Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Where do you stick your butt creme?

No, not chamois vs. taint.

How do you conserve space in your saddlebag? I don't feel like toting a 140ml tub around and I don't see a smaller size available. A couple of glorps in a snack-size Ziploc?

I buy little single-use packets of the stuff and carry a few of them them in a zip-lock in my bag. Throw the large tub or tube in a drop bag.

Thanks. Weird, the smaller sizes aren't showing in my google shopping search. Where do you get yours, bike store?

And as long as I've got you on the phone...Perpetuem takes up a lot of space. Do the liquid-diet riders make that pancake-batter-consistency stuff Hammer suggests, or are they carrying baggies of powder?

And as long as I've got you on the phone...Perpetuem takes up a lot of space. Do the liquid-diet riders make that pancake-batter-consistency stuff Hammer suggests, or are they carrying baggies of powder?

for < 400k, I will make one bottle with a thick mix of Sustained Energy and work my way through it until I get tired of it and switch to real fodd. For rides longer than a 400k, I will have a ziploc with powder. I find that after the 12 hours or so, any premixed Sustained Energy bottle stored on the bike starts tasting a little 'funky'.

Thanks. Weird, the smaller sizes aren't showing in my google shopping search. Where do you get yours, bike store?

Bike shop. And lots of events (nonrandonneuring) tend to give them out liberally in schwag bags, so I save 'em up for the long rides.

And as long as I've got you on the phone...Perpetuem takes up a lot of space. Do the liquid-diet riders make that pancake-batter-consistency stuff Hammer suggests, or are they carrying baggies of powder?

I carry the powder in a freezer ziplock bag and mix on the road. I always worry about the stuff spoiling on me if I carry it pre-mixed for too long a period of time.

Thanks. This is only a 200K, but in addition to just seeing if I can do it, I'm trying to treat it as a test run for longer distances.

Freezer because it's less prone to rip or come open?

I use this: (http://www.summitinds.com/product/lantiseptic/lantiseptic-skin-protectant-0-5-oz-36-count.html)

http://www.summitinds.com/photos/8288/SkinProtectPacket_15g_large.jpg

Goes in the med / safety baggie in my front bag or saddle bag depending on what I'm riding with. And I include a rubber glove or two (1 application every 100 miles in fair weather, more as needed)

I carry the powder in a freezer ziplock bag and mix on the road. I always worry about the stuff spoiling on me if I carry it pre-mixed for too long a period of time.

+1

Perpetuem has a name because if you ever chug it after it goes bad that taste is in your mouth for a long long time.

Double baggies for me. Had 1 go in the saddle bag once. Still cleaning it up.

Freezer because it's less prone to rip or come open?

Both. And to keep moisture away from the stuff better.

And thanks again.

It's important that I optimize my space or there won't be room for the 180mL bottle of celebration sake.

Perpetuem is actually one of the things I'm excited about having found out about. My family has insulin and glucose weirdness that's hard to pin down. The practice brevet I did with the NJ Randonneurs a couple of weekends ago was my first time trying the stuff, and it was a new experience to have energy through a ride (even though it was only 70K) and then no carb hangover that night or the next day. Other sports/endurance powders give me the energy and screw up my brain. If Perpetuem behaves the same on tomorrow's 200K, I'm buying stock in the company.

Well, not really. I'm broke. But I'll buy it in my mind, on the Imaginary Stock Exchange.

Wait, we already have one of those for real...

It's important that I optimize my space or there won't be room for the 180mL bottle of celebration sake.

Now we're talking! :thumb:

I once hauled half a wheel of butter cheese bought at an Amish cheese shop mid-route on a 300K.

I don't. I don't use the stuff unless it is a particularly rainy ride.

I don't use the stuff unless it is a particularly rainy ride.

The sake, or the cheese?

It's important to keep these things straight.

The sake, or the cheese?

It's important to keep these things straight.

I don't carry creams on my rides. Well ... except for a small tube of Ozonol which can help during those rainy rides, but is also good for road rash.


