Need help with sore bottom! Not sure what to do...

Hi all. I have been back on the road again for about a month now. I have a mountain bike and a soft (but not too squishy Planet Bike Comfort Gel saddle with a groove down the center so my vaginal/labial area is ok) Lately, My butt has been sore but not the skin, just my muscles. Sometimes I feel a little sensitive where my sits bones are because the pain is exactly the same on both sides but it doesn't really bother me. I think I have a skin irritation of some sort. Yesterday I took a ride with some challenging hills (for me). My butt did not hurt during the ride too much. I have been shifting around the saddle trying to find my place. I also took most hills seated and only climbed upright a few times. My pain is in the back not in the front, my vaginal/labial area is doing alright. So, it was a very hot and humid day here in Omaha. The ride went so well and I was proud of myself because it went really well on the way home, I thought I would be hurting for sure, I wasn't, just tired. My clothes were soaked, I made my husband some dinner and then took off my clothes and I fell asleep. I woke up this morning with pain near my anus

and surrounding skin (SORRY!) but I am trying to be specific so you gals can tell me how I should handle this. So, I woke up this morning and immediately took a shower because I was so grossed out and mad at myself for falling asleep like that I was in the Marines and have done some camping so I can go a long time without showering. So, I washed really well and it feels a little better now. At first I thought, "Do I have a hemmoroid"? But no, I have had those before and the pain is not as specific as that. Since i started riding again i have been wearing cotton bikinis under cut off cotton sweat pants. I was hoping that with the gel seat I could avoid wearing tight shorts. I probably went 5 miles yesterday which is my longest ride yet but my other rides have been @ 3 miles or so. Any suggestion, help would be GREATLY appreciated. I have reviewed other posts/threads but am not what my problem is specifically. Thanks so much

First of all, there's really nothing wrong with sleeping before you take a shower. Your ancestors went entire months without one with no serious problems.

From the way you are speaking, I think the first thing you need to do is examine the area with lots of light and a mirror to eliminate surface problems.

Now if it is NOT a skin irritation, it could be that your squishy seat has you actually hurting your cocyxx bone. If that is the case, you need a bike fit.

Could be a heat rash...aggravated by hot weather, sweating, and pressure+friction. It can be painful in a place like that. Change your clothes and clean&dry that area well after a hot sweaty ride. Some talc might help too.

Sleeping naked might help it heal. (keeps it dry and air circulating)

I suspect your other 'bottom' pains will likely get better as you ride more often.

Good that you are not experiencing any pain in the 'girl parts' up front. I think those are harder to eliminate on the bike.

Thanks Biciclista : I will check myself out with lights and a mirror. After I started the thread the thought came to me that I felt like I had a really bad wedgie, just in the back. The gel seat is brand new (1 month) and still feels pretty firm. I am thinking that my "panties were all in a knot" (Literally) due to sweat but I did not feel uncomfortable during the ride. Just once I woke up. I fell on my coxyxx bone pretty hard after falling from a bike that was too big for me when I was a girl. So I know that pain. Are you thinking that the seat is pushing on my coxyxx and as a result the skin right in that area is irritated. I have been riding this bike for a month, wouldn't the irritation have occured already? Thanks so much for thinking this through with me, It is a real pain in the a**!!!

:confused

Thanks Lisa. I will get out of the wet clothes immediately. Also, My Mom says "Gold Bond" talc draws heat away from the body so I will try that. It will be kind of difficult to "air out" this area !!!! It never sees the light of day or catches a cool breeze but I agree, there is nothing better for a cut, lesion or rash than letting it air out at night if possible. Thank you!!! So much!!! Still looking for suggestions, anyone else?

I was getting chafing from the hair around my anus when I run. It doesn't bother me on the bike, but maybe that's a possibility? I'd never trimmed that hair before, but once I started running longer distances, I had to start keeping it short.

+1 on taking a look at the area to see what you can see. Not too hard with a hand mirror and a good light. (Mine looked like a baboon's @ss, it was that red. )

I had pain in the skin over the coccyx before I got a new saddle. It's hard to explain -- sort of felt like the skin/muscles in that area had been injured. It wasn't pain in the bone itself.

I'm not sure if that's similar to what you are describing, but for me it was a saddle issue. I was sliding around on the soft, squishy saddle and I think it stretched or injured the skin or muscle. All was well when I got a firmer saddle with the sit bones properly supported.

You mentioned shifting around on the saddle -- for me, that was a sign I had the wrong saddle. When I got the right one, I just fit right on it.

Don't wear cotton in hot, sweaty weather. You don't have to get spandex cycling shorts if you don't want to, but perhaps some loose-fitting mountain bike shorts with a liner will help to keep things from bunching up in sensitive places. Something made with Coolmax or similar, breathable material.