# chamois cream.... what kind? does it matter?



## urnicus (Nov 13, 2007)

So, I have learned from a painful experience that riding 50+ miles with no chamois cream is not my friend.

_*So, what kind of chamois cream is the best?? Does it matter?*_

I saw the DZnuts product which is supposed to be antifungal etc, which sounds nice but it seems like a bunch of ancient remedies.... which makes me think if they are so great why are they ancient remedies and not current remedies.... :idea:


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## ToF (Jan 18, 2008)

I still prefer Assos, but I hear the new stuff isn't as "soothing" and "minty."

Paceline's Butt'r also has it's fans. I like it too.


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

Udderly Smooth works for me. A tub of it is about $5.00 from my local Ace Hardware store.


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## ToF (Jan 18, 2008)

cdhbrad said:


> Udderly Smooth works for me. A tub of it is about $5.00 from my local Ace Hardware store.


I hear bag balm also works, but i have never tried it.


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## rupenaik (Apr 30, 2007)

i heard that bag balm and other petroleum based products such as vaseline are bad for the construction of shorts/bibs. 

i have used paceline, the eurostyle butt'r which comes in a tub, and now am using udderly smooth. there are also many homemade recipes...do a search on this site for more details.


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*no*



rupenaik said:


> i heard that bag balm and other petroleum based products such as vaseline are bad for the construction of shorts/bibs.
> 
> i have used paceline, the eurostyle butt'r which comes in a tub, and now am using udderly smooth. there are also many homemade recipes...do a search on this site for more details.



Bag Balm or utter butter are not petroleum based to the best of my knowledge. The utter butter is used by farmers and from what I recall, the name is rather self evident.

As to experience, works great for me and uits much cheaper than chamois ointment


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## rupenaik (Apr 30, 2007)

ttug, please do some research...

http://www.bagbalm.com/download/bikemag.pdf

bag balm is petroleum based and can damage chamois


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*ok*



rupenaik said:


> ttug, please do some research...
> 
> http://www.bagbalm.com/download/bikemag.pdf
> 
> bag balm is petroleum based and can damage chamois


It CAN. I got that, I have used both products. It CAN damage your chamois if you RIDE ENOUGH to USE IT OFTEN. AND if you apply too much, I mean, sorry, but I would rather wear out my precios chamois than get a blister on my sack any day. I am NOT going to be a laundry nazi and preserve my chamois at the cost of a sore sack. Not to be crude, but, in the contest, my sack, vs chamois, MY SACK WINS!!

Otherwise, I HAVE USED IT FOR MILKING COWS and for RIDING BIKES and the chamois and the cow are fine. 

However, I understand that it can cause irritation for some folks. I will go home tonight and look at the indredients for the jar of bag balm I have next to my trainer.


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*Udder Butter listing*

Ingredients:
Oxyquinoline 0.22% in a base of Petrolatum. Also contains Caster Oil, Fragrance, Lanolin, Neatsfoot Oil, and Solubilizer.


Oh my gosh, I have discovered that Udder butter is Petrolatum based.

I did try the assos creme and got a blister on my sack, however, knock on wood, nothing yet using the above.

I will NOT rehash the contest of my sack or a preserved chamois, FORGIVE ME!!!!!! MEA CULPA.

I was wrong OH &^%&^%& OH OH OH&%&%&^%&^%


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*thanks*



rupenaik said:


> ttug, please do some research...
> 
> http://www.bagbalm.com/download/bikemag.pdf
> 
> bag balm is petroleum based and can damage chamois


WOW, I wanted to call you out and thank you for reminding me why I usually DO NOT reply here.

Phrases like to the best of my knowledge and my actual use of the products were in sore need of you to point out that I need "to do some more research".

Well lets see, 10 to 12K miles a year, a few blisters on the sack, and a few years later, I decided, yeah, I will use product X. BUT, hey, go nuts, hug a tree and of course, all the lubes on your bike, all the tires, all the brake pads, are NOT petroleum based products or even better, were not used for them right?


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## bwhite_4 (Aug 29, 2006)

people actually get blisters on their sack?

I thought chamois cream was for the butt and everything in between?

