Nature Quickie: Friction in the Saddle

with biker & outdoor rec educator Beckie Irvin

Sex Outside Nature Quickies are short, 5-minute dives into a specific, practical topic about our bodies and the outdoors. This one features tip after tip from bike rider and outdoor rec educator Beckie Irvin, who has some pretty helpful insights when it comes to taking care of your crotch on longer distance or more frequent rides. Because, like it or not, sitting on a bike seat, day in and day out-- it can take a toll on a lot more than your muscles and joints.

Mentioned in this Bonus Content:

Additional Resources:

photos by Cottonbro / Pexels

photos by Cottonbro / Pexels

pexels-cottonbro-5914753.jpg

Hosted by Laura Borichevsky.
Cover artwork by Hailey Hirst.
Music by Calica licensed via MusicBed.

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This transcript was lightly edited and created using a transcription service. As such it may contain spelling errors.

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

You’re listening to a Sex Outside Nature Quickie-- a short 5-minute dive into a specific, practical topic about our bodies and the outdoors. I’m Laura Borichevsky.

Beckie Irvin:

I haven’t talked about it with my friends, but… we should talk about butt calluses.

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

Beckie Irvin has a strong background in many things, but at the end of the day, it all seems to lead back to biking. From outdoor trip leading to education in sport and rec management to digital marketing-- she’s even co-founded her own organization to increase representation and inclusion in the mountain biking community-- Beckie is always thinking about what life on two wheels is like and where she can go next. Which means that she *also* has some pretty helpful insights when it comes to taking care of your crotch in the process. And, as you can imagine, that’s *exactly* why we knew she needed to join us for a Nature Quickie.

Because, like it or not, sitting on a bike seat, day in and day out-- it can take a toll on a lot more than your muscles and joints.

Beckie Irvin:

When you start getting into long distance writing, people tend to figure out pretty quickly that your crotch will get raw from the friction that your bike saddle is creating. And if you're wearing, I mean, any type of short, that's not fitted closely to the skin-- that can cause a pretty significant amount of friction. That's not to say that you can't wear loose clothing. Like I ride in denim shorts all the time, but there's some things that you can do to decrease that friction a little bit. It makes sense. Like even in sex, no one wants a lot of friction like that. Part of your body's not made for friction. 

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

One of the things you can do to reduce friction, like Beckie said, is to consider what you’re wearing on bottom. For some folks, something called a chamois works really well.

Beckie Irvin:

A chamois is a pair of shorts with a big pad sewn in that kind of covers between your legs and like the bottom side of your butt. I do recommend them for longer rides. And thankfully you can usually find some that are in the 30 to $50 range. 

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

Chamois *can* make your ride more comfortable, potentially-- and for a lot of first-time bikers, it might look from the outside like wearing a chamois is essential gear. But this isn’t completely true. Lots of bodies need different things while riding, and chamois may or may not be the best option for you. And, if you *do* decide that a chamois is something you want to try, it’s important to know right away that all that extra padding can also be a breeding ground for bacteria.


Beckie Irvin:

If I'm wearing a chamois with that big thick diaper pad in it, I try to get out of them as quickly as possible after a bike ride, just to avoid potentially getting a UTI. And I have some friends who like, they can't stay in their chamois for more than 10 minutes. And it's kind of a joke too, in the cycling community. It's like, “what's the longest that you've ever stayed in your chamois?” Because you're just like, “no…”, in your mind, you're like, “I need to get out of this”. Like, it's not good. 

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

So, chamois definitely have an expiration date after your bike ride is over. Check. Something that can help make getting changed faster, easier-- even if you can’t shower right away-- might be bringing a change of clothes along with you, or leaving them at your final destination. Loose-fitting shorts or a skirt that you don’t have to wear underwear with will help facilitate the drying process post-bike ride, so keep that in mind when packing. 

And, speaking of going commando-- Beckie suggests no underwear for chamois either, to reduce friction and bacteria build up. Which might be good news for some folks who menstruate.

Beckie Irvin:

I free bleed into my chamois. I hate wearing a tampon because of the way my body is positioned over the bicycle. I can always feel a tampon inside. And so I just free bleed. And I think that's another thing that, like, I just had to decide for myself one day, because no one talks about it that I'm just going to start doing this. 

