Cycling’s a pain in my butt

I’m not fed up with cycling. On the contrary. I cycled for almost four hours on the trainer on Saturday morning and really enjoyed myself! (Surprising since after an hour on the trainer I’m usually antsy.)

Cycling has literally been a pain in my butt for the last two years.

I bet some cyclists are nodding along in agreement. Chafing, saddle sores or hot spots, and rashes are unfortunate discomforts some cyclists have to deal with. (It’s running’s equivalent of chafed thighs or nipples, or chafing along the bra line.)

When I was training for Ironman Arizona in 2010, I experienced absolutely no chafing or pain.

I started to experience some discomfort down there last summer while training for Ironman Canada.

It started up again this year. And this time I decided to do something about it!

I’ve seen chamois (shammy) cream in various magazines and read a couple blog reviews.

Last week I went to a local tri store to see what they had to help me out. I decided to buy dznuts bliss. I was torn between it and Chamois Butt’r but they had sample-sized packets of the kind I bought.

I used it this past weekend, and I think it helped! I can’t say I didn’t have any discomfort, but it was definitely minimized.

I liked that it wasn’t greasy and didn’t numb me. It also didn’t have a scent, which was a bonus to my sensitive skin.

Although I’m a newbie in the whole chamois cream area, here are some tips for others interested in trying it out:

1. Test it on a small patch of skin to ensure you don’t react to it. Can you imagine generously applying the cream only to realize you’re allergic once you’re on the open road?!
2. Apply liberally. I hesitantly applied a few dabs. (See tip one. I didn’t test it beforehand.) Next time, I’d be a lot more generous to ensure full coverage.
3. Try different kinds. If you aren’t completely satisfied with one kind, try another and another until you find the one that suits you best.
4. Experiment with different shorts. My husband wears shorts with no padding. I have a thin chamois in mine, but it took me a while to find shorts that were comfortable. You might require more or less padding, or a different shape of chamois. Like anything, shorts fit people differently.

After sampling dznuts bliss for a few rides, I plan to buy and test the Butt’r.

I fell in love with cycling last year after riding for a few years.

Although running is my first love, my joints aren’t always healthy enough to do it. I hope to have a lifetime love affair with cycling. And I want to be comfortable in the relationship!

Do you cycle? Do you use a chamois cream? Any bad allergy stories?