berner

I may not have your answer but what has helped me may help you also. I've found I'm sensitive to saddle width which is no surprise. I'm also sensitive as to where that width is. I have two saddles of the same brand that appear identical at first glance. I traced the outline, in plan view, onto a sheet of paper of both saddles and the comfortable one is about 3 mm narrower on each side where the forward horn part of the saddle begins. The narrower one is comfortable all day, 60 or 70 miles, and the other one causes discomfort within the hour.

A further thought: I've read here on Bike Forums that hair follicles can become infected so that extra washing may be necessary. With this in mind, I clean the crotch area before a longer ride and wash shorts after every ride.

ctpres

Not mentioned so far. Only time I had problems ended up being hair - long hair in sit region, cut it short (not shaved) and problem went way. Seems the longer hair was being pulled around by friction and damaging roots which lead to infection.

Elvo

Try getting fitted for the Bontrager or Body Geometry saddles

indyfabz

Are they actual open sores or little cyst-like bumps? I get the latter and have never figured out what causes them.

There is a brand of saddle that literally has no nose or any part that comes in contact with perineal area. It basically has two big squares that your cheeks sit on. I have a friend who rides one. He likes it a lot. I will try to find the name of it.

RIRview

I'm going to see what my dermatologist says, but since I've tried different clothing and saddle combinations, and the issue will go away and then flare up again I'm leaning towards a medical rather then a clothing/saddle/bike fit issue.

Drew Eckhardt 

I shrunk 65 pounds, and as I lost weight I had to down-size my shorts because the chamois no longer stayed parked and flat.

Hapsmo911

I had similar issues. After every ride I wiped the area with rubbing alcohol (hurts like @*#&) and then some powder to keep things dry.

RIRview

I call them saddle "sores" but they're more like the cysts you describe.

indyfabz

If a doctor gives you a suspected cause please let us know. I get one in a specific spot that can awfully painful at times. Sometimes it's so bad that I have to stop and adjust the pad to take the pressure off. They must be riding-related because I haven't been riding much since the fall and I don't have any.

cellery

Consider diet and food allergies/sensitivities. On the rare occasion I eat meat or saturated fats and processed foods, I end up breaking out a couple days later. If you've never changed up your diet before you might not realize it's causing your skin to be overly reactive to mild irriation. Worth trying after all the other common or not so common solutions mentioned above have been exhausted.

rumrunn6

that's what I do and I use something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Wahl-Home-Piec.../dp/B001D7OIYI

for that area I set it between long and the shortest setting

for everywhere else, I set it to long, and it does a nice job all over. wifey does my back.

lgp927

could it be ingrown hairs ? also have you considered a saddle w a wide channel in the middle Fizic Arione CX is what i use .

bruce19

After every ride the first thing I do is swab that area with alcohol to kill germs. Then I shower and swab again. I have found that if I don't do that there is a much greater chance of saddle sores.

co_rog

I'm guessing this is it - sounds similar to what I ran across two summers back. I had a great cycling season and towards the end of fall I suddenly was extremely sensitive 'down there'. I hadn't changed bikes, saddles, or anything to cause this to happen. After creatively using mirrors to see what was going on I was able to track down a rather small red bump.

Turns out it was a very ingrown hair. A dermatologist / cosmetic surgeon confirmed that and surgically removed it. I was very careful to keep it clean & allow it to heal and once that was done I never had the problem again. I was a bit doubtful at the time as the physical size of the bump didn't seem to match the pain I was feeling while riding.

Since that time I have been very careful to change out of my shorts ASAP but otherwise didn't change a thing.

Good luck.

banerjek

These are the two areas I'd investigate.

If the problem turns out to be the former, get more air down there and don't apply anything that will moisturize -- you might consider shaving everything clean. BTW, if you have fungus growing in your nether regions, you might stay off the bike for a bit until you heal.

Darth Steele

Ok... same issues for a long time. Last summer I got a "pro fit" and that helped me to understand my body and ideal body placement on my bike.

