Saddle Soreness: Emergency Reference Guide for Bikepackers (downloadable)

This post is inspired by an excerpt from the Bikepacker’s Companion eBook, 140 pages of downloadable on-the-go guidance for solving common bikepacking issues in the middle of nowhere.

Saddle sores can be one of the biggest bummers on an otherwise lovely bikepacking trip. I’ve dealt with my share and know all too well how this special kind of pain can suck the joy out of every single darn mile.

Fortunately many saddle soreness issues can be solved along the way, even during a long trip, especially if you’re quick to take action at the first sign of trouble.

This post is a quick reference guide for saddle soreness while bikepacking, from prevention to diagnosis to treatment once damage is done. It touches on some personal topics, but there’s no need to be shy. We all deserve to enjoy our bikepacking adventures without saddle pain!

Downloadable Reference Sheets

Here are four jpg files (excerpted pages from the ebook) that you can download and take with you on the road or trail. May they save your butt (literally) one night in your tent in the middle of nowhere when you have saddle problems and no internet connection.

To download, right click (on a computer) or long press (on most mobile devices). To read this content in the usual text-based article format, scroll to the next section.

If you prefer to read the above excerpt in a typical article format, here is the text from the images above.

Saddle Pain Troubleshooting Guide

Bruised feeling under sit bones: This is normal. If you can’t ride through it, take a rest day or ride shorter mileage until your body adjusts.

Soft tissue pressure (perineum, genitals): Check your bike fit:

• Saddle too far back could be causing too much forward lean.
• Saddle tilt: Should be close to level. Feel like you’re falling forward? Try tilting saddle nose up slightly. Otherwise try tilting nose down slightly. Small changes – just a few degrees.
• Can you raise your handlebars or tilt hoods (on drop bars) upward slightly for a more upright posture?
• Check in with your core muscles. Use lower abs to tuck pubic bone slightly up and tail bone down.
• Women: is your chamois too thick in the crotch area? Consider riding without it and eventually finding a thinner one. Risky emergency fix: cut out some of the crotch padding to reduce pressure.
• Leather saddles: your saddle might need to be tightened as the leather sags over time.
• Tried everything? You might have the wrong saddle for your body. Consider a new one with a cutout or center channel.

Chafing (asymmetric): Chafing on only one side could mean your saddle or body aren’t straight. Make sure saddle nose is pointed straight ahead and you are sitting on it straight. Watch for asymmetries in your pedaling.

Chafing (inner thighs, crease where legs meet torso): Check your saddle height. A saddle that’s too low can cause more of your leg to rub against it as you pedal. Also check your position on the saddle: can you scoot forward slightly onto the narrower part without causing too much soft tissue pressure?

Chafing and sores (general):

• Chamois butter! Reapply frequently.
• Check saddle height, try to minimize side-to-side rocking or other pelvis movement as you pedal.
• Manage heat and moisture, and stay clean. See upcoming Hygiene Tips page.
• See upcoming Saddle Sores page for more help.

Saddle Sores: Prevent or Heal

If your saddle pain is caused by open sores, chafing, rash, or other skin issues, try these tips. If things have gotten bad you may need to start with a couple days off the bike while you heal.

• You’re not wearing underwear with your chamois shorts, right? Good.
• Lucky enough to have two different types of shorts with you? Alternate to give hot spots a rest.
• Pull chamois shorts all the way up so the fabric doesn’t move against your skin as you pedal.
• Religiously follow all advice on the following Hygiene Tips page to keep your skin and shorts clean and dry.
• Check your bike fit as described in the previous Saddle Issues page.
• If your problem seems related to irritated hair follicles:
  • Exfoliate (scrub firmly) the area when showering to remove dead skin cells and unblock hair follicles. It’s best to do this before things get too irritated.
  • Careful with shaving or waxing before or during a bikepacking trip. Some say it helps initially, but as the hairs grow back it can cause more problems.
• Cysts: A painful lump isn’t necessarily an infection. Pressure and friction between layers of skin can cause a cyst. Don’t try to squeeze it! The best fix is to take time off the saddle and alter pressure points by adjusting saddle position or shorts. Depending on the cyst location, a donut-shaped blister pad could reduce pressure.

