Chafing Issue
 

I'm new on Bike Forums as of today and this is my first post. I have a Selle Anatomica saddle that I've ridden for years on many multi-day rides on my Trek touring bike. Lately have been getting more frequent chafing. Tried different new shorts (Giordana, Louis Garneau, Voler) and chamois creme, had a bike fitting, tried (unsuccessfully) to ride on an ISM noseless saddle, etc. The chafing is typically a narrow strip down the middle of the perineum and patches on the bottom half of my scrotum, more prevalent on the left side (I have a leg length discrepancy, my left leg is longer). I've thought about try other saddles, like the Fizik or Bi-Saddle with a wide cutout but would really like to stick my Selle Anatomica as I've never had chafing issues that prevented me from finishing a bike trip. I was also thinking about going to bib shorts and get something high end. Lots of thoughts but not sure any of them are "the answer". Any thoughts?

The important thing is making sure for longer rides like this is you keep everything CLEAN and I do mean clean. Sometimes I will take a baby wipe in the middle of the day and wipe everything down there and then reapply my Bike Glide (from Body Glide) and if I know I am touring for days I will bring multiple bibs so I can wear one and wash one. I did say bibs and I think those are very helpful because they keep everything in place however cleanliness is super important. I chafe easily without much provocation but my Bike Glide and cleanliness helps greatly and for those long rides bib shorts are crucial.

I will say this may not solve everything you may have a different issue but I would certainly try this and see if it helps. I don't tour without baby wipes and ideally something that is 99% water or very low in chemicals. You might also consider after cleaning and drying before the night and before putting on some good moisture wicking undies like ExOfficio Give and Go using something to help with that I use cortisone cream but I have heard great things about using tea tree oil or even some good lotion can help.

Try adding a little vitamin B to your diet. Vitamin B deficiency can cause skin issues, and make it more sensitive and more easily chafed.

Thanks 50+ (70 here), I take Carlson's Vitamin Bf-50 Complex daily - on top of a whole lot of other stuff. Mark

Thanks Vegan. Yes, I do keep everything super clean. One thing, it is winter and skins tends to dry and hot water removes oils, so I rehydrate with Cera Ve on my privates after every bath/shower, at least twice/day. I did buy Body Glide but haven't used it yet, will g ive it a try. I know about ExOfficio but it looks expensive and I just destroy my underwear with all of the creams and stuff I put on. I have OTC hydrocortisone and prescription 2.5% as well, I use that immediately after bad chafing/redness and then First Aid A+D at night. I might also experiment with where and how I 'tuck' my genitals, I always pull everything straight up but who knows. Mark

Welcome to BF.
If as you say that you've ridden that saddle on the same bike for years, and not had chafing, then you should look to what changed...
Of course, 'aging' brings on new unexpected issues, so there might be that...
Otherwise look to things which have changed.
If your 'fitting' came with a change in saddle height/position/tilt or any combination of that, review that.
Body tilt, due to a position change will also affect that.
Washing & Detergent and any other things used, such as softener - has that changed ? If the shorts aren't getting fully rinsed after washing, any residue will enhance the chance of irritation.
The brands you mention are also those I have and have used for many years, they have always been good quality, fit, well fitting and never have had issues with them - but that's me, and our entire club of 200+ riders.
In the past 35 years of regular riding I have never used any kind of cream - Chamois cream or any other....
Back in the day of real chamois, I and many others, used cream to soften the chamois leather after washing, otherwise no other ointments down there. Creams and ointments can block the pores, which would cause boils and similar conditions.
Keep that area clean as possible. I wash the shorts after 50+ miles of riding, or max 2 rides (if the first ride is easy and not a lot of perspiring).
I the summer, after every ride. I have a doz+ bottoms (shorts/bibs) which get rotated for rides.
Some are heavier for cold weather, some are very light for very warm rides, and then there's everything in between, etc.

The Newest center cutout saddle designs have large/wide cutout channels and would seem to be the best to relieve any pressure in that area... Maybe try one of those.
I have saddles with channels and more old school designslike the Sella Italia Strada, and many others of different shapes - my only hard and fast criteria for a saddle is a good skirt cutout/contour and 143 ish width at the sitzbones - no less and not much more...

Once you have chafing, it tends to persist, if you don;t give the area time to heal. That doesn't mean no riding, just adjusting position or riding type to take away any real chance for it to continue. It also means reducing saddle/riding time length.
Good luck in finding resolution
Ride On
Yuri
EDIT: just saw your reply to others, above. You don't mention how large/big you are (weight/mass). Maybe the saddle is worn out?
Again, any changes in position will have a great affect on this.
I also use Cera Ve daily, but only after a ride/shower. Great stuff for the skin!
...maybe an underlayer (wicking underwear) with legs, used short term, might stop chafing long enough for the skin to heal ?

