Don’t freak out; there’s a perfectly good reason we’re suggesting this – and why thousands of other serious cyclists do this, too. The reason we’re promoting going commando has to do with saddle sores. If you’ve ever experienced these, you’ll know that they are very uncomfortable and can make riding impossible. Let’s take a look at how to prevent saddle sores and what role padded cycling shorts and cycling bib shorts play in their prevention.
What Are Saddle Sores?
Saddle sores are a type of skin irritation and damage that is caused by friction while riding a bicycle. There are four different types of sores: folliculitis (pimple-like infections surrounding hair follicles), ulcerations (losing the top layer of skin), chafing (irritation and redness), and furuncles (boil-like infection around hair follicles).
Saddle sores start out as simple chafing; though uncomfortable, chafing isn’t serious. It is, however, a sign that you need to change the type of clothing you cycle in. Left unchecked, chafing becomes ulceration, and ulceration can become infected and highly problematic.
How to Prevent Saddle Sores:
Obviously, saddle sores aren’t a good time - they keep you from doing what you love, cycling! So, in order to prevent them in the first place, we’ll need to address the following:
Ditch the Underwear
Underwear is not optimized for cycling (or any sport, really). The contrasting fabric, combined with additional bulk, moves around and creates more friction than necessary down there. If you want to avoid saddle sores and have a smoother, more comfortable ride, ditch the drawers! As a bonus, ditching the underwear will increase breathability in the groin area, reducing sweat and stink after a ride.
Apply Pad Cream Before Riding
Pad cream, also known as chamois cream, is a special topical ointment that reduces friction in the area. However, if your cycling bib shorts fit snugly, you may not even need this cream.
Make Sure Your Cycling Bib Shorts Fit Properly
Your padded cycling shorts should fit properly – this will help you avoid the dreaded saddle sores (and make cycling a more enjoyable experience, overall). Well-fitting cycling bib shorts will be skin-tight and you will have a hard time pinching the fabric to pull it away from your skin. However, the padded cycling shorts should not be so tight that they compress any part of your body out of proportion.
Selecting the Best Padded Cycling Shorts
In order to find the best cycling bib shorts for your body, you may have to try several different pairs. Here at MYN Sport, we’re dedicated to designing and fabricating ultra-flexible, super sleek padded cycling shorts that will fit your body perfectly.
For example, our R4- Bib shorts for men (also available for women) avoids silicone gripping to give you a smooth ride. For women, our FIT - Cycling Bib Shorts follow the same protocol, ditching the silicone grips to make way for a smoother riding experience. Check out our full collection of Men's Cycling Bibs and Bottoms and Women's Bibs and Bottoms today!