Touring - Long Distance Biking Hygiene

Ok so something some people might not think about but im planning to go on an 8 week adventure and we will be sleeping in bivi bags or whatever each night. So what are your tips for keeping clean on long distance journeys?

Like how many pairs of clothes etc?

You need to be wearing clean cycling shorts every day. You'll need at least a couple of pairs if you're going to wash them each night.

Are you carrying all your gear on your bikes?

Fortunately on my long distance tours I've had a back up vehicle to carry gear. I've always carried at least 3 pairs of cycling shorts and 3 jerseys.

Wow, that depends so much on what your standards of 'hygiene' are. I will say though, that your actual riding gear such as shorts and jersey you can wear for several days before it's considered dirty. I change riding sox every two days, shorts every 10 or 12, shirts every 6 or 7, and whatever I'm wearing under the shorts (if you do) every two or three. Fundamentally, this is not so much based on how 'fresh' you want to feel on the road but how much weight you can endure. Generally, as far as street clothes go (the ones you'd wear to museums, bars, and restaurants at your stops) you can bring the bare minimum. A single pair of jeans and two polo shirts should suffice. Don't forget you always have the option of a laundromat and most towns with more than a few thousand people will have one. Hope this steers you in the right direction.

You need to be wearing clean cycling shorts every day. You'll need at least a couple of pairs if you're going to wash them each night.

Are you carrying all your gear on your bikes?

Fortunately on my long distance tours I've had a back up vehicle to carry gear. I've always carried at least 3 pairs of cycling shorts and 3 jerseys.

I've never toured with a support vehicle so I guess if you have this option Comfort is King! Bring as much as you can!

Baby wipes can be a huge factor especially if you are stealth camping.

Well we have no vehicle just our bikes. Also to the guy who doesnt change his shorts for 10-12 days... my god id hate to be stuck behind you ;) Seriously though I will just have my bike and whatever I can carry. I'm not sure if its best to have a rucksack or if you should attach the gear to the sides of the bike.

I was thinking.

money, credit card, passport
Bivy sack, sleeping bag, the mattres thing to go below it
rope
knife, firestarting kit, first aid
canopy for setting up camps and to cover the bikes
3 pairs of shorts, 3 t shirts, 3 socks, 3 boxer shorts
say 2 litres of water
phone
bike toolkit
bike lock kit
towel, soap, teeth wipes

What do you guys think who have done it before?
There are 3 of us so far and its a trip from amsterdam to italy. So I think if another guy brings a saw we will be ok. We could also take turns with the canvas materal for the canopy/bike cover

To balance the need to keep weight/bulk to a minimum and stay relatively clean, I carry one pair of cycling pants and one cycling jersey, and wash them every night. I have been known to bring these items in the shower with me!

for any length tour I bring two shorts and two jersey's. Like Acantor I wash my stuff every day (bring a little bottle of antibacterial soap)what doesn't dry overnight I pin to the rear rack and let it dry as I ride.

I second the use of baby wipes. Some places water is too valuable to waste on washing (desert camping in Big Bend for example). A couple wet wipes go a long way toward good personal hygiene.

Take at least two pairs of cycling clothes. When you arrive at your days destination, wash the shorts, jersey, socks, skullcap, etc. in a sink with a little woolite. It only takes a few minutes to get the clothes clean. String up a clothesline and let them dry in the evening.

BTW, get a flat rubber drain stopper at walmart. Most sinks you come across will not have a drain plug. In a pinch you can use a plastic bag at the bottom of the sink. the water pressure will hold it tight against the drain. But a cheap rubber stopper is better.

Take at least two pairs of cycling clothes. When you arrive at your days destination, wash the shorts, jersey, socks, skullcap, etc. in a sink with a little woolite. It only takes a few minutes to get the clothes clean. String up a clothesline and let them dry in the evening.



