I find seat height a big factor because most people favor a leg

I used to get saddle sores on the trainer for 1.5 hr or longer rides but not outside, despite using a good fan to cool me. My problem was bacterial not so much saddle position. What fixed it for me was using anti-bacterial wash - a body wash with tea tree oil regularly which reduced them a lot and when I started to get any sores I also used an anti bacterial face wash (down below). If you have such sores then wash night and morning initially then just once per day after riding did the trick for me.

Saddle height absolutely the primary mover here. Generally, if you're getting sores on one side, try dropping saddle height first. NEVER blade shave the two areas you actually sit on. If you are extra hairy there, use a close beard trimmer. NOT a blade shaver. The blade shaver will greatly increase the risk of bacterial infection as ingrown hairs are likely. Finally, a pro tip. If you do get a saddle sore, simply use a fabric tough strip, heavy duty band aid on it. Take a day off riding then simply leave the band aid on for a few days, even when riding until the sore is gone. It may sound strange, however it's very effective.

I have learned to think in terms of adjusting my saddle to be sitting "in" the saddle rather than sitting "on" the saddle. Finding that comfortable seat in the saddle has allowed me to ride comfortably up to and including 24 hour races.

these remain the best series of fit videos on youtube......clear and straightforward and comprehensive....

2 things I learned after having SS when I was just starting many moons ago: Saddle too high, so you tend to favor 1 leg better. Sit bones get overused on 1 side and voila Keeping your shorts too long after a ride. My ex-pro coach always recommended to change right after a ride, not have your post ride coffee and lounge around in it Have been SS free close to 10yrs~

Bodyweight is another factor. No chamois or saddle on the market is made to support 100 kg over some hours. Going faster (or better: putting out more power) helps, because you are not so much sitting on the saddle with the whole weight but rather halfway out of the saddle. And regular application of skincare products in the area helps, too. I go for the baby stuff, they are the experts in that area.

for realz could listen to Neill talk about anything bicycling all day, so informative and clear, so calm too which makes it easy to listen and take in what he's saying. His little asides provide so much insight into the topic too, like his throwaway comment about the electrolyte crystals really helped me understanding the situation.

The saddle width made a night and day difference to me. I was running a L3 Selle Italia SLR and SLR boost (143mm), and was getting very uncomfortable. On a turbo trainer, even a high gel saddle (again Selle Italia L3) was uncomfortable after 20 minutes or so. Dropping down to a S3 (130mm), the difference was unbelievable even though the seat didn't look that different. I guess my sit bones are now supported properly at the top of the saddle.

Excellent insight! Thanks!

Very informative! Thank you.

Some great tips I hadn't thought of. Mine have always been the same side.

Many good points. Other things to consider are ill fitting shorts which can cause excessive friction. Something rarely talked about is scoliosis in the lumbar spine which can cause muscular imbalances leading to asymmetry in the pelvic area. This asymmetry can cause excessive friction.

I was having recurring SS issues, saw Neill, he fixed things up and been good ever since, couldn’t recommend him enough!

I recently discovered a slight leg length variation via a good quality bike fit... a small heel shim and cleat spacer and it's instantly sorted out a long-term pressure issue.

What a great discussion of a "tender" subject! Ha! I had loads of back and hip problems until I found my saddle was too narrow. Switched to a wider saddle, got a fresh fit, and the hip flexor issues were mainly cured. The drawback is occasional RH saddle sores. I'll have my coach look at my leg length, perhaps that's a source. Thanks for this chat, was very informative!

Thanks for showing us how to properly apply chamois cream. Thanks to you, I get much more enjoyment from my rides. In fact, sometimes I don't even go on the ride.

i recently got a bike fit to solve pressure sores on an ISM saddle and he said i don't have any imbalances or length differences, tested some saddles including the ugly SMP, but i said no to most because of the acute pressure on the center of the perineum. He just concluded that pain is part of cycling... I am currently a more happy with the same ISM saddle at 3.5 degrees but the soreness is still there in the pubic ramus

Awesome video! I always wonder what is the way to find the right saddle without emptying the bank. Two years ago, I bought a bike that came with a prologó saddle (143mm). I was immediately amazed by how comfortable it was. Many months later, I got saddle sores and went down the depilation route. It worked, did not do it again and I have no issues now.

