saddlesore remedies
 

anyone have any interesting ones? (besides brooks...)

I developed my first saddle sore last summer on day 3 of a week-long trip. I stopped riding almost immediately, and for a day and a half, rested, kept the area clean, and applied diaper ointment containing zinc oxide. After that, I was good as rain. I continued using the diaper ointment for another couple of days.

Obviously the most effective treatment for saddle sores is prevention; but if you succumb, it's important to deal with the irritation as soon as possible, and not hope that the sores will magically vanish on their own.

Zinc oxide cream

When you finish your ride, have a nice hot shower and wash well. Then just before you go to bed, apply the zinc oxide cream on the affected area. Put on some loose boxer shorts (because the zinc oxide cream tends to get everywhere). And in the morning, all should be well again. :)

If the sore is really bad, it might take 2 or 3 applications of zinc oxide cream. If it is a fairly serious rash (the prelude to a sore) the zinc oxide cream should clear it up overnight.

I always carry a tube of zinc oxide cream with me on longer rides ... you can find it in the baby department of most department stores or pharmacies as diaper rash cream ... but check the ingredients because some don't have zinc oxide. The higher the percentage of zinc oxide, the better.


Oh, one thing ... don't use it while riding ... it's VERY messy and sticky. Quite uncomfortable!

For prevention if I haven't ridden much for a while or if I feel one starting, a liberal dose of KY jelly (or water based "personal lubricant") under the bike shorts - does the same as the expensive chamois cream at a fraction of the cost. And diaper rash cream is great as well

Brooks b.17

also plenty of vaseline or some such substance (what do they call it? Chamois butter?)

An ounce of prevention
but if they do crop up (as the first respondent noted) take a day off... not a bad idea anyway

i had bad saddle rash and saddle sore on my last tour, and i had a brooks b17 saddle ... i was stuck in a little town with no chemist and my choice at the small mini-mart was some hand creme, some ungvita a [vitamin a creme] and some tui bee balme ... i took a chance on the bee balme, applying a couple of times that day while i waited for the weather to clear and the rash had cleared up by morning ... i used it a couple of times each day during the rest of the tour and the rash didn't come back and the saddle sore was healing as well ...
the propolis used in the creme is natures anti-biotic and prevents bacterial infection ...

http://www.tuibalmes.co.nz/retail/images/beebalm.jpg

what can i say, other than it works for me!