Blisters, abbrasions, and other losses of skin

[Bob S.]

If it's your clothes that are chafing, then by all means make a change or use bodyglide or vaseline, but if your tailbone is rubbing on the seat, consider that you may have a posture/technique issue to address.

If that's the case, try sitting very erectly on on the forward part of the seat on your "sitz" bones. Note that your tailbone is now not touching the seat. This posture should also help make sure that your pivot is from the hip (that is, where the thighbone meets the pelvis), instead of from the low back.

Good luck!

Alissa

A tailbone rubbing problem is usually the result of a seat installed backwards. Don't laugh, it isn't that hard to do. I have known of cases of neophyte rowers putting the seats into a boat backwards because they thought the the V-notch was supposed to go under their front. Examples of reversed installation of erg seats have been reported on this forum as well. The V-notch should be to the rowers back, so that there is space under the tail bone.

Bob S.

P.S. In regard to an earlier reference to the moon, it is an astronomical fact that the Sun, Venus, Earth, Luna, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and even Mercury (if you are lucky) can be seen with the naked eye, but that it helps to have a mirror to see Uranus.

[thomas144]

I noticed, for the first time this morning, that the newer machines have different, larger seats than the older machines.

(to me a newer machine is a PM3 - the older one at the gym next to it is the model I used to own, and use to use a lot).

I have been rowing daily again in the past year; I never had chafing problems before this year. I used to do the same workout daily about 13-14 years ago, and off and on in the intervening years.

I went looking to buy some "body glide" at the local bike shop (Cycle Loft in Woburn, MA) and instead found something called "Chamois Butt'r" which can't hurt. It's really just expensive vaseline, I suspect. I feel better already.

Anyway, Alissa, if you were responding to me, my problem is not with my tailbone it's really my butt.

[Scout]

OK, so I haven't gotten to the Vaseline yet, or the Bodyglide either, though that sounds like good stuff. However, I finally gave in and stuck the foam seat cushion on the erg seat. Someone earlier commented that the Model D has a different seat- they are correct, it's a different shape and that's been part of the issue for me. Anyhow, putting the cusion on (while initially making me feel like a wimp) seems to make enough of an adjustment that I'm not getting the chafing-blister-raw-skin-thing in that funny awkward spot anymore. Have gotten over the wimpy feeling, too .

[Gus]

Highly recommend Body Glide. I've used it for years for my running, but fortunately never had to use it for rowing or erging. It's so much easier to use than Vaseline and much less of a mess. It is "greasy" and has stained some of my running shirts. I use the BG on my nipples and the insides of my thighs. Never had a problem from chafing when it's been used.