Chamois cream

road_runner12

Still a relative novice in the cycling world and still learning every day. Noticed it a few times on online cycling stores - does chamois cream make a big difference?

skyd0g

...it depends on what you intend to use it for.


...on longer rides it will reduce soreness / add to comfort - especially for those new to longer hours in the saddle.

Flasheart

I sweat buckets and chafe really easily, so I use it every ride. :oops:

mattward1979

for my 5 mile commutes, I dont bother as the feeling of the cream around my nadgers all day at work is less preferable to the comfort in the saddle for 15 minutes each way...

For longer rides, definitely!! I dont really suffer that much from saddle soreness, but using butt lube means Im not sore at all the next day which is awesome!

kim10

In the past I had problems with soreness specially on the longer rides 50 miles+ and a wise man told me to try a good chamios cream, and it really helped.
I can recommend Udderly Smooth from Wiggle.com, it's long lasting, none greasy and good price.

plowmar

Also as a novice as far as chamois cream is concerned do you put it on the chamois or on your nether regions and does it work as well with non - chamois pads?

mattward1979

Cycling shorts arent made with actual Chamois anymore.. The synthetic equivalent gives all the benefit and none of the drawbacks.

I find that applying directly to the skin is best... If you STILL find you have problems, apply a thin layer to the pad too

CiB

I forgot to take mine on Saturday night doing the Dunwich Dynamo and started to feel it at about 50 miles. Luckily it wasn't a hot sweaty night and I rode through it, but for a while I wasn't looking forward to the remaining 60 odd miles sans creme.

It doesn't have to be chamois cream - I use Savlon or Sudocreme, whatever's handy - and it does the job it's meant to do.

Bunneh

Nout better than slapping on cold chamois cream all over your nether-regions. Now if only I could convince the lass nearby to do it for me

gregster10217

Definitely! Get some, especially for rides of 25miles +. I've posted this before and been a little chastised for doing so, but give the hair down there a trim as well! No need to go completely bald, but shorted hair means less hot, less chaffing and generally more comfortable. No if only I could find a willing lady to do that!!!!

plowmar

CiB says

It doesn't have to be chamois cream - I use Savlon or Sudocreme, whatever's handy - and it does the job it's meant to do.

I've used those and found them ok, so what other benefits does 'proper' chamois cream give you? other than profit for the suppliers. :evil:

daviesee

Sudocreme does the job and is of course a bargain.

However, I find it to be too thick and messy to apply.

I am sure that there will be bumf somewhere with techno-babble to explain other differences but that is reason enough for me to use the Assos stuff.
If you are on a budget or don't notice the difference, then fine go for Sudocreme.

Editted in case of badly written confusion :oops:

mattward1979

gregster10217 wrote:

Definitely! Get some, especially for rides of 25miles +. I've posted this before and been a little chastised for doing so, but give the hair down there a trim as well! No need to go completely bald, but shorted hair means less hot, less chaffing and generally more comfortable. No if only I could find a willing lady to do that!!!!

Im a shaver... I get my gender revenge on my wife by using her leg shaving implements to render my nadger-sack bald so as to reduce any potential contact!

Great for cycling, and the Ladies (Well... my wife is the only lady that sees it) love it!

meanredspider

daviesee wrote:

Sudocreme does the job and is of course a bargain.

I tried it (after similar advice) and it was rubbish for me.

I use the Assos stuff and, not only does it smell nicer, it provides a certain tingle as you apply it. Top stuff and a tub has lasted for ages - nicknamed Assoleum cream in my house.

CiB

Thought I was going to get an answer there re what Assos Chamois does differently [or indeed better] than Sudocreme, but tbh a nice smell won't swing it for me, and neither really does it giving 'a bit of a tingle'.

I'm all for spending silly money on bicycling (and non-bicycling) related matters, but buying one cream over another needs to have some reasoning to it other than a bit of a tingle or a nicer wiff to it before I start buying Savlon in a gold-plated tube, in a box made from calf's vellum.