Very good tips! I used to suffer from one sided sores and one simple stem change completly solved my problems. Shortening the reach by 10mm made the soreness go away

I’m a heavy sweater. I’m riding in super-hot Japan and after the long rides (4-7 hours) when I get in the shower it BURNS in a few spots when the water first touches it - definitely a sweat/mineral crystal based saddle sore. The intense burning subsides quickly once fresh water washes away the salt deposits. Thanks for confirming what I was already thinking! Excellent presentation.

Proper bike fit is key!!!

That deep dive video into chamois cream from Cam is always gold.

2:50 The classic Cam cameo is perfect. LOL. If your barrier situation is that bad you can put on a thin layer of Cavilon (usually used as a barrier for people with bowel ostomies) and let it dry before doing your chamois cream routine.

May seem obvious but needs to be said: (1) Wash bibs right after EVERY ride (don't leave them to fester overnight and grow bacteria) (2) Don't sit around in sweaty bibs after a ride, change into something else or better yet shower (3) Wash thoroughly Down There (4) Not all bacteria are bad, some are beneficial to your skin (symbiotic) and you want them to repopulate after a shower, so antibacterial soaps may not be helpful (5) Use the same (or at least identical shape) saddles for all your bikes AND your trainer, set to the same angle, height, and setback as much as possible - e.g., Selle SMP Dynamic works well outdoors for me (5mm foam), and I use Selle SMP Drakon on the trainer (identical shape but with 10mm foam) I had a cyst (sac formed by inverted skin), fortunately a great dermatologist got rid of it for me. Don't want to go through THAT again, so do whatever I can to keep things happy. Someone said that the right saddle for you is one you don't even think about during a ride.

Come and have scheduled fitting workshops in California. It will be worthwhile... You will be able to help many people! Love your videos, RCA channel.

Predominantly left side. It involves my old road bike on a trainer with a saddle that needs replacing and lowered some. I ended up replacing my other two bikes saddles with a particular saddle it didn't have the issue with and I'll replace the trainer bike with another example of that type. The real downside is that some of it wasn't related to saddle being too tall or lack of hygeine but I'd sometimes realize "ah, I don't have any clean shorts, I'll just rewear what I wore last time, it can't be too bad". UGH. As a result I had a small surgical procedure to address a saddle sore once that was exacerbated by both that but also friction, not from a saddle or bike shorts but regular pants I was wearing at work and had a day where I was doing a lot of lifting and bending for work causing friction on the sore area. Never again! That was the worst. So - yeah, chamois cream, clean area, clean shorts.

i have had a couple of saddle sores and they have both been in the same spot. i do know that one leg is shorter than the other. it is good to know why the sores occur and how to prevent them.

Only ever had one but found witch hazle gel got rid of it within a few days and was all clear by the following weekend

new bike, got saddle sores. Had to get a new saddle, more rounded on the sides, a bit wider, moved it 4cm back, 7mm lower, from decent tilt to no tilt and last but not least changed hoods to point almost straight have had them angled inwards for the longest time. last but not least, rides over 4hr needs to shave downstairs. No cream or other barrier worked.

I was getting issues on my right side ,so i had a fit and the fitter shimmed my right shoe by 4mm, but that created another issue in that i don't like anything under the sole of my foot because it feels uncomfortable. Then it also felt like my weight had shifted over to my left side while riding and i started getting hot foot pain in my left shoe. So i adjusted my cleats to slightly toe out from what the fitter suggested i had (neutral).

Neil, I can listen to you all day. Would it be possible for you to do a video on general bike fits for time trialists in the future?

I got saddle sores from my (Bont regular width) shoes being too wide. The moment I changed back to Bont Narrow, sores disappeared.

Can you recommend a good chamois cream….been using Assos cream for years.Just wondering if there is a better choice? Thx

Hi, great video, very informative! QQ: I went to a bike fitter and found that one of my legs is a bit shorter. He compensated it with spacers in my cleats. Assuming that solves the leg length discrepancy, can I rule that out as a reason for the saddle sores?

Any known good Bike Fitter in Spain with your kind of knowledge?

Yep, one sided saddle sores here (though not all the time). They appear on the right side when they are present. Forgive me for dragging the tone down, but for me I sometimes wonder if the slightly uneven way I sit on the saddle is due to the position of my *ahem* wedding vegetables whilst riding? They tend to get stashed on the left side and the saddle sores are on the opposite side. I've found that I don't quite get enough compression to hold things in place with just bib shorts (have had various shorts, same issue) but wearing a pair of lycra compression shorts over the top really helps. If everything locked down, it's a lot more comfortable.

