Are you an avid cyclist or just starting to ride your bike for fun and exercise? Is your rear end sore when you are finished and keeping you from riding your bike more often? You do not have to take this pain sitting down. After you have adjusted your seat, changed your seat to one that is more comfortable and even upgraded to a good pair of padded cycling shorts, your soreness may still exist especially on longer rides. A product that you may want to try is chamois cream.
Chamois cream was originally used to soften up and preserve the leather chamois pad used in cycling shorts, but with the advent of synthetic materials, this cream is now used to battle a sore rear end. Now there are many different choices on the market, but they all offer the same claims…skin lubricant and anti-friction. Some other claims may include anti-fungal, anti-bacteria, chamois conditioning, anti-saddle sore and more. Unfortunately, there is no clear choice to recommend as each offers a different batch of ingredients and will react differently with each user.
So how do you choose the right chamois cream for you? In the United States, you will often find two styles – plain chamois cream and ‘Euro’ style. The classic Euro style chamois cream that most others are modeled after is the ASSOS Chamois Crème. If you ask those who have used the Assos product, you will find that they describe its feeling as ‘tinglely’ and ‘warm’. That tingle is typically caused by menthol. The Assos is not only a skin lubricant, but also anti-bacterial and anti-fungal product. Some users are not bothered by the tingle and prefer this type of product for its anti-bacterial properties. The anti-bacterial properties can help protect you for developing a rash similar to diaper rash or even a saddle sore/boil. Keep in mind that all ‘Euro’ formulas are not the same. For example, both my wife and I have used the Assos cream for 120 mile tandem one day tours with good success, but she had a bad, irritating reaction to the Chamois Butt’r EuroStyle cream from Paceline Products. I used the Chamois Butt’r EuroStyle product this year in the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike race and finished the race with very little pain (at least in that area). You will have to test this type of product before buying a large tub to determine if the anti-bacterial ingredient will work with your body.
Menthol is not a required ingredient for anti-bacterial results. A product designed for David Zabriskie, DZNUTS (yeah, you read that right), uses tea tree oil for its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Along with DZNUTS High Viscosity Chamois Cream, they also offer a women specific product called DZNUTS Bliss. DZNUTS Bliss offers anti-bacterial, anti-inflamatory and anti-chaffing without the tingle that is offered by other ‘pro’ level creams.
Another product that uses tea tree oil, Blue Steel Sports Anti-Chaffe Cream, states that their product is not only for use in the chamois area, but also your feet, thighs, armpits, bra – any area that may have irritation.
If you are just looking for a simple skin lubricant without the worry of possible irritation that may come from menthol or tea tree oil, there are plenty of products for you. Along with the Chamois Butt’r EuroStyle cream from Paceline, they also offer the Chamois Butt’r. This non-greasy product is only suppose to lubricate, soothe and soften the skin that comes into contact with the seat area. Beljum Hard Core Budder is another product which is paraben free, but offers anti-chafing properties. Think of these types of chamois creams as hand cream for your rear.
If you are not allergic to any of the ingredients in a particular chamois cream, the best way to know which product will work best for you is to experiment. Chamois cream is not an inexpensive product, though some manufacturers offer samples at bike shows or sell small, single use packs. Most 6oz.-8oz. Tubes or tubs range from $15-$30 which is expensive compared to a similar sized hand cream, but after a long ride you will be glad that you spent that money. Below is a list of just a few chamois cream manufacturers.
Paceline Chamois Butt’r EuroStyle and Chamois Butt’r
Blue Steel Sports Anti-Chafe Cream
Sportique Century Riding Cream