The C word

[Kev365428]

Hey all,

I need some advice from the brains trust here.

I currently do a fair bit of riding each week (commuting two - three times a week into work which is a 80km round trip, plus a weekend ride of between 50 - 80km when I can).

I always wear fresh knicks when I go out with no underwear, but every now and then I get home with a dreaded case of.....chaffing. (ok, who had the dirty mind? ).

It always seems to be on the same side (left) and varies in degree, from a mild annoyance to full blown red raw skin.

Is there something in the way that I ride that may be causing this? Do all cyclists suffer this on a regular basis? I could understand if it happened after every ride, but the fact that it is sporadic is really confusing me, as is the fact that it's always on the same side.

Any ideas welcome.

Cheers,

Kev.

[Bnej]

Have you checked your leg isn't rubbing against anything on the left of the saddle? When I got my new bike I had to move the seat forward a couple of cm because I was being scratched by the seatpost clamp.

Is there any pilling or abrasion in the area on the outside of your knicks?

If all else fails you could try some cream on the area.

[sogood]

Bike fit, saddle shape, quality of the knick and chamois cream usage can all affect the outcome.

I have a pair of mid-range priced knick and it gives me trouble on multiple spots. The issue on the chamois is definited related to the poor stitching at that spot. I also have a pair of cheap Aldi offering. I have actually found it quite decent for shorter trip under 30km. But when going above that, the pain is obvious compared with my most expensive pair. So fresh knicks isn't the only issue when it comes to saddle sores. Quality of design and stitching makes a significant difference.

[Halfanewb]

I know what your talking about kev , sometimes i am on the bike for a bit and pick up a small sensation of rubbing and its usually a small fold in the material of the knicks doing the damage. Everything looks fine when we are standing up but when sitting on the bike and bent over wrinkles in the frontal fabric can rub delicate areas ever so slightly and not enough to be really noticeable but over the distance of a ride its like water on stone , easily fixed with a little readjustment of the knicks , just need to be aware of it

[mikesbytes]

I get the problem with one particular pair of reasonable quality knicks in one spot, it apears that the sticthing is irrirating when I get sweaty. It doesn't happen on any of my other knicks be it cheap and nasty ones (done 95k ride on Audi knicks) or the quality ones.

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[chain_reaction]

Man i need to get some knicks, went a few laps at the regatta centre today and that was all sweet until i was just leaving and i got the worst pain in the gooch. damn these road bike seats are solid!

That's quite the dilemma kev, perhaps it's one particular pair of knicks doing it to you that's why it doesn't happen all the time.
I suggest finding the culprits and sending them off to the lab for further investigation...

[sogood]

Man i need to get some knicks, went a few laps at the regatta centre today and that was all sweet until i was just leaving and i got the worst pain in the gooch. damn these road bike seats are solid!

Hard saddles aren't necessarily uncomfortable. Soft gel saddles aren't necessarily comfortable. You just have to find a saddle that suits your bum.

[pospete]

Altho I don't seem to suffer that problem at all, well not as yet. i would recommend you get some Canesten Anti-Fungal cream. It's what I use, so that if you do get any irritation the sweat won't cause infection. Fungus is the usual eventuality. I use it in the morning after a shower, and rub it in. Make sure it's dry before you put on your knicks. Works for me, and my cheap knicks!

[Kev365428]

Thanks for the ideas/suggestions.

Definately no rubbing on the saddle. If anything, I seem to favour the left side of my body in relation to the saddle, that is - I seem to be leaning to the left hand side of the bike, so that the right hand side of my body is over the centreline of the bike, and the bike leans slightly to the right. I put this down to the natural camber of the road.

I have three pairs of knicks - cheap, mid range and good ones. No difference with the knicks I'm afraid. All have a reasonable chamois and are quite comfy. I'll check for stitching issues on all three, but it doesn't seem to be coming from them.

As for the fungal cream, I originally thought that jock itch (or a fungal infection) was the culprit, but after using a variety of different creams with no improvement, I tried some Sudocrem. For those of you with kids, you might recognise it. Actually used to relieve nappy rash, but works well to ease chaffing. which I guess is basically the same thing.

Although the Sudocrem fixes the problem, it'd be nice to stop it from happening in the first place.

Kev.

[sogood]

Try rotating your saddle to the right by a tiny degree and see what happens.

[Mulger bill]

I tried some Sudocrem. For those of you with kids, you might recognise it. Actually used to relieve nappy rash, but works well to ease chaffing. which I guess is basically the same thing.

Although the Sudocrem fixes the problem, it'd be nice to stop it from happening in the first place.

Kev.

Would have been my thought Kev, are you applying it pre ride too?

Shaun

[heavymetal]

I recommend athlete's anti chafing stuff. It comes in a convenient application container and you apply it like the underarm deodorant waxes.

I've never had a chafing problem since.

It's called bodyglide and here is the item in an online catalogue.

[twowheels]

It always seems to be on the same side (left)

do you hang to the left?

[Kev365428]

To stoop down to twowheels level, I actually hang to the right, on the odd occasion that I don't hang to the left.

I'm about to head off for a ride now, so I'll try some proactive cream application to see if that helps.

Thanks all.

Kev.

[rdp_au]

You could, of course, switch to a recumbent....

Sorry, had to say that. I'll be quiet now.

David