Originally Posted by
Bear cub
I'm currently on tour from my town of Roseburg to Redwoods. this is my first tour and my butt huuurts. Is it just my butt breaking in and getting used to the pain or is it my saddle? Is there any way to relieve the pain and help it heal faster or do I just need to tough it out?
There is something that has worked for me. To get the pressure off the sore spots, you can used some closed-cell foam under your butt, *behind* the sore spots. Just behind them. So there is basically no pressure on them.
The type of closed-cell foam that worked for me was the soft, pipe insulation type (it looked like the pipe insulation type, but it was softer; and it was made for another purpose). Mine came with some exercise equipment. I ran some parachute cord through the middle, and then tied it to the rails of the saddle, so I wouldn't lose it. I could reach back and put it in place any time I was riding and needed it.
It can help tremendously.
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To prevent it in the future, a good gel saddle would probably help. Gel shorts (you might want to cut some of the gel out of the middle section, where it isn't necessary) PLUS a gel saddle, and you're in gravy.
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As far as healing faster, there are various lotions that might help. A lot of people like Bag Balm, and other ointments that are used on cow and goat nipples/udders. (Not that you are a cow or a goat, or have udders or nipples . . . but these products seem to work for a lot of people.)