Daft Question re shorts and creams

kingrollo

To use chamios cream - do I need to have shorts with a proper chamios insert ?

zx6man

Some people also apply it to skin, so dunno :-)

kingrollo

By chamios cream - I meant any anti chaffing cream ?

zx6man

Yeah, I got Udderly Smooth chamois cream, and read that it can be also rubbed into skin if no chamois.

zx6man

From its own website.

Chamois Cream

Whether you put Udderly Smooth® on yourself or your chamois is your choice.

http://www.udderlysmooth.com/cycling-chamois.shtml

t4tomo

zx6man wrote:

From its own website.

Chamois Cream

Whether you put Udderly Smooth® on yourself or your chamois is your choice.

http://www.udderlysmooth.com/cycling-chamois.shtml

but if you do just apply to chamois, you need to wear the shorts to get any benefit.

il_principe

Apply to both. You only need it for longer rides anyway. Why you would ride anything further than 10 miles without padded shorts is beyond me.

zx6man

They do get reviews that its pointless on short rides.

kingrollo

I do wear padded shorts - but the insert is synthetic not chammy leather.

I am recovering (very slowly) from an injury - im currently up to about 20 miles - I notice i get very sore in the groin area - and can see where my legs are rubbing - I just wonder if some anti chaff cream may help ?

il_principe

kingrollo wrote:

I do wear padded shorts - but the insert is synthetic not chammy leather.

I am recovering (very slowly) from an injury - im currently up to about 20 miles - I notice i get very sore in the groin area - and can see where my legs are rubbing - I just wonder if some anti chaff cream may help ?

99.9% of bibs have synthetic inserts... modern chamois cream is meant for these.

drlodge

I dont use cream and don't see the need for it, If you're getting sore then I would think your saddle isn't a good fit, cream will only help so much. Where are your legs rubbing?

giropaul

drlodge wrote:

I dont use cream and don't see the need for it, If you're getting sore then I would think your saddle isn't a good fit, cream will only help so much. Where are your legs rubbing?

Well, every pro I've ever known uses chamois cream, and I'm guessing their saddles fit OK.

simon_masterson

There are many things that I would like every beginner cyclist to know, but one of them is that you cannot judge the viability of a piece of equipment based on the fact that 'the pros use it'.

Professional cyclists do use chamois cream (and many of yore most likely did not use any such thing). They also ride at very, very high intensity and an infected saddle sore would be catastrophic. Dave Zabriskie (and therefore presumably others) apparently sterilises his cycling shorts with UV light.

But it's pure nonsense that you have to wear padded shorts, even; let alone chamois cream. It depends on what kind of cycling you are doing. There are plenty of tourers and audaxers who would give you very funny looks for daring to suggest that they should be in lycra and rubbing stuff on their tender parts.

Chamois cream is an 'aid', not a 'cure'. It is what you can use when the duration and intensity of your cycling are such that the right shorts and the right saddle combined with a properly adjusted bike are insufficient. If you have the these three, you should be able to ride in complete comfort (assuming no pre-existing saddle sore) for at least 3 hours, if not quite a bit more.

wheezee

t4tomo wrote:

zx6man wrote:

From its own website.

Chamois Cream

Whether you put Udderly Smooth® on yourself or your chamois is your choice.

http://www.udderlysmooth.com/cycling-chamois.shtml

but if you do just apply to chamois, you need to wear the shorts to get any benefit.

You're forgetting the psychological benefits.