Oh well ... I use Bag Balm on my soft Nalini chamois and it's awesome.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

urnicus said:


> I saw the DZnuts product which is supposed to be antifungal etc, which sounds nice but it seems like a bunch of ancient remedies.... which makes me think if they are so great why are they ancient remedies and not current remedies.... :idea:


New, or current, does not always mean better! If something works well, there's no reason it can't continue to work well for a very long time.

Anyway, I happen to use Paceline Chamois Butt'r. Inexpensive and it works for me.


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## rupenaik (Apr 30, 2007)

bag balm has tons of petroleum jelly...just wanted warn the beginner...as your information was useless.


BTW your reading comprehension needs some work


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*huh*



rupenaik said:


> bag balm has tons of petroleum jelly...just wanted warn the beginner...as your information was useless.
> 
> 
> BTW, sweet that you ride so many kilometers, but your reading comprehension needs some work


Warn them about what? Their balls might smell like oil? Well I am not in the strata of life where I need to care about what others folks balls smell like, so, thats all you bro!


Look, it does not degrade the chamois appreciably, its another way to get you to buy expensive cycling items. Unless you actually have a reaction to pertoleum based items, its not that big of a deal. AGAIN, I said to the best of my knowledge.

Ride well and far far away.


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*yes, you can*



bwhite_4 said:


> people actually get blisters on their sack?
> 
> I thought chamois cream was for the butt and everything in between?
> 
> Oh well ... I use Bag Balm on my soft Nalini chamois and it's awesome.


I have, and I have also gotten them on the "taint" area as well. After the first 2 or 3 years, I decided on utter butter because, lets face it, it worked, chamois creme did not and the folks who go on and on about their precious cothing and the evils of petroleum generally got conned to spend more money on a "cycling" item. Kind of like the same people who color coordinate their riding kit with the color scheme of their frame and bike bottle. Thats swell, but really, if they used that anal energy on their training, we would have another Eddy Merckx. Why drain the fun out of a fun activity?

I just like to ride and I hate getting blisters on my sack. Its not a big thing really. I would ride nude, tried it once, but you do need the shorts to keep the shaky bits supported. Evrything else, color coordination and hydration aside, is a detail.


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## urnicus (Nov 13, 2007)

thanks...... i went with the paceline chamois butt'r..... just happened to be what my LBS had. 

I did not want to wait to have something else shipped from an internet retailer.

Although, they had the assos stuff too, which I realized was virtually the same price.... oh well, maybe when this stuff runs out I will try assos.

thanks to everyone for the advice.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

ttug said:


> Warn them about what? Their balls might smell like oil? Well I am not in the strata of life where I need to care about what others folks balls smell like, so, thats all you bro!
> 
> 
> Look, it does not degrade the chamois appreciably, its another way to get you to buy expensive cycling items. Unless you actually have a reaction to pertoleum based items, its not that big of a deal. AGAIN, I said to the best of my knowledge.
> ...


You & I were probably separated at birth. I like bike specific stuff...as long as I don't have to pay extra for it. I've used nothing but Vaseline or a generic equivalent , and once in a while Noxema. 'Course I really don't know $*** because I've only been riding for 45 years. As of this date, I've suffered no ill effects and neither have my clothes. IMO if you're using Assos, Chamois Buttr, or similar, you might be paying a fortune for Pedro's Bike Lust too.


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

Anyone tried the new Chamois Cream from Hammer Nutrition called SEAT SAVER?
LINK


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## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

Crunchy style Jif seems to work pretty well also.


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## Cyclo-phile (Sep 22, 2005)

Beljum Butter





not margarine


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*agreed*



Mr. Versatile said:


> You & I were probably separated at birth. I like bike specific stuff...as long as I don't have to pay extra for it. I've used nothing but Vaseline or a generic equivalent , and once in a while Noxema. 'Course I really don't know $*** because I've only been riding for 45 years. As of this date, I've suffered no ill effects and neither have my clothes. IMO if you're using Assos, Chamois Buttr, or similar, you might be paying a fortune for Pedro's Bike Lust too.



I do not get it either.