ExOfficio is good underwear and very cheap because it lasts for a long time, I till have pairs that I wear regularly that I have had since 2013. A few older pairs I retired but they are the best underwear on the planet and my daily wear. I don't have other underwear anymore that I wear, I frequently use lotion and always use Bike Glide or Body Glide and it has so far not degraded my underwear in any significant way.

Certain things are worth spending money on and good underwear is crucial and ExO is the best, ATMO. Comfortable, moisture wicking and long lasting. Plus I take fewer pairs of underwear while traveling now because they keep the funk at bay and are quick to dry so I can wear and wash easily without having to worry if they will be dry in the morning.

Thanks Vegan. They've been in my Amazon list for a while, will try a pair. Right now I wear David Archy, which is made from organic bamboo.

Are you wearing cotton underwear beneath your bibbs or shorts? Don't. Cotton holds in the moisture that the material in your bibbs/shorts should be wicking away. There is no need to have under pants on. But if you feel compelled wear something underneath, then make certain they are synthetic material and form fitting so they don't wrinkle up.

Also if you have lots of long body hair underneath those bibbs or shorts, then shave it short. It too holds in moisture that should be wicked away by your cycling clothes.

I have never used any chamois creams. I just don't get sores. And I do believe that a significant part of that is due to what I wrote above. I also just ride a plain looking saddle with minimal padding and a cutout. Selle Italia and Specialized are two of the more reliable brands to make saddles that I like. And I find bibbs and shorts with a thin chamois better than ones with thick chamois.

I don't find any real difference between bibbs or shorts. With the exception that bibbs feel better in the waist when I've been fattened up over the holidays. Bibbs are sometimes a tad more annoying when I have to stop to pee quickly.

Go to their site they frequently are running sales for new customers. Bamboo is good stuff.

Never wearing underwire under your bibs or bike shorts is a must.

I went through something similar where everything was fine for decades, and nothing changed, until it did. My issue is in the exact same location. The solution was applying a liberal amount of chamois butter. The issue was solved. If you shower twice a day, you are probably removing the natural oils your body produces thus aggravating the issue - but your hygiene is your business.

Thanks Iride, no I don't wear underwear underneath my cycling shorts. I've thought about shaving but the hair down there is sparse and very short and fine. I've also read that the stubble can be irritating and get infected and then there's the risk of cutting myself. Good advice regarding thin chamois, and I also need to pay attention to where the seam is on each of my shorts. I do pee a lot so that's another downside of bibs. Mark

Buy some Assos chamois creme. Apply liberally pre-ride, apply lightly post-ride.

Get some high-end bib shorts or shorts. Not the sort of junk that some bf'ers think is high-end, but actual high-end stuff: $200+ for bibs, $150+ for shorts. Assos is a good brand, but the higher-priced options from Specialized, Giordana, and a few other mfrs are good, too. Make sure they fit properly, which is very snug.

Practice good hygiene. Shower ASAP after getting off the bike, especially hot weather. (Sweat is your enemy.)

If the above doesn't fix the problem, make sure your bike fit is good, then perhaps try a new saddle.

Saddle height is high on the culprit list. Too high causes the rider to rock side-to-side on the saddle. Not good for your butt, or much else for that matter.
If you have different leg lengths, did your fit get adjusted up for the longer leg?
No change in pedals or shoes, right?
Age and change in diet may be other contributing factors as well.

Mark which model of Selle Anatomica saddle do you have?

I have leather X and an X-2 saddles, both with the perineal cutout and never had any chafing issues, even for century rides.

The X is on my gravel bike and the X-2 is on my road bike.

I'm wondering if you have one of the foam/vinyl saddles...

Two tricks. One allows you to wear shorts with the chamois fit, comfort and no wrinkles of good fitting bibs. The other is a trick riders have been using for at least 100 years.

1) Clip on suspenders. (Long ago, high end shorts had buttons for suspenders.) $20 suspenders will outlast a few pairs of shorts, save real money over the identical model bibs and make dealing with bowel movements while in cycling gear much, much easier. The guru of Boston racing 50 years ago was famous for his championing of suspenders. (And not a hack on the bike. '68 Olympics, was one of the very first in the modern era to race in Europe and in a long, hard road race, took second to John Howard, in a two man break, finishing second and also under the old course record.)

2) Bag Balm. A Godsend if you have to ride with sores. (The stuff was formulated for cow teats in the earliest days of mechanical milkers. First gen was so hard on the teats that getting that cow to step up for known torture became an issue. A bright farmer concocted the stuff to keep his cows happy and have milk to sell. The machines rapidly got much better. Leftover balm found its way to the farmers' wives' medical cabinets and they quickly started using it for everything because it worked so well. Especially for baby rash.)

