Touring - Where to buy fine chamois?

Hi bikers,

I'm interested in buying some quality chamois - without the shorts :)

Any of you know where to buy this? Preferably an environmentally friendly fabric/type.

Suggestions appreciated,

Jesper

Chamois is a soft suede leather formerly made from the skin of the chamois antelope but now made from sheepskin.

You can buy it anywhere they have stuff to wash your car,Pep boys,Western Auto,and such.They are used to dry your car without water spots.You can also buy it at a saddle shop,where you buy horse tackle.

I'm not sure that's what you want,they are real chamois,and dry hard as a brick.

Hello & thanks for your reply.

No, from your descriptions it doesn't seem to be what I'm looking for, at least not if it is hard. So to be more precise I'd like to find a place where I can buy the "padding" that is between my intimate parts and the bike shorts and saddle. As I mentioned I 'd prefer an environmentally friendly material, however, comfort is most important. I'll be biking a very long distance so I am looking for a very good "padding".

Cheers,

Jesper

I do not know if you can buy JUST the padding. Andiamo sells different styles of underwear with the padding, for use with unpadded shorts of various types. An online seller like Colorado Cyclist, excelsports.com, etc. should have them.

There's also "pedal panties"...

Full Disclosure: I have absolutely no ties to that company... I just think the concept of "bicycle lingerie" is both hilarious and awesome.

Kucharik sells some individual pads, both leather and synthetic. Go to the bottom of their repairs page (http://www.kucharikclothing.com/repairs.php?osCsid=ba7ff4b0479336497d46a165f076713e).

I sew in either one or two layers of bunting also known as polar fleece. Works great. It is what they put in a lot of touring shorts.

If you want the real stuff you might google some american antelope leather. Both of these animals the Chamois and the antelope are really goats, so maybe goatskin, as used in gloves would work. Or you could try buckskin. But I have been very happy with the fleece.

http://stores.ebay.com/1-Source-for-Leather-Distant-Drums__W0QQ_fsubZ4613301QQ_scZ1QQ_sopZ1

I use these (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442626847&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692435&bmUID=1276222194949), I've not used them on any super long rides though, but for what I have done they've been very comfy. They pad a bit and I can wear "normal" shorts/pants.

http://mamrie.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/shamwow.jpg

maybe not.

Several places do sell just the padding. I bought it somewhere quite a few years ago. I'm thinking I would have got it at either Nashbar, Velotique, or MEC as those were the three most common places I shopped in those days.

Hi all,

Thank you very much for your suggestions and tips. I'll just ponder which solution to go for. Admittedly, I'm somewhat attracted to the pedal panties :-) Wonder how they will fare around the world :-)

Cheers,

Jesper

The more I ride the less I like padded shorts and tights. I rode 50-60 miles per day for a few days wearing un-padded tights and I felt fine. But my saddle has a leather top. Maybe that's why? Many Brooks owners say they don't need padding either.

Keep in mind the padding isn't really there for cushioning your butt. It will do that some, but it's greater value is moisture management and chafing prevention. As such, synthetic materials have really outdone the classic chamois in both performance and cleanup/maintainability.

Keep in mind the padding isn't really there for cushioning your butt. It will do that some, but it's greater value is moisture management and chafing prevention. As such, synthetic materials have really outdone the classic chamois in both performance and cleanup/maintainability.

I'm more likely to get chaffing and rash with thickly padded shorts on long rides as the padding stays wet longer than thin unpadded shorts and it traps heat. There is nothing worse than a wet, hot pad for me. With unpadded shorts I just stand up while going downhill now and then and the airflow is often enough to remove most of the moisture. I even tried top-of-the line Pearl Izumi shorts and now I only use them for commuting, I can't stand them on longer rides.

I recently bought cyclocross shorts that have thinner padding so it dries quicker and they seem better but I will experiment more with unpadded shorts this summer.

Back when I started riding, kids, the chamois in shorts was really chamois, like the picture above of the car-drying towel. It was unpadded, and as Machka says, its purpose was not to pad anything but to help keep your junk reasonably dry and un-molested by bunched up short material (which was wool.)

I don't remember anyone every complaining about it, but I must say, I prefer today's thickly padded shorts to the old stuff.