Chamois Cream

[Splash]

I have never used any type of cream, balm or ointment on my crotch area for bike riding.

now, i am thinking of trying it to help soften pressure points a little.

what cream do you use and/or recommend?

splash

[dave thompson]

Udderly Smooth, Bag Balm and Chamois Butt'r all good but most likely not available where you are. Go buy something your LBS carries and try. If you like it buy more.

[Cicli]

I like DZ Nuts.

Well, the chamois cream anyway. Dont anyone go getin the wrong idea.

[malcolm]

I generally only use the stuff for long rides, 60 plus. I've used the ones Dave mentions and they are good. I personally don't like the tingly ones. I used to use noxema and if I recall it worked ok as well.

[tiretrax]

Assos, Chamois Butt'r. Really, they're all good. Your choice will be limited by what you want to spend. I used Boudreaux's Butt Paste and some other diaper rash ointment when my children were little because it was in the house. The zinc oxide was good to have, but there was residual paste in the chamois after washing, so I quit using it.

[Shortsocks]

Udderly Smooth, Bag Balm and Chamois Butt'r all good but most likely not available where you are. Go buy something your LBS carries and try. If you like it buy more.

I've tried most of them, assos was just too thin for me and $$$ was just nuts. Udderly Smooth is what I use. Really great stuff. And inexpensive. 6 bucks at CVS.

On a side note, my wife loves assos.

[biker72]

Been using Bag Balm for years.

[CNY rider]

Rapha butt cream is made with the tears from weeping virgins on the slopes of Mt. Ventoux.
And it has a nice scent too!

[11.4]

Rapha butt cream is made with the tears from weeping virgins on the slopes of Mt. Ventoux.
And it has a nice scent too!

Yeah. It's people like you that create a need for butt-softener.

I'll never get into a car alone with you. That's all I have to say.

As for chamois cream, there are astringents (some love them, some hate them, but best if your problems are with inflamed follicles and such), heavy lubricants (good for when you actually deal with chafing rather than pounding or follicles), and creams (which work fine for shorter length rides and for those who want to have a smoother ride but not feel like Mr. CNY Rider above with his KY strategy).
Pick the one that meets your needs and if it doesn't work, change.

There are some independent products like Bag balm, vaseline, etc. that are petroleum based. These do not wash out well, impregnate the chamois (I use that verb with caution, thanks again to Mr. CNY Rider), and can cause boils or pimples if you have problems with blocked follicles. Over time, your chamois quality declines if it gets saturated with something like petroleum jelly and it can be bad for your butt in hot weather or in prolonged wet weather riding. Some people are fine with that, some aren't. But be careful about it.

[Splash]

thanks guys.

Some fantastic response there!

I currently do not suffer form any chaffing, butt pimples or inflamation when i ride...

I am mainly after something that could perhaps alleviate some pain generated from impact and/or friction?



Splash

[FlashUNC]

Assos is the gold standard imo. I like Rapha's stuff a lot as well, a bit more viscous.

[Louis]

I use Udderly Smooth. It's incredibly cheap, available nearly everywhere (Walgreen's, WalMart, etc.).

They also have a cycling-specific formulation, but that's not as easy to find. That version adds shea butter. The plain version works fine for rides of 2 hrs or less, which covers most of my riding.

Edit: I used to use Assos until they changed the formulation to one where you're supposed to apply it to your butt, not the chamois. That's too much of a hassle if you're changing in the car, and to be honest, I didn't even notice a difference between the Assos cream ($$$$) and the Udderly Smooth ($)

http://www.uddercream.com/productimages/original.jpg

[eddief]

I would not trust an opinon of anyone with less than 100 postings. Mods get on it. Talk about low balling.

[Johnnyg]

I would not trust an opinon of anyone with less than 100 postings. Mods get on it. Talk about low balling.

Did you say, "low balling?" mmm

[dave thompson]

Did you say, "low balling?" mmm

Yes he did. Keep an eye on him.

[LJohnny]

assos didn't do much for me. I have good luck with chamois butt'r

[Splash]

i need somethign that can last 4 hours...

??


splash

[Lovetoclimb]

I have used a lot of the creams on the market and will rank them below with a quick blurb about why they get their respective ranking:

#1 - Doc's Skincare Chamois Cream: Viscous enough that it does not break down after 3+ hours, has a substantial amount of tea tree oil in it, and comes in large tubs for the $20 asking price.

#2 - Any Mad Alchemy (I typ. use Euro Pro or Pro Plus, even La Femme): small company out in CO which cares highly about its product, works great except in very hot weather where Doc's works better, some of the better "smelling" product out there. Noticeably less viscous than Doc's

#3 - Rapha: Pricey but it works maybe slightly better than Mad Alchemy, but not as good as Doc's. Best smelling IMO, if you can score some on sale worth a try for sure

#4 - Assos: Used this for years until I discovered Mad Alchemy and Rapha. Never noticed a formulation change but it was really the only thing I used for rides in the 2-8 hr range.

#5 - Chamois Butt'r: Another value priced option, but the only thing I really like is the to-go packets for any ride over 6 hours in which case I like to re-apply after the 4 hours mark just to keep the saddle contact points happy. A very middle of the road option IMO, but easy to find at LBS/REI

#6 - DZ-Nuts: Just never thought very highly of it, but I know people who like it okay.

I typically keep a mix of stuff around and use different ones depending on the length of the ride. Since I ride any of 5 different bikes switching between a Fizik Aliante (road and cross bikes), Fizik Gobi (MTB), and Brooks Cambium (road bike), my contact points can get a bit agitated. What is baffling are people I know who swear by NOT using chamois cream. Iron taints!

