Thanks for your experiments & analysis! This is a problem I occasionally have, so I’ll keep your tips in mind.
1 Like
Agreed that the targeted number is a 0. I’m tentatively inclined to blame the soreness after experiment #2 on the lingering damage caused by the Anti-Monkey-Butt experiment - that really did require more recovery time than what I was used to in the past. So I’m going to run the same combination (Bag Balm + no underwear) at my next ride, and go from there.
However, the drastic improvement led me to believe that this problem is more related to pinching/chafing from skin on skin and clothes than the saddle. I wouldn’t say I ever have any bruising (which is the kind of thing I would attribute to a “blunt instrument” such as the pommel) - it’s more these little micro-tears/rubs that occur. I’ll ride in the exact same conditions as the encouraging experiment after I’ve fully healed and see what that’s like, and then maybe play around with various undergarments. If I can’t find a winning scenario somewhere in there, I will reevaluate saddle fit.
Thanks for continuing to provide suggestions! It helps very much to have other brains involved. Hopefully this can help others going forward 