As for baggies of powder ... used that idea, got powder all over, started using the Hammergel bottles to hold the powder instead. Two small Hammergel bottles in my handlebar bag filled with HEED powder will do me for a 400K. (I don't use Perpetuem or Sustained Energy)


As for cheese, that's what the external mesh pouches on my panniers when I'm touring is for.

See, I thought the mesh pouches were for pie, and you just strapped the cheese to your back. I have much to learn...

Small Hammergel bottles--the ones they sell as "flasks?"

See, I thought the mesh pouches were for pie, and you just strapped the cheese to your back. I have much to learn...

Small Hammergel bottles--the ones they sell as "flasks?"

Cafes are for pie. If you're going to consume pie you've got to sit down and relax and have it with coffee and watch the world go by.

And yes, the little flasks. Very handy things.

Cafes are for pie.

Pie in cafes, cheese in mesh bags, got it. My DFL tomorrow is as good as achieved.

fwiw i haven't used butt cream for the last six months or so.

got tired of the gooey mess & having to reapply it.. i think it soils shorts faster in the long run too (on 600k's, i want to use the same shorts, so they need to stay clean-ish)

i'm hoping that the body (skin) can be conditioned to withstand the friction that comes with using a saddle. so far, so good, no sores or problem areas yet.

I never used it until last week. I've been doing just fine without it on centuries, but something about the current bib shorts occasionally sticks. I haven't had the time or money to go through more brands of bibs and don't want to deal with stiction on my first brevets, so I tried out some Assos creme and it seemed to help.

When I have more money, I'll try different shorts instead of just lubing up the problem. But until then: Glorp.

As for baggies of powder ... used that idea, got powder all over, started using the Hammergel bottles to hold the powder instead. Two small Hammergel bottles in my handlebar bag filled with HEED powder will do me for a 400K.As for cheese, that's what the external mesh pouches on my panniers when I'm touring is for.

That's pretty clever. I usually save the tubes that Nuun tabs come in and put those in a baggie just to be safe.

And speaking of creams, I've found that the hemp oil hand protector from the Body Shop (http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/bodyshop/browse/product_detail.jsp?categoryId=cat1010003&productId=prod5950023) makes a nice chamois cream substitute, and you can buy that stuff in small tubes.

I use the snack size baggies, holds one bottle size serving of drink mix. I haven't had one break open, yet, in 5 years. Normally, I put them in a second full size baggie in my center jersey pocket. I leave 2 out for my next stop and put them in my right jersey pocket.

I use the snack size baggies, holds one bottle size serving of drink mix. I haven't had one break open, yet, in 5 years. Normally, I put them in a second full size baggie in my center jersey pocket. I leave 2 out for my next stop and put them in my right jersey pocket.


Mine never broke ... I just found that bits of powder got in the ziplock part or filtered through to the outside of the bag when I was pouring powder out, and even a little bit of powder can get very sticky and messy when combined with a rainstorm.

I just found the Hammergel flasks to be so much cleaner and more efficient.

Thanks. Weird, the smaller sizes aren't showing in my google shopping search. Where do you get yours, bike store?

PricePoint carries them (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/17347-400_PAC108-43-Brands-337-Paceline/Paceline-Chamois-Butt'r-10-Pack-of-9ml-Packets.htm).

I'm off to Penn Station in a few minutes to catch the train out to the cheapest hotel I could find in Princeton. (I've had my fill of getting up at 3AM in order to get to 7AM starts at organized centuries.) Thanks for all the advice. I'm scared of hills. See you on the other side...

I don't feel like toting a 140ml tub around and I don't see a smaller size available.Boy that's a tough problem to over come. I'm calling NASA to see if they can spare sometime on the mainframe to figure this one out.

