Fifty Plus (50+) - Skin Lubes

Hi Guys,

I’m seriously considering doing my first century in the middle of May. The organizers recommend using a skin/chamois lubricant. As I’m just getting started on the training regime, I haven’t spent more than 3 hours in the saddle at any one time. Up to now chafing hasn’t been a problem, but I’m concerned that it will after 6 or 7.

I’ve read some positives and negatives about lubricants. I know this has been discussed in the past on BF, but I’m wondering if the 50+ crowd has any experience or recommendations?

I've been using Bag Balm for quite some time with good results. This season I think I'll experiment with A&D Ointment.

You're going to get a million different opinions on this topic, from the cheap stuff (Bag Balm) to the high price potion that Lance used.:D

Hi Guys,

I’m seriously considering doing my first century in the middle of May. The organizers recommend using a skin/chamois lubricant. As I’m just getting started on the training regime, I haven’t spent more than 3 hours in the saddle at any one time. Up to now chafing hasn’t been a problem, but I’m concerned that it will after 6 or 7.

I’ve read some positives and negatives about lubricants. I know this has been discussed in the past on BF, but I’m wondering if the 50+ crowd has any experience or recommendations?

First time I've heard of a recomendation for a lubricant. If you don't have a problem now- then don't bother. I just use a body moisturiser and that is only on the long rides (10 hours+)

I use Chamois BUTT'r. Don't know if it's totally needed, but I don't usually have any problems. I only use it for longer days on the bike, and when I do a multi-day tour.

A & D works best for me...and I'm fine without anything up to 60 miles, but over that I need to lubricate.

I'm not the really long distance guy, but ride over 50 miles require a second lube job for me. I have used the branded chamois butt'r, and A&D. I currently just use plain old Vaseline for pre-ride lube job and for additional during the ride.

Vaseline also works to prevent wind chapping on the face, but be careful of the order in which you use your hands for dual applications:D :D :D :D

Never use anything, and sometimes ride for 12 hours. When touring, I have used Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion.

I find it helpful on longer rides, especially when the weather is hot. I've used Vaseline, Bag Balm, Chammy Butt'r and others. I read about this one on a BF forum and I like it a lot. Cheap, pleasant smell and not too messy. Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Creme, about $5 at Walmart.

Body Glide is a stick, not messy and easy to transport.
http://www.sportsbasement.com/sdx/H41531.jsp

Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Creme, about $5 at Walmart.

At that price, I might stop borrowing and buy my own.

I have done many centuries in WI and used nothing except good shorts.
That did not work for me in FL. The high humidity caused problems between my legs. Cort-aid, Anti Bacterial cream, AD ointment, etc. all worked for me. As soon as I stopped using it, same problem.
Such a problem can be serious on a longer tour. Once irritated it does not go away and can get infected.

I find it helpful on longer rides, especially when the weather is hot. I've used Vaseline, Bag Balm, Chammy Butt'r and others. I read about this one on a BF forum and I like it a lot. Cheap, pleasant smell and not too messy. Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Creme, about $5 at Walmart.

I used to go without on long rides, and didn't think I had issues. Tried this stuff one time on the recommendation of a friend, and it made "things" alot more comfortable.

It's cheap, and it's good.

I've ridden numerous centuries & never used or needed anything. Much depends on your shorts. Avoid seams near tender skin at all costs.

I've used Body Glide for running & it's been helpful.

Most of you just like to apply it. :) TIC
Steven

I use Chamois BUTT'r. Don't know if it's totally needed, but I don't usually have any problems. I only use it for longer days on the bike, and when I do a multi-day tour.


+1 Good product. I bought the 8 oz size which has lasted three seasons. On long rides when the sweat will leave lots of salt on the skin's surface, I find it does make a positive difference. However, good shorts trump everything in terms of comfort.

Ben Gay makes you go fast and out of the saddle so you don't get much friction at all.

Chamois BUTT'r can be purchased in small packets, light, easy to carry, use it if you need it.

Vaseline does work very well, but is greasy and a bit messy. Easy to put into a small container and take along.

You can also use ChapStick, which is mostly Vaseline, just get the unscented kind. Or Aquaphor, which is a reformulated (and pricier) Vasoline. I was able to score a handful of free half-ounce doctor's samples a couple of years back. These were perfect for hiking and biking.

