Women only help please
 

I'm brand new to this forum and am writing this on my wife's behalf. Ladies, does anyone have a suggestion for keeping the female genatalia from chaffing? (I hope you understand what part I mean because I don't know if I can be more descriptive) We ride alot and after 20 or 30 miles my wife begins to feel quite uncomfortable. She's tried Vasoline and things like that, but, no luck. I sure hope someone out there can help.

Bike shorts, a properly adjusted saddle, and chamois creame.

Actually, anyone can help. You need some of that chafing creme stuff. I use the Paceline's Chamois Butt'r. It works.

She should always change out of her shorts immediately when she gets home. And NEVER wear dirty shorts either.

If she's uncomfortable with her saddle, then in addition to the aforementioned suggestions, she should look into getting a women's saddle. The Terry saddles come highly recommended. Go to:
http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...ory_rn=4500868

or:
http://www.epinions.com/pr-Bike_Part..._Saddle_Womens
for price comparisons to see where you can get the best deal for this saddle.

Koffee

The #1 rule of chafing- NEVER wear underwear under bike shorts. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!

EDIT: For the record, I'm a guy. ;)

Oh gosh, totally forgot to add that one in. It's such a given you don't even think to write it down.

Koffee

Not even cotton briefs?

You're just trying to get the Underwear Nazi started, arent you? :p

Who??? Lordopie, nah, he wouldn't do that. :D

I am not a women but last summer I had a seat that was too soft (pressure on soft tissue) and thought I needed udder balm or any thing else to relieve the pain, I could not ride in the drops with out major pain. Bought a differant seat and all that went away like magic.

Indeed, the shape and design of the saddle is quite important for longer distances. Proper bike shorts fit like a second skin and help to reduce chafing or rubbing, but the right choice of saddle helps to reduce pressure on soft tissues. Your weight should be supported on your sit-bones and not on anything soft inbetween. Typically a firmer saddle works out better in this regard than a soft padded saddle, although that goes against obvious expectation.

NO PROBLEM.......

I work at a bike shop part time, where this comes up all the time. They sell the "Easy Seat", google it and you will get plenty of hits. They sell them on ebay too. Once you see a picture of this thing you will realize that the problem is instantly over with this seat. A woman I ride with has three of these seats on her bikes. And friends are getting them as time goes on. I must ride with 5 or 6 long time owners of this seat. It looks funny and you have to get used to it. But it will work for sure. Most of the sales of this seat at the bike shop are riders that have had it recommended by a previous customer. Once you see a picture you will get it. Just the sit bones and a little more of you touch anything at all. Problem solved.

She should not be experiencing those sorts of problems at all. That part of the anatomy should not be coming in contact with the saddle, or only just barely!!

1. Get her a proper saddle ... a Brooks! That way her sit bones, NOT the middle parts, will sit on the saddle.

2. Get her set up on the bicycle correctly. Again, she should be sitting on her sitbones. And the saddle should be low enough so she is not rocking from side to side to reach the pedals, and the saddle should be high enough so that she is putting extra pressure in the sitting area.

3. Make sure she has good cycling shorts (no underwear, of course), and the padding on those shorts should cover her sitbones without being too thick and heavy up front.

If the bicycle is set up properly, she has the right saddle, and she is wearing good, comfortable shorts, she should be able to ride well over 100 miles at a go without any difficulties.

4. But if all else fails ... and after a hundred or more miles in the saddle she is experiencing some difficulties ... Ozonol.

Thanks for the suggestions folks. We do have a lot of cycling experience. I suspected the seat and got her a Terry Butterfly. She loves the seat. It sounds like her shorts are the broblem. I've heard of shammy creme but never used it. Isn't it messy? I can see using it with a real shammy, but it seems like it could be messy with the new pads.

And a good soldier!


Koffee, Koffee, Koffee...how could you, of all people forget the Underwear Nazi's creed?

No underwear under bike shorts for any reason ever. No excuses.


Especially not cotton briefs, Opie. You know better.


Chamois Creme is not nearly as messy as you might think. Put a smear of it on the skin, or the chamois. It doesn't really absorb in, but it stays put.

Underwear Nazi
It's...uh...squishy

I use BodyGlide. Comes in a stick, glides on, stays where you put it till you wash it off. The stuff does work. Buy at a cycling shop or sporting goods store. The bigger size is cheaper than the smaller.

You may have to look for it. I couldn't find any around here except at a new REI Co-op on the other side of town--but that gives me an excuse to ride over there.

BodyGlide has been helpful with some of my chafing issues with some older, more worn cycling shorts. Cycling shorts really need to be pretty close fitting to work correctly. If they least bit too loose, or you are separated from the shorts by--akkkkk!-underwear, you are asking for a whole newspaper of chafing issues!