What Women Need to Know About their Chamois

Bike shorts chamois - some people love them and some people hate them.

Before gravel, I was a triathlete.  After many hours on a TT bike and saddle, which was tolerated never very comfortable, I loved my tri shorts. Wearing bike shorts felt like wearing an extra-large maxi pad, something I’d avoided since I learned the magic of tampons in my teen years.

Naturally, when I took my gravel bike out for its inaugural ride, I grabbed my favorite pair of tri shorts and headed out the door. Big mistake. After a good bit of bouncing and hitting some potholes head-on, I felt like things would never be the same down south again. Right then and there I became a convert. It took some searching but I finally found the bibs that work great for my body and have invested in a few pairs.

I do know women who can wear tri shorts with no issue. My friend Katie completed the UNBOUND 200 in her tri kit. Lael Wilcox is famously known for cutting the chamois out of her shorts. You know your body and what works for you. If you are not one of the few women who can happily ride chamois free, let’s dig into some things that will help you find your perfect fit.

Chamois discomfort typically comes down to one of two things - seams and fit.

Seams

During a recent podcast interview with Molly Hurford, I was surprised to find out that a women’s chamois has a distinct shape - that resembled a penis and balls (on the other hand a men’s chamois more resembles a vagina). Grab your chamois, I promise you’ll never be able to unsee it again. The location of the seams on the chamois will typically cause problems for women. This is one area that the quality of the chamois will make a big difference. The more expensive chamois will use a high-quality material with the seams either sewn deeper into the chamois. I’m a big fan of the Velocio bib short and you can see what I mean here.

Men’s and women’s chamois side by side - can you guess which one is which?

On the other hand, cheaper chamois often have raised seams. This can cause rubbing and friction after many miles. If you find yourself chaffing regularly on a ride, look at the seams on your shorts to see if they are the culprit

Since every woman has a unique shape and sensitivity in that area, women will have different experiences with what works for them. The shorts your friend swears by may make you miserable. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of trial and error. 

After many years, I know which bibs work best for me and I save those for longer rides. I also have the ‘less than two-hour bibs’ that I use for trainer rides or shorter rides. 

Fit

Proper fit is vital when it comes to chamois comfort. The chamois pad should snuggle right up to your body. This is one of the reasons that bib shorts are so popular, it helps keep things close. Often, when we first come to cycling, we feel uncomfortable with such a snug fit, but bike shorts that don’t fit will rub and cause chaffing. In my early days of cycling, I made this mistake and after a long day in the saddle at a training camp, my roommate exclaimed ‘oh my god’, while I was changing. Needless to say, it took some time to heal.

The challenge is that fit can vary wildly from brand to brand, and sometimes even within a brand. That’s why I tend to stick with the same brand when I find one I like and that fits well.  I’ve learned when those brands put products on sale and tend to stock up at certain times of the year.

On that same note, thicker is not necessarily better when it comes to a chamois. It’s more about how well the chamois is made rather than the thickness.

The underwear controversy

Bike shorts are not meant to be worn with underwear. Most chamois are antibacterial, meaning it’s designed to keep bacteria from multiplying as you ride. That’s a good thing. Not wearing underwear also means that you aren’t adding more seams or opportunities for chaffing to your ride.

The chamois pad is also made to be breathable which will allows air flow and helps diffuse your sweat. If you’ve had the joy of a hard workout in a mask over the past few years, you’ll appreciate the benefits of a breathable material.

Molly pointed out that underwear, no matter how comfortable it might be, will cause some micro-tears on your body as you ride. Micro-tears are a breeding ground for bacteria. Literally this means that wearing underwear is less sanitary than just your bike shorts. No judgement if you do, but please don’t be that person that tells everyone how unsanitary it is to not wear underwear under their bike shorts. And if you do choose undies, choose a breathable fabric. Cotton is not your friend on a ride!

Don’t hang out in your chamois

Even though it’s meant to be antibacterial, that doesn’t mean it’s magical. The best practice is to get out of your chamois as soon as possible after a ride. Sitting in your own sweat during lunch, a long car ride home, or over a beer isn’t the best practice. As Karen Jarchow once said on the podcast, chamois time is not training time.

Chamois Cream

No matter how great your chamois is, there’s a good chance that you’ll start to rub after a long day in the saddle. Chamois cream is a thick cream that helps eliminate this friction. Some chamois creams are also anti-bacterial. It’s ideal for longer rides and if you’re on a super-long ride, you may want to carry sample sizes to reapply.

A little is enough. Just apply a small amount on areas that tend to rub after a long time in the saddle.

Take care of your chamois

The best way to care for your chamois is to wash and double rinse it. The pad will sometimes hold on to detergent and the double rinse will make sure all of that detergent is gone. If you tend to be sensitive, use a gentle and dye-free detergent. I personally dry my bike shorts and have never had an issue. Other people prefer to hang them to dry. If you do, hang them inside out so the chamois is able to fully dry (nobody wants to put on a damp chamois) or dry in the sun with the chamois out.

If you want to dig deeper into comfort on your saddle, I recommend Molly’s book, Saddle, Sore. This little guide will cover everything from the anatomy of the saddle to riding through life changes like pregnancy or menopause. 

Further resources:

Women’s Cycling Saddle Discomfort and the Thing We Don’t Talk About…

Taking Care of Your Nether Regions While Cycling