Chamois cream, so use it, some don’t. I fall in to the “okay I don’t like the stuff on cold mornings; ouch it is cold” crowd, but I do use it. I have now tried four brands of cream in an attempt to determine which works best for me. The four brands are ProBikeKit’s (PBK) own brand of creme, Assos Chamois Creme, Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream and now Aussie Butt Cream (added June 6,2009).
Summary Ranking of the Creams
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Ranking
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Cream Brand
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Unit Cost
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Comments
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1
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Aussie Butt Cream
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$0.12 per gram |
- Thinner texture so more needs to be applied;
- Like the healing properties of the Tea Tree Oil in the cream;
- Initial usage very positive.
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2
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Assos Chamois Creme
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$0.13 per millilitre
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Thicker cream compared to the others requiring less to be applied;
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Cooling feel when applied;
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Found it to be quite effective as a cream.
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3
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Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream
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$0.05 per gram
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Thin and has a greasy feel to it;
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Need to apply more to get good coverage;
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I haven’t found it as effective as the Assos or Aussie Butt creams.
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4
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PBK Chamois Creme
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$0.07 per millilitre
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Thin texture and has a greasy feel to it when applied;
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Need to apply more to get a good coverage;
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I haven’t found it as effective as the Assos or Aussie Butt creams;
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Udderly Smooth Chamois Creme is on par with the PBK creme and costs less.
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Aussie Butt Cream
In reading my comments on Aussie Butt Cream it should be noted that I did not purchase my review samples, rather they where provided by Aussie Butt Cream. Aussie Butt Cream comes in a 250 gram container and retails for $27.95 postage free from the manufacturer. This equates to $0.12 per gram, which places it up there with Assos Chamois Creme.
I find the texture of the cream to be quite thin, similar to the PBK and Udderly creams. This contrasts with the much thicker Assos creme. This may result in more being applied and hence making it a more expensive option.
The list of ingredients for the cream can be found on the Aussie Butt Cream website, but the key ingredient is the use of Tea Tree Oil. I guess it couldn’t be an Aussie cream without! The cream has that distinctive tea tree oil smell to it.
Initial impressions and usage left me with a good impression of the cream and I intend to keep using it to get a better ideal of its effectiveness. It does appear to have a cooling feeling when first applied, a bit like the Assos creme. This is a nice feeling and one that I find more pleasant than either the PBK or Udderly creams.
I have only used the cream once so far on a 70 km (43.5 mile) ride on my Look 555 on which I am breaking in a Brooks B17N saddle. This saddle has been leaving me with an irritation and none of the other creams have been that affective in relieving this. However, on this morning’s ride the Aussie Butt Cream seem to be very effective with a significantly reduced level of irritation virtually no rash after the ride. This may in part be due to the continuing breaking in of the saddle, but I believe the cream had a significant role to play and I suspect the healing properties of tea tree oil also helped.
So I would at this point in time put the Aussie Butt Cream up there with the Assos Creme as my preferred cream.
PBK Chamois Creme
The PBK Chamois Creme comes in a 200 ml container and cost AU$14.69 which equates to a unit price of $0.07 per millilitre.
I find the texture of the cream to be quite thin and hence easy to apply to the skin and/or chamois. I tried applying it to the chamois on one ride and found it was easily “soaked up.” This made me question the value of this approach and I haven’t bothered to do this again.
Applying the cream directly to the skin seems to be quite effective and I find I need a little to get good coverage.
Overall I am happy with the cream and its effectiveness. It does improve my ride comfort and reduces the likelihood of rashes (as against no cream used).
Assos Chamois Creme
The Assos Chamois Creme comes in a 140 ml container and cost AU$18.15 which equates to a unit price of $0.13 per millilitre. The most expensive of the three brands tried.
The texture of the Assos Chamois Creme is quite different to the other three brands. It is thicker and in the container it is much more solid. I wonder if this means that I apply less cream than either the PBK cream or the Udderly. It also leaves a cool soothing feeling when applied. Quite nice indeed.
Assos recommend applying the cream directly onto the skin in “the friction area before each ride.” They also suggestion the option of applying it to directly to the chamois as this increases antibacterial protection.
Early testing of this cream has it as my favourite. I need to apply less, it seems more effective than either of the other three creams and seems to outlast them and I like the cooling feel it has when first applied. Further usage will confirm or otherwise my first impressions but I suspect this will be my preferred cream in future.
Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream with Shea Butter
The Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream comes in a 227 gram (8 oz) container and cost AU$11.68 which equates to a unit price of $0.05 per gram. The cheapest of the three brands.
This cream was originally developed for use on diary cows (diary farmers will understand) and is now used as chamois cream. The manufacturer also promotes the inclusion of shea butter (Butyrospermum Parkii). A quick online search suggests this is included to improve the skin feel of the cream. I have not noted anything special out the feel of the Udderly cream and wonder if the use of shea butter is just marketing.
The texture of the Udderly Smooth cream is similar to the PBK Chamois Cream, i.e., pretty thin and I find that I have to apply more to get what I consider to be effective coverage.
Udderly recommend applying directly to the skin or chamois pad before use. Initial usage suggests it is as effective as the PBK cream and probably not far off the Assos cream, but I do need to apply more and it has a more creamy feel to it. I don’t feel as positive it about it as I do the Assos cream.
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Tags: Assos,Aussie Butt,Chamois Cream,PBK,Udderly
Categories: Bicycle gear reviews, Bicycle maintenance
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