1. Turns out that one of my legs is slightly shorter than the other. That caused me favor one side of the saddle.. thus saddle sores.
2. My seat was too far beach, which caused me too unconsciously move back and forth too much, too much movement on the saddle.. thus saddle sores.
3. My saddle was too narrow.. I had the Fizik Arione 144.. now I am using a Specialized Romin 155mm (Specialized Bicycle Components)


now I don't even use chamois cream


Good luck to you.

cellery

Another common cause of saddle sores (sort a kinda mentioned above) is too high of saddle height. We're talking only 1-2 mm. This is all it turned out to be for me. I suffered for a month with a saddle sore that developed spontaneously after I raised my seat about 2mm. I moved it back down and it started to go away a few days later. Never came back. Note that the 2mm higher felt like a perfect fit while I was riding - I have had to compromise a little bit between best comfort and preventing pinch sores.

OP said he got a professional fit. It might be that your optimal saddle height for performance and comfort might be just a smidge too high and cause a pinch in your chamois while riding, leading to saddle sores.

intransit1217

That's not being gross, it's good information.

Now we know you've got peri-dots ! Bwahahahahahaha ! I kill me.

But seriously, I hope you find a solution. fwiw, I use a magnifying mirror to apply my lube. I slather it on.

bikecrate

I get a "heat rash" in the summer time on my legs and upper thigh. It goes away when the weather gets drier and cooler. It is a fungal infection, however. It just showed up a couple of years ago and gets treated with an antifungal cream. I could see where it would be really miserable if it was on a more sensitive area. Hopefully, your dermatologist may have some insight if this is the case.

HAMMER MAN

I've been riding for well over 30 years, and like you never has a problem with saddle sores until i hit the age of 63. All of a sudden after every ride i seemed to have a problem.

i was riding specialized Romin pro saddles on both bikes so I changed to:
Fizik Aliante for both road bikes

I use to ride exclusively Perar Izui shorts. i bought some Louis garneu bibs, and shorts and some ultra sport i believe from competative cyclist and tossed the pearl shorts. eventually i will go back and buy Assos shorts or bibs, they last long and are excellent shorts but I just didn't want to spend the money for 2 pair

I also use chamois cream or monkey butt, seems to help for now.

i also dropped by saddle down probably less than a centimeter, which seems to help.

it really does get aggravating when all of a sudden the saddle sores just start to happen.

Only other suggestion i can thnk of of is your fore and aft set up or the tilt of your saddle. good luck because this probelm really does suck!

K.Katso

^this. Fungus can also cause them. In theory that Tea Tree oil should have helped but it's not really as good as the real stuff.

FLvector

+1,000 Both Selsun Blue and Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength contain the active ingredient Selenium Sulfide. If you notice something developing, smear a generous portion onto the effected area and let it sit on the skin for 10-15 minutes or so to let it work before showering.

It could be fungal or could be a bacterial infection of the hair follicles where the sore has developed. A dermatologist could determine what the cause is and could help if the Selenium Sulfide doesn't do the trick.

And I agree - get out of the sweaty bibs/shorts as soon as possible, do this treatment, then shower. I would assume you're washing your kit after every ride, correct? I had a friend that had a large cyst surgically removed a few months ago and took several months to heal. Another option 40 grit sandpaper.

Jed19

I swab that area with Witch Hazel after every ride, then get in the shower. Never had issues with saddle sores. If I feel any pimple down there, I put a little dab of Diaper Rash Ointment on it (active ingredient 40% zinc oxide) just before bed, and by morning the pimple is usually less threatening.

zandoval 

Saddle sores are serious. Often accompanied by low grade bacterial infections with a secondary fungal component. Recurrent saddle sores can be of the MRSA family of staph. Go to your dermatologist and get a biopsy and culture...

I am posting here a mix that comes from the old west US Cavalry...

Rx: "Shot of (500 grains) Sulfur Powder and a hand full of Bear Grease (4 oz)" - wash sores with soap and water let dry and apply daily. (US Army Surgeon General 1840s)

Today...

Rx: 30 grams (standard shot glass) of Sublimed Sulfur Powder mixed into 4 oz Petrolatum (Vasaline), You can add 1/4 tsp of Camphor Oil to the mix.

Here's a link to some cheap sulfur powder at amazon: Robot Check

This is also the same ointment used for treatment of smelly feet, trench foot, and athlete's foot, just increase the camphor oil to 1 tsp.

RIRview

Even more depressing is that the weather is turning really nice and I can't ride.