- To cream...
Or not to cream?
That is the question.
Before we answer this burning, often taboo question
that still leaves many riders scratching their heads,
let's have a look at the history
of the humble chamois cream,
put on this earth to soothe, protect,
and stop the chafing of the delicate nether regions.
Prior to the introduction of the chamois,
legend has it that riders often placed a steak
in between their soft parts and woolly shorts
to soothe and prevent chafing.
A steak which they'd eat later in the day,
after it had been tenderised.
Incredibly, padded inserts in riders' shorts
didn't come about until the early 1940s
when they were made of real sheep's leather,
a little bit like this.
Lovely and soft at first,
but when washed and dried,
became hard and abrasive.
Not the ideal interface
for the vulnerable under carriage.
Hence the need for something
to soften the toughened and dried leather.
Voila!
Chamois cream was born,
in the simple form of a softening balm or cream
which was applied directly to the chamois itself.
And it wasn't long before this became
a pre-race ritual for most riders
including myself, although I hasten to add,
this wasn't in the 1940s.
In the early 1980s, new chamois we developed
which quickly became very popular.
And in turn, new chamois cream
was also created.
But rather than to soften the toughened leather,
it was to reduce irritation on the skin
and reduce chafing.
Over the last decade, shorts,
and indeed chamois technology,
has come a very long way.
The fit is far better.
The chamois are contoured and ergonomic,
and many are also anti-bacterial.
And also, they don't dry out once they've been washed.
Which begs the question,
do we need chamois cream at all?
Well, we asked that question to you,
and also some pros.
Now for our survey, we actually spoke
to 11 professional riders.
Two of which said yes, they use chamois cream all the time.
Three said no, don't use it at all.
And six said they didn't use it in training
but did use it in racing.
And from our Twitter poll,
of which we had just over 5,000 votes,
so thanks for getting in contact if you voted,
45% never use it at all, which is the majority.
24% said you use it every time.
And 31% said sometimes.
And if you're wondering about me,
I don't use chamois cream at all now.
But back in the 1980s when shorts
were a little bit like this, I did.
If you already use chamois cream,
or at least are intending to,
here are a couple of suggested dos and don'ts.
Never double dip.
This is a big no no.
Now for those of you who are unsure
about what this actually means,
we'll put it as plainly as possible.
It's dip into the pot with the finger,
followed by direct application to the region,
then dipping it again using the same fingers.
Don't share your chamois cream,
or for that matter, borrow anybody else's.
The main reason for this seemingly uncharitable act
of selfishness is that you don't know
if they've double dipped or not.
It's simply too risky.
So get your pot, label it up,
and keep it yourself.
Although if they have a tube, that's cool.
This is more cycling etiquette than anything else,
but if you're applying cream direct to your groin,
to it in private.
as the sight of someone rummaging down below
is enough to put anyone off their pre-race snack.
What are you doing?
What are you flipping at, mate?
- Don't yell at me.
- Just do it in private.
God's sake.
In two words, yes and no.
Clearly, many of you don't use chamois cream
seemingly without any issue at all,
and the pros, well, they're a little bit of a mix.
So what can we conclude?
So if you ride just a few days a week
with decent pair of fitted shorts
with a high quality chamois
you shouldn't experience any discomfort at all.
But if you start increasing the distance of your rides,
and the regularity of your rides
especially in different sorts of weather conditions,
you may want to consider applying some cream.
If you're new to the sport and haven't been riding long,
saddle sores can be a real problem
as your nether regions can take a while
to adapt to the new surroundings.
So, if you're experiencing discomfort,
it's well worth the relatively cheap investment.
I find that chafing,
even with a high quality pair of shorts,
with a good chamois,
increases in wet conditions.
So although I don't ordinarily use chamois cream,
if I know I'm going out on a long ride
in wet conditions,
I will apply some to act as barrier.
One last important point to remember.
Chamois cream isn't a cure for saddle sores.
It's to try and prevent it in the first place.
So if you've got really bad irritation or broken skin,
it's worth staying off the bike
for a couple of days to allow things to heal.
And finally, if you're still in doubt,
how about just trying it
to see if it improves your ride?
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Now to stay completely on topic,
how about clicking down here
for the top 10 ways to avoid
getting a sore ass when cycling.
Or if you click just down here,
you'll find how to avoid
saddle-related numbness and discomfort.