I spent much of last year's peak season battling sores, that felt like bruises, at the interior intersection between the top of my legs and the trunk to which they connect. It cost me much pain, in a 200km ride on a hot day, and a second day of fun in the Triple Bypass, where I decided to forego another 120 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing in favor of a hike with my wife and daughter.

Okay, that was a good result, but riding with crotch pain is not.

An upgrade in riding shorts/bibs, from low to mid range, seemed the remove the issue, and 6000 road and trainer miles passed by, virtually pain and blemish free.

Yesterday comes about, and it's a crisp 35F when it comes time to leave for work. I grab a pair of underlayer tights I use for skiing, throw them on, and then put the bibs on over.

15 miles later, that familiar irritation, in that familiar place, is strong enough to make me want to constantly shift in the saddle, but it appears the damage was done. The ride home, without the underlayer, hurt in same way. So did the ride in today and the ride back home.

If history is any guide, I'm looking at least two weeks of cross training and good behavior to get back on the sunny side of riding.

This is where you come in. Stupid and cheap for not getting purpose made clothing for cold weather? Victim of circumstance and an overly sensitive derriere?

I have no idea what you are saying.

Your first layer should be your bibs, or something with a chamois directly against your skin. You don't want to introduce friction and irritation, or ill placed seams simply because the temperature has dropped. It sounds like you are having problems with your skin rubbing on your ski tights. I tend not to worry too much about keeping my legs warm in the winter. Unless the temps are sub zero with lots of wind, normal cycling shorts with a compression legging (and maybe warm-up pants for a windbreak) are usually adequately stay warm below the waist. In my experience, you don't need to change your normal routine for the layer touching your skin.

Never wear anything against your skin but shorts/bibs. Tights go over the bibs.

That's a LOT more miles than I can ride in one day!

Haha, 200k. I see said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

OP: Bathe in warm water with epsom salts to relieve the irritation. Will help a lot. (Not actually salt, contains magnesium and sulfate.)

I feel your pain.

To Louis and Cale both: When I go back and edit the OP with an "m", you are going to look harsh.

I don't get it, the edit with an "m". Not that I'm surprised by THAT. I worked many years as a printer and "k" stood for thousand. So a 200k ride is about 200,000 (you choose miles or kilometers) which is a very long way.

Now 200m, 200 meters, isn't that hard, even on a hot day. Haha.

In my business, k also means 1000, so you were spot on with your jab. My feeble effort to respond was to turn the "k" into "km", which I thinks is European for pretty far but not 8 times around the world (it just seemed that way when I couldn't find a comfortable place to sit).

spectacularly unclear as to where the leg meets the trunk but be that as it may my suggestion, in addition to the "keep the bibs next to the skin" comment I would suggest considering using some bag balm. There are several brands out there and they can go a long way to reducing chaffing. Hugely helpful.

Yes, Bag Balm. Put a little on in the morning and night even when you're not riding. It'll help the healing. I use it any time I'm riding for over an hour, whether I need it or not, haha. I've found saddle shape makes a difference in that spot. Too many saddles don't have a smooth roll-off between top and skirt and even the smallest hard spot there might give me a sore over 200k and certainly over a 400k.

And never ever wear anything under your chamois. Tights go over the top.

Pride precedoth something. Bibs under tights means the diaper look, but it beats the heck out of not riding. Full length bottoms with a built in chamois probably do too. Picked up some chamois crème on the ride home tonight.

At 35*F, I'm comfortable with leg warmers. Ski base layers work well as an underlayer on the top half of your body.

regardless of the k, or m, or km... I do not figure you are going to do that again....I am a cold weather wimp... when I have to consider layering... I just put the bike on the rollers...

It took me a little while to learn, but chamois next to the skin is my pain free solution

Um... 200km is 200 kilometers, or 200 thousand meters, which is 2 metric centuries or about 124 miles. So OP did not say it wrong.

Sounds like a bit of chafing, possibly exacerbated by a little jock itch.

What he said.

This^... always bike shorts first... whatever layer you put over that should be as seamless as possible... a good chamois cream is important even in the winter...

Pearl Izumi Elite In-R-Cool 'Cut' shorts, 7" Inseam, 8 panels with smooth seams I cannot feel at all...

4 panels is considered poor,
6 panels is considered good,
8 panels moves with you,

Lessen the hair volume, thickness, or better yet remove it all. Smooth slides, hair grinds,,,,, Just sayin...


I've never needed a powder or anti chafe cream in any weather, ever, and I ride in the extreme heat mostly.

The padding in the short/bibs always goes against the skin...it absorbs perspiration and prevents the friction that causes irritation, rashes and other problems.

This was the critical error. Nothing, never, ever, goes between the chamois and your skin.

Tights go on the outside, over the bibs.