Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

So, I have started riding in the past 2 months. After a big ride (For me 50 ish km with hills) my Clitoris Is very sore and delicate and NO ONE can go near me for a few days to my cycling hubbys disgust! He thinks it is chaffing on the Clitoris but it feels more like bruising. I do have a pair for girls cycling pants and a Canondale bike that was set to my height. Ideas what is going on? ouchy!

Some ideas:

Wrong Bike Fit? Your top tube might be too long and as a consequence you are abnormally rotating your hip in order to reach the handlebars. However, I doubt that any Cannondale Dealer would let you out of the shop on such a poor fit.

Or

It is also possible that 50k with hills is causing testosterone levels to spike which can cause some tenderness and enlargement in that area, if you have also noticed an increase in pimples this could be the likely cause.

Regards, Dizz

Welcome outside Caroando.

Tenderness is never fun, it's bad enough for us lads.
Now I'm no expert on this, but would you mind telling us about your saddle? Too many saddles are made to fit men in a roundabout way and can play havoc with ladies.

Shaun

Sounds like the saddle is too narrow and not engaging with your sit bones, leaving your soft bits to take all the load. If it's a guy's saddle and not a women's specific one, that's almost guaranteed to be the issue. Not fun.

Bike fit guru Steve Hogg has some excellent materials on the web about women's bike issues, and in his estimation this is one of the major reasons why more girls aren't on bikes: http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/art ... ve-issues/

I'd suggest getting yourself along to a Specialized bike store and getting yourself measured on their Ass-O-Meter (don't worry, it's not invasive ) and then with the help of one of their technicians select one of their Body Geometry saddles of the appropriate width. No other manufacturer offers their saddle models in different widths.

Specialized are way ahead of the rest of the market with this innovation in bike customization. I use their Body Geometry insoles and for $60 it's been a far better outcome than my $450 carbon fibre custom orthotics.

caroando wrote: and NO ONE can go near me for a few days to my cycling hubbys disgust! He thinks it is chaffing on the Clitoris but it feels more like bruising.

NO ONE? you mean you normally let other people near you apart from your husband?

Doesn't really matter if it is bruising or chaffing, the solution will be the same. stop your anatomy from pushing against the saddle as firmly.
Saddles with cut outs come to mind straight away.
Lowering your saddle and tilting the nose downwards 1-2 degrees might help short term. They can be raised later as you adapt. If it is too high, you might also be moving your pelvis from side to side, and thereby rubbing your anatomy on the nose of the saddle excessively.
Getting your bars up higher so you don't tilt your pelvis forwards to squash your anatomy on the saddle might help too.
A pair of nicks with a thicker, or thinner pad. Have to experiment.

trailgumby wrote:Bike fit guru Steve Hogg has some excellent materials on the web about women's bike issues, and in his estimation this is one of the major reasons why more girls aren't on bikes: http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/art ... ve-issues/

Good article, thanks. I couldn't imagine anyone actual placing weight there which is why I thought that the second scenario was more likely but after reading that article, it is obvious that this happens quite often

Man, that sounds bad. You make my accident painless. Yes get a good bike fit. I am with Dizz on that one. Seat maybe to high, wrong size frame, or wrong seat. I was set up by Steve Hogg as well, bike fit is worth it.


But what a great excuse when I am not interested to perform wifely duties. The head ache is getting boring.

I showed this post to my wife who was suffering from this same problem. She had a refit, new seat with a "breather" cut away in it and still was complaining about the pain. My "harden up" comments didn't help our relationship!

We discussed this at length and she has altered her position on the saddle slightly further back. I mean she sits back a little further. Instant relief. She then mentioned that her sit bones were a little sore, this told me that she was finally in the correct position.

This was confirmed after this afternoons ride, no pain at all. I did offer to move the saddle one cm forward but she is really happy with the adjustment in her position.

Hope this helps.

I may not have the same hardware (or should that be SOFTware) as you but, because of my particular type of ride, I am highly challenged when it comes to stretching and wearing those soft bits. Indeed I used to wear raw in the scrotum until I worked out my own solution. Damned painful.

What has worked for me is a lambswool pad cut to fit the seat and held on with plain old lacky bands. And a silicone based barrier ointment like Resolve or Silic15 on occasion, mostly when it is hot.

The lambswool has to be skin that is tightly curly rather than long soft hair. A complete skin will set you back around $120 but you would get a dozen or many more out of it. I have multiple pads and change them regularly. I just throw them in the washing machine with the rest of the wash. The pads are cut to NOT encroach too far over the edge of the seat, more to sit on top but whatever works for a particular problem... If nothing else the lambswool will take the pressure of the perineum.

The ointments are supposed to be put on only after you are dry. Only need a little.

A pic attached. It looks bulky but once you settle down on it it flattens down. Mine is also doubled over but a single strip would likely be ok for you. Periodically I will move it back or forward if I find that it is losing effectiveness and I am in the middle of a ride.

ColinOldnCranky wrote:

If I had that on my bike, no one would ride with me. come to think of it, I wouldnt ride with myself.
Any way where is the OP,

this saddle worked for my wife. Terry Butterfly Women's saddle. The way she raves about it, it will not be long before her riding buddies convert too.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/400268744749 ... 1497.l2649

definitely a good bike fit, as said earlier, you need to make sure your sit bones are connecting with the widest part of the saddle, but also that your weight is far back enough for it to be resting on that part of your anatomy rather than your further forward delicacies.

A good test is to see if you can take your hands off the handlebars and hover them above without feeling that you are being thrown forwards, or that your are having to clench your thighs and/or buttocks to stay on your seat. that could be a combination of any or all of seat height, handlebar height and seat tilt.

f@f

Apple wrote:If I had that on my bike, no one would ride with me. come to think of it, I wouldnt ride with myself.

That's the problem with being so highfalutin. So many restrictions.

Nobody wrote:

Apple wrote:If I had that on my bike, no one would ride with me. come to think of it, I wouldnt ride with myself.

That's the problem with being so highfalutin. So many restrictions.

You just had to respond, Nobody, just cant help yourself

But at least he expected the Spanish Inquisition...

Mulger bill wrote:But at least he expected the Spanish Inquisition...

NOOooo..BODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!

I just came back from Spain. I expected the Spanish Inquistion. Didn't get it though, not even at the airport. Damn, but those Spaniards play some clever mind games!