underware or no underware?

[Tokie]

One big reason to not wear underwear with your padded cycling shorts is to avoid chafing and pressure from the seams and elastic around the legs, not to mention if the underwear ends up folded or wrinkled between the chamois (bike shorts padding) and your tender bottom. Chamois cream or chamois butter is a product used to put directly on your bottom or your chamois (or both) depending on your preference. It is nice. This type of product reduces friction between your bottom and the chamois, reducing irritation.I think using chamois cream with underwear would be yuckky. Get those soggy bike shorts off as soon as you can after a ride to avoid developing "saddle sores" or other discomforts which thrive in a warm moist environment. Tokie

[kelownagirl]

None for me and can I add something new I learned yesterday. NEVER ride with your swim suit under your bike shorts! Owie! (Next time I'll just carry it to the pool. )

[Trekhawk]

None for me and can I add something new I learned yesterday. NEVER ride with your swim suit under your bike shorts! Owie! (Next time I'll just carry it to the pool. )

Thanks for the tip kelownagirl. I have been thinking about riding to the local pool for a swim sometime soon and Im sure I would have done the same thing as you.

Oh nearly forgot the original post - no undies when riding for me either.

[Flybye]

What is underwear?

+1 commando!!!

[motochick]

Commando, and the same rule applies for wetsuits! It used to drive me nuts seeing people trying to put on a wetsuit with board shorts underneath. Tourists. Chamois cream is also great.

Brenda

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It is nice. This type of product reduces friction between your bottom and the chamois, reducing irritation.I think using chamois cream with underwear would be yuckky.

I don't like oil-based stuff. I just use a little non-scented hypoallergenic hand cream. Cheap, washes out easily, and works great. Nothing yucky about it.

Interestingly, chamois were originally just a patch of soft leather in the biking pants to help prevent chafing. No foam, no padding at all. After much wear and washing, the leather patch would become stiff and thus 'chamois butter' or 'chamois cream' was invented as a leather softening product intended to keep the real leather chamois soft and pliable.
Now, we buy gel filled saddles, and big foam chamois made of space age anti-microbial materials and we still get raw and chafed and then buy expensive lube products to ease our raw bits!

[bounceswoosh]

I don't like oil-based stuff. I just use a little non-scented hypoallergenic hand cream. Cheap, washes out easily, and works great. Nothing yucky about it.

Interestingly, chamois were originally just a patch of soft leather in the biking pants to help prevent chafing. No foam, no padding at all. After much wear and washing, the leather patch would become stiff and thus 'chamois butter' or 'chamois cream' was invented as a leather softening product intended to keep the real leather chamois soft and pliable.
Now, we buy gel filled saddles, and big foam chamois made of space age anti-microbial materials and we still get raw and chafed and then buy expensive lube products to ease our raw bits!

Neat idea.

I'm starting to develop the notion that I do better with a thin chamois than the big thick type. Maybe it bunches up. My issue is definitely chafing. But then, not surprising, even wearing a skirt I can sometimes end up chafing ... or pants that are too loose ...

[kelownagirl]

Commando, and the same rule applies for wetsuits! It used to drive me nuts seeing people trying to put on a wetsuit with board shorts underneath. Tourists. Chamois cream is also great.

Brenda

But I'm assuming, not if you're doing a tri??

[alpinerabbit]

well you do not go top to bottom commando under a wetsuit in a tri - LOL !

but a tri suit or shorts&top will suffice.

[imdeanna]

What about 'that time of the month'?

anyone have any hints/suggestions for someone who doesn't use tampons?

or is that just the way to go?

(tad bit off the underware topic...but I didnt' want to open up an entire thread for this question)

[Tuckervill]

I rode my bike to the pool last summer, with just my suit on, and my suit has a little skirt. It was okay on the way down, but when my suit was still wet on the way back....Let's just say that saddle was a little too close to the parts.

Karen

[Tokie]

Imdeanna - there is a whole thread somewhere here about these cup things which you wear internally to catch menstrual flow. TE'ers like them is what I recall. Tokie

[Blueberry]

Search for diva cup. But be prepared - could be TMI for some

[Resi]

Noooooooooo underwear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never worn undi's under the cycling shorts, why do they have a chamois...

Also about the chamois buttr...full of chemicals...woudn't use it. If I had to use something like this, then only organic unrefined coconut butter -> no chemicals. Well lucky me, I never had to us this staff, not even on over the 100 miles rides...

But everybody is different, experiment and pick what your are comfortable with...good luck

Resi

[Geonz]

+1 ... But to each her own... I won't check yours if you don't check mine, though sometimes the lycra gets so worn *everybody* knows too much...