Saddle sore

Saddle sore is a skin irritation on the buttocks where you are in contact with the saddle due to or exacerbated by horse riding or cycling on a bicycle saddle. A saddle sore often develops in three stages: skin abrasion (chafing), folliculitis (inflamed hair follicles with tender red spots, often with a surface pustule), and finally deeper abscesses. Saddle sore roots cause are threefold:

1. Friction.
2. Moisture.
3. Pressure.

You don’t have to ride for long to get saddle sores. Even if you’re just starting out with short trips, they can appear — especially if you don’t have the right bike setup. However, people new to cycling are often more affected as their skin isn’t used to the pressure and rubbing associated with sitting on a saddle for hours. Because it most commonly starts with skin abrasion, it is desirable to reduce the factors which lead to skin abrasion.

Saddle sore prevention

Here are tips to help prevent cycling saddle sores and make your bike rides more comfortable:

1. Reducing the friction. In equestrian activities, friction is reduced with a proper riding position and using properly fitting clothing and equipment. In cycling, friction from bobbing or swinging motion while pedaling is reduced by setting the appropriate saddle height. Angle and fore/aft position can also play a role, and different cyclists have different needs and preferences in relation to this.
2. Selecting an appropriate saddle size and design for cycling. This is the most obvious thing to look at, but not necessarily the simplest. Just like every other part of your anatomy, the area that is in contact with the saddle is shaped differently from person to person, so you need to experiment until you find the saddle that is right for you, rather than going with a saddle that works for someone else. Finding a well-fitting bike seat is the first step to keeping saddle sores at bay. Bike saddles have different shapes and contours to accommodate how different cyclists ride and sit on their bikes. Your local bike shop can help you determine which seat will work best for you. However, don’t assume that bigger and more padded is better. It’s the shape that is most important, and this will be where you’ll need to do your own experimentation. Saddle height and position also play an important role. Too high and you’ll be moving slightly side to side with every pedal stroke, causing friction, while having your saddle too low puts extra weight on that area. A level saddle is best in most situations.
3. Wearing proper clothing. Managing moisture and germs in the saddle area is very important. This helps keep pores clear and clean and helps avoid infection. In cycling, this includes wearing cycling shorts, with chamois padding. For equestrian activity, long, closely fitted pants such as equestrian breeches or jodhpurs minimize chafing. For western riding, closely fitted jeans with no heavy inner seam, sometimes combined with chaps, are preferred. Padded cycling shorts worn under riding pants helps some equestrians, and extra padding, particularly sheepskin, on the seat of the saddle may help in more difficult situations such as long-distance endurance riding. Make sure you wear clean bike shorts each time you ride and remove them immediately after cycling. Wearing well-ventilated, breathable shorts and undergarments after cycling allows the area to dry out thoroughly as well.
4. Check your positioning. A proper bike fit, especially seat height, can make a real difference and minimize side-to-side movement on the saddle. Because pressure is also one of the culprits behind saddle sores, make sure you adjust your bike seat to fit the way you ride. The saddle can move forward, backward and tilt, so take time to figure out what works best for you. There is a common misconception that you get saddle sores from not having enough padding on the saddle. But more padding isn’t usually the answer. It’s the way you distribute the pressure through the whole body. Make sure about a third of your weight is on the saddle, another third is on your hands and the rest of your weight is on your feet.
5. Change positions frequently during your ride. Standing up while riding to take a break from the saddle. If you are particularly prone to saddle sores, standing up as often as once every two minutes is a good idea.
6. Use a good chamois: Just as important as your saddle is your choice of chamois (the cushioned part of cycling shorts), since this is your skin’s first point of contact. Again, a chamois which is perfect for one rider might not suit another, but generally speaking, more expensive shorts use better quality material and have had more thought put into the design and shape. Look for a chamois with few or no seams, so that there is less friction against the skin.
7. Try chamois cream. Chamois cream works in two ways. Firstly, it kills off the bacteria which can lead to inflammation of the skin, and secondly, it acts as a lubricant and reduces the friction and rubbing between the skin and the shorts.
8. Keep it clean. Never use shorts two days in a row, even if you only did an easy ride in dry weather. Change out of your cycling shorts as soon as you get inside and shower straight away, making sure that you dry yourself well before getting dressed into your normal clothes. Make sure your shorts get a good rinse in the washing machine at the end of the cycle, and that they are completely dry before you use them again.

Over time, you should develop calluses in the saddle area, which is actually a good thing. It will enable you to ride longer and more comfortably without saddle sores.

