washing liquid on my shorts (all plant extract stuff, no nasty chemicals to irritate my skin) and realising that on really long rides, I didn't so much need to put a little smear of Sudocreme on my backside and thighs as to slop a bloody great handful on my chamois.

Really - if you're going to use Sudocreme; use plenty of it.  I'm talking about a lump not far off the size of a walnut, rubbed into the contact areas of the chamois before you put your shorts on.  It's going to feel like sitting in a cream cake for the first mile or so, but once it heats up to body temperature, it feels lovely.  Srsly.

On PBP I had an arse like a baboon by the end because I only took a tiny little pot of the stuff and didn't use nearly enough of it.  On TRAT last year, where I had a shower every 250k and positively iced my shorts with the stuff, I was totally unscathed. 

[Tewdric]

Cleanliness is paramount - especially before and even during rides (>200).

The only cream I use consistently is Sudocreme and I wack this on around my groin before a 200 but never on anything less.

I'm with Hummers on these two points. 

[Hummers]

Oh Gods that was horrible.  I knew what was going to be there but I clicked the link.  Why do I always click the link?

C'mon.

You've seen worse. 

H