Been riding for five years and have recently come down with nasty, nasty saddle sores. I have battled them off and on for most of the five years. I stop riding for 5-6 days and they go away, only to return after 2-3 days of riding 2-3 hours each time. My normal riding time is 2-3 hours.

I have read through most of the archived threads related to saddle sores. Bag Balm is the first thing I have tried. It's an improvement over the Assos chamois cream I was using before, but I'm still doing damage to the skin faster than my body can repair it. The sores I get are located directly over the sit bones, on the crease where the buttocks meet the rear of the thigh.

How do I know whether and how to try new types of shorts, a new saddle, a bike fit, etc? I would like to hear if there is a process, other than trial and error, that others have used to minimize saddle sores.

The saddle I have on my bikes is the Specialized Toupe.

I found its the saddle position at least for me. I finally played around with adjustments and they went away.

Wider saddle solved mine showing up. Guess i'm 155 and not 143mm like I thought.

Time to try a different saddle. If your shoes caused blisters, would you keep wearing them ?

Start running instead or just HTFU.

Are you wearing anything under your cycling shorts?

Do you WASH your shorts after every ride?

When you ride are you always seated or do you stand often enough to mix up the contact areas?

"Cortisone Cream"

It's almost certainly the saddle. That particular saddle has a hard transition between the top and skirt. And yes, saddle selection is trial-and-error. I'll ride a century on a saddle to make sure it fits or doesn't fit before sending or taking it back. The Romin supposedly addresses that problem if you want to stick with Specialized. I assume you got a butt-print fit for your saddles.

A key variable is to reduce friction. Make sure the saddle is not too high. Your hips should not rock from side to side when you pedal. Adjust the fore/aft position of the saddle so that you don't slide foward or backward when riding with no hands. A leather saddle like Brooks Imperial, Pro, or B17 is slippery and can significantly reduce friction and moisture.

Stand for 15 seconds every few miles to restore blood circulation to the bottom. Tilt the nose up a little so that the sit bones are supported at the widest area of the saddle. This will also alleviate pressure on the crotch.

never had a saddle sore, and ive ridden some torture devices.

Hydrocortisone 1% cream available over-the-counter at you local pharmacy. Cleared up this pharmacist's saddle sore in a couple of days.

1. No underwear under your shorts.

2. Bicycle fit.

What works for me:

Neosporin if you get them, clean bibs every time, getting out of them as soon as possible after ride, good chamoix cream, cleaning that area often, use baby powder to keep it dry when not riding, riding out of the saddle often, quality bibs, no underwear.

And you should try other saddle.

I squirmed around on a saddle and moved it around and tilted it and all. Then I gave up and used a different saddle.

I find I only get them on the trainer - and only on sessions longer than an hour... would a new saddle totally resolve this - probably as my fit is very much dialed in - but on the road its never been a problem because its so rare I don't have an excuse to stand, or at least transfer some weight off the saddle... and I've done a handful of century+ rides with no saddle sore problems.

If the saddle sores are in the same location each time than I would bet it's poor fit, which could include the wrong size and shape saddle and/or improper saddle position.

Neither did I, until I subjected my cheeks to a "Buttraper" Affinity.

You can try diaper rash cream to help clear it up.

There are many chamois cream type products. I like Body Glide which can be purchased as some bike stores, but is more often found at running outfitters and of course on the internet. It is very popular for stopping chafing among runners. It comes as a stick that looks like underarm deodorant. I apply it to my entire "chamois" as well as my skin in the affected areas. Works perfectly for me. Something else to try.

Not advised if there's any infection.

Keep it reasonably well trimmed (not shaved) underneath. Sorry to have gone there, but it helps.

Here's an entertaining read about some famous sores and the people they affected.

In my experience, the very first order of business is to make sure your bicycle fits. Then make sure your bib/shorts fits snugly too, as the chamois running loose is gonna rub raw after some substantial mileage. If all that is taken care of, and the issue still persists, then you need to embark on saddle trials. This is taking for granted that personal hygiene is spot on. After my rides, I am in the shower in about five minutes max. And no matter how short the ride, the bib gets washed before using again.

Good luck!