What Causes Saddle Sores?

Darryl — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:54:27 +0000

I don’t generally get them, but for some reason I’ve been struck down by some nasty saddle sores this past month. It’s got me to thinking what the heck I’m doing differently and what’s bringing them on.

Saddle Sore:

noun

1. an irritation or sore on a horse caused by the rubbing of a poorly adjusted saddle.

2. an irritation or sore on a rider caused by a bicycle saddle.

The development of saddles sores can be a bit of a mystery and I like the way that Cycling Tips explained things: “When it comes to establishing a cause, saddle sores come a close second behind an extremely rare neurological disorder affecting a cohort of Mexicans that have a gene pool in common with a Mauritian Prince.”

Well, like many things I think some people are more prone to saddle sores than others and for some reason my body seems to be a little more prone than it has in the past. There are several causes listed for what creates them, and these are just a few of them:

Riding with wet or sweat induced shorts
Exposing your butt to longer rides than you are used to
Hanging around in your cycling gear for a long period following a ride
Hair follicle infection
Excessive heat/sweat on your bottom
The wrong saddle for your butt shape

I guess I’ll have to chalk this one up to some un-explainable force in the buttocks universe, but some of the urban legend treatments out there are definitely helping me out and allowing me to keep riding. We recently posted about Saddle Sores and included a great podcast on the subject. We had some great comments come in with recommendations for a remedy and I can personally verify that they work quite well.

What do you feel is the main cause for saddle sores?

lovingthebike.com » Cycling Pain

What Causes Saddle Sores?