In the end it's a solution to something that really isn't much of a problem, and Savlon / Sudocreme is a good enough answer to that 'not much of a problem really [gallic shrug]'. So what does the Assos & similar stuff do that the others don't?

Intersted, really. If it's loads better I might give it a go. Lining the pockets of drugs manufacturers for unnecessary gear isn't high on my wish list tho usually.

Flasheart

Bunneh wrote:

Nout better than slapping on cold chamois cream all over your nether-regions. Now if only I could convince the lads nearby to do it for me

There, fixed it for you mate

meanredspider

CiB wrote:

Sudocreme is a good enough answer to that 'not much of a problem really [gallic shrug]'. So what does the Assos & similar stuff do that the others don't?
.

Well I was sceptical so I went the cheap route and ended up with spots on my ass.

Buy cheap, buy twice!

Spent 8.50 on a big tub of Assos and 1700 miles later all is still perfect down there. At least another 300 miles in my tub. I'm not that tight-fisted to buy the cheap stuff again.

The point is that Sudocreme was never intended as a chamois cream - Assos was. If you want to save a few pence, I'm assured that they used to use banana skins....

mattward1979

Sudocrem is designed to be absorbed through the skin, chamois cream is not!

Sudo will quickly dissapear, and whilst it has "healing" properties, Id rather not have to go through the healing process in the first place!

Something that sits on the skin does a better job of long term lubrication.

johncp

mattward1979 wrote:

Sudocrem is designed to be absorbed through the skin, chamois cream is not!
Sudo will quickly dissapear, and whilst it has "healing" properties, Id rather not have to go through the healing process in the first place!

Something that sits on the skin does a better job of long term lubrication.

You couldn't be more wrong! Have you seen Sudocreme? Its basically vaseline with a load of zinc oxide and other bits mixed in. I did a 6 hour ride yesterday after applying Sudocreme and I'm still trying to wash off the last of it now :shock:

mattward1979

Johncp wrote:

mattward1979 wrote:

Sudocrem is designed to be absorbed through the skin, chamois cream is not!
Sudo will quickly dissapear, and whilst it has "healing" properties, Id rather not have to go through the healing process in the first place!

Something that sits on the skin does a better job of long term lubrication.

You couldn't be more wrong! Have you seen Sudocreme? Its basically vaseline with a load of zinc oxide and other bits mixed in. I did a 6 hour ride yesterday after applying Sudocreme and I'm still trying to wash off the last of it now :shock:

I stand corrected!

"Sudocrem has a water-repellent base which forms a protective barrier, therefore helping to stop any irritants (urine and stools) coming into contact with the skin. In addition, the emollient effect of Sudocrem can help to soothe sore inflamed skin whilst leaving the skin feeling soft.

Sudocrem can also be used for other skin conditions that require a soothing, protective antiseptic cream with additional healing, antibacterial and antifungal properties."

skinarelli

As Laurent Fignon will confirm, boils on the bolx can cost you at least 8 seconds in a final Tour De France TT.

The remedy.....

1. Shave ball sack to limit bacterial potential.
2. Apply anti-bacterial chamois cream.
3. Win TDF.

8)

CiB

meanredspider wrote:

CiB wrote:

Sudocreme is a good enough answer to that 'not much of a problem really [gallic shrug]'. So what does the Assos & similar stuff do that the others don't?
.

Well I was sceptical so I went the cheap route and ended up with spots on my ass.

Buy cheap, buy twice!

Spent 8.50 on a big tub of Assos and 1700 miles later all is still perfect down there. At least another 300 miles in my tub. I'm not that tight-fisted to buy the cheap stuff again.

The point is that Sudocreme was never intended as a chamois cream - Assos was. If you want to save a few pence, I'm assured that they used to use banana skins....

Still no real answer then.

Please don't turn this into a cheapskate issue. Like I said I'll happily spend the cash on anything, but this to me looks like another case of a soultion to a small problem that's easily solved with Savlon, or Sudocrem. Nobody's managed to say what Assos does, or why it does it better.

