How do you prevent a massacre in your lady garden?

Just wondering how other ladies manage to prevent things getting sore when on the bike.

I've tried shorts with thin padding, shorts with alot of padding and a padded seat and nothing seems to be making much of a difference.

So..what do you do?

butter???

rancid lady garden on a hot day...

Actually, I think my bars are a bit too far forward (or my seat too far back) and so alot of pressure is going through the front bits. Maybe that's what's doing it.

Change your saddle.  Definately avoid thickly padded shorts and padded seat covers, as they will tend to 'bunch'. 

Saddles are individual things, what works for one person may not 'fit' someone elses.  But it yours isn't working then try a new one, give is at least 5 rides of increasing duration to get used to it.

Regular cycling will help too, part of it just comes from time in the saddle.

I'm not sure I want my bits toughening up - callouses and hard skin doesn't sound too appealing!

Do most bike shops allow you to buy a saddle and swap it after a few days if it's not right for you?

don't add any padding on the saddle like these Tesco spin gel saddle things... is carp!

the Specialized Body Geometry ones for girls seem to be received well.

botty butter in fact

also know as assos chamois cream, or the ozone one is very good.

Have a look at wiggle, usually about 10 quid a tub. Last you 3-4 months!

Well worth it

I was expecting horror stories of waxing gone wrong

Saddle - make sure you have one with cut outs if it's your bits that are suffering,  There are plenty to choose from.  You might need to try a few before you settle on the one that suits you.  (I'm up to 4 tried and tested and discarded so far)

Position is crucial.  Make sure that the height and reach is good so that you aren't shifting in your seat as you pedal.  And that the saddle is horizontal.  You need it to be as level as possible.

Vaseline / body butter up beforehand.  Prevent the chaffing before you start.

Good fitting shorts - I cycled yesterday with new tri shorts with no 'cushioning' and was fine in the chaffing department.  Compare that to last weekend wearing my winter bike tights which are well padded but are now too big for me - oooh raw and hurty just because they were shifting underneath me.  I was sudocreming big time afterwards. 

But as others have said HTFU.  That doesn't mean calluses.  It means getting your body used to being on the bike for longer periods which you can only do by going out for longer. 

www.crotchguard.co.uk

Brilliant stuff. Use liberally. Helps with HTFU.

Anyway, don't think of it as a massacre, more as landscape gardening.

The glass is half full and all that..

The glass is half full and all that..

If you're sticking a glass in there that may be part of the problem.