Looking for thoughts on post ride, post shower cremes to help with soreness. I dont normally do this but with increased training hours in saddle i am finding my skin is getting rather tender. Assos repair gelnis one I can find online and wife recommends Bepanthen. What do folks use, those who have too. Also no steroidal anti fungals?
Assuming you mean a tender taint? A good chamois and chamois cream before the ride may be a good preventative measure. Otherwise QV emollient cream might help. We were prescribed it for one of our daughter's eczema which has since cleared up, but we still always keep a bottle in the house for any skin related issues. It's good stuff, absorbs quickly and doesn't leave you feeling greasy. You can get it free on the Minor Ailments Scheme at the pharmacy too (in Scotland at least).
Sudocrem*
* Not cat safe
Is it worth investing in a bike fit? Something isn’t right if your getting that sore
Sudocreme - it's good stuff :o)
Is it worth investing in a bike fit? Something isn’t right if your getting that sore
And understanding what you are wearing to ride as well - including how old your undershorts and saddle are..
Not a fan of sudocreme, too messy and risky to cats
I read on another cycle forum/reveiw about Doublebase Gel and have been using it for a couple of years now...
Use it for mid length rides (3-4hr) as like a chamois cream and also post ride. Cheap, non-greasy and comes in a nice pump action version but can still get a tube version
Is it worth investing in a bike fit? Something isn’t right if your getting that sore
I would agree - if you have never had one you might find it pays off instantly. The only times I get sore is if I push more than 250km in one hit (and then it's not too bad)
To confirm OP - you are wearing cycling shorts with a chamonix and no underwear? Seams can really rub
Savlon.
Trust me, as a rider who doesn't use padded shorts who has a history of long and multi-day rides. Rarely need it but often take a small tub on tours to keep any discomfort at bay.
Sudocem is fairly useless ime and can be the worst thing while actually riding. It's a barrier cream designed to keep nappy contents separated from your skin, and your skin needs to breathe while riding and afterwards. But if your rides are so hardcore that a sewage barrier is useful, fair dues..
Bodyglide stuff is pretty good as a preventative measure for this. I initially just used it for long-distance runs when nipple/groin chafing can be a nightmare and found it was 100 times better than something like Vaseline which just wears away and makes your clothes sticky. Then found it was handy for cycling and avoids the slightly wet/cold feeling of normal chamois butter. A bit like a stick deodorant and you can rub it onto the chamois directly if you want to keep it clean rather than on your butt.
Body Glide Skin & Body Care | Buy online | Alpinetrek
Re: Sudocreme / Vaseline / etc, from Charlie's Bumbutter website:
Bum Butter Anti Friction Cream For Cyclists And Runners
"
Chamois Cream Do Not Do's:
E45 / Sudocrem: Don't use Sudocrem as a chamois cream. It may be good on a babies bum, but babies don't ride a bike all day. It is not slippery enough to be effective as a chamois cream. Sudocrem also makes a real mess of padded shorts and can be very difficult to wash out. Some shorts never really recover from Sudocrem use. The pad can absorb the cream and lose all its cushioning powers. Good cycling shorts cost £60-120, it's dumb to ruin a good pair of shorts by not using Bum Butter. Sudocrem is a bad cycling cream.
Vaseline: Can Vaseline be used as chamois cream? No. Vaseline should not be used as a chamois cream. Never use Vaseline to prevent saddle sores or soreness when cycling. It is a petrol based product. You would not drink petrol so fix a sore throat, so why smear it on your most delicate body parts? Despite feeling slippery, it will not help you in anything other than the very very short term. There are also credible safety concerns with a German consumer organisation advising against its use.
Campers and scouts use Vaseline as a fire starter, as it is very flammable. To illustrate that its not something you should put on your skin, watch the video here if you want to know how to light a fire with Vaseline.. "
What do you wash your shorts with? If your not using base wash or similar, it might be worth a try.