Hi Neil, it would be interesting to have a bike fitting session with a proper heel dropper! I find your videos extremly useful. You should come to Europe. I bet you will get enough people that would like to have a session with you. Cheers!

Good hygiene anti bacterial soap down there, wash your shorts after every ride, shammy cream (noxema for me) , soak that sore bottom with epsom salts, I use an ointment to moisturize after drying when I feel like a sore might be coming on. Taking a little cream on your ride is not a bad idea. You can find travel sizes that will fit in your jersey.

So for those of us who get perfectly symmetrical saddle sores, especially on 2 hours rides or longer, getting worse in the summer, even with chamois cream, is it most likely due to me being a severe sweater and sitting on the saddle with 100kg. When the issues are symmetrical, is it mainly the sweat friction, or what aspect of fit is generally the issue

Applying the chamois cream to skin and to the relevant area of the chamois pad seems to prolong the benefit of the cream on longer rides. I guess the cream in the fabric may reduce sweat crystallisation in the fabric weave.

Use of hair removal cream, clean knicks and chamois cream = happiness down below for me. Remove one of those three things and I'm likely to get a saddle sore if I'm riding indoors. I tend to only get them indoors nowadays, and I suspect that's due to not getting out of the saddle much, if at all, and because of the amount of sweat I produce.

Have u seen or tried Infinity bike seats

I always have sores on my left side and even run a 3mm shim on my left shoe. I often wondered if it is better to add another shim or lower my saddle height. Great advise on reapplying the chamois cream as the sores normally only happen after 3+ hour rides. Great video as usual and has greatly helped lead me to a more comfortable ride through the video series

another tip on this if you're prone to sores: get out of your kit and shower as soon as you're done with your ride, if possible. Sitting around in hot, sweaty, kit post-ride for too long will basically make the petri dish of "down there" harder to deal with.

Alcohol prep...plus Neosporin with pain relief...plus copious amounts of Gold Bond hydrating cream...and THAT is pretty damn potent for avoiding saddle sores on multiple bikes...at 13 - 15 hrs/wk. And this is with triathlon SLS3 shorts (with only about 3 - 4 mm of padding). Can't sit on diaper pads.

Finally another bije fit vdeo❤

I've tried treating the area with salt.... Yes it's painful... But works ! How big an issue is shaving ?

In a bike fit adjacent topic, I've got two pairs of bibs I that have worn thin unevenly to the point that one now has a smallish hole in the fabric on the left leg towards the back of the leg, suggesting a bit of rocking is to blame. To be fair, each set of bibs has had at least 7 to 10,000 km put into them this year to develop this level of noticeable uneven wear, so it's not an acute issue that causes discomfort while riding. It's just uncomfortable, with the price of Assos bibs, to have run through two pairs in a year this way. Is there an expected usable life for a set of bibs in terms of mileage? How can we diagnose at home, from seeing wear patterns like this develop, what microadjustments to our bike fit may be indicated?

After 50 mile-ish rides our group would stop for a burger and a beer. After a few saddle sores (pimples). I started bagging a washcloth and shorts to freshen up before sitting down to eat. Never had one since.

That face in the reapplying sene. I have made that face. I sweat a lot and have found that reapplying often is key.

Neill advice please.. yesterday I rode to an event, 11 miles, did a 25 TT on road bike and finished with horrendous butt pain! Couldn’t bend over to get changed, couldn’t sit down, couldn’t even walk properly. I had to ride home and spent the first 2/3 miles out of the saddle doing 10mph at the most! First time riding bike in aero position, previous rides were ok, did a fair few 100km rides last year on it, no problem. Wrong saddle for racing?

I seem to have a pressure type issue but unlike he suggested its not exclusive to one side. Could it be becouse i ve started recently and their is some adapting period?

I don't shave, but I do trim. Less chance of getting it wrong.

Could you move to the UK please?

Question could you get saddle sores from thin padding in the shorts

I wouldn't recommend shaving, because it can cause ingrown hair, but cutting off the excess can help. But ultimately I found that once you get the right saddle for you even that might not be necessary at all (for me that means a split nose saddle, so that there's not just one focal point)

My sitting bones are a real problem on all saddles.. My hands get feelless, and also my feet... So i was always a city bike rider, 360 days a year.. Maybe 8000 km a year.. In all weather conditions.. So my mistake was (try) to solve it alone...