What's a skullcap ?

anti-fungal, antibiotic cream, vaseline, disinfectant powder work wonders when you can't stay clean despite best efforts

I pretty much demand a clean shower each night...and an enough pairs of cycling shorts/ jerseys that should they not be dry each morning, you have an extra to fall back on...the non sag tours I have done...Needed to have open mesh bag for the shorts to dry out atop my rack should they not yet be dry..

Skull cap is a thin material cap to go on the head. Think swimming cap except in material instead of rubber.

I think on this you should go with what you feel comfortable. If you think you can get by on two pairs of shorts, good. I go with three pairs usually. The weight of a pair is negligible compared to the heavenly comfort of pulling on dry and odour-free pair of shorts in the morning.

I might go with two jerseys, and three pairs of socks (although there is a thought you go with just three socks -- two on to start, next day change left one and wash, put right on left, and new one on right; day two, repeat process. Different colours help in keeping track if the smell doesn't, and makes an interesting talking point).

Of course, washing depends on access to water, drying (and that can be a challenge in itself, despite the use of synthetics) and your discipline.

Wet wipes are great. If you sweat as much down there as I do, regular wiping will prevent painful pimples from forming in places you don't want, front centre, and rear!

I find some shop quality paper towels to be useful. Use as napkins, wipe down cooking utensils, wipe off soot on stove, etc. For people that are washing clothes each night, what do you do if it rains for 3 or 4 days straight?

A pair of cycling shorts, a pair of cycling shirts, these can be washed every night. 1 zip off trousers, the kind that the legs zip off to convert to shorts, then I have this shirt my daughter bought from New York for me and this shirt is amazing, the creases fold out as you wear it. 1 Fleace top. 2 pairs of socks and same for underwear.Thats it as far as clothes go. The trick is in wash & wear, why carry the extra weight. I also have a solar shower, available at most camp shops. The sun heats the water, if no sun then heat it up on the cooker, fire but at the end of the day a shower is a must, you feel great and clean and it also is relaxing. Agree with wet ones, wipe all cooking equipment with this then wash it out , you will use very little water this way. If you each carry a Army Poncho, then weight for each is min, and these can be clipped together to make a sheet, If I go with friends then I carry 2 bamboo poles with guy ropes sling the sheet @ 45 degrees going down to the opening of the tent this allows me to sit in peace what ever the weather, I also have 2 more ponchos to clip to the side, which ever way the wind blows to have 3 sides blocked off, The tent I have weighs just over 1 kg and with this set up 2 people can sleep, half in half out unaffected by the weather. The bikes go on either side inside the poncho area. If I am on my own then I just carry the one poncho.

I find some shop quality paper towels to be useful. Use as napkins, wipe down cooking utensils, wipe off soot on stove, etc. For people that are washing clothes each night, what do you do if it rains for 3 or 4 days straight?

I find the paper towels very useful at home instead of rags for servicing the bikes. Probably not totally environmentally friendly, but I figure I ride an extremely friendly form of transport, so I am still way ahead.

Folks recommend "wet ones" or baby wipes, as do I. Another option is to use a small bottle of hand sanitizer. I use "Purell" brand, available in the US-sureley there is a European equivalent. It's basicly a gel, with a high % of ethyl alcohol.

Uses-to clean hands prior to eating (especially if sharing foods like chips/snacks+such). Add a bit to clothing you couldn't wash that day (inside crotch of shorts, underarm of shirts etc). Cleaning yourself after a sponge bath (armpits, crotch, feet). Use after a bathroom break-this particular use really helps keep shorts clean-because you are clean!

Another reason I like the gel is that there is less trash-when you need a "wipe" just add a few drops to some toilet or tissue paper. There is no packaging trash to carry, and the wipe can be burned (if safe to do so in that area).

[edit] Excellent soaps for washing clothes (and yourself), are the concentrated Dr Bronners (http://www.drbronner.com/soaps.html) brand. Available at probably every camping store (in the US) as well as natural food stores+perhaps large grocers. Obviously avoid the ones that may be appetizing to bears if traveling through bear country.

I pretty much demand a clean shower each night...and an enough pairs of cycling shorts/ jerseys that should they not be dry each morning, you have an extra to fall back on...the non sag tours I have done...Needed to have open mesh bag for the shorts to dry out atop my rack should they not yet be dry..