It reminds me of the folks who get a new seat and try it out on a century for the forst time and then....complain about the sores?????? New equipment first try on a longish ride is fail.

BUT, hey, the seat was supposed to be better for their riding comfort...uh yeah.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

> I mean, sorry, but I would rather wear out my precios chamois than get a blister on my sack any day.





> in the contest, my sack, vs chamois, MY SACK WINS!!


I can't decide which one of these statements I want to make into my new sig. line...


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*its just odd*



Andrea138 said:


> I can't decide which one of these statements I want to make into my new sig. line...



I think the most odd thing, if you will is, is that, there is an actual debate. I mean hey, the nugget pouch is rather sacred, and I have yet, to date at least, not know an individual who thinks, gosh, I could preserve the clothes AND hurt the pouch OR...hey wait a minute....

To me, its a tad obvious......oh well. One mans sack is another persons fashion sacrifice.


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## rupenaik (Apr 30, 2007)

as stated earlier in my first post, Udderly Smooth udder cream has worked best for me. i haven't used a cycling specific product for a bunch of old geezer years either. 

About 6 dolla at the CVS. (and no petroleum jelly in it! yay!)

when you have a team kit with only two bibs for the season it sucks to wear them out because of a bad choice of chamois cream.


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*You Are Wrong*



rupenaik said:


> as stated earlier in my first post, Udderly Smooth udder cream has worked best for me. i haven't used a cycling specific product for a bunch of old geezer years either.
> 
> About 6 dolla at the CVS. (and no petroleum jelly in it! yay!)
> 
> when you have a team kit with only two bibs for the season it sucks to wear them out because of a bad choice of chamois cream.


The ingredients for Udderly Smooth do contain petroleum and are by nature petroleum based. They are in fact, more harmful to clothing and continued use on skin:

Deionized water, urea, stearic acid, Peg-2 Stearate, propylene glycol, isopropyl myristate, dimethicone, lanolin oil, mineral oil, triethanolamine, allantoin, methylparaben, propylparaben

Of these methylparaben and propylparaben are pertroleum based.

So sorry, you are wrong.

Your data is useless.

Wow, you contributed nothing.

Man you need to do more research.

Sucks, doesnt it? Why not just ride with what works? In short, you havr used this product on your valued clothing, its petroleum based and you see no complaints with the wear and tear factor. As I stated, the wear on chamois, from all of the products I have used, and yes, those wioth petrleum jelly, did little or nothing to shorten the life of the garment in a fashion that would detract from its use and utility over a good length of time: a few years.


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## rupenaik (Apr 30, 2007)

ttug said:


> The ingredients for Udderly Smooth do contain petroleum and are by nature petroleum based. They are in fact, more harmful to clothing and continued use on skin:
> 
> Deionized water, urea, stearic acid, Peg-2 Stearate, propylene glycol, isopropyl myristate, dimethicone, lanolin oil, mineral oil, triethanolamine, allantoin, methylparaben, propylparaben
> 
> ...


first, we are both kind of in agreement here mr. tug, as to what product to use on the ever so valuable "sack". second, every good scientist knows to cite their sources (granted wikipedia isn't considered an academic reference, but i'm lazy).

Udderly Smooth website: water based...says right at the top (again, your reading comprehension is poor)

http://www.udderlysmooth.com/original.shtml

proplyparaben? waterbased and commonly used in bathroom products: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propyl_paraben

methylparaben? a widely used antifungal, used in skin and face products: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_paraben

parabens are non-toxic (unless you have a paraben allergy), go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraben

As the alkyl chain length increases the water solubility decreases. so yes, you are partially correct. but, both parabens you have pointed to (methyl and propyl) have relatively short alkyl chains and therefore are still considered water soluble.


So, NO, it doesn't suck...Do your research and get back to me....


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*Oh I am so sorry*



rupenaik said:


> first, we are both kind of in agreement here mr. tug, as to what product to use on the ever so valuable "sack". second, every good scientist knows to cite their sources (granted wikipedia isn't considered an academic reference, but i'm lazy).
> 
> Udderly Smooth website: water based...says right at the top (again, your reading comprehension is poor)
> 
> ...


