lcrider

I'm riding in my first Century on Sunday (Savannah Century). I have never used Chamois cream, but read somewhere that when you use it, you "forget that you have a butt". I've never had any significant chafing or discomfort "down there", but then the longest ride I've been on is 60 miles.

Does it make that much of a difference?

rangerdavid

makes a difference for me. I've used Butt'r and Assos cream. both wash off easily, and neither stain or have any adverse affect on your clothing. Try it, you may like it. if not, you've lost only a couple of dollars.

Menel

If you haven't needed it yet, don't use it. Why try to fix a problem that doesn't exist.

I've ridden 100-120 miles without any need. If your shorts, saddle, and bike fit is ride, you shouldn't need it.

I haven't had any posterior issues since I made the switch from shorts to bib shorts.

datlas 

+1

I expect you will do fine. You may wish to stand up every once in awhile the last 20 miles to take the pressure off your butt, that should suffice.

Shimagnolo

What does it matter?
Once applied, it matches the color of your butt.

Shimagnolo

The only time I used it was when I got a sample with an order of bike parts.
It was white.
Think about it; It is just a skin lotion, and every skin lotion I've seen was white.

enjoi07

aquaphor

dkoernert

I was skeptical until I broke down a bought a tube of butt'r. I realized real quick that there is a noticeable difference and rides are generally much more comfortable.

Sprocket Man

I use Chamois Butt'r and black shorts. It doesn't show through the shorts.

rangerdavid

No, its white in the tube/jar, but disappears when applied. Does not show through.

jdon

So all the tour riders using a cream have ill fitting shorts, saddle and bike? Some people don't like it, some do and some need it. Depends on sweating as well.

There is another product I use called Body Glide. I apply it directly to the chamois. Nice and clean and easy to use.

Chamois Buttr does seep through the stitching around the chamois if it is used liberally and one sweats a lot. Yes, it shows on black bibs.

svtmike

+1.

I don't ride long without it now.

Eclectus

If you aren't having problems, you don't need cream. If you're getting abrasions from pad-skin friction, and start to have to get out of your saddle a lot near the end of long rides to relieve abrasion- searing-pain (as opposed to just getting up to give your bottom some blood flow by relieving sit-bone pressure), try some lube. It works. The fact that Assos bibs include a small jar of cream kinda tells you there is a role for the latter, for many riders. Assos velvet-smooth S5 pads are great, but with long enough rides, where you let your butt rest heavily in the saddle, 6-7 days a week, so you don't have a day or two off to let mild abrasions heal, the pad needs some "assistance". Every rider will figure out whether cream is worth getting, or a useless expenditure.

Joemess

Bag balm....


about 9 bucks a can and pure lanolin.

But what Eclectus said is true, you have to let the small abrasions heal a little. If you keep riding them they will get worse and worse even with the cream.

wrr1020

I wasn't using any until i started riding farther. As my mileage went up i developed a saddle sore, as soon as i got one that same day i headed to my LBS and bought a tube of butt'r. The sore just went away so i am pain free now and use the chamois butt'r on every ride.

Shimagnolo

You know what a balm is???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzowSs9mNOM

akansaskid

Buttr on weekend centuries (typically both days), nothing on weekday 30-milers. The sores come and go, but usually develop during the long rides on the weekend. Buttr reduces, but doesn't eliminate, the discomfort of the sores.

Eclectus

If you get a serious abrasion, the best course is to stop riding til it heals. Like one time I was wearing crappy shorts, fell crossing a creek with a concrete, algae-slime surface, rode wet for two hours on a cheapo pad, no lube. I switched to much better short pads (GBW Ozons with Assos/Cytech pad) and lube. I rode every day, 50-70 miles, and it took 10 days to heal. But it did heal. It probably would have healed in 2-4 days if I had stopped riding. The thing is, it got a little better every day.

I really like the Assos cream. It's not too greasy, it'll take you 80-100 miles for sure (maybe more, but century has been my recent limit) it washes out when you wash your shorts. Wiggle and Chain Reaction have good prices, but only if order enough stuff from them to get free shipping--if you just want to order 1 tub of Assos cream, foggedabout it.

For long distance daily riding, e.g. 350-400 mi/week, Assos Milles are really good. But the Ozons are up there too, and a lot cheaper, especially at summer-end closeout. They're very popular in RAAM.

I kinda got sucked into trying Assos, and ended up with an all-year wardrobe, because every time I got something to test out, it was excellent. I've ridden Castelli, DeMarchi, Craft, Santini and PI shorts and tights. PI is off my buy-list. For Italian-made 4-density-pad, made-in-Italy Octane, which I haven't tried, it's probably really really good, but I can get better prices on really really good other brands. I'm not happy with PI's mid-range-price stuff. Santini, I really liked, but I accidentally delaminated the glued-in pad in the dryer. My fault, yes, hang-up drying is what you are supposed to do, but Assos, Gore, DeMarchi and Craft sew-in their (Assos/Cytech or clone) EIT pads.

Castelli uses Gore windstopper fabric in its cool weather jerseys. Really good. I like Castelli jerseys. Craft makes great winter tights with Elastic Interface pads. DeMarchi tights with EIT pad, excellent. Without EIT, shoot, I just wasted money.

The fact that a lot of brands pay Assos money for Elastic Interface Technology pads tells you Assos designs, and its partner Cytech fabricates, very nice pads.

Randallissimo

In my experience, newer shorts are more apt to cause sores. At least for me, as they wear in, they don't cut the small abrasions so much. But I still like bag balm in small amounts, especially on the twins.

JeffS

I have never really had comfort issues since sorting out my bib and seat requirements, and I've never had anything resembling a saddle sore.

That said, I choose to use chamois cream on a lot of rides. I feel cleaner after the ride.


My theory is that a lot of "saddle sores" are a result of body chemistry issues. The people who don't have issues don't tend to understand the problems some people face and often like to think that they're doing something wrong.

kleinboogie

Helped me. I'd get chafing after a couple hour rides 4 days a week. Not bad, but enough to make me want to take care of it before it turned into something bad. It doesn't show through or damage clothing, I've got a handful of what I think are expensive bibs that I don't want my bare ass on. The Butt'r takes care of that. It prevents sores and chafing. Feels weird but imo once you're okay with wearing Lycra in public what's some invisible cream gonna hurt? GL

lcrider

Thanks everyone. I bought some Butt'r at the LBS last night. He tried to upsell me on something with menthol, but it said specially formulated for women, so I said "no way do I want that down there!". He said he tries all his products, and so he's using it. First makes you warm, and then cool and tingly down there. Imagine that...

jdon

You can also avoid taking Midol by using the same ingredients repackaged as Robaxacet.

rangerdavid

you did good not getting sucked into the "upsell". Try the Butt'r. If you don't like it, and it doesn't increase comfort, no big loss.

Nachoman

A few seasons ago I was prone to getting saddle sores so I started using Body Glide. Although I did find it easy to use (it rolls on like a deodorant stick) I found it kinda gross because it's greasy, like Vaseline.