I’ve been tempted to try the Keith Bontrager recipe (below) as Assos Minty Arse Lard, whilst very nice, is very expensive and seems to vanish after 40 miles.

Has anyone tried this or any other recipes? A lot of forums seem to recommend “Bag Balm” and other such products, presumably high in lanolin… And what would be a readily available UK version of the “triple antibiotic ointment” Bonty suggests?

Cheers!

KB’s Recipe:
13 oz petroleum jelly
1 oz triple antibiotic ointment
1 oz hydrocortisone cream
1 oz lanolin

I’ve tried all sorts of creams over the last 20 years or so of riding both on and off road. I’ve been using Savlon for the last 3 or 4 years and it is definitely the simplest and best solution (and probably the cheapest).

just use this

Why do people always suggest sudocreme? It’s not a patch on Minty Arse Lard – works well after riding if you’ve GOT saddle sores but really not a lot of use for preventing them.

Sudocrem is quite a lot more expensive than chammy cream too (unless you HAVE to use Assos, which you don’t).

13 oz petroleum jelly
1 oz triple antibiotic ointment
1 oz hydrocortisone cream
1 oz lanolin

Asking the chemist for nearly 1lb of vaseline’s going to raise eyebrows…

Do not use antibiotic creams – you increase resistance when used unneeded and hydrocortisone cream is not a good idea either.

Another vote for lashings of savlon (or supermarkets own version)

What about a mix of Sudocreme and Vaseline? I’ve used a petroleum jelly and lanolin based cream in the past that was very good, can’t seem to find it now.

TJ, I was wondering about that. What would you recommend, just antiseptic?

Has anyone tried any of the cow udder creams?

i used a mix of sudocreme, vaseline, germolene and anusol(!) cream at mayhem – worked really well I have to say.

I would recommend nothing. all a cream does is block pores, macerate the skin, alter natural ph and cause problems. i would never use a cream as a preventative – only to treat chaffing. I personally never have needed or used a cream so I have nothing to recommend

I use the udderly smooth stuff and it works well.

TandemJeremy – Member

I would recommend nothing. all a cream does is block pores, macerate the skin, alter natural ph and cause problems. i would never use a cream as a preventative – only to treat chaffing. I personally never have needed or used a cream so I have nothing to recommend

Rather an interesting slant, but I know from my experience, creams are a great help on rides over a couple of hours.

I doubt any pros would consider riding without some sort of cream, and let’s face it, the hours they spend in the saddle, they would probably have a pretty good idea of what’s required…

i would never use a cream as a preventative – only to treat chaffing.

barmy bugger.

barmy bugger.

well, he’s won’t be balmy.

igmc.

I never get a sore backside and I ride for many hours at a time Usuually 2 x 5 hre rides a week. Racers have a different set of priorities to leisure riders. get comfy kit and saddles.

My thoughts on skin care come from my background as a nurse and pressure sore prevention where evidence based practice is not to use creams as they are ineffective and make things worse.

I definitely find Assos works at preventing saddle sores. Are they actually pressure sores? I’d always assumed that it’s a combination of friction and bacteria rather than just pressure so that it’s the lubricating and antiseptic properties of Assos that do good.

Surely pressure sore prevention requires rather different solutions?
For example, pressure sores tend to be caused by round-the-clock pressure and are exacerbated by poor blood flow. (Correct me if I’m wrong).

Chaffing problems are generally caused by a combination of friction, sweat and hair for sustained periods, but generally not more than 8hrs.

I certainly fall into the leisure cyclist bracket, and I invest in good, well-fitted clothing and the comfiest saddles I can find.

But my riding is certainly improved by the use of chammy creams…

sudocrem is great after the fact, not so sure about its preventative properties..

whenever i’ve had hydrocortisone cream it says not to use for more than one week at a time/in a limited way, though i’m not sure of the exact reasons. still, i wouldn’t want it on my bumhole.

imo the best thing for sores was to get some decent bib shorts..

to be honest tj the skin round your arse is toughened from all the talking out of it you do!!

That and the fact I have been cycling many hours a week and for decades. 🙂

Its my opinion based on experience and academic knowledge. IMO creams as a preventative are counter productive.

Shirley you would be better off with a nice, plain heavy base cream with some essential oils like tea tree and lavender in. They would help any sores already there and anti fungal so good to combat against a rank chamois. Vaseline based one would suck. Sudocrem no good if allergic to zinc oxide.