3000 miles so far this year, no probs at this end.

skinarelli

As has already been said, it does exactly what it says on the tin AND makes your balls tingle....

daviesee

CiB wrote:

[

Still no real answer then.

Please don't turn this into a cheapskate issue. Like I said I'll happily spend the cash on anything, but this to me looks like another case of a soultion to a small problem that's easily solved with Savlon, or Sudocrem. Nobody's managed to say what Assos does, or why it does it better.

3000 miles so far this year, no probs at this end.

For me, I found Assos to be less faffing about or messy to apply.
Sudocreme seemed to get everywhere and is hard to remove other than a full wash.
Leaving the house with white stains on shorts is not a good look

It's not much I will agree but like others I have tried both and settled on Assos.

meanredspider

CiB wrote:

Still no real answer then.

No - not if you like having spots on your ass. Assos are hardly going to announce what it is in their cream that makes it so good and so very popular...

If Sudocreme (or Anchor butter, KY Jelly or whatever) works for you, go ahead. Sudocreme didn't work for me - Assos did. Why? I don't know and frankly don't care. One is designed as a nappy cream and the other as a chamois cream - the clue is probably in there somewhere. I gave my tub of Sudocreme away to a friend with a baby.

To the OP - go to Wiggle and read the reviews of Assos cream. It gets boring after a while. There are others that people swear by too. Or buy a (small?) tub or tube of Sudocreme or Savlon and give it a try.

Rich Hcp

Kim10 wrote:

I
I can recommend Udderly Smooth from Wiggle.com, it's long lasting, none greasy and good price.

I recommend Udderly too

Blacktemplar

daviesee wrote:

CiB wrote:

[

Leaving the house with white stains on shorts is not a good look

....especially at the front......

CiB

meanredspider wrote:

CiB wrote:

Still no real answer then.

No - not if you like having spots on your ass. Assos are hardly going to announce what it is in their cream that makes it so good and so very popular...

If Sudocreme (or Anchor butter, KY Jelly or whatever) works for you, go ahead. Sudocreme didn't work for me - Assos did. Why? I don't know and frankly don't care. One is designed as a nappy cream and the other as a chamois cream - the clue is probably in there somewhere. I gave my tub of Sudocreme away to a friend with a baby.

To the OP - go to Wiggle and read the reviews of Assos cream. It gets boring after a while. There are others that people swear by too. Or buy a (small?) tub or tube of Sudocreme or Savlon and give it a try.

What an angry young man...

Thanks for the useful responses all. It's been interesting. :idea:

meanredspider

CiB wrote:

What an angry young man...

The funny thing is that I'm neither angry nor young :oops: Must be my written style as I'm most often accused of being "too laid back"

Velonutter

It's funny in the old days when we really did wear Chamois linings in our shorts I never had a problem.

Now over 50 and with everything going south and my nuts hanging a good inch lower, I find the need to keep the nadgers well lubed as when I rode without I literally tore the skin.

I use Assos Cream because it does what it says on the tub, no infection, no chaffing, no rubbing and importantly no infections, it washes out of my shorts perfectly as well.

Tried Sudocreme and it doesn't wash out of my shorts, and doesn't seem to feel comfortable either.

Deffo shave yer nadgers and keep your hair really short down there, keeps infections and rubbing away (and makes you look like a Porn King with a stiffy!)

I'm not sure why the Assos tingles, I did wonder if it had some anesthetic like lidocaine in it, perhaps it is the bacterial ingredients that cause the tingle.

I was always advised to apply to the shorts not to the skin as that way the contact points are always covered.

mattward1979

Slow-N-Old wrote:

I was always advised to apply to the shorts not to the skin as that way the contact points are always covered.

I may be wrong but I think that was due to the original design of chamois cream being to soften the chamois after it has stiffened, and not specifically to add lubrication to the skin (although this would have been a nice side effect!)