Good post on dealing with saddle sores in longer rides.

https://smilyanp.com/adventure/how-to-c ... dle-sores/

FWIW my minimalist first aid pack includes a couple of sanitary towels as they make excellent dressings.

it must be terrible if you suffer from saddle sores.
I have always been very lucky, and In 38 years of riding, I have never suffered from them, or ever needed to wear cycling shorts.
my arse is tougher than a blind cobblers thumb...……….

Carol always thought I was weirdo for nicking her Tampax for emergency fire lighting, this could be even trickier to explain

On Saturdays 160 miler (and I do this often on plus100 milers) i used honey+sudocrem impregnated Lusso cycling chamoise/shorts...

Where on earth do you buy them I hear you say... well I did it myself and seems to be working wonders for me. First time I tested it I might have added a bit too much honey as my mtb pants were a bit sticky from seepage and should around the backside. Must have been interesting for people trying to decipher what was going on at the shops!!

Now I think I've developed the perfect blend of sudrocrem to honey ratio. Be warned to not try with cheap (added sugar?? ) types of honey as sugar into a wound could become septic I'd imagine... Honey on the other hand would keep it all sterile.

Thats just my 2 pence

I saw that post too
I was pleasantly surprised to see that they could manage the situation effectively, but also that they managed to heal quickly too

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 11:28 am Good post on dealing with saddle sores in longer rides.

https://smilyanp.com/adventure/how-to-c ... dle-sores/

FWIW my minimalist first aid pack includes a couple of sanitary towels as they make excellent dressings.

Just read that article... Very interesting and informative (thanks Colin)...

For the LeJOG I'm a bit nervous of saddle sores runing it all for me. So I think I have the antiseptic and friction kindof sorted (maybe might think about vaseline and experiment with it). For the cleanliness bit I'm sorted aswell (I think) as everytime I need to use the loo I always (religious reasons) have to wash down below anyway. This does sometimes present with the problem of washing off the sudocrem from my bottom but then with it impregnated into the shorts I find it ok enough (obviously more experimentation needed to see what works for me).

Lastly the sanitary pads. I'd probably not be going down that route (for the LeJOG) cos even if I did the constant changing would be a nightmare anyway... Am thinking to take 2 sets of (thin) chamoise shorts. Wash one and attach somehow to the saddlepack for drying... and wear the other thats been cleaned the night before!

Thanks so much Colin... Excellent thread

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 11:28 am FWIW my minimalist first aid pack includes a couple of sanitary towels as they make excellent dressings.

Wouldn’t actual wound dressings make the best dressings to pack in a first aid kit?

which is lightest

Lazarus wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:28 pm which is lightest

Good point.
Sorbisan Flat 10cmx10cm - sterile calcium alginate wound dressing - 10g

Natracare Maxi sanitary towel - 15g

Piece of gaffer tape - 5g

I would've thought Metanium would be better than Sudo Cream on actual sores...? I can remember one of the kids getting really bad nappy rash once, Metanium was the solution, Sudo Cream just wasn't up to the task. Having said that, I carry a small pot around with me, just in case...

It's been a while but I remember Metanium staining everything yellow if you get the heavy duty stuff. It really does do the job though.

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 2:37 pm On Saturdays 160 miler (and I do this often on plus100 milers) i used honey+sudocrem impregnated Lusso cycling chamoise/shorts...

Where on earth do you buy them I hear you say... well I did it myself and seems to be working wonders for me. First time I tested it I might have added a bit too much honey as my mtb pants were a bit sticky from seepage and should around the backside. Must have been interesting for people trying to decipher what was going on at the shops!!

Now I think I've developed the perfect blend of sudrocrem to honey ratio. Be warned to not try with cheap (added sugar?? ) types of honey as sugar into a wound could become septic I'd imagine... Honey on the other hand would keep it all sterile.

Thats just my 2 pence

Isn't sudocrem already an antiseptic? What is the honey doing? Other than making a horrendous mess?

I can't help thinking that just using a purpose made chamois cream would be a lot less faff! :Lol

Lol... yes. You might be right. Maybe iys giving me peace of mind. Like driving a Toyota as opposed to a Ranault

Sudocrem on its own never really used to work much for me and if the ratio is right then its suprisingly non-messy

For road riding I have been using Assos chamois cream and its worked out pretty well for me. Anything up to about 200km and one application is enough. Anything longer than that I find a quick wipe off with a wet wipe and then reapply every 150km or so works out well.

Never needed it for off-road riding, however, my knees thank me for doing more riding on the road these days.

EDIT: I can still be a bit sore at the end of the day and if so I make sure I wash ASAP, dry then Sudocrem over night.

In personal experience with the kids (and me ) and on advice of the missus (nurse, though not quite the font of all medical knowledge she might like to think ) Sudocreme is day2day stuff and pretty mild/bland. If you need healing then Metanium. You're not wrong about the colour-effect

The wonders of the internet give this info, Sudocreme:

Zinc oxide

a dermatological agent with astringent, soothing and protective properties.

Benzyl alcohol

a local anaesthetic with disinfectant properties.

Benzyl benzoate

an acaricide and has been used as a pediculicide, insect repellent and pharmaceutical solubilising agent. It is a constituent of many natural balsams and is one of the principal esters of Peru Balsam.

Benzyl cinnamate

this is the other principal ester of Peru Balsal BPC 1973. It is synthetised from benzyl alcohol and cinnamic acid which has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Peru Balsam is categorised as having a mild antiseptic action because of cinnamic acid and its derivatives present.

Lanolin

resembles the sebaceous secretions of human skin. The grade (hypoallergenic) used is manufactured so as to exclude many sensitising substances present in the lanolin.

And for Metanium:

The combination of titanium salts with a water repellent siliconised base forms a tenacious non-occlusive film on the skin which protects against irritation and repeated hydration.

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2020 8:03 am Lol... yes. You might be right. Maybe iys giving me peace of mind. Like driving a Toyota as opposed to a Ranault

Sudocrem on its own never really used to work much for me and if the ratio is right then its suprisingly non-messy

I reckon Toyota's lawyers will be on the phone if you're comparing their cars to sudocrem and honey!

I always thought like Neil, chamois cream as prevention and Sudocrem for recovery. It seems a bit thick to use while riding.