Chamois Butt'r, etc

[Owlie]

Re: underwear -- yes, really. Some folks here do wear them under bike shorts with no problems, but most do better going commando. Bike shorts with a chamois are designed for you to wear nothing else with them. Underwear adds seams and can bunch up, which can both cause friction problems, and it also gets in the way of wicking and antibacterial properties of the chamois.

I cannot wear underwear with my shorts for more than about 10 miles. After that, things just start moving around and it's highly uncomfortable. Chamois cream...I don't use it, but I think I might have to when I start increasing my distance a bit more.

[ny biker]

I cannot wear underwear with my shorts for more than about 10 miles. After that, things just start moving around and it's highly uncomfortable. Chamois cream...I don't use it, but I think I might have to when I start increasing my distance a bit more.

I don't use the chamois butter for rides < 2 hours, because I generally don't need it. It does help me for longer rides.

[coffeeboss]

Wow, thanks for all the great tips! I'm hoping to do a 55 mile ride tomorrow, so will for sure try the sans-underwear shorts-wearing for the first time. Don't know if I'll have the chance to get ahold of any chamois cream before then, but I'm sure I'll find out by the end of the ride if there are issues. I know there are at least a couple of bike shops on the way in case I have a chafing emergency at least!

[Eden]

You don't have to go to a cycling specific store or get cycling specific cream if you want some chamois lube. Your local pharmacy will have options.

Lots of people use udder cream - Udderly Smooth is popular on my team (its not greasy), My husband likes Bag Balm - but it has a petroleum jelly base, so its kind of goopy and hard to clean out of shorts. I don't use much chamois cream, but I like plain old zinc oxide cream when I do. There's another current thread that mentions a powder, with the colorful name of Anti-Monkey Butt powder... but it actually sounds like something I might want to give a try, as I don't like creams too much.

[OakLeaf]

You don't have to go to a cycling specific store or get cycling specific cream if you want some chamois lube. Your local pharmacy will have options.

Aquaphor and pure shea butter (what I use) are other popular choices that you could probably find in a drugstore. Any sporting goods store and many shoe stores will have Body Glide, which is safe for "down there" as well.

Good idea to try without any lube. You may find you don't need it - and if you do, you'll have a better idea of where you need it.

If I need to re-apply lube during a ride, I put it on my person only. What was on my parts is now in my chamois, in addition to what I put there to begin with - so I don't figure I need to put any more on the chamois.

[nscrbug]

Aquaphor and pure shea butter (what I use) are other popular choices that you could probably find in a drugstore. Any sporting goods store and many shoe stores will have Body Glide, which is safe for "down there" as well.

Good idea to try without any lube. You may find you don't need it - and if you do, you'll have a better idea of where you need it.

If I need to re-apply lube during a ride, I put it on my person only. What was on my parts is now in my chamois, in addition to what I put there to begin with - so I don't figure I need to put any more on the chamois.

Aquaphor is also great for "after-ride" use, as well....especially helpful and soothing on sore lady bits. I used it extensively after an especially sore 100-mile ride last weekend, and was stunned at how much it actually helped with my tender and inflamed lady parts.

[Catrin]

Aquaphor is also great for "after-ride" use, as well....especially helpful and soothing on sore lady bits. I used it extensively after an especially sore 100-mile ride last weekend, and was stunned at how much it actually helped with my tender and inflamed lady parts.

I wish I had known about this today, I had to cancel a ride tonight due to soreness and inflammation from a ride this morning/saddle issues. Thanks for the information! I am hoping the problem will be solved Friday, but this is great information to have for the future.

+1 for pure shea butter, have tried this as a chamois cream to help deal with the saddle issues and it has been helpful.