I’ve done lots of long rides this year [7-10 hrs] and don’t bother with it either most of the time
The only time I do bother is if I know it’s going to be very wet and I’ll be in the saddle for more than 4 or 5 hours

Its my opinion based on experience and academic knowledge

My opinion is based on not having a sore arse after 120 miles or so 🙂

“Back in the day” I used to be a semipro roadie, we used nowt pre/during races/training but after showers etc. just covered the area in antiseptic cream (brand escapes me)
Tips: erm, wash and clean the area well then make sure the area is dried off properly before putting clothes back on over the area.
If we did get sores (and we did, but not frequent) then we’d use large plasters over the area until the race day was over then repeat above.

The main cause we found were sweat/damp/rubbing and a decent pad inyershorts worked wonders.. I always go for the very best bibs I can get, current mix of Rapha and Assos, cos I’m worth it.
Currently don’t use anything but do have minty in the cupboard “just in case”

I use Assos. Does this look like a man who compromises on his comfort?

caused by a combination of friction, sweat and hair

So, and I’m not trolling here, would a ‘sack and crack’ wax help to reduce chaffage? Might this also reduce the frequency with which I meet my old friend Ivan Itchianus? Not to mention less Klingon encounters?

I’m gonna respectfully disagree with TJ on this one.

The problems I get are related to chafing, and the chafing is worst in the summer; you sweat, then get micro salt crystals on your skin and shorts, and the constant movement of thighs and dangly bits while pedalling can end up rubbing things raw.

Same when riding in the rain, when grit gets into the shorts.

I use Assos because I can, but have made do many times with any non-perfumed moisturing lotion, like E-45; just blob it on your chammy, rub a bit more on the nads and off you go.

The above advice regarding using hydrocortisone as an ingredient is probably not the best; regular use of steroid creams can thin and damage your skin; not what you want in any of your leisure areas..

I usually just slap on a mug of MTFU.

chamois butter works well , vaseline works well

udderly smooth – effin waste of time , just makes my butt slippy and the chamois moves more and causes friction.

Where do you lot actually get sore bits?
I’ve just read nads and bumholes. Cant remember the last time I rode my bike and actually sat on either of those!

Bigyinn: I’ll find some pics…

Thick nivea moisturisers work well for none ‘proper’ creams, though best I have tried is Ozone Elite, better imho that assos.

Some **** in a Ford Ka ran over my pot of Assos in Worcester…:( street was nicely mentholated though…

As usual I disagree totally with TJ. If you’re going to be sat down pedalling for long periods I would advise Assos. It works for me. Including 9 hours in the saddle on La Marmotte.

I also use it for my 22 mile fixed commute. Just makes getting to the end of the week easier 😉

Homebrew is an interesting concept, but don’t use Sudocreme. It definitely doesn’t workfor me.

I asked about this a while ago (search for sodocreme 😉 as unfortunately typed it). Sore bits are usually around my seat bones. Mixture of pressure, friction sweat etc. Only really a problem on long rides on hot days.

Anyway, I decided that given how rarely I use it and the fact that udderly smooth isn’t massively expensive that I’d just go with the proper stuff.

Good shorts are the best starting point by a mile. You don’t need to spend Assos money. The Dhb top end shorts use the same pads as the top end shorts costing double (or at least they did) manufactured by cytec.

I mixed up Vaseline and Sudocreme (approx 4-1) last night and it looks like it might work well – nice consistency and it doesn’t leave a thick claggy white film like neat sudocreme. I’ll try it tonight and report back, looks like it’ll be a wet ride, so a good test.

I tend to get a bit of chaffing on the inside of my upper thigh (if it’s hot) but mostly, it’s that irritating pimple rash in where the crease between top-of-thigh meets buttock and runs across my sit-bones.

Apologies if that’s too much information :o.

I use this

Bodyglide

A Definite No to Hydrocortisone cream on a regular basis. As mentioned above it actually damages the skin over time it is to be used as a very short term thing to boost the body’s natural healing response!

sudocreme is rubbish for ‘in’ use just not slippy like decent chamois creams like assos and elite etc.. you need a bit of slip

i used a mix of sudocreme, vaseline, germolene and anusol(!) cream at mayhem – worked really well I have to say.

😯

To know that I was in far too close proximity with someone with their bottom so anointed fills me with nausea… 😡

I am confused – there is some kind of cycling performance benefit associated with the use of minty arse lard?

I thought it was just one of life’s guilty pleasures…