Saddle Sores - Prevention? Cures?

[Martin PJ]

I trust the spider bites are not in the "saddle sore" area as well!

 

Lol, no. Have often been bitten on my legs while sitting down in the garden. The culprit is a small sac spider.

['Dale]

Send some flowers to the medical team at the Cape Epic ????

[BDF]

Lol, no. Have often been bitten on my legs while sitting down in the garden. The culprit is a small sac spider.

I quickly googled the sac spider. Seems like a nasty fellow. For sure don't let him near your sac...

[Martin PJ]

I quickly googled the sac spider. Seems like a nasty fellow. For sure don't let him near your sac...

 

There are lot of types of sac spiders all over the world, if they bite you it is like a tiny mosquito bite, they also inject some enzymes (venom) that promote bacteria growth. If you are lucky the whole thing resolves without you realising that you have been bitten, which I suspect is most people (the rest of my family don't have problems). With the unlucky few, it can go on to give a much more painful skin infection which can take months to heal if you don't take antibiotics. The infection is quite similar to a Staph infection in the saddle area. Suspect it is the same bacteria causing it.

 

I managed to find a solution to my spider bit problems, which is basically to never sit on the grass outside.

[TIB]

[Rock-Hopper]

Saddle-sores plagued me for years & I tried all the normal protocols recommended on the net but to no avail.Tiny pus filled pimples kept me in agony for years.   I very nearly threw in the towel on my favorite activity and then after thoroughly washing & drying my cycling shorts, I sprayed a 3% H202-(Hydrogen Peroxide) solution onto the chammy. When it started to bubble & fizz I knew there was still bacteria in the chammy. I tried soaking my shorts in Savlon disinfectant type products but to no avail. Eventually I poured boiling water onto the chammy and dried them off & sprayed the H202 solution to see if I had destroyed the bacteria, Alas! No bubbles & fizzing. Went for long ride with the same shorts & no saddle-sores after the ride. What a relief! The only way to kill this bacteria is to pour boiling water onto the chammy. I appreciate one should never pour boiling water onto lycra cycling shorts so just be careful not to get the boiling water directly onto the lycra material.The bacteria is harbored in the chammy. The offending bacteria is Staphylococcus aureus ( https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/572229_2 )

My saddle-sore night-mares are over. Sure hope this works for you and keeps you more on the saddle than off.

[HowardSteele]

Merthiolate if you can get it ....it dries out blisters and saddle sores quicker than anything else.

Stings a little

[V12man]

Saddle-sores plagued me for years & I tried all the normal protocols recommended on the net but to no avail.Tiny pus filled pimples kept me in agony for years. I very nearly threw in the towel on my favorite activity and then after thoroughly washing & drying my cycling shorts, I sprayed a 3% H202-(Hydrogen Peroxide) solution onto the chammy. When it started to bubble & fizz I knew there was still bacteria in the chammy. I tried soaking my shorts in Savlon disinfectant type products but to no avail. Eventually I poured boiling water onto the chammy and dried them off & sprayed the H202 solution to see if I had destroyed the bacteria, Alas! No bubbles & fizzing. Went for long ride with the same shorts & no saddle-sores after the ride. What a relief! The only way to kill this bacteria is to pour boiling water onto the chammy. I appreciate one should never pour boiling water onto lycra cycling shorts so just be careful not to get the boiling water directly onto the lycra material.The bacteria is harbored in the chammy. The offending bacteria is Staphylococcus aureus ( https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/572229_2 )

My saddle-sore night-mares are over. Sure hope this works for you and keeps you more on the saddle than off.

There may be bacteria in your chammy - but you have it on your skin all the time - so you need to disinfect both the chammy and your undercarriage - I normally suggest a small spray bottle of sugical spirits for both - less likely to damage your kit than h2o2 - use regularly pre ride and post shower - and after playtime with your significant other.

[ajnkzn]

I'm more of a paddler than bicyclist and training in Blue Lagoon and the Dust etc most paddlers get Staph boils, especially in summer.

 

It gets to a point where the only thing that worked for many of us was a 3 month course of low dose antibiotics to properly cancel the Staph bacteria in one's system.

 

When I started riding more it was ridiculous, getting sores on sit bones once a month but I think mostly from the dirt water when I was padding then exacerbated by a non hardened ass.

 

I still get the occasional saddle sore and boils (generally legs from paddling tights / bibs but I've had them everywhere including my nose - disgusting) but they go away after a lancing and some tea tree oil these days whereas previously they would stay until I had to go the the GP and get them lanced under anaesthetic...

 

Biggest thing is hygiene of self and bibs I believe. Not easy when you're paddling in 80 proof poo water haha.

 

Also think that I need better bibs and a new saddle...$$$.

[zeepee]

I would be very worried If I had a Staph infection in my swimsuit area. I've seen what a staph infection can do when you get it from wrestling mats. A guy I know lost half his forearm due to some flesh eating staph infection that he got from a dirty gym. 

The gym I roll at cleans their mats twice a day with some heavy duty disinfectant to prevent that.

 

But make the effort of getting the right saddle,10 years ago I spend about 2 months testing every seat I could get my hands on (make friends with your LBS). Selle Italia was the kindest to my perineum so I put the same model seat on all my bikes. Havent had any issues since. 

[Lucky Fish]

Deleted

[Rock-Hopper]

Will have to remember to keep that in mind