Money can’t buy you happiness, but $16 can buy you this tube of chamois cream, which, believe me, comes pretty close. I’m a recent convert to the best chamois creams, having tried one for the first time only about nine months ago. That was a small tub of Elite Ozone, which I adored so much I got through it faster than a six-year-old can dig through a jar of Nutella. Similar consistency, different application, just as messy.
A couple of weeks ago, I was preparing for an Atlantic to Med ride across France when I foolishly agreed to review a brand new, untried saddle – the Selle SMP Evo30C – along the way. Cue the mad dash to my local bike shop to stock up on some Elite Ozone as a preventative measure, which, of course, they didn’t have.
Instead, they offered me a tube of Chamois Butt’r Eurostyle edition, which delivers a similar menthol kick to the Elite Ozone – it’s an acquired sensation, but one I grew to like.
So, how did the trip go? Out of the six riders who accompanied me, all of us were shifting around in our saddles a bit as the days wore on, and the mileage climbed inexorably. However, only one rider was in serious trouble, and it just so happens he was the one who chose not to bring any chamois cream with him. On day seven, however, he did choose to hobble into a French ‘pharmacie’, where he was administered five different gels, ointments and creams applied to various regions of his posterior. Oh, how we laughed!
I didn’t suffer any soreness thanks to the combination of the wonderfully comfortable Selle SMP Evo30C and pre-ride applications of Chamois Butt’r. The cream lubricates, soothes, and keeps the skin soft to discourage chafing. Additionally, as well as menthol, the Eurostyle edition contains witch hazel for its healing properties.
One of my initial concerns about using chamois cream was that it would stain my expensive bib shorts. Fortunately, I’ve found that neither product – the Elite, nor the Chamois Butt’r - leaves any residue after washing.
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