Saddle sores, sit-bone tenderness, thigh chaffing, and/or soft-tissue pain: we’ve all been there. Posterior distress is not only uncomfortable, but it can be highly discouraging and take the fun out of riding. While it’s normal to experience some soreness when you’re breaking in a new saddle (or your rear end in April), undercarriage pain shouldn’t be your constant companion on the trail.
Saddle pain can cause riders to shift on their seats and ride with poor posture— potentially leading to injuries and diminished efficiency on the trail. If you don’t know how to deal with saddle sores, know there is a solution! Below, we discuss several tips for alleviating saddle-associated mountain biking suffering.
Keep in mind that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to saddle pain. Adjustments that help one rider may exacerbate pain for another. Mountain bikers have varying body builds, sit-bone widths, anatomy, and riding styles. You may have to try several different strategies before you find what works for you. Don’t give up! Keep reading to learn how to deal with saddle sores.
Bike Adjustments
Often, saddle pain can be eliminated with some minor adjustments to your bike setup. Dialing in your seat and handlebar position can make a big difference to your comfort. Many shops offer professional fittings, and some orthopedic centers provide bike-fit assessments to physical-therapy patients with bike-related injuries. Here are some tips to get you started:
Make sure your seat height is appropriate. A seat that is too high or low can cause pressure sores or chafing. If your seat is too high you may be rocking side to side when pedaling.
Check your seat tilt. You typically want your seat to be level or tilted slightly downward. Many riders with soft-tissue pain instinctively tilt their seat downward, but that may cause you to slide forward on your saddle while you ride which puts you in an inefficient position and can create other problems. If your seat is tilted downward and you are still experiencing pain, try leveling your seat. Experiment until you find a saddle tilt that is comfortable. The majority of the population benefits from a perfectly level seat.
The fore/aft position of your seat may be putting you in an ergonomically unfavorable position. In general, your saddle should be as far forward as possible without letting your kneecap move in front of the ball of your foot when you pedal. A saddle that is too far back will not only result in lost efficiency, but can also result in poor weight distribution and pressure along your perineum.
Check your handlebar height. Your preferred position may depend on your riding style, but a slightly higher or lower handlebar can be more comfortable by redistributing the weight on your sit bones and soft tissues.
Chamois Pads
Well-fitting mountain biking shorts with chamois pads provide cushion, help absorb impact vibrations, and prevent chafing. Many riders report improvements in saddle pain from simply wearing the right chamois or padded shorts; however, not all chamois pads are created equally. They come in different shapes, padding type (gel or foam), thicknesses, materials, and breathability. A good chamois will provide cushion, move with your skin, and wick moisture. Here are some tips:
Generally, gel pads are more expensive than foam pads, but they are thinner, firmer, and last longer.
Softer or thicker padding is not always better. (This same principle applies to saddles). Thick or bulky padding can sometimes result in more pressure or friction on soft tissues. Foam compresses more easily than gel, and will lose its cushion faster.
Your chamois pad should align with your sit bones. If possible, try on your chamois and sit on a bike in riding position to get a feel for whether the padding is in the right place.
It’s very important that your chamois fits well. A chamois that is too large can result in fold or crease hotspots and increased chafing. Your chamois should be snug, but not too tight.
Many women prefer men’s chamois shorts—don’t be afraid to explore!
Some riders prefer to wear extremely thin chamois pads or to ride without a chamois. Many riders (including half of our coaches) report that going chamois-free eliminated or decreased their saddle pain. As always, find what works for you!
Chamois shorts are meant to be worn without underwear; however, if you choose to wear underwear (for example, during your period) we recommend seamless, moisture-wicking underwear to help reduce potential chafing or sores.
Remove your chamois as soon as possible after your ride. Sweat and moisture can worsen chafing and saddle sores, and can promote an ideal ecosystem for urinary-tract and/or yeast infections. If you have a long ride home, bring some after-ride wipes and change into clean clothes before leaving the trailhead.
Chamois Cream
Chamois creams can reduce chafing and saddle sores by creating a barrier between your skin and your chamois or shorts. Chamois creams get mixed reviews from mountain bikers, however. Some riders report that creams create too much sliding movement in the saddle, while others claim that chamois cream is a game-changer and use it religiously on every ride. Some popular women-specific creams are Chamois Butt’r, DZ Nuts Bliss, and Assos.
Chamois creams can be applied to your inner thighs, the crease where your thighs meet your buttocks, each side of your perineum, and on the outside of your labia. These creams are external-use only, and should not be applied internally or to inner labia (especially if your cream contains menthol!).
Saddle
If your pain is not going away and you have tried the options discussed above, it is probably time for a professional bike fitting or saddle fitting to assess the overall fit of your bike and/or determine the best saddle for you. Visit your local bike shop and see if they offer professional fittings or saddle-specific fittings.
Things to keep in mind:
Softer saddles are not always better. A saddle that is too soft can cause you to sink too far into the seat and can worsen chafing, as well as put increased pressure on soft tissues and nerves.
Cut-out saddles decrease perineum pressure by reducing or eliminating center materials. However, some riders find that cut-out saddles place additional pressure on the edges of their perineum and prefer to ride on a seat with no accommodation. The effectiveness of perineum center cutouts depends on your riding position and anatomy. Women who ride with a more aggressive forward posture may prefer a cut-out saddle.
Women-specific saddles are generally wider in order to accommodate wider sit bones. If you have narrow hips, a women-specific saddle may not work as well for you. Many bike shops have cushion tools to measure your sit-bone width to help you determine saddle size.
Saddles designed for mountain biking are generally wider and more cushioned than road bike saddles.
As you start to explore new saddles, utilize bike shops that have demo options or flexible return policies. It is not uncommon to try several different saddles before finding the right fit.
Here are some recommendations from our Women in the Mountains community:WTB Volt- this is the saddle I’ve personally ridden for 8 years
We hope these tips will help eliminate your saddle sorrows. If all else fails, you may need to see a clinician or physical therapist to determine if an underlying problem is contributing to your distress. Don’t give up!