I tested TBS (That Butt Stuff) and AsMaster. TBS contains no parabens and a host of natural oils. AsMaster contains parabens and a host of natural oils.
Testing conditions were mainly wet and muddy, including gravel roads and single track. Temperatures ranged from 45-70 degrees. Overall saddle times were 5-7 hours. I had enough to conduct two rides per product. I used the same Specialized shorts for each ride.
When initially applying both products, I noticed how thin they were. Both required a two-fingered application vs. the usual one finger Chamois Butt'r application.
For the first 3 hours both products did there job. Both felt the same. But by hour 4, I was aware of my taint. I felt a mild irritation, especially when I was moving around on the saddle. By hour 5, I was squirming around on the saddle, trying to find the "sweet" spot, wishing I had brought more cream with me.
Upon post-ride examination, my skin was definitely more inflamed. The good news was that there were no saddle sores with either product.
Conclusion: Chamois Butt'r is THE TICKET , especially for ultra-endurance riding/racing. (Having said that, TBS and AsMaster would work just fine for short rides and XC races.)
I think the biggest difference is that Chamois Butt'r has lanolin which allows it to endure for 4+ hours. When you scoop a fingerful out of the container, it has the same consistency as "I Cannot Believe It's Butter" butter spread. I also like the menthol which seems to have a "cooling" effect and therefore increases my comfort level in the saddle. (For those of you that do not like this "tingling," plain Chamois Butt'r works great and endures as long as its European counterpart.)
FYI, I used Chamois Butt'r for 9 months prior to being sponsored by them. This year, it held up to the extreme weather conditions at TransRockies and Pisgah stage races. No saddle sores and aside from some sit-bone soreness during the final days of each race, my taint was a happy taint!
I have plenty of samples, so if you see me out there, I would be happy to give some to you to try yourself.
You should compare it to Corona Lanolin Ointment...that's what I've been using for the last 5 years or so. It says its for horses, cattle, and small animals - but has worked like a champ on my sensitive parts!
ReplyDeleteEven works great in adventure races where there's a lot of running in bike shorts. I think it is a thicker consistency than Chamois Butt'r, and the thickness is what makes it work so well...it soaks into the skin and essentially makes it waterproof.
Do you find that any of these butt balms cause the lycra in your shorts to degrade quicker? I'm trying to figure out if its the products or just the amount of riding I'm doing in them.
Lisa, Zeke uses Corona as well. The only product I have found to degrade the chamois is Bag Balm and that is because I could never get it all out of the chamois, even with washing it an extra time. If I remember correctly, Bag Balm's main ingredient is lanolin. I find that Chamois Butt'r has just enough of it to keep my butt comfy but not so much that I cannot fully clean my shorts after a ride.
ReplyDeleteI've been hooked ever since you gave me that free sample at Cohutta :-)
ReplyDeleteI love Chamois Butt'r, so much that I won't even try the others because I know I'll be dissapointed.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried DZ Nuts yet? I got some samples in race goodie bags & I've been pretty impressed with it- it's pretty thick and seems to stay on well, though I haven't ridden more than 3hrs in it yet.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, I have not tried DZ nuts yet. I have not had any samples in my goody bags. It is pretty expensive stuff; $23.00 for 4 ounces! Chamois Butt'r Eurostyle is only $19.99 for an 8 ounce tub.
ReplyDeleteYeah- the cost is why I hadn't tried it yet. Honestly, I don't think I'd spend that much money on it because whether or not I get any sort of saddle malady doesn't seem to be related to whether or not I'm using some sort of taint-cream.
ReplyDeletehehehe... I just said taint-cream...