So, as I have bleated before, some knuckledragging nerf herder stole my beloved Brooks. I've survived a winter without it, but my maximum range was limited to around 60km, after which I would be mildly tender.
But Saturday it was warm, upper 20s C. I rode to a nearby market/Royal town, about 9km. I then socialised for a few hours in my shorts. By the time I was ready to head home, I could feel some stinging in my pants. For the record, my unsuitable saddle has a CUTOUT (well, technically a dip), so the bits that hurt are my bottom and inner thighs. My unmentionables are undamaged.
2 days later, and I am starting to heal. I can now sit on a seat or walk without wincing. Sunday was agonising. I still have deep purple welts across my upper thighs.
The times to save money by not buying a new saddle are over, I think.
Note #1: Yep, I know what I need to do, but this site needs more cyclingrelated(.uk) content!
Note #2: A friend suggested an eBay bargain Brooks. On closer inspection it was an Imperial with a CUTOUT. I wanted to emphasise that, so now my soft keyboard thinks that CUTOUT is always in all upper-case.
Note #3: this is the worst saddle soreness I have had. It's not open sores, so not a medical emergency, but in decades of cycling this is the worst potential damage I have done. If I had cycled on Sunday, I would probably be on IV antibiotics by the end of the week.