Is chamois cream necessary for cycling indoors
When it comes to indoor cycling, the key is having fun and enjoying it. The best indoor cyclists I have been lucky enough to train with are just enjoying and embracing everything about being on the spin bike. One thing that can completely ruin the experience is spin bike saddle pain, and you want to avoid it at all costs.
One way of avoiding indoor cycling saddle sore is using Chamois creams. Chamois cream or sometimes known as chamois creme. It is an anti-bacterial viscous substance that is used to eliminate friction between you and the bike saddle.
Chamois cream comes in a little tub, and if you’re doing long indoor bike rides with turbo trainers or indoor bikes, it will be a great tool to keep you going.
When doing spinning workout at home or in cycling studio class, Chamois cream is going to help you avoid getting saddle sores and even things as bad as abscesses.
Editor’s Chamois Cream Choice For Indoor Cycling
If not the best, Chamois Butt’r is one of the best Chamois cream for indoor cycling exercise. It is made in the United States and washes off skin and clothing with soap and water. It is also paraben and gluten free, and contains no artificial fragrances or colours. I used it for indoor cycling and other sports and I loved it.
Do you need Chamois cream for spin bike workout?
If you find yourself getting spin bike saddle sore, the chamois cream could be perfect for you. Still, before going out and spending your hard-earned money on luxury chamois cream, then I personally would be thinking about chamois cream alternatives and ways to protect your sensitive skin.
These are a couple of things you can do before using Chamois cream. If the following tips don’t work, you can then think about using Chamois cream when doing an indoor cycling session.
Used Padded Indoor Cycling Shorts
I would highly advise before you think about using creams to think about indoor cycling shorts. Many people make the mistake of not having a pair of cycling shorts and finding themselves getting really uncomfortable on the bike quickly.
What’s special about cycling shorts is that typically, many of them have a pad that cushions your behind and keeps it clean. They are excellent at relieving saddle pain. For more, you can read my guide on how to choose a comfortable indoor cycling short to avoid chafing.
Always remember when you wear bike shorts, not wear underwear under them as it defeats the object of using them. Also opt for gender specific shorts because padding on women’s cycling shorts are different from men’s shorts.
Get a Comfortable Indoor Bike Saddle
Sometimes, you might get uncomfortable because you don’t have the right saddle. Typically you can replace the saddle on every spinning bike, and you have thousands of different options on the market to change to.
Try a few before you start needing to use chamois cream. Two different indoor bike saddles that I found really comfortable without needing Chamois creme for indoor cycling were Velmia and Selle. You can follow my guide on how to choose a comfortable indoor bike seat.
Do Proper Bike Fit Before Starting
You could also consider giving yourself a bike fit or asking a professional to do one for you. Sometimes we get saddle sores due to not being set upright on the bike, and it might be nothing to do with your behind.
If your bike adjustment posts are not marked, you can use a marker to try different seat height until you find the prefect bike fit for your height. Also, remember that horizontal adjustment is as important and height so get that right too when you setup your indoor cycling bike.
What if I have to use Chamois Cream?
Sometimes we might have the best shorts, saddle, and fit, but you can still get sore, and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Some people’s skin is just more sensitive than other people’s skin, and even the slightest bit of friction can cause you issues.
A very common question people ask me is how to apply chamois cream. Although you might think there’s just one way, there are actually two ways of applying Chamois cream, and these are the two methods.
Applying cream directly to yourself
When applying chamois cream, many people apply it directly to themselves and the area they feel the discomfort. This is the best way of using the Chamois cream and it uses minimal amounts of chamois cream.
Applying cream to the short pad
If you are wondering where to apply Chamois cream, you need to know that some cyclists apply the chamois cream to the pad instead of their body. It will give you maximum protection to your behind, but you will use a lot of chamois cream, and it will take a bit of time to cover it entirely.
Don’t Double Dip
One thing you’re going to want to avoid is double-dipping. This is where you apply some chamois cream, then go back and get more to apply with dirty hands. It can contaminate the tub, and you could be spreading germs when you don’t need to.
Conclusion
Do you need Chamois Cream for cycling Indoors? Typically people seem to use chamois cream more indoors than outdoors because when you’re indoor training, you tend to sweat more and because you’re always pedaling, you create a lot of friction between you and the bike. You don’t need it to cycle indoors, only if you find yourself getting uncomfortable.
When it comes to getting the right Chamois creme brand for you, there’s a huge amount of choices on the market, and some will work for you better than others. My recommended chamois creams are, Assos chamois cream, Shea Butter, Chamois Butt’r, and Muc off chamois cream. You will find many chamois creams with fantastic antibacterial and natural ingredients such as aloe vera, cocoa butter, and witch hazel, giving them exceptional antibacterial properties.
Chamois cream is used to avoid chaffing which is normally caused when skin rubs against an object or rubs against ski. Chamois cream lubricates the skin so that when skin rubs against something, they don’t cause chaffing. You can use a chamois cream between your toes to prevent blisters, armpits, or thighs.
Chamois cream can be used right before an indoor cycling session. Normally you wouldn’t need to use the cream during an indoor cycling workout as it will easily last 2 hours of ride. But for long outdoor cycling rides, you might have to reapply the cream during coffee/tea breaks.
Chamois cream is a combination of antibacterials, vitamins, and lubrication oils that helps eliminate or at least reduce chafing. It can be applied directly to the skin or to the chamois padding in bike shorts before a ride.
Yes, a good Chamois cream works and has excellent affect on outdoor and indoor cycling sessions. My own experience with the Chamois cream is that it works very well to stop chaffing when cycling at home. I was having a big problem with it on longer indoor cycling rides and now even my worst pair of indoor bike shorts feels very comfortable after a long ride.
You can use Chamois creme for running, swimming, and any other activity that involves chaffing. You can apply chamois cream on your inner thighs and nips to prevent chaffing on long runs. If it’s not greasy, you don’t need to re-apply for at least two hours or running.
Often Chamois creams are made of vitamins, mineral oil, glyceryl stearate, glycerine, and lanolin. They also often included Diazolidinly Urea which is anti-microbial, Iodopropynyl Butyl Carbamate, which is anti-fungal, Potassium sorbate which Inhibits molds and yeast and Disodium EDTA which inhibits bacterial growth. Hope this helps when buying Chamois cream for indoor cycling.
Chamois Butt’r is the best Chamois cream for indoor cycling exercise. It is made in the United States and washes off skin and clothing with soap and water. It is also paraben and gluten free, and contains no artificial fragrances or colors. I used it for indoor cycling and other sports and I loved it.
You can use 5 grams of Chamois cream every time you ride the bike. So, one tube of Chamois cream that weighs 250 Grams should last 50 indoor cycling rides. That said, if you feels the cream runs out quickly, you would need to apply a little more than 5-grams per time.
You can apply the Chamois cream on your bike short padding or directly to your skin. Before applying the cream on your short or skin, make sure to wash your hands. After every indoor cycling session that you use the chamois cream, it’s better to wash your cycling shorts to avoid bacterial growth.
Sayed Hosseiny
Hi there, I'm Sayed Hamed Hosseiny, the founder and one of the authors at yourexercisebike.com (YEB). I am a former indoor cycling instructor and personal trainer with nearly 20 years of experience. With a passion for indoor cycling, I have spent years designing cycling parts, repairing, and importing exercise bikes. All the articles, tips, guides, reviews, and comparisons on YourExerciseBike.com (YEB) reflect my personal opinion and expertise in the field. I'm excited to share my knowledge with fellow exercise bike enthusiasts and help people find reliable indoor cycling information and the best exercise bike for their needs.
