If you've started cycling and keep hearing the word "chamois", you're not the only one quietly wondering what everyone's banging on about. So here's the plain version.
What is a chamois?
In cycling, the chamois (say it "shammy") is the padded insert sewn into the seat of your bib shorts or cycling shorts. It's the cushioned layer that sits between you and the saddle, and it's the reason a good pair of shorts feels nothing like perching on a bare seat.
The name is a hand-me-down from history. The original cycling pads were cut from chamois leather, the same soft stuff you might still use to dry the car. Modern pads have nothing in common with that anymore, all high-tech foam and engineered fabric, but the old name stuck.
So when a rider talks about the chamois, the pad, or just "the shammy", they mean the same thing: the padding in your shorts.
What does a chamois do?
More than cushion you, although that's the headline act. A good chamois is doing three things at once:
- Cushions the pressure between your sit bones and the saddle, so the long rides don't leave you wrecked.
- Cuts friction, so your skin isn't grinding against fabric and saddle for hours, which is what brings on chafing and saddle sores.
- Wicks moisture off your skin, keeping everything drier and far less likely to get angry.
That third job is the reason the pad has to sit directly against your skin. Which leads us straight to the question every beginner asks.
Why you wear nothing under the chamois
The chamois is made to be worn next to the skin, with no underwear in between. Pants underneath bring seams, trap moisture and create the exact rubbing the pad is built to prevent.
It feels strange the first time. It's still the right way to do it. We've written the full, honest explanation in do you wear underwear with bib shorts if you want talking round properly.
What is chamois cream?
Chamois cream is a thick, usually anti-bacterial cream you rub onto the pad, or straight onto your skin, before you ride. Its job is to drop the friction even lower and keep your skin healthy through long days in the saddle.
Do you need it for a quick spin to the shops? No. For anything past a couple of hours, or back-to-back days in the saddle? It's one of those small things that makes a genuine difference, and a thin layer on the pad is all it takes.
Does a better chamois really matter?
Yes, and it's exactly where cheap shorts and good shorts part ways. A quality chamois is shaped to support your sit bones, uses different foam densities in different zones, and has smooth, flat edges that won't dig in. A cheap one is usually a flat slab of foam that bunches and rubs and reminds you it's there the whole ride.
If you ride regularly and your shorts are uncomfortable, the chamois is nearly always the culprit. It's the part worth paying for.
How long does a chamois last?
A chamois has a working life. Over enough miles the foam packs down and stops springing back, and the anti-bacterial treatment fades. When a pad that used to feel supportive starts feeling thin and flat, that's it telling you the time's up.
You'll get the most out of it by washing your shorts after every ride and letting them air dry rather than tumble drying, which chews through the foam and elastane far quicker.
The bottom line
The chamois is the hardest-working part of your kit, and the main reason a good pair of bib shorts can transform a long ride. Get a well-shaped pad, wear it against the skin, keep it clean and add a little cream for the long days.
See how we build our pads into every pair in our men's bib shorts and women's range. Comfort starts with the chamois, and so does every good ride.
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