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Saddle sores



A saddle sore is a skin ailment on the buttocks due to, or exacerbated by, riding on a bicycle saddle. It often develops in three stages: skin abrasion, folliculitis (which looks like a small, reddish acne), and finally abscess. Because it most commonly starts with skin abrasion, it is desirable to reduce the factors which lead to skin abrasion. Some of these factors include:

  • Reducing the friction due to bobbing or swinging motion while pedaling, by setting the appropriate seat height.
  • Selecting an appropriate saddle.
  • Wearing good cycling shorts, with chamois padding.
  • Using petroleum jelly, chamois cream or lubricating gel to further reduce friction.

If left untreated over an extended period of time, saddle sores may need to be drained by a physician.

In horses, saddle sores commonly form around the front girth area and are usually caused from riding out-of-shape horses too long or hard, or from having the girth too tight. Reducing friction is also of great help in preventing equine saddle sores.

See also

  • Cycling
  • Bicycling
  • Cycling shorts

References

  • Rivendell Bicycles page on saddle sores.
  • GORP page on saddle sores.
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Saddle_sores". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
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