Saddle Sores? Get Knotted!

Apologies in advance. This article is going to finish with a bit of a rant. But before that on to the subject in hand, especially if said hand has to be the frequent applier of ointment to saddle sores.

I've ridden tens of thousands of miles over the years. Included in these have been some pretty extreme events like 12 hour time trials and 900 mile Audaxes accompanied by continuous rain.

So long term comfort has always been a priority and over the years I have only occasionally suffered from rear end pain and never to the extent of preventing me riding.

In part this is due to me following one simple rule about cycle shorts that I think is absolutely critical but seems seldom mentioned, especially in comparison to the amount of attention given to saddles.

Bottom line (sorry) is that if your shorts don't fit then no saddle will either.

To understand why forget saddles and think about sheets or socks. If you have ever slept in a bed with a poorly fitting sheet or walked long distances in socks that are too big you will understand the two basic rules about skin against cotton (or any other material) comfort,

• Snug and smooth is comfortable, ruffles lead to discomfort and blisters
• Movement combined with loose fitting = ruffles = above.

So the single most important thing that cycle shorts have to have is a chamois that is a snug smooth fit that will not budge after hours in the saddle.

That's the main reason for cycle shorts having straps. They are to ensure the fit remains smooth (they are not there for looks or convenience).

However straps will only do their job if they are tight. And tight when you are riding a bike.

Which brings me to the simple rule which I learned  from Assos when choosing a pair of their shorts (full disclosure I am Swiss but this doesn't make me biased at least not in the case because the advice is spot on)

The rule is

CYCLE BIBS SHOULD FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN STANDING UP STRAIGHT.

They should feel tight down your back and hamstrings and only feel OK if you bend at the hips i.e. adopt the position you would when riding a bike.

(The instructions also went on to apologise that this also meant that certain essential functions may involve a degree of contortion but explained that this was an unfortunate but essential side effect of having well fitting shorts).

So if you are experiencing saddle discomfort check your straps are tight. 

A simple hack if they feel loose is to put a knot in each. A slip knot is probably best as it will allow fine adjustment, once the ideal tightness has been determined it can then be fixed in place.

The downside to this might be the straps becoming uncomfortable. I haven't found this but an under-vest may help sort the problem out. Whatever the discomfort will hopefully not be as bad as the alternative.

Which bring me to my rant. Cycle clothing is a rip off, many garments cost a fortune. You can easily spend hundreds if not thousands getting fully kitted out.

For this price you would expect:

• To have a range of sizes that ensured everyone, regardless of shape, would get a correct fit
• Garments, like shorts, where fit is essential should have the ability to fine tune size in this case by having some form of system to adjust strap length. The cheapest pair of dungarees has this, why don't shorts costing hundreds?

Rant over.