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BIKEPACKING – HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR BUTT
A big issue for both guys and gals while bikepacking or on a long tour, are saddle sores. Saddle sores, Funky Butt, Crotch Rot, or whatever you call it when your undercarriage gets torn up or irritated after too many hours in the saddle, is one of cyclings most painful aliments, and most common. We’ve all experienced it and wish we hadn’t. With that in mind I decided to write this article “Bikepacking – How to Care For Your Butt” about how to avoid saddle sores and how to keep your downstairs happy while on the bike.
We’ll go over everything from what causes it, to steps toward prevention, to steps on can take while on the bike, and treatment options for when you get saddles sores. Like with most cycling injuries, saddle sores are one that can be almost completely eliminated with some precautionary steps. Keep reading to find out more.
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Causes of Saddle Sores.
The main cause of saddle sores is a combination of moisture, pressure and friction. Saddle sores can be simple red spots where only the top few layers of skin are irritated to something like a boil with a head on it (like a pimple). Both usually the result of friction and bacteria-filled pores. Most times saddle sores form at contact points with one’s saddle (though irritation can occur in other areas of contact with the shorts themselves).
Other major causes include improper bike fit, wrong saddle, chamois quality/fit, not enough saddle time (unconditioned butt), or too much saddle time. Luckily these causes can be fixed with a little time, money, and testing before your big ride.
Prevention
Preventing saddles sores is going to be different for everyone. With so many factors in the equation, no two people are going to have the same issues and causes. In this section we’re only going to focus on prevention techniques that can be done at home or before the ride. All others, we’ll discuss in the, “On the Bike Prevention/Treatment”.
- Bike fit – A proper fitting bike is not only going to benefit your comfort in the saddle but your overall comfort. See our article on the “Most Common Bikepacking Injuries” for more.
- The right saddle – Take the time to find the right saddle for you. Not the one everyone else uses but the one you find through hours of trail and error. The one that is comfortable and doesn’t cause saddle sores.
- Bibs/shorts – Not all bibs/shorts are the same. Like with your saddle, take the time to find a brand that is both high in quality and comfort.
- Saddle time – Once you’ve figured out the above three focus on putting in the miles. The more you ride the more conditioned your butt will be and this should mean less saddle sores and irritation.
Treatment
The treatment of saddle sores like most cycling injuries can be tricky. What we mean by this is the treatment usually means time off or taking actions that while on the bike can be difficult to execute. If you’re at home training this isn’t an issue, but if you’re already on a long tour, taking time off, cleaning and keeping the affect areas clean, dry, and medicated can be very difficult. This is why one needs to do everything in the prevention section ahead of time.
Keys to Treating Saddle Sores:
- Clean the affect area thoroughly.
- Keep area dry and clean.*
- Use an antibacterial cream to add healing.
- Time off will allow swelling in affected areas time to come down.
*For years hikers have been removing their shoes during break time, where they clean and dry out their feet to prevent blisters. Being that I’m also a thru-hiker I can say it works. The saying goes something like, “Clean dry feet, are happy feet.”
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Recap
Hopefully, this “Bikepacking – How to Care for Your Butt”, article gave you some ideas on how to make your next ride/adventure more comfortable. Some of the steps can be a “pain in the ass” to do while on the bike but when something as small as a saddle sore can end your ride, do you really want to quit because you didn’t want to take the time out, to do a little maintenance?
Find the right seat, get a quality chamois and a bike fit, keep that undercarriage clean and dry, and come up with your own on the bike routine to do a little daily maintenance, and let the miles come!
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