Oh my goodness, I neglected to tell you I am not your emotional tampon, nor am I your employee.

So, YES, it sucks when you are wrong and it even sucks more that you think I am going to back up your error and doth mine ears deceive me? Do you mean you gave advice which could harm a rider? 

*OH MY GOD

THE HORROR*

Imagine all those poor cyclists you harmed out there!!! Why imagine the hordes of crippled cycluists with balls smelling of petroleum products that could IN A LAB over years of use, decrease the durability of a pair of shorts your bought at the international house of rectal cringe. 

Look, the deal is you came off like a sage, you got corrected, you were shown to be in error, its not technical, you were wrong, at least I had the nads to declare that it was *to the best of my knowledge*

Face it, we are not the next great cycling god OK? We ride bikes on a largel;y recreational basis. The OP asked about a product, they thanked everyone for the input and life went on. Oily balls or not, the person is not going to croak, their shorts will not disintegrate and somehow, we are all gonna make it. THANK GOD.

Man I can tell, you have to be one of those preachers that just flaps the old yapper and wonders why the group is riding faster and faster. ANSWER: They are trying to get away from you.

And so you and the whole world now knows

*YES, THE HEALTH OF MY SACK IS VERY VALUABLE TO ME*

Futhermore, check out the FDA website, and just one other detail here..........

SCIENCE??? WTF are you talking about? I have ridden thousands of freaking miles using these products and YES, YES I have milked cows and used the same things. The cow did not croak, my shorts have not fallen apart, my sack is fine thank you so, HTFU ad move on.

OMFG were you potty trained at gun point? For the love of God man, its a bike ride


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## andulong (Nov 23, 2006)

Okay girls...kiss and make up!


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*apologies*



andulong said:


> Okay girls...kiss and make up!


When I began to ride in earnest, I was a physical wreck. I was very heavy (305), stopped smoking (4 packs non filtered a day), I was told so much BS about riding, so much stuff that just was invalid.

I dropped the weight, got a goal, got a basic road bike and just started to ride and I love it. 

Long story short, I love to ride, I love the feeling I get and I just cant stand nay sayers, or soul zombies who live to drain that fun. So, I usually ride solo, longer quiet rides. My choice, my way. 

I just got too old and too impatient to watch the fun get drained because somebody KNOWS what they read on a laudry label or bottle of goo they bought. Ride well, ride for joy, and above all, enjoy it.


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*Do you need it at all? I never have*

Sounds like you're having problems chamois cream might solve, but it could be a matter of getting used to the saddle. I don't do big miles anymore, but I rode 4000+ a year for about 20 years without cream and never had anything worse than very minor, fleeting irritation. The few times I did try cream, it seemed to create hot spots.


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## wmayes (Aug 8, 2007)

Holy crap, what a bunch of SH*T!!!! Just STFU and slather it on! Who gives a crap about a worn out chamois? Buy a new pair of friggin' shorts, lather up and ride. Geez!


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## android (Nov 20, 2007)

ttug said:


> The ingredients for Udderly Smooth do contain petroleum and are by nature petroleum based. They are in fact, more harmful to clothing and continued use on skin:


Crap, I've been using Udderly Smooth for years and always wondered why the threads in my shorts evaporate after about an hour of riding and I have to ride home half naked. But my bike shop loves me because I go through an lot of shorts, so there you go.


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

Never used any of it.

Never had a problem.

The guys like to ride clean.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

That's it. I'm hiding under the bed for a day or so. When I'm brave enough to come out again I'm going to make my own home brew chamois lube. It'll be made from equal parts Noxema, Chamois Buttr, Assos, Vaseline, Olive oil, 10W 30 Shell oil, Prolink Chain Lube, Udderly Smooth, Butter, low fat Mayo, Honey Mustard salad dressing, Seat Saver, and sanitized playground sand. It'll be mixed together in a commercial blender. Frankly, I was afraid to include the peanut better because of the current scare about it being infected with some evil substance.

This will take some time though. Like I said, I'll be hiding out until I think it's safe to come out again.