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

Beckie’s right-- there’s not a lot of information out there in the open when it comes to managing periods and taking long distance bike rides. But some professional cyclists who menstruate have said that pads don’t adhere to the inside of chamois very well, and if you do use a tampon to ensure the string is tucked away too, as even that can create friction resembling a rope burn. Ouch. If you’ve ever tried period underwear and liked it, we’d guess that free bleeding into a chamois would be a safe bet to try-- but if it wasn’t for you, another option, like a tampon or a menstrual cup, might be more effective for your body. It’s all incredibly personal so be open to a little trial and error if you’re bleeding and biking at the same time.

Either way, when all’s said and done, your chamois is probably going to be pretty gnarly after a long ride, so washing it as soon as possible is essential to keeping your shorts adventure-ready in the future. Make sure you wash them inside out and avoid any detergents your skin might be sensitive to.

Something else you might be washing off of your shorts is chamois cream, which, for better or worse, sounds pretty essential for long-distance rides the way Beckie explains it.

Beckie Irvin:

I use chamois cream, which if I'm being honest, it feels a little bit like sitting in a yeast infection treatment at first. Because it's just like that cold, creamy feeling, but it does help so much. I use it pretty much anytime I ride over 30 miles. And when I was first starting out, I put it on even for like a 10 mile ride. So I recommend chamois cream to everyone. It's not the best feeling in the world, but you'll be so thankful one to two hours into your ride when you're not in tons of pain. And I usually carry these little tiny packets, almost like a ketchup packet that you can take on your bike. So if you need to reapply, it's super easy to do that. And I usually find like a construction site with a port-a-potty and so I'll just stop and go inside a port-a-potty and put on more chamois cream, or you can just squat in the woods and reapply. 

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

Beckie doesn’t often wear chamois cream for short rides anymore, and it brought up a topic we’re guessing most folks don’t talk about often-- if ever.

Beckie Irvin:

This might be too much information, but I have calluses on my butt now, because I ride so much. And so I don't need chamois cream as much. Just like being honest there, there, there 

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

So-- after learning about butt calluses, we *did* do some online research to see if anyone else was talking about them. And in the dimly-lit corners of Reddit subthreads, some folks are. But to be honest, we’re guessing this is less of a sign of butt calluses being a rare occurrence, and more of a sign that folks who get them aren’t really talking to their friends about it but rather seeking the advice of anonymous internet strangers. Anecdotally, Beckie validated this with her own experiences.

Beckie Irvin:

I've actually only heard one other person bring it up before and she brought it up first. She was like, “I just have calluses on my butt now.” And I was like, ”...oh, someone else!” I remember the first time I saw them. It was after I had written a hundred miles in one day and I went into the bathroom to take a shower. And I just happened to catch myself in the mirror, like my backside. And I was like, what happened to my butt? It was destroyed. Thankfully, they're like, not that bad all the time. It only happens when I'm training and really riding longer distances consistently. 

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

So-- sweaty shorts, friction, free bleeding, chamois cream, butt calluses-- there’s probably *way* more to potentially consider when it comes to long distance riding than you initially thought of. But that’s all part of the experience, right? Going outdoors allows us to learn more about our bodies, and biking is no exception. Which brings us to *one* last thing Beckie wanted to mention when it comes to crotches, biking, and their connection to our overall health-- especially for those with vulva parts.

Beckie Irvin:

Sometimes on these longer rides, one side of my labia will just be on fire. And after consulting with a friend who is an athletic trainer, I now think that it's a signal that my hips are out of line. And so if this ever happens to you on your bike, know that it's normal and it happens. You might need to go to the chiropractor and it's super normal for cyclists to like have to get their hips realigned, especially if you're doing ultra long distance and like bouncing around on this machine and in this saddle for hours on end, like we're constantly dealing with weird little aches and pains down there.

Laura Borichevsky - Narration:

Thanks for tuning in to this Sex Outside Nature Quickie, and for Beckie Irvin for joining us for this episode. For more information to continue your research, click through our show notes and check out our other resources. You can find more from Beckie on Instagram (and on TikTok) @beckieirvin_, and follow along with us @sexoutsidepod for more action between episodes. Music is by Calica. I’m Laura Borichevsky. Thanks so much for joining us. Until next time!

QuickieLaura BorichevskyMenstruation, Hygiene, Smells, VaginasComment