> 5. Crotch pain: Get padded bike underwear, and switch it out post-ride to keep it dry.
Having padded shorts helps, but saddle sores are usually a result of poor fitness and poor ride ergonomics. Most bikes sold to casual riders enforce a very vertical position in which a lot of the body's weight is supported by the butt, which then gets "bruised" and over exerted. A comfortable ride is one where you rest your weight equally on your arms, legs and butt.
My advice for people suffering saddle sores is to ride more and get stronger legs and better pedaling technique that can support their weight over the complete pedal stroke.
My point was meant for novice riders which probably don't ride the distances where regular wear vs cycling bibs really have an impact. For a 5km ride to work and 5km back I think it's safe to leave the padded shorts at home but you could still have a sore bum because of bad fitness.
Having padded shorts helps, but saddle sores are usually a result of poor fitness and poor ride ergonomics. Most bikes sold to casual riders enforce a very vertical position in which a lot of the body's weight is supported by the butt, which then gets "bruised" and over exerted. A comfortable ride is one where you rest your weight equally on your arms, legs and butt.
My advice for people suffering saddle sores is to ride more and get stronger legs and better pedaling technique that can support their weight over the complete pedal stroke.