Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to the Bicycle World Grand Opening Ladies night in Houston. There’s nothing I like more than a night with bikes, wine, and a fun group of ladies. I have to say that I travel a lot, and this was one of the best events that I have attended.
The women were so open and had a lot of questions. I talked a bit about my cycling career, how I got involved in cycling and what I’m doing now. It’s always fun for me to do that because I forget how many chapters there are in our lives and I love being able to understand that it is exactly the same as the women in the audience. We have all taken different paths, but for whatever twist of fate, we all ended up in that shop and got to share our of love of cycling.
Once everyone had a couple glasses of wine, the conversation really started to flow. I was surprised that one woman asked me about saddle sores while I was up on the stage. Now, I understand that this is an issue we all face, and that it is one that is normally private, so I was happy that she brought it up. The most important thing to me was that everyone could hear her question and realize that their issues were not individual or strange. Its always hard to talk to men about this stuff, and figuring out a way to bring it up with even other women is hard, but as my Mom used to tell me, if you are wondering about it, than chances are that everyone else is wondering too.
There are many types of saddle sores, and many different causes. I think the first thing to determine when you are having pain is to figure out whether it is a friction issue, a pressure issue or an infection.
A friction issue is going to be raw. Its going to hurt and your underwear are going to stick to it in the same way a Band-Aid gets stuck on a wound. This kind of sore you can help by checking where the seams are located and seeing if they align with your sore. If they do, then you might try riding in another pair of shorts. Also, you shouldn’t ride with your underwear under your shorts. If you are, then this also might be contributing to your problem… The way to treat this is to use a bit of Neosporin and keep the area dry and clean.
Pressure issues are going to cause a lot of pain, and a bit of swelling. The swelling is usually on one side, and for whatever reason, most women have the swelling on their right side. This is normally a saddle issue. It has to do with the seat not fitting correctly. As I have said many time before, you need to find a seat that fits you best. A more expensive saddle is not necessarily one that is going to fit you better. If a saddle fits right, than it doesn’t need to be very padded. Also, its in vogue right now to have a cut out saddle, and while this is great in theory, you need to be even more careful with20fit on this type of saddle, because if the cut out is not exactly right for you than it will cause even more problems. They are able to cut out the middle because they reinforce the edges, and when you reinforce something it actually makes it stiffer around the edges. For most women, it is most comfortable to have a saddle that is a bit flatter, and a bit wider through the sit bones… If the seat is too rounded, it makes your crotch rock on it and even if its just a little, it can really add up over the miles…
The last kind of saddle sore that I’m going to talk about is an infection. This is when you need to pay the most attention. An infected saddle sore can range from an ingrown hair, to infected ducts which might require surgery. And don’t be scared, most often, a warm salt water bath, and maybe some antibiotics will clear up just about anything. I’ve been in cycling for twenty years, and I’ve only had one girlfriend who actually had to have surgery for a saddle sore. You will know if you have an infection. It will hurt badly and there will be a definite area that is affected. If it is an ingrown hair, it will be sore to the touch and will seem like there is a head. It is important to bring it to a head and drain it. You will see the hair, get it out and then try to keep the wound dry and clean. I like to use Neosporin too. If you have a thickening, like a feeling like there is a pea under you skin, and it is deep and has no head you need to contact your doctor. Just explain that you have been riding and that you have this infection. They will give you some antibiotics and you will feel much better. You won’t be able to drain this yourself, and it will get worse if left alone.
The most important thing to remember is that this is nothing out of the ordinary. You will be fine. Just take the steps to avoid saddle sores. Always stay dry and clean. If you are done with a ride, get out of your cycling shorts. There is nothing good that can come from sitting around in wet cycling clothing. If you have a problem, ice and warm baths will go a long way to help. Evaluate your equipment, and you will find the happy medium where you have infrequent saddle sores and other issues…
11 responses
1 SwimRunGirl // Apr 7, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Thanks Mari for addressing this topic! Really appreciate it.
Ride on!
2 Philip // Apr 10, 2009 at 2:51 am
Just stubbled across your blog and website whilst over in houston from England to take part in the Houston to Austin MS150. I must say from an English percpective its so refreshing to see such a high profile cyclist being accessable to all. This attitude is quite heart warming and can only encourage others into this wonderfull sport. It may also remind some of the other sports personalities of their origins. I will certainly now follow your progress with great intrest. Its ironic that on my own blog site i just did an article about women cyclists.
3 mari // Apr 10, 2009 at 5:44 pm
thanks philip, i hope that you have a great ride in the MS150. I met some really nice people out in houston who were training hard for this event. Take care… mari
4 Retired racer // Apr 11, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Hi Mari: First off, love watching your commentaries and interviews last year on Versus. Well, seems we all have to deal with this issue on saddle sores no matter if your a man or a woman. I’m glad someone of your experience can help all of us on such subjects we all tend to shy away from asking and probably suffer more than we should. Any more recommendations are much appreciated, even for men. I appreciate your openess and advice! Keep up the great work.
5 Phil // Apr 14, 2009 at 5:03 pm
One of the main cause of saddle sores can be from one’s own structural misalignment. I know that when I get a saddle sore, it’s because my hips, sacrum, and/or pelvis is not in correct alignment (confirmed and corrected by a Chiropractor) and so one side is higher or lower than the other and therefore uneven contact is made at the place where my body contacts the saddle. When I would get a sore and then get examined by my Chiropractor, I would find that I was out of alignment, I would get treated (a simple adjustment) and the problem would go away.
The biggest physical issue I struggled with for a long time was caused by scar tissue in my muscles caused by old injuries/traumas. I finally found amazing relief through “Trigger Point Therapy”. AMAZING! Check it out. Treatments as painful as Reiki, but amazingly effective. I learned to treat myself with a therapy ball which is similar to a lacrosse ball that I could roll around on or grind up against a wall with that was like deep tissue massage that I could control intensity, placement, etc… Made all the difference. I went from having my tight and painful piriformis muscle preventing me from applying much power to the pedals (especially when climbing) to feeling loose and strong. Hope this helps you and others you may work with. It’s forever changed my cycling.
6 Phil // Apr 15, 2009 at 9:55 am
Oh, also just wanted to add, that for me it helps if as soon as I’m done racing or riding to get out of the bike clothes into something more breathable and shower asap (or at least clean the saddle contact area with antibacterial wipes- a good measure pre-ride as well). The wipes make a big difference if you’ve got to get in the car and drive back to the hotel or home and it will be a while before you get to shower.
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11 marion // Apr 3, 2012 at 6:15 am
pressure issues are as philip said often from misalignment-the swelling comes from more pressure on one side because one leg is longer and or being used more. best to get an osteo or chiro to realign you and if needed readjust your position or use an insert-lift under the cleat on the shorter leg. I know several women who have had surgery because the swelling was so huge so if that can be avoided its definitely better!
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