By Tried and True, Along with Some New
As I wandered the CABDA exhibit hall in February, I came across the Paceline booth. I was thrilled to meet, Steve Mathews, founder, president and inventor of Chamois Butt’r. This man’s products have kept my southern region chafe free for years. I’m a big fan.
After the show Steve sent me a little care package of Chamois Butt’r® products including, Chamois Butt’r cream (Eurostyle, Her’s, Original) and Kit Wash. I was familiar with the three types of creams, but did not know about their Kit Wash.
Chamois Butt’r® Cream
There are three “flavors” of Chamois Butt’r; Original, Her’s and Eurostyle. I had used the Original for years until the Her’s line was launched a few years back and I immediately switched. While the Original did a great job at preventing chafing, it was thick and at times clogged pores. Her’s was developed to help maintain a woman’s natural pH by using naturally occurring properties and premium ingredients. Those ingredients include aloe vera, green tea leaf extract, tea tree oil, shea butter and lavender oil. It also washes out easily in the shower. I like the Her’s formula the best and find with one application there’s no need to reapply on a 50 mile ride. Rides longer than that I relube as necessary.
The Eurostyle version has all the benefits of the Original cream but uses menthol and witch hazel to produce a cooling and soothing effect. Even though Eurostyle is safe for men or women, I gave some samples to a friend to try and he liked it. He stated the menthol gave a nice cooling effect and that a single application kept him comfortable on his 40 mile ride.
Application of Chamois Butt’r is the same no matter which version you pick. Just apply to skin and/or chamois before your ride. For longer rides you may find it necessary to reapply. All three versions come in portable, single application 9mL packets that fit nicely in your saddlebag or jersey pocket. If you recall, I provided a Quick Tip a few months back for keeping your hands clean and sanitized when relubing. Check it out here.
Chamois Butt’r is available at most bike shops or online. Not all bike shops carry all three versions or sizes. The Chamois Butt’r web site links visitors to Amazon to purchase. Below are links to each of the products in varying sizes.
Chamois Butt’r Original
Portable 9mL packets (10 pack) – $9.99
8 oz Tube – $14.00
Chamois Butt’r Euro Style
Portable 9mL packets (10 pack) – $11.14
8 oz jar – $15.80
Chamois Butt’r Hers
Portable 9mL packets (10 pack) – $9.99
8 oz Tube – $14.50
Kit Wash
Chamois Butt’r Kit Wash is a premium fabric cleaner designed for hand washing your cycling kits, swimsuits, wetsuits and any other athletic clothing. Steve sent me both the 16 FL OZ bottle and a box of the one-use packets. I threw a couple of packets in my luggage when I went to Tucson back in March. It was the perfect opportunity to try handwashing a kit after a long hot sweaty day on the bike. I filled up the hotel sink, added the kit wash and kit. Post wash the kit smelled clean and fresh. I wore it a second time on the trip smelling clean and fresh.
I liked how it gently cleaned my kit with little effort. A definite winner in my book and I’ll be taking it on future trips. For those of you who do multi-day, self-contained trips, the single packets are a great option when space is limited.
The Kit Wash is also designed for swimsuits and wetsuits. My open water swimming season is starting soon so I’m looking forward to washing any lake funk out of my wetsuit post swim.
Kit Wash 9mL (10 pack) – $9.99
Kit Wash 16 ox bottle – $15.99
Bottom Line
Chamois Butt’r offers a wide range of products from chamois cream to kit wash. I’m a long-time user of their cream and now an avid user of their Kit Wash. One word of caution, the single packs of the cream and Kit Wash look very similar. So be sure you grab the right pack.
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