Saddle sore treatment

The best way to prevent saddle sores from becoming troublesome is to avoid them altogether.

1. Reducing the friction. In equestrian activities, friction is reduced with a proper riding position and using properly fitting clothing and equipment. In cycling, friction from bobbing or swinging motion while pedaling is reduced by setting the appropriate saddle height. Angle and fore/aft position can also play a role, and different cyclists have different needs and preferences in relation to this.
2. Selecting an appropriate saddle size and design for cycling. This is the most obvious thing to look at, but not necessarily the simplest. Just like every other part of your anatomy, the area that is in contact with the saddle is shaped differently from person to person, so you need to experiment until you find the saddle that is right for you, rather than going with a saddle that works for someone else. Finding a well-fitting bike seat is the first step to keeping saddle sores at bay. Bike saddles have different shapes and contours to accommodate how different cyclists ride and sit on their bikes. Your local bike shop can help you determine which seat will work best for you. However, don’t assume that bigger and more padded is better. It’s the shape that is most important, and this will be where you’ll need to do your own experimentation. Saddle height and position also play an important role. Too high and you’ll be moving slightly side to side with every pedal stroke, causing friction, while having your saddle too low puts extra weight on that area. A level saddle is best in most situations.
3. Wearing proper clothing. Managing moisture and germs in the saddle area is very important. This helps keep pores clear and clean and helps avoid infection. In cycling, this includes wearing cycling shorts, with chamois padding. For equestrian activity, long, closely fitted pants such as equestrian breeches or jodhpurs minimize chafing. For western riding, closely fitted jeans with no heavy inner seam, sometimes combined with chaps, are preferred. Padded cycling shorts worn under riding pants helps some equestrians, and extra padding, particularly sheepskin, on the seat of the saddle may help in more difficult situations such as long-distance endurance riding. Make sure you wear clean bike shorts each time you ride and remove them immediately after cycling. Wearing well-ventilated, breathable shorts and undergarments after cycling allows the area to dry out thoroughly as well.
4. Check your positioning. A proper bike fit, especially seat height, can make a real difference and minimize side-to-side movement on the saddle. Because pressure is also one of the culprits behind saddle sores, make sure you adjust your bike seat to fit the way you ride. The saddle can move forward, backward and tilt, so take time to figure out what works best for you. There is a common misconception that you get saddle sores from not having enough padding on the saddle. But more padding isn’t usually the answer. It’s the way you distribute the pressure through the whole body. Make sure about a third of your weight is on the saddle, another third is on your hands and the rest of your weight is on your feet.
5. Change positions frequently during your ride. Standing up while riding to take a break from the saddle. If you are particularly prone to saddle sores, standing up as often as once every two minutes is a good idea.
6. Use a good chamois: Just as important as your saddle is your choice of chamois (the cushioned part of cycling shorts), since this is your skin’s first point of contact. Again, a chamois which is perfect for one rider might not suit another, but generally speaking, more expensive shorts use better quality material and have had more thought put into the design and shape. Look for a chamois with few or no seams, so that there is less friction against the skin.
7. Try chamois cream. Chamois cream works in two ways. Firstly, it kills off the bacteria which can lead to inflammation of the skin, and secondly, it acts as a lubricant and reduces the friction and rubbing between the skin and the shorts.
8. Keep it clean. Never use shorts two days in a row, even if you only did an easy ride in dry weather. Change out of your cycling shorts as soon as you get inside and shower straight away, making sure that you dry yourself well before getting dressed into your normal clothes. Make sure your shorts get a good rinse in the washing machine at the end of the cycle, and that they are completely dry before you use them again.

How to treat saddle sores

If you have already developed some sores, reduce your training volume on the bike, or cut it out altogether until symptoms disappear. The latter isn’t usually necessary, but in severe cases it is better to stop and allow yourself to get better than persist in pain, making things even worse. And wear loose, breathable clothing for the best chance of a quick recovery.

Buttock folliculitis

Folliculitis affecting the buttocks is quite common in males and females.

• Acute buttock folliculitis is usually bacterial in origin (like boils), resulting in red painful papules and pustules. It clears with antibiotics.
• Chronic buttock folliculitis does not often cause significant symptoms but it can be very persistent. Although antiseptics, topical acne treatments, peeling agents such as alpha-hydroxy acids, long courses of oral antibiotics and isotretinoin can help buttock folliculitis, they are not always effective. Hair removal might be worth trying if the affected area is hairy. As regrowth of hair can make it worse, permanent hair reduction by laser or intense pulsed light (IPL) is best.