I fall more in Cyclezealot camp, on my cross country, I think I had maybe 3 or 4 days (out of 117) without a shower. I brought 3 pairs of bike cloths and have decided to up that to 5. Clothing doesn't weigh much and there is (almost) always a laundramat within 5 days ride. I started out hand washing my cloths and decided that I did a poor job of it and with 3 sets, I had to do laundry too often. This might sound weird, but after about 3000 miles or so, riding every day, I had almost no body odor, maybe I sweat-out all the toxins that cause it. Anyway cloths would last several days by the end of my trip. Has anyone else experienced this?

The same pair of shirt and shorts can last me for several days at a time without feeling uncomfortable. I normally bring 3 pair of socks, 2 shorts, a couple of boxers and 2 to 3 t -shirts. Put the dirty laundry in a big plastic bag and when i have only one clean pair left i go hunting for a laundromat.

anti-fungal, antibiotic cream, vaseline, disinfectant powder work wonders when you can't stay clean despite best efforts

Antifungal/desinfectant cream is a necessity for me when travelling (biking or not) in warmer climates or during the summer months... no matter how clean I keep myself. I once tried to get some in China because of a terrible rash around my ass and my thighs... after an hour trying to explain my problem to the clerk, I just decided to buy a couple of tubes and see which cream would work... none did! The moral is: bring your own!

Otherwise, wet wipes help a lot but nothing beats water and soap.

This might sound weird, but after about 3000 miles or so, riding every day, I had almost no body odor, maybe I sweat-out all the toxins that cause it. Anyway cloths would last several days by the end of my trip. Has anyone else experienced this?

Very True, I did not think of this till you mentioned it, I noticed this last year on my Italian tour, I thought it was the heat drying me out, did not sweat a whole load but had to stop for frequent leaks.

I do self-supporting cyclecamping and usually for reasonably long tours, my next being 3000 miles in France. Keep your gear light and easy to launder. Two pairs of racing shorts as they dry very quickly and it is important to wash the pair you're wearing every day. To wear dirty shorts is stupid as a boil on the backside can bring your tour to an abrupt end. For everything else wear a poly-cotton mix--not cotton as it absorbs moisture and is difficult to get dry. I wear one cotton/poly t-shirt and carry another and I wash the one I wear with my shorts. In France my gear usually dries in 20 mins. tops. Forget socks as they are a waste of time. I carry a pair of leisure shorts, again lightweight and a pair of poly/cott. trousers which I wear for eating out. I use Shimano cycling sandals so they also do for off the bike. A pair of light tights for chilly mornings along with a light poly/cott. anorak and I carry a set of L/w Helly Hanson themal basewear for emergencies. A light Goretex waterproof jacketm but no trousers and a cap for protection from the sun when I remember to wear it. A lightweight "travellers" towel which dries very quickly on the bike is also very useful.
I use shampoo for showering and for washing my clothes and have a small bottle of detergent for dishwashing duties. Add a stove (Triangia complete with pots ), tools and spares, a campers' washing line for drying clothes, a Thermarest, sleeping bag, headtorch, a small compass and a small radio and that's it really.
I'm always looking for ways to cut down as my knees complain about the weight.

On my recent tour, I frequently went as many as 5 days without a shower and sometimes even longer between laundry facilities ... and I often stayed in the same cycling clothes for that length of time too. The benefit of doing that, is that when you go into a grocery store to buy supper for the night, everyone moves out of the way and you are first in line! :D

I had two pair of cycling shorts with me, and I always wore one pair for at least 2-3 days before switching to the second pair.

I had one short-sleeved jersey, and a long-sleeved wool top that I basically lived in for two of the three months.

I had a few non-cycling clothes with me, and would try to change into them for nights, but sometimes it was too cold ... or I was too tired ... to change. So I frequently slept in my cycling attire.