TREATMENT IDEAS

Some cyclists swear by these products:

• antibiotic ointment
• witch hazel
• tea tree oil
• baby powder (prevention – keeps things dry)
• diaper rash cream (Sudocrem, Desitin)
• blister pads or feminine pads if needed for large sores (ouch!)

Out of chamois cream and can’t find any at the convenience store? Try one of these alternatives or blend several together:

• coconut oil
• shea butter
• Vaseline
• diaper cream
• Body Glide
• Bag Balm
• Noxzema

Hygiene Tips

Good hygiene is key to keeping saddle soreness at bay during a long ride. The main goal: Keep your shorts and skin as dry, clean, and free of grit (dust, salt from sweat) as possible.

WHILE RIDING

• Periodically air dry your skin and shorts. Yes, stand around somewhere private with your pants down.
• Sweating a lot in hot weather? Rinse your skin often to remove salt. A folded cloth against your lower back, under the shorts waistband, can prevent sweat from running down into your shorts.
• Baby powder in your shorts can help keep things dry down there.

AFTER RIDING

• Change out of shorts as soon as you finish the day’s ride.
• Wash your crotch area thoroughly with water and your hand or a baby wipe.
• Change into dry, clean, breathable (cotton or merino) underwear for camp and sleeping.
• Rinse out your shorts before wearing again.

WASHING SHORTS

• Try to rinse and thoroughly dry before each wearing. Some people alternate between two or even three pairs.
• Soap isn’t always necessary, and you don’t need to wash the entire garment if it won’t dry in time. Even a quick rinse of the chamois is better than nothing.
• At least once a week on a long trip, try to wash shorts more thoroughly with soap and hot water.
• Town stop? Bring your spare pair into bathroom and rinse in the sink.
• Dry shorts thoroughly in sun, chamois side up, for additional disinfecting. This can be done while riding – attach to the top of your bike bags. Don’t do this on dusty roads or trails where the added grit will do more harm than good.
• An empty pannier, dry bag, or gallon ziplock makes a great portable wash basin.
• If you’re camping, don’t wash directly in natural water sources. Carry water 200 feet away to wash and dump, so it can filter through soil before rejoining the water source.

Saddle Ergonomics

Leaving home with a well-tested saddle and shorts is your best option, but even that’s no guarantee. If saddle issues are becoming a pain in the butt or other sensitive places, make sure your body is well positioned on your saddle as follows.

Ideal saddle position: Understanding how your pelvis is supposed to sit on your saddle can go a long way toward fixing problems. Here’s the goal

• Sit bones are supported by the back sides of the saddle and are bearing most of your weight.
• Soft tissue (perineum, genitals) is not supporting too much weight.
• Pelvis is straight and not rocking side to side when you pedal. If it is rocking, your saddle may be too high.
• Your lower abdominal muscles are lightly engaged, preventing your lower back from arching and your pubic bone from bearing too much weight at the front of the saddle. Think: pubic bone up toward belly button, tail bone down toward the ground / between your legs.

About the Bikepacking Cheat Sheet Series

Over the years I’ve written hundreds of long-form posts about bikepacking on this website! You can find them all here. But who has time to read such long posts anymore, right? :)

This new series delivers bite size “cheat sheet” style tips about important issues bikepackers face. Each post contains an excerpt from the Bikepacker’s Companion eBook that you can download for free and save on your phone as a reference during your next trip.

Here are some sample pages from the rest of the 140-page eBook, which you can learn more about here:

If you like what you see and decide to buy the full ebook, your purchase helps me keep this website running despite significant headwinds for small independent publishers in the current internet landscape. Thank you! :)