[Louis]

Other than axle grease, can anything really last 4 hrs? Especially if it's hot and you're sweating.

[Hank Scorpio]

I use the Paceline butt'r for shorter rides but the best I have found is Beljum Budder. I tried the Assos and one called Freddy's something or other. I also want to try the Mad Alchemy balm but I have a mild skin reaction to their pre-ride oil so I am a bit hesitant.

[kramnnim]

I use the euro style Butt'r...for no reason, it was the first one I tried and I've had no reason to try something else. It was fine for over 50 5+hour rides in 2013...

I also apply tea tree oil every so often...maybe once a week? Otherwise I'll randomly get a saddle sore.

[Splash]

As i don't use any creams/lotions at all - and never have, and i do not have chaffing, sores, etc - what advantage would the creams provide me?


SPlash

[Louis]

As i don't use any creams/lotions at all - and never have, and i do not have chaffing, sores, etc - what advantage would the creams provide me?

Originally, back in the day when chamois were made of real leather, you absolutely, 100% of the time, had to use something to keep them from getting dried out and rock hard after a few washes.

These days synthetic chamois don't really need that, but I think most folks got used to using something on the chamois, so we keep doing it. If you have no problems at all "down there" then it might not be worth it to do anything differently.

[Black Dog]

No problems down below then cream will be of little use to you. I find that with good shorts any ride of less than 150km can be a cream free ride. YMMV.

[Splash]

Thanks boys...

What about reducing friction on sit bones?

Splash

[spartanKid]

I've tried DZ nuts, Assos, Chamois But'r, Hammer Seat Saver, and Button hole.

They all work. I like the ones that tingle/cool, but that's just personal preference. I think the only one of that group I wouldn't get again is the Hammer. I dont' like the smell that much and the texture is much more like ACTUAL butter than the others. I like the ones that go on smoother.

[kramnnim]

As i don't use any creams/lotions at all - and never have, and i do not have chaffing, sores, etc - what advantage would the creams provide me?


SPlash

Might depend on how much you ride. Or maybe you're just lucky!

Now that I'm used to it, it feels weird when I forget.

[11.4]

Yes he did. Keep an eye on him.

I'm staying away from the bunch of you.

[ceolwulf]

Back In The Day™ riders would put a raw steak* in their shorts for this purpose.

Personally I spend enough on average per ride on tubes etc. as it is so have not attempted this method. If you decide to try it please report back.**



*T-bone not advised
**was it tenderized or toughened?

[11.4]

Back In The Day™ riders would put a raw steak* in their shorts for this purpose.

Personally I spend enough on average per ride on tubes etc. as it is so have not attempted this method. If you decide to try it please report back.**



*T-bone not advised
**was it tenderized or toughened?

Yup. Back when. Many years ago, like when Tater was still a young boy.

The steak is not the perfect solution. Some people used maxi pads. The point was padding, not some magical elixir. If it HAD been a magic elixir, Rapha would have bottled it and marketed it like high end cosmetics.

[11.4]

Rapha butt cream is made with the tears from weeping virgins on the slopes of Mt. Ventoux.
And it has a nice scent too!

Go to Neiman Marcus and this is how $1,400 face creams are actually sold. Seriously. We get such a deal.

[Louis]

$739 / oz Link here (http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/most-expensive-creams/p64532/page10)

I'm switching from the Assos cream to this:

At first glance, the ingredient list for this $739-per-ounce cream doesn't look particularly unique. But mysterious acronyms abound, such as ACE (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme), aka vitamin A, and MACC (Methyl Aminomethylcyclohexane Carboxamide HCI), which "strengthens the functions of lymphatic channels." Add hyaluronic acid, vitamin C-ethyl and rose fragrance (made from a "rare and special variety of rose") and you've got yourself one complicated-sounding cream that tops even Cle de Peau (their next-expensive cream, La Creme, is $500 per ounce).

http://images.totalbeauty.com/content/photos/expensive-face-creams-p09.jpg

[oldpotatoe]

i need somethign that can last 4 hours...

??


splash

Find some Dr Naylor(or Bag Balm-more lanolin, smells worse)..use it on YOU, not your chamois..little goes a long way..medicated. Great for abrasions/diaper type rashes also..also small cuts on your hands..

http://www.drnaylor.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=30&Itemid=60

Sold it in the store for over 10 years..great stuff.

[dekindy]

Tried them all and Enzo's ButtonHole is the one that I now use. Most LBS's in my area now carry it.

[El Chaba]

It's a little hard to find, but I really like the Relief creme that Nalini makes...

[tiretrax]

For the sit bones, stand and pedal for a minute every 10-15 minutes of riding.

I put the goo on me, not the chamois. An artificial chamois doesn't need cream, as explained earlier. Boudreaux's and Balmex last that long, but if you aren't getting sores, I don't think you need it.

[shovelhd]

Udderly Smooth in the jar. I get it at the local farm supply store. It has a disinfectant which helps prevent saddle sores. It's thin and non greasy and washes completely out of the chamois.

[dekindy]

I have read this thread and even though ButtonHole is working well for me I am going to try some of Doc's.

Changed my mind, sticking with ButtonHole.

[oldpotatoe]

I have read this thread and even though ButtonHole is working well for me I am going to try some of Doc's.

Changed my mind, sticking with ButtonHole.

'Butt on hole' what a hoot.

[11.4]

'Butt on hole' what a hoot.

Hey, sir, let's not let that blood pressure get up there.

I parsed it differently and still had a laugh.

This thread is one of the more amusing ones in a while. But then, the subject is. Everyone remembers the old Zabriskie ads, including the one introducing DZ Nuts for women. The things that amuse us.