Body Glide is probably the very best, as it isn't absorbed. It was designed to be an on-skin lubricant. Even after 12 hours you've got to wash it off to get it off.

Many other lotions & cremes work okay. Almost most of those sold as moisterizers are formulated to soak in and once they do, they no longer do much lubricating. So you might need to reapply every now & then.

A cheaper alternative to some of the high priced stuff is Udderly Smooth. Inexpensive and commonly available at many places. I generally don't need a cream until it gets hot & humid, then it is much appreciated.

One common property of skin creams/moisturizers is the amount
of water emulsified into the cream. For best results in bike use
to reduce skin irritation on the crotch and inner thighs look for
a cream that does not have water listed in the ingredients, or
if it does the water is at least 5-6 down from the start. The
greater the water content, the shorter the life of the lube in
actual use. Vaseline is the basic ingredient for appropriate
long lived skin lubes: Bag balm or udder cream are basically
vaseline with an odorant such as menthol or wintergreen.
Try noxzema type creams and after an hour you will be hard
put to find any residual in your PP. Smear a tspn of vaseline
and it will still be there at the end of your double century.
Women like creams that 'vanish', the way they vanish is the
water evaporates and the residual is smeared out so thin it is
not too greasy on the hands. Bikers needing such do NOT
want vanishing creams. Lanolin is nearly equally long lived if you
don't mind smelling like a sheep. Coca butter ditto except for
the smell.

A cheaper alternative to some of the high priced stuff is Udderly Smooth. Inexpensive and commonly available at many places. I generally don't need a cream until it gets hot & humid, then it is much appreciated.

I've tried this. It works ... for a little while. I have chafing problems when biking or hiking (or walking a lot). When I tried Udderly Smooth, I had to reapply every 60-90 minutes. Same for most hand lotions. And the same for cocoa butter products, which as usually sold, have water as their #1 ingredient.

The best "cheap" lotion I've tried is Vaseline's Advanced Healing lotion. You can buy a big 24 ounce bottle of it for around $4.50. Water is still #1, but petrolatum is #2, with gycerin and mineral oil very high. And no fragance. So it is kind of a smoother, gentler (& less effective) vaseline.

Even the expensive Chamois BUTT'r has water as #1. Very common.

The best are BodyGlide, plain old Vaseline, and Aquaphor (petrolatum with mineral oil & lanolin and small amounts of other stuff, but no water). Or anything else that is primarily vaseline. But all of these leave messy residuals on your hands, so they aren't as nice to use. All of the nice stuff that quickly absorbs into your hands so that they aren't a mess to use, will also quickly absorb whenever you apply it.

There can be only one .... and this is it:

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/Images400x267/ASCHC-1.jpg

It's the best - just try it, and you can thank me later. :)

The Assos creme is popular. Pricey though. Has an anti-bacterial ingredient.

However, once again, water is its #1 ingredient, followed by glycerin and propylene glycol - the same top 3 as in most hand creams. At #4 is decyloleate, a common moisturizer. It doesn't really have much in the way of lubricants in it. Once you work your way through the top 4, you've covered about 90-95% of the volume of whats in it.

I tried a sampler of it a couple of times. Pretty average stuff. But it has its fans. The standard recommendation is to apply it to your shorts, where it makes much less of a mess than vaseline. And the anti-bacterial agent could come in handy.

What amazes me about it is the price they ask for it, especially given that it is made from common ingredients. They must make a fortune on it. Just like Eucerin does with Aquaphor.

This is NOT a Brooks specific endorsement, but since using those saddles I have not chafed with decent shorts. Before, I did. I used vaseline-based Neosporin, not the creams. They don't hold up for me. Great stuff and it only takes a very small amount.

Bag Balm gets my vote. In the pet section at Wally Mart.

This is NOT a Brooks specific endorsement, but since using those saddles I have not chafed with decent shorts.

This brings up an interesting point. A year or so ago, "Machka" commented that there should be no need for lube on rides under 100 miles if a rider's shorts and saddle were set up properly. I think because she's woman, that might be easier goal for her to obtain than for a man. But, it's a good point, and I have strived towards that goal. As of this date, 60 miles is the most I can manage without "help," and as I stated earlier in the thread, I think that A & D ointment is the best for me...and I've tried everything mentioned here except for Assos cream, as it's too pricey even if it did work!

And A&D ointment likely works because it is what, about 90% to 95% vaseline/petroleum jelly?