It was nice when I was riding along the ocean because I'd take a dip in the ocean, wearing my cycling clothing, of course, in the middle of the day ... then I'd slosh over to a local beach-side restaurant to drip dry a bit before continuing on. I figured the ocean water probably cleaned things up a bit. The only problem with that was the sand.

As for non-cycling gear, someone here recommends bringing jeans and a polo shirt. If you're doing supported touring, maybe, but if you are on your own, don't bring jeans and a polo shirt. They are too heavy and take way too long to dry. Bring light zip-off trousers --the kind where the legs zip off so that they become shorts. They are light enough to dry fast, and they are versatile. Instead of a polo shirt, go with something in a polyester or nylon which will also be light and dry fast.

This might sound weird, but after about 3000 miles or so, riding every day, I had almost no body odor, maybe I sweat-out all the toxins that cause it. Anyway cloths would last several days by the end of my trip. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have to say "yes". I can only think improved fitness and acclimatisation to the environment are the two factors at play in reducing sweat output.

On our trip around Australia we had a couple of pairs of clothes which we alternated no more than every 3 days, but we always had clean underwear. We also washed or rinsed the clothes as often as we could. We also took a shower in a caravan (RV) park or roadhouse when we could and we had a 20 litre solar shower bag for when we camped next to a river or creek and we even used a plastic 1 litre milk bottle with holes in the top (like a shower rose) for when we had just a bit of spare water and we found we could both get a rinse off shower out of 1 litre (500ml each). Apart from that we always carried and used baby wipes. I have also heard of people using alcohol swabs for those groin and under arm areas when there is nothing else.
I don't think there is any perfect way to do it, just a lot of good methods as shown on this thread, so I think the best thing to do is to try them all and stick with the ones you like.
Regards
Andrew
http://www.geocities.com/andrewhooker59/CycleTouring.html

<SNIP>This might sound weird, but after about 3000 miles or so, riding every day, I had almost no body odor, maybe I sweat-out all the toxins that cause it. Anyway cloths would last several days by the end of my trip. Has anyone else experienced this?

Yes, and we put it down the the fact that we were drinking mostly water, our bodies were using all the food we ate each day and although we still got sweaty and grimy, there was very little smell. I guess that is "clean" living :D

Apart from that we always carried and used baby wipes. I have also heard of people using alcohol swabs for those groin and under arm areas when there is nothing else.


I believe the smell really comes from the bacterial colonies that form in various sweaty regions. The alcohol swabs probably are similar to the wet wipes... but you need to be careful about chafe points -- ouch!

Just do not relate to Andrews comments about being flushed out by water? Six of us were in a French bakery Thursday..Approaching the table after a 20 mile chilly ride- that smell sure was not chocolate filled croisants. I always think it wise, cyclists eat outside cafe's whenever possible...get better service that way.

We've never bothered with more than two sets of cycling clothes, each. One to wear, one drying for the next day. I really don't want to carry around a lot of dirty laundry. We do not always change each day.

We've been out as much as 6 weeks, camping each night. When possible to took showers, and otherwise tried to keep the critical crotch area clean

my bad advice...
my now famous tour from San Fran to Eugene 700 miles, 11 days.
2 pairs of shorts, 1 short sleve jersey, 1 long, 1 pair socks, 1 pair rain pants and minimal camp gear.
Laundry every 3 days or so, airing out the shorts at night, and baby wipes and no undies in the evenings. Smelly.

Baby wipes. Buy them in the flat little packet that's purse sized and keep the important parts clean. If you carry more than a little bag, camp suds and a sponge or corner of a camp towel. You can do total sponge baths that way in liu of a shower.

Also. Small bottle of sanitizer lotion. The new stuff is a moisterizer lotion and alcohol gel in one and is a great way to keep clean and non-stinky.

Another factor in me not smelling , just thought of it, is the type of deodorant, i use, up untill 2 years ago I never used any, just washed 2 x a day, as I never trusted what was in them to be absorbed by my body. 2 years ago my wife gave me this salt crystal, available in most health shops now. The crystal changes the chemical composition of say your armpit so that the bacteria can not live in it , the bacteria is what causes the smell. Using the polyester type shirts for cycling is really prone to smell, use this crystal and you will suerly smell the difference.