Boy that's a tough problem to over come. I'm calling NASA to see if they can spare sometime on the mainframe to figure this one out.

do you know the story of the NASA pen? they had to invent a pen that could write in space, upside down and whatnot. teams of nerds, thick glasses and all, spent months if not weeks on the problem. finally, one emerged and behold, they did it. and it worked. millions of tax dollars spent.

what did the russians do instead? used a pencil!

totally OT but i love that story. even if it's not actually true.

do you know the story of the NASA pen? they had to invent a pen that could write in space, upside down and whatnot. teams of nerds, thick glasses and all, spent months if not weeks on the problem. finally, one emerged and behold, they did it. and it worked. millions of tax dollars spent.

what did the russians do instead? used a pencil!

totally OT but i love that story. even if it's not actually true.

check out edward tufte's book (the first one, i think) - he has a great reproduction of the russian space station time / orbit / daily log - its in pencil...

Mine never broke ... I just found that bits of powder got in the ziplock part or filtered through to the outside of the bag when I was pouring powder out, and even a little bit of powder can get very sticky and messy when combined with a rainstorm.

I just found the Hammergel flasks to be so much cleaner and more efficient.

Yeah I know what ya mean by the bags being messy and all. Now I put the correct amount of powder for one bottle in one ziplock, the 1/2 size little ziplocs. Once I seal the bag I don't open it, at least not the correct way. I bite one of the corners off making for a neat clean pouring spout. Of course this makes the bags a one time use thing, kinda wasteful. Curious how many bottles worth of the HEED you can fit into the flask? Because if I remember correctly it takes a fair amount of the HEED to make a bottle. I use the tall Polar bottles. I think they're 22 or 24 oz.

Those little packets get expensive, I put some butt cream in one of these and slip it in my pocket. Just refill it as needed.
http://www.rei.com/product/605890

I use a snack size Ziploc baggie (with a snip out of the corner, so I can just squeeze some onto my chamois pad) and double bag it inside one without a snip. I keep it in my handlebar bag and I've never had an issue with it.

Boy that's a tough problem to over come. I'm calling NASA to see if they can spare sometime on the mainframe to figure this one out.

Not until the Large Hadron Collider is working again so your people can come for you.

35mm film cannister. Bags are too messy.

And speaking of creams, I've found that the hemp oil hand protector from the Body Shop (http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/bodyshop/browse/product_detail.jsp?categoryId=cat1010003&productId=prod5950023) makes a nice chamois cream substitute, and you can buy that stuff in small tubes.
I've never tried any of the creams, I've only used corn starch in my shorts to reduce the "diaper rash" problem. How well do these creams work compared to the talcum/corn starch/etc. powders? I know that corn starch doesn't mess the padding up, and, if necessary, the shorts can be used more than one day.

I've never tried any of the creams, I've only used corn starch in my shorts to reduce the "diaper rash" problem. How well do these creams work compared to the talcum/corn starch/etc. powders? I know that corn starch doesn't mess the padding up, and, if necessary, the shorts can be used more than one day.

I've used Bag Balm, Assos, and the Lantiseptic.
I like the Assos for shorter rides - just work some into your shorts before heading out... and be ready for the menthol jolt.

The Bag Balm didn't work so well for me...

But the Lantiseptic is the stuff. I've had issues with bruising and 'sandpaper' skin on long events... the Lantiseptic is a medical grade skin protector for adult diaper rash and bed sores (think bed ridden and nursing home) - the stuff works. (and its tough to get off your hands... so be careful how you apply it).

No, not chamois vs. taint.

How do you conserve space in your saddlebag? I don't feel like toting a 140ml tub around and I don't see a smaller size available. A couple of glorps in a snack-size Ziploc?

I use a film canister.

I use a film canister.

Ah! Perfect! Thank god I started this thread so Richard would get the mainframe working on the problem.

(And Machka, I'm ordering those flasks today. Powder in a Ziploc on a rainy ride was a ƒ@¢!! pain!)

Powder in a Ziploc on a rainy ride was a ƒ@¢!! pain!

How'd the 200K go?

How'd the 200K go?

Good! I heard a lot of grumbling about the conditions (40s, showers, wind), but since I commute in that and have my clothes together, they didn't bother me much. (My foot system doesn't work as well on this clipless bike, though--have to figure that out. I'm tempted to install pegged MTB pedals on my road bike just because I know how to keep my feet warm and dry on them, but this insanity may pass.)

