To cream or not to cream? That is the question!

Why was Chamois Cream created?

Before the chamois was first created, riders were often said to use steaks as a comfortable layer between their shorts to prevent chafing and soreness and supposedly would eat them after because they were tenderised; salty! Nice refuelling strategy though…

The first hint of a padded insert in a pair of shorts wasn’t introduced until the early 1940’s in the form of sheeps leather. Initially, this sheeps leather was nice and soft until it was repeatedly washed and dried where it became hard and abrasive…you can guess what’s coming. This wasn’t a good recipe for comfort between your shorts and your undercarriage! This is when the first chamois cream was born; often in the form of a softening cream or balm, not unlike you can find today. The cream would be applied directly to the chamois to try to soften it up.

In the 80’s, new pads and chamois were created and as such, the technological advancement in chamois cream was also updated, but now rather than softening toughened leather, it was designed to prevent irritation and friction between a rider and their shorts.

In recent years, the chamois has evolved further and is now contoured, padded, tighter and often antibacterial, much like our chamois cream is.

 Should I use Chamois Cream?

Yes. We will always say yes. We’ve worked hard to make sure that the VeloSkin chamois cream is the best available; it’s comfortable, smells great and lasts well along with being antibacterial. There is no worse reason to not be able to ride than having saddle sores or other discomfort down below, especially when it’s avoidable. There are some who don’t use chamois cream, which is fine, there are others who use it only for race day, and there are some that use it every single day, and some say they’re the most comfortable riders in the world.

If you’re new to riding, it’s not improbable that you’ll develop soreness, so it’s a good investment. 

If you’re a seasoned rider and ride regularly, it’s not improbable that riding so regularly and far could develop soreness, so it’s a good investment.

If you ride in the wet, it’s not improbable that you’ll develop soreness, so it’s a good investment!

Just remember however, our chamois cream is not a CURE to soreness, but just a preventative measure. If you ride long hard miles in the wet and cold or the lovely dry hot summers and do use chamois cream, you may still develop some irritation; this is just tired skin and we can also help you there with our Soothing Recovery Gel, which you can find on our site.

So to summarise, chamois cream can keep you comfortable, which can help you enjoy riding your bike, which is all we want.