Well we have no vehicle just our bikes. Also to the guy who doesnt change his shorts for 10-12 days... my god id hate to be stuck behind you ;) Seriously though I will just have my bike and whatever I can carry. I'm not sure if its best to have a rucksack or if you should attach the gear to the sides of the bike.

I was thinking.

money, credit card, passport
Bivy sack, sleeping bag, the mattres thing to go below it
rope
knife, firestarting kit, first aid
canopy for setting up camps and to cover the bikes
3 pairs of shorts, 3 t shirts, 3 socks, 3 boxer shorts
say 2 litres of water
phone
bike toolkit
bike lock kit
towel, soap, teeth wipes

What do you guys think who have done it before?
There are 3 of us so far and its a trip from amsterdam to italy. So I think if another guy brings a saw we will be ok. We could also take turns with the canvas materal for the canopy/bike cover

Thats pretty much what I bring on tour. One of the sets of shorts are board shorts that dry quick and can be used for swimming. I also wear those when I go to the laundry and throw everything in the washer. Wet wipes are good but I alway find a way to shower even if its a water bottle over the head.

MBD

Baby wipes can be a huge factor especially if you are stealth camping.

Definitely. I learned this one as a bike commuter, actually, but it was equally useful on tour.


I find some shop quality paper towels to be useful. Use as napkins, wipe down cooking utensils, wipe off soot on stove, etc. For people that are washing clothes each night, what do you do if it rains for 3 or 4 days straight?

In an emergency, I find a laundromat and use their dryer.

I also second the above recommendation for Dr. Bronner's soaps - they can be used equally well to hand-wash clothes, do dishes, and clean yourself. Plus they're totally safe to use in places where runoff goes to the watershed, since they don't contain any of the nasties that are in more "modern" detergent formulations... they're just soap, just as was used a century ago!

I always carry a light outfit to wear only when I'm not riding (at a museum, bar, restaurant, etc) and want to look/feel clean. Then I'll bring 2 changes of riding clothes and not worry how dirty they get.

I rinse my clothes in the sink/shower/creek or wherever I find myself, and hang them up overnight or draped and bungi-corded over my panniers. Worse case scenario, wearing wet clothes is only bad for the first 30 seconds, and when you're riding your body heat dries clothes pretty quickly.

Of course laundromats are wonderful if you're in north America, but they're hard to find in Europe unless you're in a major city (Paris, Rome, etc.) and they tend to be ridiculously overpriced. In Italy everyone does their laundry at home, so the laundromats are almost exclusively for tourists.

Has anyone found other laundry-friendly countries?

This might sound weird, but after about 3000 miles or so, riding every day, I had almost no body odor, maybe I sweat-out all the toxins that cause it. Anyway cloths would last several days by the end of my trip. Has anyone else experienced this?

As another poster mentioned, that's acclimatization. Your body gets used to the daily routine of riding and changes to work optimally in the conditions. I think this is an anthropology term and it's totally normal. All bodies are different, so for some it'll take a week or two and for others it might be two months or more.

This is why a lot of athletes train at high altitudes. Their bodies adjust to being at altitude and one of the things that happens is the lungs take in more oxygen per breathe to make up for the less oxygen rich air that's found in the atomsphere of high altitudes. So when they go to compete at lower altitude, they're actually getting more oxygen per breathe than people who haven't trained the same way.

Been a while since I've studied the stuff, but that's the general idea.

Wow. Seems amazing reading about some of you guys and girls spending so long in dirty clothes. I'm going on a 2 month cycling trip around NZ next year, which I'm worrying about, as the only other trip I've done is a 9 day supported trip with showers at the end of each day. On it I only wore a pair of pants two days running once, but still ended up with an infection that I'm still trying to kill 4 months later. :(

An infection of what, though?

