more on chamois butt'r...
ElizabethS -
Try other things, but keep using the butt'r!! My first bike tour was this past October, and I found that the chamois butt'r was really COLD first thing in the morning....I was so sore the end of the day I hadn't used it that I kept the bottle in my sleeping bag! Depending on when your tour is, you may also want to consider that!
Good luck finding some shorts that are a better fit for you!
where to find Chamois Butt'r
www.terrybicycles.com
www.rei.com (will ship to Canada)
www.bravesoldier.com
it's about 12$ (US) a tube....
Don't know of any Canadian sites (couldn't find it a Velotique.com)
I've also heard some say that they like Bag Balm, which is in a square green metal can, and is found in a lot of drugstores like CVS etc...
Chamois butt'r, vaseline or?
When I went on my 9 day, 550 mile ride across AZ, I used Desitin (sp? the stuff for baby diaper rash). It numbed the area a bit - which was nice during the last three days! - and helped prevent infections from the heat, moisture, etc. Even if you use something else, you might consider a topical antiseptic (especially one with a bit of numbing properties - did I mention that?) so that any potential infections can be headed off.
Another important thing - the minute I got into camp, hotel, where ever, I took the shorts off, washed well, put on a little more desitin & put on some loose pants. ahhh, heaven!