I guess it is possible that with that little bit of lanolin, that it might act a bit different that plain vaseline. I don't think the vitamins are going to make a difference.

Bag Balm is almost identical to A&D Ointment. It is mostly petroleum jelly with lanolin added, and then a touch of antiseptic. But the antiseptic used is not approved for use on humans in some countries. Which is why it is sold in the pet section. Many recommend it, but usually to treat sores, not to prevent them.

Neosporin was mentioned by jcm. That's not a bad idea. Again nearly all vaseline, but with "approved for humans" antibiotics. So as a lubricant, it should work almost identically to vaseline, A&D, Bag Balm, and other vaseline/petroletum products and still have the antibiotic action of Assos & Bag Balm (although it should be better in this regard than Bag Balm). You can buy the generic product in places like Dollar Stores pretty cheap.

What I find interesting is that most people go to great lengths (and have done it myself) to avoid buying plain old store-brand petroleum jelly when that works about as good as anything and is far cheaper.

Another vaseline-based product that works wonderfully for chafing is Preparation-H (the ointment, not the cream). This is again nearly 100% petroleum jelly, but with an additive that shrinks and protects irritated tissue. That is what chafing is!

Here are some links on this topic:

http://www.bikepptc.org/saddlesore.html

http://www.abc-of-mountainbiking.com/mountain-biking-safety/common-injuries.asp

http://www.rivbike.com/html/rr_saddle_sores.html

For some reason, A&D ointment seems to be less greasy to me that petroleum jelly. But, maybe the fact that it is dispensed out of a tube rather than a jar (like Vasoline) means that I simply use less.

Very good articles, BTW, TB.

I like both Bag Balm and Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Creme.

Here are some links on this topic:

http://www.bikepptc.org/saddlesore.html

http://www.abc-of-mountainbiking.com/mountain-biking-safety/common-injuries.asp

http://www.rivbike.com/html/rr_saddle_sores.html

Thanks for the links Tom. Good articles and all seem to extole the virtues of petro jelly, as you have suggested. I did have the bike professionaly fitted and feel pretty confident that saddle height and angle are set correctly. I'm wearing Pearl Izumi Aerosensor shorts which fit well and so far, haven't caused any problems.

Thanks to all of you for the input, it is much appreciated.

I wish that I had a lot less experience on this topic. But unfortunately, my natural walking motion causes chafing. I've been battling it for 40+ years. I estimate that I've applied some form of anti-chafing lotion or creme somewhere in the vicinity of 15,000 times in my life. I've tried pretty much everything, including a number of home mixed concoctions. Nearly all work to some degree of effectiveness. With hand creams being the worst overall group.

But people who have a motion or riding position that requires very little assistance might find that almost everythiing works well for them.

I will say that if you start to feel any chafing, it is best to address it ASAP. Once your skin is irritated, a treatment that normally works great may not do much of anything, except to help it not get any worse. I've had chafing so bad that I could hardly walk for 2-3 days. Every one of my bike bags has one or two small containers of anti-chafe product.

Here is a story for every-ones amusement at my misfortune. I managed to ruin two Brooks saddle ($300). Here is how I did it:
I exercise every day at least one hour, often more. I sweat profusely. I go through two bottles of water in one hour. This is on a trainer BTW.
Got tired of washing shorts. What the hell, I am at home, go without shorts. Develop rash on my rear end.
Yes, I was taking frequent showers.
Started to use all of the above ointments on my rear end to get rid of the rash. Nothing seemed to work.
Got the great idea to use baby oil. That worked. The rash went away BUT, HORROR, the rivets on the Brooks-Pro chafed my skin to the point of blood. The leather did not like all that sweat, oil and ointments.
The rivets stuck out from the leather and that was the end of the two Brooks.
Now I am successfully using a Serfas saddle with baby oil and all is well, with or without shorts.

As Big Paulie might say .... Pictures, we need pictures!

As Big Paulie might say .... Pictures, we need pictures!

What the hell, I am at home, go without shorts. Develop rash on my rear end.

I bid $100 towards paying Will NOT to post any pictures!!! :D

Why use something if you have no problems?
In over 3 decades of lots of riding have never used any lubricant on butt or shorts.
A good pair of shorts and saddle does the trick for me.