Today, I had two appointments on my day off..On days off, I try not to use a car..Those are designated bike only days, when possible..So had to stop off at the plant to take in some papers...plus a later trip to an optometrist...in a town about 17 miles away...
Before both meetings, I used baby wipes under my jersey..to get ready for the meeting...With the fragrence with the wipes, hope and think the smell was somewhat neutralized..just wiped down myself from underneath the jersey and let the residue saturate the jersey.

An infection of what, though?

Hey Rowan. Do you mean what kind of bug? Don't know. Just got a sebecous cyst that kept on going flaring up and down. Tried to get rid of it with good hygine and savlon since I don't believe in anti-biotics if I can help it. But last weekends stack ended up with the cyst and the hip wound flaring up and cross infecting each other so I had to get onto the antibiotics. Hopefully it will clean up both.

Still don't know how people can spend days in the same bacterial hilton hotel and not turn into a festering mess. Better immune system than me I guess. :(

For a shower, stop at a fire station and ask if you can use their facilities.

As soon as you stop for the night, you get out of your clothes and shower asap. Wash your clothes every night so they don't capture your "funk".

Carry wet wipes. There are scented wet wipes out there too- even Mennen makes wet wipes that smell like Old Spice, so if you want to spiff up at night, you've got a fighting chance. ;)

Use deoderant. Anti-perspirant deoderant is the best.

A little baby powder goes a long way...

Koffee

Hey Rowan. Do you mean what kind of bug? Don't know. Just got a sebecous cyst that kept on going flaring up and down. Tried to get rid of it with good hygine and savlon since I don't believe in anti-biotics if I can help it. But last weekends stack ended up with the cyst and the hip wound flaring up and cross infecting each other so I had to get onto the antibiotics. Hopefully it will clean up both.

Still don't know how people can spend days in the same bacterial hilton hotel and not turn into a festering mess. Better immune system than me I guess. :(

You make my point. Those people who wear shorts unwashed for days are at risk from cysts, boils etc. the consequences of which can be serious. It's a stupid practice and for the life of me I can't understand why they do it. As for women who do this I feel it's even worse given their particular plumbing a fact that causes women to be even more particular re changing their underwear than men. Er-----this is Cosmo isn't it?

It's not nearly as bad as you think...

badsac, sebaceous cysts are a problem because they usually are deeper and cause more pain than the surface pimples. Some people are more predisposed to them.

I've been through a whole heap of "solutions". Reasonable quality chamois in the shorts is a starting point. So is a good saddle, and while I recognise that you are MTBing, you might consider getting a Brooks and breaking it in. The problem with plastic saddles is that the moisture stays around rather than soaking in and away like leather does.

I've been down the track using lanolin and Savlon, and various other ointments and creams. One that seems to work for me is Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Anitseptic Cream that is available from most (Australian) pharmacies and places like Woolworths and Coles. It is a natural antiseptic.

If you have a predisposition to boils/sebaceous cysts and other skin surface complaints, carry THREE pairs of shorts (the extra weight is worth every gram). This means that even if you are MTBing in relatively remote areas, you have the opportunity of washing and drying one pair (even if the weather means it might take two days to dry); one pair on; and one pair ready to put on next day. I have found a moderately weak solution of ammonia spread across the chamois is effective in getting rid of bugs -- and surprisingly with black lycra, it doesn't lose its colour.

When you finish riding at the end of the day, change out of the bike shorts into a lose fitting pair of pants or shorts with no undies, to allow you backside to air. The advice about wet wipes is excellent... but avoid the scented ones if you are at all skin sensitive. The ones impregnated with aloe also are worth a try.

On this same thread there has been discussion on how the body adapts to sweating and actually seems to reduce it as it adapts over a long ride. If you are riding for a couple of months, it is likely that you will find the same thing.

The other problem you might encounter is jock rash. That is somewhat different from sebaceous cysts and pimples which are generally caused by blockages of the sweat ducts and pores. Jock rash is a fungal infection that thrives in damp, warm skin. You'd be advised to take along a tube of a salve that contains clotrimosale (Clozole in the Chemists' Own generic brand available in Australia). It's also good for fungal infections of the feet (athlete's foot).

