This blog is written specifically for women. There are more than enough articles on the web for men and any discomfort they may have while riding a bike. There are very few articles regarding women and the discomfort we may have.

When I talk to women who do not cycle, they often say that they tried cycling, but their bum was so sore after a few kilometres. They have no idea how I ride 60 – 80 kms a day.

What causes saddle sores? Simple answer – friction. Rubbing your bum or soft tissue area onto the seat of your bike or chafing against your shorts/bibs.

If you are reaching for your handlebars, you may rub the pelvic bone and get sore. If you sit upright and are reaching for your pedal stroke you are moving from side to side and your sit bones and bum will get sore.

How do you prevent saddle sores? The easy answer is to get a bike that fits you. In my opinion one of the most important things to do when buying a bike is buying one that is the correct size and if possible, to have a professional bike fit. If you don’t get a bike that fits you something will hurt; hands, knees, bum or soft tissue area.

A good saddle designed for the position you are riding. Of course, it is not always that easy. A lot depends on anatomy, women have different shapes and sizes. Your clitoris may stick out or be recessed (outie or an innie), this can rub against the nose of your saddle, so the adjustment of your saddle may not be higher or lower, but forward or back, or up or down.

Always where clean shorts, if you wear shorts for more than one day then the sweat from the previous days ride will rub “salt” into the wound so to speak. Get out of those sweaty shorts as soon as you can after a ride. If you can shower straight away that is good but if not, slip on a skirt. The shorts can be rinsed and hung to dry overnight. When you get a chance throw them in to a washing machine for a good wash. Personal hygiene goes without saying.

As kids we often ride bikes that do not fit properly, but as we get older and want to ride more and be comfortable it is important to get a bike that fits.

I found this on the Ergon website, I have no idea if it is a good product, but if you cannot afford a bike fit, this DIY may help. https://www.ergonbike.com/en/product/?a=bikefitting

If you do not get a professional bike fit, then at the very least know how to adjust the bike so that you are comfortable on it. Your legs/knees should not be completely straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke, there should be a slight bend in the knee. Your elbows should have a slight bend when on the hoods (if you are riding a drop handled road/gravel bike. If you are riding a mountain/gravel bike with flat bars, then your wrists should be straight and not at an angle when riding. You should not have to reach for the bars and feel pressure on your pelvic bone.

Whenever you make any adjustments to your bike saddle do it in small increments. Always start with the saddle horizontal, then make small adjustments. For example; saddle height a very slight adjustment up or down. If it makes a difference, great, if not move it back to its original position. Adjusting the saddle slightly downwards may make you feel as if you are slipping down the saddle, and you may put more pressure on your hands. Tilting upwards, may cause more rub on the clitoris or other soft tissue parts. Moving the seat forward or back, may affect your knees.

As a woman ages your skin is not as firm as when you were a young woman. I am talking about wrinkly/crepe skin, if you do not have good cycling shorts your wrinkly bits may rub against your shorts, causing sores at the top of your legs rather than on your bum or lady parts. The other problem aging women have is dryness around the vagina and labia. This can cause rubbing over and above the pressure from your saddle. The joys of getting older.

All these things can be fixed, apart from aging of course.

The three things that have most contact on your bike are where your feet hit the pedals, where your hands reach the handlebars and where your butt hits the seat.

For women and men getting that comfortable seat is really important. I have three bikes and three different saddles. For me it boils down to the position that I am riding; road bike (drop-handle bar), touring (drop handlebar) and gravel/mountain bike (flat handlebar).

When we went on our two year-round the world trip (RTW) I had my bike built for me. I was measured and it was recommended to get a Brooks leather saddle. When I eventually got my touring bike, the Brooks saddle was installed, and it was a perfect fit. I could ride this bike without padded shorts, if necessary, although I always where padded shorts.  The bike builder set me up on a trainer and adjusted the bike perfectly. I never had one issue with saddle sores or soft tissue soreness, throughout the two years or any other tour I did after that.

My road bike was a different story, I moved from one saddle to another eventually settling on a Terry Butterfly Cromoly Gel saddle with a cut out. This bike was not quite the right size for me. I had bought it at the end of the season and got a good deal. Although the bike shop adjusted the seat and the handlebars, the reach was a smidge too long and I would, on longer rides, (80km to 100 km) get very sore in the soft tissue area. I tried switching to a Ladies Brooks B17 saddle (not the one above) but that made it worse. I had constant sore bits on longer rides, so I shortened my rides to about 50 kms.

BROOKS B17 SHORT

My new road bike is a perfect fit and I have a Terry Butterfly Cromoly Gel saddle. Again, I had a fitting before leaving the bike store and I have not had any issues with this bike. I can comfortably cycle 70 kms on this bike and will build up my stamina to do 100 kms rides again.

The Montague Navigator is my new folding touring bike. I had put the Brooks B17 saddle on the Navigator as it advertised a more upright riding position. I know that the leather Brooks saddle can take time to break in, but I had over 1000 kms on this thing and, I was getting sore lady parts again. I switched the saddle to the Brooks 67, big arsed, spring-loaded leather saddle. I had bought this saddle for my Vintage Raleigh Ladies Bike. On our first test ride on the Montague’s, it seemed to be comfortable. On our first day riding in Taiwan by the end of the 73 km hilly ride, I was sore. I lowered the seat by about 1/8^th of an inch and for the rest of trip never had any issues.

Some people swear by chamois butt’r commonly referred to as butt butter. This is rubbed onto your chamois, but can be rubbed onto your skin. I prefer Udderly Butterly, it was used on cows that had cracked teats!!! It is marketed as a hand cream, but works perfectly for me to reduce the friction, especially on my old crinkly skin at the top of my legs! I also rub it on the inside of my labia to ease the dryness. I always carry a small container of udderly butterly, along with wet wipes and hand sanitizer, in my jersey pocket.

If you get saddle sores regularly, get a bike fit. If you have a good bike shop, ask if you can try different saddles, some saddles come with a 30-day comfort guarantee.  This is not a paid promotion, but Terry saddles do come with a money back guarantee. https://terrycycling.com/collections/saddles

Fortunately, I have not had severe saddle sores on my bum. If you have saddle sores treat them by:

• Staying off your bike for a couple of days. Skin can heal quickly if it’s not continually being irritated.
• Keeping the affected parts of your skin clean and dry to avoid infection or further irritation.
• Trying topical ointments, such as diaper-rash cream, antibiotic cream, and hemorrhoid cream (Preparation H), which can help sooth irritated and inflamed skin.
• Using over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
• Applying a warm compress to the affected area.

I hope this information helps you, so that you can enjoy your ride whether it be short rides or longer century rides.