For ~2 years now, I've had problems with saddle sores. My commute is only about 5 miles, so I figured that I could just ride sans chamois and be fine. Well, my butt didn't like that. I've have persistent saddle sores every time I forget to wear my bike shorts. And yes, this meant wearing bike shorts under whatever clothes I was wearing for the day, then changing into normal underwear when I got to work, then the reverse whenever I needed to bike anywhere. (Incredibly annoying for short trips like my commute, perfectly OK for long trips or actual rides.) I tried different saddles. I'm a skinny flexible guy with incredibly skinny sit bones. If I went by the normal recommendations I'd be riding something like a 125mm -130mm saddle. So, I went out and tried the Fizik saddle that was right for me. (Flat, skinny saddle.) That didn't help. I still got saddle sores.

I finally got fed up. I went to wal-mart, bought their skinniest, "soft" seat and tried that. It STILL gave me saddle sores, although it took much longer. These aren't the typical friction sores either. They were more like boils/acne. (Trust me, it wasn't either of those. They were directly where my butt sat on the seat. Right under my sit bones.) Anyway, finally fed up to the highest extent, I went out and bought one of those gel pad seat covers. Low and behold, it works. I no longer have to wear bike shorts on my commute and I no longer have saddle sores. I couldn't be happier. (Yes, I tried adjusting my saddle as well.)

So go ahead, flame away. I'd never use this thing on my road or mountain bike, but for my short commute, it works... and that makes me happy. The saddle+pad is a bit wide for me, I feel it on my thighs, but that doesn't bother me one bit. I'm a runner, my thighs are used to it.

I'd love to try a brooks or stella saddle, but I'm not willing to drop the money on a saddle that may be too wide for me as brooks tend to run a bit wider than most saddles.

Moral of the story is: Don't be afraid to try things that most people would consider to be for "newbie" bike riders. Sometimes they end up being just what you need.

The most hard core, long distance rider I know uses one of those on his randoneering bike.

This is the kind of guy that rides from Texas to Canada in a week for fun.

If its good enough for him, anyone could use one, imo.

There are also a few quality gel seats you could try.
But if you're happy with your solution, don't "fix it".

Back in the seventies and eighties and even depending on the bike into the nineties road bike saddles came traditionally in only one form, HARD. The saddles were mostly made of very rock hard material including in some cases wood. The saddle was then covered with a skin thin and skin tight leather or cloth like cover. So, you either rode with a good riding shorts, (whose chamois were much thinner then), and through proper fit and constant use got use to the hard saddle. You really could do that. One common trait though that for many didn't go away when they rode the bike was finishing the ride with their package anesthetized.

Since the majority of riders on road bikes in the old days, (recreational and exercise riders) weren't going be properly to fitted or use the bike enough to get used to the hard saddle plus being combined with the minimal padding chamois short the gel saddle pads were THE standard in the old days. They sold like hot cakes. Most everyone had them.

So it sounds like you made a good choice. Hey man, if it works for you the heck with anyone that says or thinks different about the issue!

How long have you been using the gel pad?

I had a gel seat, and it was comfy while riding. It had bad side effects the next day.

When you say sores, do you mean pain in your muscles around the sit bones? Or do you mean sores on your skin?

Every butt, and every bike is different, there is no wrong answer if it works.

Glad it works for you, saddle fit is a pretty personal element.
However often an underlying issue to saddle discomfort is bike fit.

My wife makes her own gel pad for her saddle. She takes a perfectly nice saddle, covers it in a layer of 1/8" thick foam padding and then covers that with a lycra seat cover. Whatever works is right. Some folks even use those horrid Brooks saddles like the one I threw away forty years ago when decent saddles became available.

Been using a gel seat with springs on my MTB commute for years. Got two gel pads on my roadie, and one on my new commuter. I've ridden 50 miles with no issues, and my day to day 9 mile commute it's more pleasant with the gel.

Mine is a Brooks Flyer which has done 4 years and 16,000 miles I guess. I was getting pimples also and suffered by the end of most all day rides. The pressure points were uncomfortable anyway lots. Then in China I found a MEMORY foam cover and haven't suffered since. It does accelerate holes in my golf shorts. Before that they went brown from rubbing the sweaty leather anyway. It did wash off although. Actually, the first 3000 miles on tour I had a rain cover on the seat permanent, it helped some.

I have found those other rubber blob pads are horrible sweat/ heat generators, was tried in my car.

I've had the gel pad for about a month now. All good so far! It's definitely not muscle pain. It's a raised bump that LOOKS like acne, but it is not. The raised bump just aggravated the area more since I still had to sit there.

This is the commuter forum if you wish to be chastised try another forums There are plenty that will. This forum is on the friendly side, sorry.

That sounds like a real saddle sore. I have no experience with them. I don't understand why only a few people get them. I'm glad you found a solution. It might work out long term for you.

Saddle sores are like Diabetes. Sugar intake does not actually cause Diabetes, and healthy people can eat all the Sugar they want, but a Diabetic who indulges in Sugar intake will get very sick because of it. Bad saddles do not cause saddle sores. People who are not prone to saddle sores can ride very bad saddles and not get saddle sores. Someone prone to saddle sores can get them using a $200 saddle. Curing saddle sores by using a gel insert is like 'curing' Diabetes by cutting out sugar. Neither solution has actually cured the problem. Anti-bacterial chamois cream and/or other medically advised skin treatment in the sensitive area is more of a targeted solution to the problem of saddle sores than the relievement of pressure through the use of thick padding.

So it's a bacterial infection?

The hard raised bumps usually are. Some people are more prone to them than others.

The "sore" is a bacterial infection, yes. There needs to be an initial break in the skin to allow the bacteria access. This is caused by irritation, not pressure. Bad saddles cause pressure points, pressure without friction cannot cause irritation. Chamois creme, even non-medicated chamois creme, eliminates friction. People prone to saddle sores need to address issues of friction, irritation and presence of opportunistic bacteria in and around the area under discussion.

H

Maybe just wear the bike shorts and nothing else? And you're putting back on sweaty shorts for the ride home?

I don't really sweat. Advantages of being skinny with very little insulation. Yes I drink plenty of water. I don't sweat unless it's 90+ F and humid outside and I'm exercising.

I've read that it could be a bacterial infection. It's just odd that even after not seeing one for a bit over a month I can ride a few times on saddle and have them again, even without any cuts or irritation. Who knows.

^^^ Wearing clean shorts every time helps most people, myself included.

The issue is friction which eventually breaks the skin, thus allowing bacteria to infect the offended area. The cause itself is not bacteria, therefore using an antibacterial agent is only treating complication introduced by the actual injury, i.e. the infection is secondary. The primary cause is friction, therefore relieving the friction by replacing or covering the saddle is the solution.

Mark? Dan? Gary?

If I had an issue with it, I would be all over any potential solutions that didn't involve greasing my rear end for every ride, yuck.

I lubricate, but I do so with powder. I mix green gold bond with desenex and tinactin. There is the dry-lubrication of powder and the anti-itch, anti-microbial properties of those three products. It works well on the bike and it worked well in the same type of application, crotch and feet, when I had a hiking job where I would walk 20-30 miles a day.