I just returned from 7 days bikepacking trip, sitting on the saddle for 6-8 hours a day. I am never using bibshorts neither chamois cream. First 3 days saddle sore did not exist, then 1-2 days it noticable, but barely, then last 2 days it was very noticable both-sided. Is it OK to use chamois cream without bibshorts? I think part of the problem is also my saddle which is more "round" rather than "winged" modern ones, so area of contact is actually rather small.

Does all the best saddles have the empty space in the center? For me the problem has never been to the sides. I mostly suffer in the center part (which is also the most important one 🤣). I just bought a new TD Suisse bike with an Oxygen saddle but it doesn't have the the central part open. Any suggestion would have been very helpful.

I switched 7 saddles due to improper geometry. Saddle no 8 had the proper width but I still had issues, until i discovered, my pelvis was not perpendicular to the frame's line. Solved that and still had pain after 1-2 hours of riding (while my tours lasted over 6 hours a day, sometimes 2 weeks in a row). Saddle no 9 had the width AND it was flat enough so my ass cheeks didn't slip down on the sides. Another few months of experimenting with height and it was finally OK. Had I gone to a professional bike fit, I could have spared years of pain. And it would have cost me way less than all the saddles.

Do you deliberately hold that SLR boost saddle and try to send us the message :) I have issues with that saddle but not where the pressure goes. I actually find it very comfortable but feel the friction one the back right side of the saddle that makes sore after a longer ride. Is that common and how to solve the problem?

Course hair such as nut bush and crack weeds(pubic hair),has scales along the hair strand, which can be like razor blades.

Man I wish you were in the US.

Got a question, I have a lot of stretch marks down there on my thighs and butt and I get a lot of sores on this delicate skin… any thoughts, I’ve tried most everything and am considering giving up cycling

This is what I do to prevent them. Ichthammol ointment, a drawing salve, where I am prone to get them., just a tiny bit and Desitin.

I have always sat slightly turned to the right and get sores on that side. After watching this I measured my legs and then put a 2 mm shim under my right cleat. Did 2 100k rides back to back and wow. Felt totally different on the bike and no sores. Thanks for the advice 👍

Hi guys, I have really bad sadle sores it's like sitting on 2 drawing pins, it used to be one I've since put 4mm spacer under my right foot, now I have 2 happy days 😂🤣😂 My problem is sweating, I live in Thailand and its hot🥵 on a 4hr ride I lose about 5 to 7% of my body wheight and a lot of salt a lot of salt 🤣, I spray my shorts with hand sanitiser ant bacteria spray 🤣 it does help a bit but the best thing is caffeine a lot of caffeine 🤣😂🤣 Love your program many thanks for your advice, 👍

Applying Magnesium sulphate paste and band aid to the pustule type is a good estringent to.rwduce the pain and swelling overnight 👍

1 sided saddle sore, most probably due to big leg length difference. I sit quite asymmetrical on the seat. After bike fit, got a shim beneath my cleat. Did not yet solve the asymmetry. Lots of stuff improved after bikefit, but saddle sores are still there.

How do you fix leg length discrepancies (3/4 of a inch for me)on mountain bikes, and rode bikes and gravel bikes? If there is any difference in the 3 disciplines?

mine was ffrom my saddle height being too high

The pad in my bib shorts (Pearl Izumi) has been crafted almost 3d and I reckon it's not matching me perfectly, and that's because I'm a fat git. No issues up to 70km but around the 100km it starts to feel "niggly" noticeable. I tend to not use chamois cream but on the longer rides I will put it on..then if I go out a couple of days later after a 100km I'll put on old shorts with a totally different pad so it doesn't keep repeating the aggro in the same place...yeah I know.... lay off the pies and chocolate and maybe 15kg less pummeling it may make the difference....

So, I'm.not contending with saddle sores of the skin but my joints or bones or muscles (I can't tell) down there are VERY sore. Feels like bone is impacted. That seat is digging into my seat bone. I straddle like I.would a horse and I think it's.the same.pain down there as riding a horse. I did just have on leggings . So I gotta find my cycling shorts with the cushion. I'm gonna try to pad up heavy

As soon I notice a problem I apply an antibiotic cream after showering and blow drying the area. Probably infected hair follicle.

I'm a both side pain in the bottom.

My left-right leg balance is 55-45% and the 45% side gets sore but not the other side. Pardon my stupidity but please could you help me know what to do? It’s stopping me ride after 1-1.5 hours which is a shame because I love it.

