Chamois cream necessary??

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I think it helps too. I've used Chamois Butt'r and like it. It is water soluble and "relatively" cheap. I've tried Noxema face cleanser (with Eucalyptus) and it works well too. Dirt cheap. You can get a big jar for $5.

Noxema has a weird consistency and I've yet to try it on a ride over 25 miles. But, it does cool.
+1. Before a long ride, I'll often put a thin coat of Noxema on for the coolness, then apply and work something heavier into the pad. Chamois Butt'r is fine, but as said other stuff works well too, as long as it's heavy enough to hold up for the duration.

I don't use anything on shorter training rides, but for > 2 hours believe a good lube helps prevent chafing and sores. Also newer shorts with the molded Italian pad work a lot better for me on all day rides than the old-school foam/corduroy sewn padding.

Have experimented with a few and a friend gets some baby cream from the supermarket.

As I only use it for 80+ km rides or stage races, I go with ASSOS. It lasts me forever.

AMR

As the earlier post said, if the ride is under 20 miles, I don't need the Chamois cream. However, over 20 miles then I start to get boils on my backside. So I use Assos because it has an anti bacterial and fungal element, which is what causes the boils. Keeping the chamois on the shorts clean helps, but with all the sweating and heat where you sit, just causes problems even if you just cleaned the shorts. A lot of the advertising is about the lubricant value, but I don't find that is an issue.

If you don't have any problems, then I don't think you need the chamois cream.


If you are getting issues on 20 mile rides or longer (32km) then you really should look at your bike setup and other functional issues. I'll go knock out 140+km without chamois cream on the weekends. I don't bother too much.

I would love to hear what the feeling is on chamois creams! I have been cycling for years, and haven't found one yet that is decent, or even beneficial by the end of the ride!!!
Paceline chamois butter. But I think any kind of heavy lotion will work. I don't think you need it for short rides but anything over 20 I would not try without it.
It's very important to check your bike fit, especially your saddle height and angle (from the side AND rear). Make sure you move around while you ride and also get off the saddle every so often. I developed a saddle sore when inadvertely my saddle had turned a few mm to one side causing the saddle to be uneven and creating a pressure point. It took two weeks to heal. Now i check my saddle every time I ride.