There was a PBP vet acting as a pace car for the slow crowd, so since I only cared about finishing and couldn't care less about time, I stuck with him and one other rider, a BMB vet. My main concern was the number of hills, one of them pretty nasty (Adamic Hill Road, for those who know the Milford NJ area), but they weren't bad enough to get in the way of finishing. Though after watching the cadences of the other riders, I think I need smaller chainwheels.

One of the nice things about not being a kid anymore is I know how to watch people and learn from them, so I came away with some thoughts to put into practice.

Their 300K is in about a month, and I know I'm not ready for that. Around mile 110 I broke into my supply of gels, which is last-ditch for me. So next I have to really figure out how much time I can take away from other things for training.

Edit: I see the ride report (http://www.njrando.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=336&sid=3) is up.

I was just poking around the NJ Randonneurs' website and came across another recommendation for carrying powder: Disposable baby bottle liners. According to the post, they're cheap and just the right size.

And thanks again.

It's important that I optimize my space or there won't be room for the 180mL bottle of celebration sake.


:roflmao2:

On my first century ride, after I crossed the finish line, everyone was asking me where one of my teammates was. I was surprised he wasn't there, because he was a fairly fast rider, and I had seen him passing me. Concerned, unanswered cell phone calls. Then he appeared, heading toward the line, sporting a Cheshire-cat grin and oddly-bulging jersey. He skidded to a stop, reached inside his jersey, and started pulling out and passing around bottles of beer -- having seen a liquor store within the last 10 miles, he had made an opportune stop and stocked up. :)

I'm trying to think of how many beer bottles I could get in my jersey and jacket. I'm thinking at least six.

I've been packaging the Perpetuem in small baggies, pre-measured and then putting them in a larger ziploc, so that they are less likely to puncture and make a mess. Each small bag is for a two hour bottle, so I end up carrying a lot of stuff ... but prefer that to a more concentrated mixture and then having to also wear a camelback.

As for butt creme -- I only apply at the beginnning of a ride, even a 400k, and find that works well for me. I suppose that if I wanted to carry more I'd squirt some of it into a hotel-sized shampoo bottle.

All that goop becomes unnecessary if you would just wear a nice pair of boxers and loose fitting nylon shorts/pants. Your body begins to chafe/blister/rot when moisture is unable to evaporate. Bicycle shorts were disigned for racers that rarely ride longer than 6-7 hours. Much more time in the saddle and you nether regions will begin to rot from being dark and damp requiring the use of all these ridiculous creams/ointments/gels.

Or, if all that rot and goop is your thing, knock yourself out.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's given me advice as I venture into longer distances, and since this is the thread where you can be found, I'm doing it here.

I finished a 400K this weekend (lantern rouge, thank you very much), and I think that's the longest distance I'm attempting this year. I had an SR series in mind, but the main lesson I'm taking from the 400 is that if I don't purchase a real bike fitting and whatever parts are needed to make it really suit my body, I could hurt myself pretty significantly.

(The other lessons are "Don't lose that much time helping someone who didn't prepare," and "The angry goose probably isn't attacking you along an intersect glide vector in this pitch blackness, it's more likely just a trick of acoustics. But panic pedaling still helps your travel time.")

Since I can't afford the fitting/buying parts process on top of the travel and missed work involved in adding a 600K to the year's rides, and I've already stretched my family's goodwill, I'll shoot for the SR in a better-organized fashion in 2010 and just keep building my distance abilities on solo weekend rides this year. I'm already well beyond what I could do a year ago, so as much as the little medal would have been cool, it'll keep.

2011...we'll see.

I put some cream in a small film container. I keep medical related supplies (cream, sun screen, first aid) in the left front pannier, and food supplies in the right front pannier. Back panniers for tools, cable, chain, locks, bungies ....


No, not chamois vs. taint.

How do you conserve space in your saddlebag? I don't feel like toting a 140ml tub around and I don't see a smaller size available. A couple of glorps in a snack-size Ziploc?