The stuff is a wonderful lubricant so (as long as you use enough - there is no such thing as too much outside the mess) and, I am sure, has some anti-bacterial properties. (I've never seen an analysis but I have used quite a few containers.)

Any old-school pharmacy will have it on the shelves. Comes in a green rectangular can that looks like it came straight out of a Farmers Almanac.

I did discover a few years ago that wearing old shorts increased chafing. Seems the shorts stretch and that causes loose material which causes irritations. Throwing out my shorts as well as spending some good money on Assis bib shorts helped immensely. I also recommend Body Glide, as developed for triathletes, best persistent lubrication I’ve used.

I might try other products. Back during WW2, my grandfather was in the Army in the Pacific. They liberated a number of POWs from Japanese camps, and nearly all of these suffered from something they called "rice balls," (scrotal dermatitis), which was caused by a lack of vitamin B. They were given Marmite, which was very effective at treating the issue.

Hydrocortisone thins the skin when used frequently, I recommend against applying it on or around the crotch area. Use diaper rash ointment (Zinc) until the skin is no longer inflamed. I recommend The Ritual Chamois Cream before a ride. And, Assos bib shorts, but not the thickest padded model.

In addition to my four previous recommendations, something else that worked for me was increasing stance width.

It is possible you have a fungal infection (Candidiasis or Tinea Cruris). For treatment I recommend Miconazole Nitrate Vaginal Cream (4%). If you can only locate prefilled vaginal applicators don't dismiss the product, it's even easier to apply topically using the plunger.

In 2022 my mother broke out in a painful shingles-like rash all over her body. She had multiple skin biopsies, saw a number of dermatologists, but no one could figure out the cause. Eventually her regular doctor decided she had a glucagonoma, a lesion on the pancreas that causes a full body rash. Long story short, she had pancreatic cancer and died in 2023. One of the things that made her skin condition tolerable was 5% lidocaine cream. My dad bought dozens of boxes of the stuff, and after mom was gone, I helped myself to a couple of dozen tubs of the stuff. It has a thick consistency, and it lasts for about 2-3 hours. I was a dedicated Bag Balm guy (courtesy of Tractor Supply) for years, but this cream is the only chamois cream I use now.

Werkin Good point on using rash cream. My only issue with the zinc stuff, which works well, is that it is messier and can stain undies. Also good point on potential fungal infection. Thankfully I have been lucky enough to not have that issue.

Bulk Response, Thanks All!
 

This is my first thread on BF and ran into the “5 post limit in 24 hours rule”, so will try to respond to everyone’s suggestions all at once. And thanks to everyone for doing so! Cyclezen, I like your “scientific method” approach, analyzing ‘what changed’ and only changing one variable at a time (shorts, crème, saddle tilt, etc.). Age and winter (dry skin, lack of natural oils) are really the only ones. I’ve been doing research on saddles with a wider cutout and that may be a future post. Btw, I’m age 70 and 165 lbs. Iride (and Grupetto Bob), I don’t wear underwear under my cycling shorts. And I’ve thought about shaving but that hair is sparse, very fine and short. I also read that there’s more risk of the stubble causing irritation than it solves. Vegan, I did go to the DA site and could get a first order discount but there’s always shipping…. Koyote, yes I did buy Assos crème, it’s much better than the Chamois Butt’r that I’ve been using. As mentioned I do have Assos, Giordana, Louis Garneau and Voler shorts but will also get a pair of high end bibs for longer or multi-day rides. LV2, yes my bike fit got my saddle height really dialed in, no rocking of the hips. I do have a LLD but as per my response to Cyclezen I’ve always had that. I’ve tried shims in the past but they were way more trouble than what it was worth. Smaug1 I have the X1 saddle, as mentioned I’ve done centuries, multi-day rides, etc. with only minor issues. Hi 79, re Trick 2 I’ve had that funky green square can of BB for a few years, my only complaint that it absolutely soils every pair of underwear I wear over it! Steve, I have Assos shorts and crème, may try their bibs. And as mentioned previously I have Body Glide but haven’t tried it yet. 50+ I lived in Japan for 14 years and ate a lot of rice balls, yum! 😊 There are at least 8 types of vitamin B, do you know which one? I don’t actually think it’s rice balls though will ask my dermatologist when I see him next. Werkin, that’s good info about hydrocortisone and yes I do have zinc oxide on hand, but never heard of Ritual, thanks! I think that’s it for now, apologies if I missed anyone. Lastly, getting on BF has given me a heck of lot more cycling pertinent info than Google AI every will!! Mark

Saddle height is the most likely cause. Saddle sores, and chaffing is usually caused by a saddle height that is too high. You can use all sorts of products to treat the symptoms, but it is better to treat the cause.

Funny, nobody said a photo would be helpful.