I get the really nasty ones you mention, on both sides too. I'm quite sure it's due to commuting as they stopped during COVID. 45 minutes commute each way and I use the same shorts to ride home.

In 29 years of riding(commuting/racing) I’ve never had a saddle sore or used chamois cream or had a bike fit - find the correct position , right bib shorts for your body (not just style or brand).

To deal with my saddle sore, after two dozen saddles and a million fit adjustments, which all failed to work, now I see a dermatologist and get an injection right into the sore spot every 8 weeks to control it.

Does Neil have any reccomendations for a saddle that's comfortable both when you're sitting upright on the sitbones and when you rotate your pelvis far forward into a TT-like position. I have an SLR boost and I have to move waaaay back to hit the pressure relief channel in that position and it just throws everything out of wack. Been eyeing the sqlab 613

Hey guys is your American distributor selling wahoo speed play titanium axles to the general public yet? I had to get some from china to increase my Q factor.

Nice thumbnail. “Have a look” 😂

What about the role of the bib/chamis?

Would love to hear Neil’s thoughts/opinion on the Infinity Seat bike saddle. Strangest saddle I’ve ever seen, but ridden to victory in this year’s RAAM.

Buy decent bib shorts in the right size helps.

I’ve been riding MTB for a few years and never had saddle sores until i started riding road bikes. It’s been 4 years and still haven’t been able to be comfortable on a road bike. What makes such a big difference?

Saddle sore both sides for me. It feels like I'm just irritated down there now, such that anything sets me off. Even if I could identify the cause, I don't think I could find the solution as I suspect that. I took basically a month off the bike in June, rode without issue for a month after that but now sores are back.

Wash your bum with soap every time you poop. Or use baby wipes if you must. Get out of shorts immediately after a ride and get washed and dried. Band aid strips can help if you get an infection and you can ride with them. But keeping clean and as dry as possible is key. As others have mentioned, shaving and leaving exposed hair follicles can make infection more likely. I find creams when riding make the situation worse as they trap salt and bacteria and moisture. But we’re all different.

Add antiperspirant/stick.

Chlorhexidin Powder works a charm if you deal with hair follicle and bacterial infections. Apply few hours befor the ride and after the shower.

Defense soap, tea tree oil , Defense Foam for the win :)

The only kind of problematic saddle sores are the hair follicle infection kind. A regular old friction sore wont kill your entire season like a chronic pussy painful zit on your butt. Every body has bacteria on their skin but some people are just more prone to getting infections. You need to knock down the bacteria count BEFORE you sit in the saddle for hours. There is a lot of mention of getting out of your chamois asap, which is good, but really too late. This seems to be hard for most athletes to comprehend because everybody wants to shower after a workout, but if you are prone to saddle sore infections you should wash up before you ride. You don't want to just hop on your bike after being at work all day, wipe it down! I have found that antibacterial wipes or showering before a ride is tremendously effective. Anti bacterial chamois cream is helpful as well but, not as effective if your putting it on a not clean bum. BTW the Assos cream( looks like that's what you use) is antibacterial and works the best IMHO.

If i get a saddle sore, its not an abrasion it's exactly what Neil says. Its always the single same hair follicle. I've dropped a pin on it, anyone who wants it i can share the coordinates. Sometimes I'll go there and have a few beers next to it when its not angry... Word against hair removal though. A trim is fine, but total removal/waxing is encouraging ingrown hairs and further infected follicles!

Always got sores on my left side. Changed saddle to the SMP Drakon and had a bike fit. Found I had leg length discrepancy so once that was fixed I was all sorted. I love the feel of sitting in the Drakon rather than on it but man they are ugly AF. Can't see it when i'm on the bike so who cares....right? 😅

Another cause is poorly fitting cycling shorts/bibs. In general, if they are too big and are able to move against your skin, the friction/abrasion can cause saddle sores. Newer cyclists tend to wear garments that are too big and are not "squeezed" into the shorts and this results in saddle sores.

For me its all on the left side

What about saddle choice for men who have prostate issues

Serious question! I do not know why but sometimes when I go for rides, I get bad stomach cramps. Then I have to find someplace to defecate. Usually I have to defecate/crap three times before I can get moving again. During this period I start sweating profusely and I feel weak. It takes about 20 minutes half hour or so I'm guessing to recover and finish my ride. This is extremely frustrating. Please help! I have asked Drs and they know nothing. Thank you!

Yep, left side. Pretty much 100% if I get a saddle sore.