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  • My tuppence on saddle sores is that you either get them or you don't and there's not a lot you can do about it in the short term.

    Weight has to be a big factor - heavier people don't have any different skin.

    Experiment with different saddles and types of shorts (and when you find good ones, buy a few as they won't always be available).

    If your saddle is too high you will be more likely to get them from additional rubbing. I've found that lowering my saddle slightly helped a bit with saddle sores that were already established (but fucked my knees as didn't tighten seat clamp properly)

    In the long term, ride loads to get your skin used to it and your position dialled in.

    I used to think hygiene was important, until I discovered ultra racing and people wearing the same shorts for a month with no issues. Keep things clean, but obsessive / extreme hygiene won't fix an underlying issue.

  • My tuppence on saddle sores is that you either get them or you don't and there's not a lot you can do about it in the short term.

    This isn't really a solution to aim for, but an interesting experience: In 7400km NCT, about half way through, I had bloody saddle sores, kind of shocking. After a good sleep and some hardening up, I grew a thicker skin somehow and stopped having problems for the rest of the race, felt like I could carry on forever. A dry layer was peeling off a while after the race.

  • Steve Abraham has talked in the past about having built up rhinoceros skin on his arse from volume of riding.

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