Comfortable on your saddle

When you are starting a new sport, you are never quite sure of the kind of equipment you need apart from the obvious stuff. When I started cycling, I went to a bike shop where I bought a road bike, a pair of shoes, a helmet and some clothes…as I said the obvious stuff. But I soon found out that during long rides I was suffering from friction in the saddle area. Very painful! I remember thinking to myself: I don’t think I’ll want to continue cycling if it’s that painful each time.

My friend Celine invited me to a party at her flat one day (Last year she crossed the UK on her bike in a week therefore she knows quite a lot about cycling). Between 2 glasses of wine, I asked her if she had the same friction problems and if she knew what to do about it. That’s the first time I heard about that product: ‘Chamois cream’. I have to say, the name itself is a bit mysterious. In French, a chamois is a kind of goat that lives in the mountains…therefore for me chamois cream would be a better name for a type of cheese than for a dermatologic cream.

The next day, I went on wiggle.co.uk (best website ever for sports products!) to order my pot of chamois cream. I can’t tell you how much this cream has improved my rides. You apply it on your skin and on the padding in your shorts and off you go. Even when I did a 65 miles ride back in May, I did not have any problems afterwards.

I really wish someone had recommended this cream to me straight away as it is an absolute essential if you are planning to do long rides (and even shorter ones).

So far I have only tried the Chamois Creme from Assos (Swiss brand) so it is the one I recommend. It smells ok and it feels ok on the skin. It does not stick and washes off very easily. 1 pot costs around £12 but it is worth it and it lasts for months so it’s ok.

Last week, I have bought a chamois cream from another brand called Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream. I’ll test it and let you know how it goes.

Other recommendations to help reduce frictions:

• Use quality padded shorts.
• Do get off your bike at red lights to let the blood circulate.
• Lift your backside off the saddle from time to time to let the blood circulate.
• Do select your underwear carefully. Girls, I do not recommend wearing lace for instance.