One comment on NEOsporin, the neomycin component is a well known
skin sensitizer and repeated use can result in a poison ivy like dermatitis
that would be really obnoxious. POLYsporin is similar sans the neomycin
that causes the problem. If you feel constrained to use the antibiotic
ointment use POLYsporin instead.. FWIW both ointments have a vaseline
base with added antibiotics that have some topical action. Occasional
use of Neosporin rarely causes a problem, but bike lube use tends to be
recurrent so the risk is higher.

Excitable topic. "Skin Lubes,' thought you might have been referring to late night activities. But, then I see this is not foo.

Why use something if you have no problems?
In over 3 decades of lots of riding have never used any lubricant on butt or shorts.
A good pair of shorts and saddle does the trick for me.


I suspect you would have a different experience in a more humid part of the country. Good shorts and a good, properly set-up saddle will go a long way toward minimizing abrasion, but on a 90 mile ride on a 90 degree (f) day with 90% humidity, when you go through a water bottle every 6 to 8 miles, there is just too much salty sweat flowing through your shorts for even the best chamois to handle.
Man, I can't wait for summer! :rolleyes:

Excitable topic. "Skin Lubes,' thought you might have been referring to late night activities. But, then I see this is not foo.

Nor is it the road forum where the most shocking discussions of spoke nipples, stiff cranks, dry lube vs. wet lube and the shaving of body parts never end.

Definitely a dry lube fan here. the phrase 'skin lubes,' is not too terribly descreptive. back in college the preferred lube was crisko, not sure how that works on cranks and bottom brackets.

I use chamois BUTTr for rides longer than 2 hours.

If one doesn't have much of a problem with this, and doesn't want to deal with some sticky stuff, then I'll pass along what a few people recommend as a "light" lube ... cornstarch or unscented talcum powder. These absorb moisture and thus reduce the friction between rubbing parts. Many baby powders are cornstarch.

Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Creme.
+1

I bought Assos Chamois creme before my first century last year, and at the finish I was in pain all over, but not in the parts on which I'd applied the Assos.

Since then I've tried a variety of cheaper products, and they all work well enough. The difference is between something slathered on, and nothing. The Assos lasts a little longer, to be sure.

Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Creme is inexpensive, and it works great.

But the BEST part is that it makes your shorts smell like a hundred college coeds sunning themselves at the beach. :D

Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Creme is inexpensive, and it works great.

But the BEST part is that it makes your shorts smell like a hundred college coeds sunning themselves at the beach. :D

When I read that my head just about exploded from an overdose of cognitive disonance.

I attended spinning classes for many years before taking to the road in ernest. I always road with lycra and nothing else. Road cycling, at first, over 40 miles started to hurt a little on my stock saddle. Got a new saddle that fits my butt, bought the Pearl Izumi Race pad shorts with 11 mm of pad designed for long time in the saddle and it is all good now. Road a century in the new shorts and at the end it was happy cheeks all the way. Nothing else required so far.

I made an informal survey and noticed that the CA bikers report few if any problems as were as bikers from other parts seem to worry. I wonder why? Could it be the difference in humidity?

Nupercainal, an anesthetic skin cream. Our RAAM rider started using it in Kansas.

One comment on NEOsporin, the neomycin component is a well known
skin sensitizer and repeated use can result in a poison ivy like dermatitis
that would be really obnoxious. POLYsporin is similar sans the neomycin
that causes the problem. If you feel constrained to use the antibiotic
ointment use POLYsporin instead.. FWIW both ointments have a vaseline
base with added antibiotics that have some topical action. Occasional
use of Neosporin rarely causes a problem, but bike lube use tends to be
recurrent so the risk is higher.

As a general rule, I would think it could be problematic to frequently use an antiseptic, antibiotic, or anything that isn't a lubricant/skin care product. None of these medications are intended for frequent usage. Likewise if you don't have irritated skin, then no medical treatment is needed. All you need is some kind of anti-chafe lubricant to prevent irritation.

One of the links I supplied earlier touched on this. A doctor recommended vaseline to prevent chafing. But if chafing occured, then use Bag Balm for an overnight treatment. I think this would be much safer than using Bag Balm or Neosporin or whatever medication on every ride, even when you don't have a problem to treat.

OTOH, if one usually didn't use anything, or used vaseline or Assos or Chamois BUTT'r, but was going on a tough 200 miler & wanted to play it safe, then a one-time or infrequent application of Bag Balm or whatever shouldn't be a problem.

Being an everyday user of anti-chafe products, I use non-medicated products unless I have an irritation.