bikepacking Q: chamois/undercarriage hygiene?

[wallymann]

I prefer to start a ride with a fresh/clean/dry chamois and end a ride by getting out of my shorts and getting clean/dry asap.

what are the options on a multi day excursion?

[Marc40a]

I bring a second pair of bike shorts and a pair of lightweight running shorts.

The running shorts are nylon with a built in liner. They serve as my pajamas, camp shorts, and bathing suit.

I clean my bike shorts in a sink or in a plastic bag with environmentally friendly soap. Ideally they dry during the day - I strap them to the outside of a bikebag.

If I have to choose between semi-dirty shorts or damp clean shorts, I'll choose the semi dirty. Bad things happen with a wet chamois.

For hygiene, wet wipes or I use a little biodegradable soap and a lightweight poly microfiber cloth after the bike shorts come off.

[gdw]

Hand wash your shorts when you finish the day's ride and hang them in the sun or in the breeze to dry. If you're in an area where they won't dry overnight and you're not comfortable putting on damp shorts pack a spare pair. Carry wet wipes with you and don't neglect personal hygiene. If you're hardcore, forget the extra shorts, keep your undercarriage clean with wet wipes and mix some Neosporin with chamois cream and ride. You can go a long time with that combo.

[Marc40a]

Hand wash your shorts when you finish the day's ride and hang them in the sun or in the breeze to dry. If you're in an area where they won't dry overnight and you're not comfortable putting on damp shorts pack a spare pair. Carry wet wipes with you and don't neglect personal hygiene. If you're hardcore, forget the extra shorts, keep your undercarriage clean with wet wipes and mix some Neosporin with chamois cream and ride. You can go a long time with that combo.

I agree. If you can get away with one pair of bike shorts, like on a short trip, that's the way to go.

I always bring the running shorts, though.

[ColonelJLloyd]

All good advice here. I hand wash and hang dry. I pack a pair of "camp shorts".

Sometimes I pack a silicone travel bottle/tube thing that I put Bag Balm in. It's a Murphy's Law kinda thing (as are many items I consider or do pack on these kinds of trips) in that if I pack it I will not need it.

I found these (https://www.amazon.com/Multi-Purpose-Wipes-Wysi-Wipe-Pack/dp/B001NWVBPC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535140540&sr=8-1&keywords=add+water+wet+wipes)and recommend them for bikepacking or just keeping a few in your normal road kit.

[likebikes]

waterbottle bidet

[verticaldoug]

baby wipes will keep everything serviceable for a couple of days even on one pair of bibs

[rain dogs]

Wool shorts... the bacteria growth is magnitudes less and that kinda bacteria is not what you want.

Unless you're riding more than 50miles 80km, I would forego the chamois altogether. A chamois is really nice if you're doing serious km, but they have drawbacks... those being soaking up junk sweat and breeding nasty bacteria. Saddle sores don't come from friction, they come from infections... which is bacteria getting INTO high friction areas of broken skin/hairs.

Also, if you cannot wash you shorts because of the trip/tenting/minimalism etc... or you go a few days between washing, better to have a material that is anti-bacterial like wool vs a bacteria breeding ground.

Yeah, get out of the shorts are soon as possible. Wash well. Sun your chamois... the sun kills basically everything.

If you have merino wool shorts with a chamois for longer rides, you don't even need to wash the shorts in a tough spot/rainy day. You just wash the chamois surface well and try and dry it, the wool does it's own work. It's all the poly you have to get clean. Chamois cream.

Lightweight merino boxer-briefs too when you're off the bike. The less bacteria the less problems.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Yeah, merino for everything.

[93KgBike]

Roll your bibs into a micro-fiber towel, interlaced-like, and then stuff them into a Nalgene or coffee-can for a couple hours, or sit on the while you cook, then hang both up. Humid climes may affect, works great at altitude.

[ptourkin]

I bring one set of bibs and rinse them at night if it's warm enough to dry. Otherwise, I keep myself as clean as possible with wipes. I have a pair of Patagonia Houdini pants which pack up tiny to wear in camp.

I've worn the new Rapha bikepacking bibs day after day with no issues.

[zennmotion]

A splash at the end of the day "down under" with 90% rubbing alcohol will kill the grunge and prevent saddle sores (this is a pro-tip handed down from multi-day stage racers). And the alcohol can also serve as stove fuel on a bikepacking trip. I would only wash the shorts if I were confident that they would be dry before I had to put them on again. Otherwise, alcohol again or just inside out in the sun at the end of the day- UV kills lots of germs.