Then, you will probably get just plain old chafe of the butt... and apart from hardening up the skin in the abrased areas, using a good seat and bike shorts, you can really only treat it with air, something like tea tree oil, and patience.

Hope that helps.

As to the others who go ewwww at what they consider unhygienic practices -- so what. If it's not for you, that's fine, but on a 1200 or 1500 randonnee or a raid or somesuch, you do what you have to do, and do what you can, and get through it because (a) you are on a time mission and (b) dainty facilities such as showers just might not be available.

Thanks Rowan. Can't imagine a question I'd have that hasn't been answered by that outstanding post. Great job. :)

(For what it's worth, the damage was done on my roadie. ;) )

Wow, I'm one of those who carry 2 shirts (jerseys if I can) and 2 shorts. I change and wash each night. My body doesn't like to wear the same shorts mulitple days. I've had a sore butt because of it on a 650 mi ride from Denver/Manitou to Great Bend, KS. It sucks!

I am sure, each person is different. For me...better safe than sorry. I've been sorry! :D

You neglected on your list any spares (tubes, puncture kit, tools). You could be the cleanest cyclist, however if the bike needs repair, you ain't going anywhere!

One thing to add to your collection of things to take with you is a small tube of zinc cream (found in the baby department of your local department store or pharmacy).

If it happens that you've been riding in the rain or heat, and have developed a bit of a rash ... at the end of the day ... simply clean yourself up as best you can (with a shower if available, or baby wipes, or a cloth and the local public toilet sink, or whatever), and then apply the zinc cream. Wear loose shorts to bed over the zinc cream (so you don't get it all over your sleeping bag), and in the morning you will be just fine.

I use it after all my 1200K events. I come in looking pretty bad, but after one or two applications of that zinc cream everything is good again. It's great stuff!

A couple more thoughts...

Riding in the rain is a real bear when it comes to the crotch region. The "permanent" dampness provides and environment for bugs to propogate, but also widens the scope of chafe from just a few areas. The skin gets soft, stays soft and becomes more susceptible to chafe.

Some long-distance riders use shorts of different brands to change into. This is because the size of the chamois and in particular the location of the edges are in different places -- and that helps "share" the pressure points around the backside.

Another thought on the sweat situation -- it's the major contributor (in my experience) to chafe. The salt aggravates the situation. As your fitness increases, the chances are that if you maintain a certain average speed, your heart rate or effort will likely decrease, and therefore your sweat rate also is likely to reduce.

Spread you legs and allow the air to circulate on the saddle and the chamois. Stand regularly to relieve pressure. Reach around and lift and reposition the chamois where needed.

And I think I am now done with this subject! :D

I make a point of spending one mile out of every five upside down with my head on the saddle and my legs spreadeagled in order to allow the slipstream free access to my dangly bits. Not only is this effective against sweat rash and associated disorders but is also a sure-fire way of making new friends (most of them in a uniform of some sort).

I dont know if you would find it useful, but I always travell with a little fishing net, the size of a plastic bag . Its normal use is to keep all my herbs & spices in one visible bag. I can access any of my little containers, without fishing for it. Also when I pull up next to a river, I always plan to pull up next to river or lake,if poss, I can then put my beers, wine, fresh milk, butter in a lock & lock type box, stick it in the net and throw it in the river. Ahh the joys of ice cold beer after a long burn.

Also If my clothes are not dry by the next morning, it goes into the net tied on to the back ride & dry.

Another neat little trick I learned from my army friends. You can buy ice now at most corner shops. Get 2 bags, put Ice in one & whatever you want to chill, like beers, shove then in the bag with the ice, slip over the other bag. This is important as it creates trapped air to insulate, Then bury the bag in the ground. This will work as a fridge for nearly 2 days for temps on the outside reaching 20C to 28C, if it really hot then you got to dig deeper. Its really worth it just to keep the drinks cabnet chilled.

A peak cap to wear under the helmet. keeps the rain out of the eyes whilst cycling.