Underwear?
 

Hi
Me and my mate have heard that chaffing can be a big problem when touring. We were just wondering what people advise? To wear briefs or nothing at all?
We are going cycling for 2 weeks in the summer so any help to combat this problem you be good
Cheers

It's not any bigger a problem than when you're cycling in your neighborhood and surrounding area after work and on the weekends.

But ... no underwear under padded shorts is the rule. If you've got a Brooks and can cycle in regular clothes, then you can wear underwear. I do both.

ok i will bear that in mind
thanks

Cleanliness is critical while touring and IMHO it is far easier to wash out and dry underwear every night rather than bike shorts. However, one needs seamless Coolmax briefs - absolutely not cotton.

http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/TGM138/

+1 on both cleanliness and seamlessness.

But I would go further and say get yourself a Brooks saddle and toss the padded shorts for good. I've been riding my Brooks "commando" (inside softshell pants) while I wait for my seamless and unpadded cycling shorts to arrive (man unpadded shorts are hard to find). I find the seams in underwear and the pads in the padded shorts to be the cause of any issues.

Definitely get bike shorts.

The pads in bike shorts are not for "damage control" so to speak, nor is getting bumped around the primary cause of chafing and soreness. They are made to wick away sweat, which will keep bacteria in check. You also need to keep yourself and the shorts clean. You also do not want to sit around all day in bike shorts after the ride.

Regular underwear is easier to clean, but is not really made to wick away sweat nearly as well as bike shorts.

Some people use chamois butter to, uh, keep things slick. ;) I'd do some riding beforehand, and if you find that you're getting sore, consider using the butter.

No underwear. In bike shorts go commando.

I use padded underwear

http://www.andiamounderwear.com/

I ride in a pair Nylon shorts that double as swimming trunks or a pair of cycling kickers with a
light pad. The underwear is easily washed and dries quickly.

I learned the hard way to NOT wear underwear. On my first tour I was in such incredible agony from the elastic band on my underwear I was in tears (I kid you not). I ended up riding 45 miles out of my way to go into a big city (Jackson, Mississippi) in order to buy some bike shorts. Needless to say, I go commando on my bike.

Bike shorts and talcum/baby powder.

Here is a place in Pennsylvania that makes unpadded bike shorts. They don't make them easy to find from their home page but the link below goes to the correct page, just scroll down a bit. I bought a couple of pair and I really like them. $30/each although they also have unpadded compression shorts for $19/each.

http://aerotechdesigns.com/recumbent.htm

http://aerotechdesigns.com/assets/menspro6.jpg

Men's Unpadded Cycling Skin Shorts
# Men's Unpadded Cycling Skin Shorts with an eight-panel anatomical design. Men's Bicycle Shorts add comfort on longer bike rides.
# The compression from spandex against muscles supports your hard work on the bike.
# Cross Grain Cutting maximizes stretch performance of spandex fabric
# 8-panel construction
# Fabric is four way, 7 1/2 oz, nylon/lycra, tricot knit - THE BEST!
# Bike short has Leg grippers that are very smooth, sized just right
# No seams between the legs No advertising logos
# Waist elastic is soft, 3/4" non roll
# Made in the USA
# Color: Black

I use speedos. They are light, tight, cool, and wash and dry out quickly.

roughstuff

Is there no front or center seam on cycling shorts? 8 panel cycling shorts have no center seams but can't find any advertised.
Anyone wear a thong under shorts just to keep everything lineup looking good and not moving?

Gee -

I use cotton boxer briefs under convertible lightweight pants.
100,000 miles of touring and nary a chafe.
Cheaper, by a long shot, too. You can afford to have four -
One on, one dirty, one back-up, and one drying on the back of the bike.

Im with jamawami on this, cheap cotton briefs, nylon/cotton blend trousers or jeans. I can ride all day in that combo. Just look for some random brand of briefs that have no seam under the balls. Thats the killer, that seam is.

I also use a brooks saddle, that I have ridden since ~1996, which helps. And not just with the 'broken in hammock' nonsense that everybody goes on about ad nauseum (and which happens to be true) but also with the fact that the leather breathes and allows the situtaion to dry out during a days ride.

It doesn't matter where the seams are. Bike shorts have a piece of chamois, so the seam doesn't cause any discomfort.

Bike shorts are also fairly tight. There is no reason to wear anything underneath bike shorts, in fact that pretty much defeats the purpose.

I wear synthetic briefs, then cycle shorts, then regular cargo pocket shorts (or long pants) on tour. This system works very well for me. It certainly won't work for everyone.

I don't have to wash the cycle shorts as frequently. I can get by on a week or more with just a few cycle shorts, with a wash of briefs every 3 days or so. Washing synthetic briefs is much easier/quicker than washing cycle shorts.

I also pay close attention to good hygeine, including using a spray of rubbing alcohol (as needed) as a topical antiseptic. Especially handy when bathing is not available, or in hot/humid climates like South East Asia.

I also start a tour using a chamois cream/butt buttr, untill my body feels "used to" riding all day again. After about a week or so, I don't need the chamois cream. I also carry along triple antibiotic ointment and anti-fungal ointment in my first aid kit. I used the antibiotic/antifungal ointments on a few occassions on my year tour, usually after riding in the rain and getting chaffing from sand where it shouldn't have been. I stopped using the ointments after the chaffing had properly healed.

Good hygiene is particularly critical if you experience chaffing.

Ibex wool running shorts. Da bomb!!

I bought a couple pairs of Under armor underwear and it worked great. always keep an eye on chafing.

I have a brooks saddle and wear a pair of nylon/spandex undies with the seems that do not meet under my grundle. They were hard to find but them sell them at K-mart for $5 a pop. Then I wear a pair of ordinary jogging/work out shorts on top with lots of pockets for storage. Works great, never had any chaffe issues. However, thats me, do what you gotta do to be comfy. I rode that way from Vancouver to Tijuana.

I prefer to have nothing between myself and my cycling friends but a thin layer of gabardine ........... er .............. Spandex! :)

Has anyone tried the Smartwool boxer briefs?

http://media.rei.com/media/p/1412932.jpg

I prefer Pearl Izumi Ultrasensor shorts with nothing under. I have had zero saddle comfort issues. I find that if necessary I can wear them still damp, so I can get by with one pair if I want and just wash in the evening and put back on in the morning damp or not. I usually carry two though.

If you don't wear skivvies under your shorts how do you keep the shorts clean enough to wear again? Wash then every night? If so will they be dry by morning? In southern Utah they will dry in time but in the cool and damp northern Cascades or hot and humid deep south maybe not. Carry a lot of pairs? $$$ and extra weight.

I am especially concerned about women riders.

.

How do you all feel about a pair of good mountain bike shorts? They have the removable spandex padded liner and then usually longer nylon shorts over them.

I just don't have the legs for straight spandex