Hi all - I have plenty experience in bike fit nowadays after having had a couple of bike fit sessions over the years. I also use Assos Chamois creme which suits me well and also good quality bib shorts/ longs which I always wash post ride and shower straight away straight after riding so I am pretty confident in my gear and bike set up for riding. However I have a century I am training for in July so have upped the riding recently and have noticed lasting tenderness, possible light fungal issues (which being heavier than usual has not helped I suspect). So really looking for post ride treatment to help avoid light infection be it bacterial or fungal and improve recovery.
My solution when I had a similar problem to you was to stop using chamois creme. I know plenty of people swear by it and I do miss the minty barse sensation but now the only time I get saddle soreness is if I mess about iwth my saddle position.
interestingMy solution when I had a similar problem to you was to stop using chamois creme. I know plenty of people swear by it and I do miss the minty barse sensation but now the only time I get saddle soreness is if I mess about iwth my saddle position.
I got soreness on a recent trip after just two hours riding, lowered the saddle on the r ented bike (my own saddle) by about 0.5-1cm and it was fine for the rest of a big week road riding in Mallorca. Used a lot of chamois creme during rides but with eh soreness post ride going commando post ride with nothing on it is the solution imo.
Bike fit
Chamois creme during
Commando post ride
Sorted
Edited to add....as above I tend not to use chamois creme for most rides, but was glad I took some on this trip.
Vaseline: Can Vaseline be used as chamois cream? No. Vaseline should not be used as a chamois cream. Never use Vaseline to prevent saddle sores or soreness when cycling. It is a petrol based product. You would not drink petrol so fix a sore throat, so why smear it on your most delicate body parts? Despite feeling slippery, it will not help you in anything other than the very very short term. "
I've no idea if Vaseline is any good as a chamois cream but comparing it's use to drinking petrol is pseudoscientific twaddle.
Poppies are used to make heroin so you wouldn't want the seeds sprinkled on your bagel, etc.
possible light fungal issues
I’ve had that once and it’s frigging awful.
Straight to the chemist and buy some anti fungal cream. Ask for a vaginal anti fungal cream 😂
To be fair there are more options these days, but ask to speak to the pharmacist
If it is fungal putting more creams on will make things worse as you are basically trapping the fungus in.
You may need to take a week or two off the bike.
Wash your kit twice to get all old creams/fungus out. Use something like Halo and Dettol Laundry Sanitiser
My solution when I had a similar problem to you was to stop using chamois creme.I never started. Well, i got a free sample from a kit supplier one year. Used it a few times. Haven't since.
That's basically 40 years of riding, including nearly 2 decades of pretty much full time riding/racing.
Could probably count the number of times I've woken up thinking i really couldn't sit down on a saddle right now due to a sore arse on my fingers and toes. Mostly disappeared once I'd had a shower and warmed up...
Regularly annointing your skin with Epimax Original cream after baths, showers, whatever seems to work for me.
500g bottle for £5 from online chemists, should last a couple of months used every day or so
possible light fungal issue
I mistook a fungal infection for psoriasis initially just because if had it once before 30 years ago. Came from working on the bins during the pandemic, ended up losing 3 finger nails and my thumb nail as well. Not pleasant cycling with it, I end up with skin left in my shorts and red raw skin. Once I realised what it was antifungal cream sorted it within a few days.
My solution when I had a similar problem to you was to stop using chamois creme. I know plenty of people swear by it and I do miss the minty barse sensation but now the only time I get saddle soreness is if I mess about iwth my saddle position.
I've been riding bikes for 30 years now and have never used it. I'm my case, its a problem to a solution that doesn't exist.
I, for one, am genuinely disappointed in the direction of this thread. When I first read it, I was convinced someone was quickly going to say "Jam first, then cream, obviously", so now I've been forced to.
My solution when I had a similar problem to you was to stop using chamois creme. I know plenty of people swear by it and I do miss the minty barse sensation but now the only time I get saddle soreness is if I mess about iwth my saddle position.
I've been riding bikes for 30 years now and have never used it. I'm my case, its a problem to a solution that doesn't exist.
40 years for me.
The older-tech shorts had a chamois seat insert that was rock-hard after washing and chamois cream was used to soften the leather.
Modern shorts tend to be 100% man made and don't need treating
