Chamois Cream, Do You Use It?

Posted on January 11, 2013 by norbs

The reason I am asking this question is that I have heard 3 different people bag chamois cream in the past week. Now, this has come as a surprise, but after some thought, I wonder if they are right.

Up until mid last year, I had been using this brand of chamois cream.

I never had any issues with it. But when it ran out, I couldn’t find it locally, so started using some of this.

After a few long rides, I developed some nasty saddle sores. I had never had them before, but I had also increased the amount of riding I was doing by a significant amount.

Luckily, I got some great advice off Nick Squillari, about Sudocrem, to help clear up the saddle sores.

I tried another chamois cream, this time Aussie Butt Cream.

Still, after long rides, getting saddle sores. Or, more to the point, the old ones seemed to keep coming back.

I changed again, this stuff was on special from Wiggle.

Still, the same problem!

Yesterday I did my first ride for 2013, a lazy 66kms. I tried using no chamois cream. The result, some slight chaffing. So obviously it helps stop chaffing, but at the cost of saddle sores, well for me anyway.

So my question is, do you use chamois cream, and if so, what one? I think I will have to get some of the original Qolem stuff online and see if that stops the saddle sores now that I have had them.

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  • http://twitter.com/thecrankset The Crankset Blog

    I had a couple of issues with soreness a few months back (during the Strava Oktoberfest challenge). I went out and bought a new, good, right sized pair of Pearl Izumi shorts and have had no issues since, even with the heat. Though my mileage has dropped a little

    The old shorts, good as they were, had got too big for my slimmed-down derriere and were moving around too much

    So my take: consider the shorts + saddle combo, as well as the chamois cream option.

    • http://cycling.norbtech.com/ norbs

      Very good point JB. Thanks for sharing it.

  • http://twitter.com/owenbentley Owen J Bentley

    G’day Norbs. Yep, always use chamois cream mate. I’ve tried all the usual brands over the years and have gone back to using Ego Silic-15. Not strictly chamois cream, but a barrier cream. I’m a pharmacist as well as a cyclist so I’m happy to use and recommend this as an effective, inexpensive alternative. Oh, and most important, it works well!
    Cheers, Owen.

    • http://cycling.norbtech.com/ norbs

      Owen, that is good to know. I might have to hunt some down.

  • DP

    I think it depends on the shorts more than anything but I always find using cream definitely improves things. Since using Enzo’s Buttonhole Cream I haven’t had any chafing or sores.