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## ToF (Jan 18, 2008)

Mr. Versatile said:


> That's it. I'm hiding under the bed for a day or so. When I'm brave enough to come out again I'm going to make my own home brew chamois lube. It'll be made from equal parts Noxema, Chamois Buttr, Assos, Vaseline, Olive oil, 10W 30 Shell oil, Prolink Chain Lube, Udderly Smooth, Butter, low fat Mayo, Honey Mustard salad dressing, Seat Saver, and sanitized playground sand. It'll be mixed together in a commercial blender. Frankly, I was afraid to include the peanut better because of the current scare about it being infected with some evil substance.
> 
> This will take some time though. Like I said, I'll be hiding out until I think it's safe to come out again.


What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you know you use _Penzoil_, _NOT_ Shell oil???? Shell oil has trace amounts of oil in it.


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> That's it. I'm hiding under the bed for a day or so. When I'm brave enough to come out again I'm going to make my own home brew chamois lube. It'll be made from equal parts Noxema, Chamois Buttr, Assos, Vaseline, Olive oil, 10W 30 Shell oil, Prolink Chain Lube, Udderly Smooth, Butter, low fat Mayo, Honey Mustard salad dressing, Seat Saver, and sanitized playground sand. It'll be mixed together in a commercial blender. Frankly, I was afraid to include the peanut better because of the current scare about it being infected with some evil substance.


What? No WD-40?

I didn't use chamois creme for a long time, but when I increased my mileage/saddle time, I started getting saddle sores. Not pleasant, so I always use Assos chamois creme. I tried most of the ones mentioned here and prefer the Assos, although I like the old formulation much more than the new one.


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## rogerstg (Aug 1, 2007)

Mr. Versatile said:


> When I'm brave enough to come out again I'm going to make my own home brew chamois lube. It'll be made from equal parts Noxema, Chamois Buttr, Assos, Vaseline, Olive oil, 10W 30 Shell oil, Prolink Chain Lube, Udderly Smooth, Butter, low fat Mayo, Honey Mustard salad dressing, Seat Saver, and sanitized playground sand. It'll be mixed together in a commercial blender.


Um, I think you forgot the mineral spirits. All good homebrew has mineral spirits. I know it's true because I read it on the internet.


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## thegock (May 16, 2006)

*Slippery topic*

Note 2 newbs-it's been hashed before.

I do about 4k miles per year and some trainer time and running. I do about three centuries a years and can do them around five hours. My first century was in 1974, which is incredible because I think of myself as 23, in cutoff dungarees on a Gitane with stem mount shifters. I remember going out afterwards and doing a fast ten mile two man paceline with my wingman.

I use some Desitin when I am going 40+ miles. It's less than $4 per tube which lasts one season. For a century, I will do some Chamois Buttr which is ridiculously expensive-but the container will last ten years at this rate.

I have also tried Vaseline and that works too. Haven't tried peanut butter yet. But wait---doesn't that have petroleum product in it?


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## desmo13 (Jun 28, 2006)

I don't use anything. Even on 80-100 miles rides. If it starts to hurt. embrace the pain. It builds character.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

tferris said:


> What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you know you use _Penzoil_, _NOT_ Shell oil???? Shell oil has trace amounts of oil in it.


:blush2: Oops! My bad. You're correct, of course, and I can't even claim that it was a typo. Sometimes I jut don't pay close enough attention to recipes/formulas. That's probably why I have terminal saddle sores.


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## bubba biker (Mar 1, 2008)

Mr. Versatile said:


> That's it. I'm hiding under the bed for a day or so. When I'm brave enough to come out again I'm going to make my own home brew chamois lube. It'll be made from equal parts Noxema, Chamois Buttr, Assos, Vaseline, Olive oil, 10W 30 Shell oil, Prolink Chain Lube, Udderly Smooth, Butter, low fat Mayo, Honey Mustard salad dressing, Seat Saver, and sanitized playground sand. It'll be mixed together in a commercial blender. Frankly, I was afraid to include the peanut better because of the current scare about it being infected with some evil substance.
> 
> This will take some time though. Like I said, I'll be hiding out until I think it's safe to come out again.


I'll pay you $40.00 for a 3 oz tube of this miracle cream.


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