To Chammy, or Not to Chammy?

The Great Debate

Raise your hand if you've just always assumed a chamois was non-negotiable. Same.

Full disclosure, I'm not here as someone who ditched their chamois and never looked back. I still wear one. But I'm starting to question it, and I think you might be too.

More recently, I've been hearing more and more women say they are forgoing the chamois (shammy, chamois, bike pad, bike diaper, the list of names goes on). My first thought was how and why? When I got into biking, I was so proud when I finally bought my first pair. I thought it would change my life or something, and now I was a real biker. But somewhere along the line, I started wondering if I really needed one, because I primarily mountain biked and didn't typically spend houuurss in the saddle. Plus, you spend the downhill time out of the saddle when mountain biking. I also rode a spin bike often with no shorts for an hour-plus, sooo…did I need one?

My Chamois Journey

My first few pairs came with the "baggies," loose-fitting shorts you wear over the chamois. Then I collected a few higher-quality options to rotate through, but quality ones are not cheap. When I'd go on my go-to short rides in town, I stopped wearing one, mostly because…laundry. Especially once we moved out of town and to our off-grid trailer.

Fast forward: I started hearing more women talk about not wearing them anymore, even on longer rides, like multi-day bikepacking trips.

What the People Said

My interest was piqued enough that we took the question to Roam Fest to see where people landed. It's clearly a topic worth talking about, and this post is me finally doing that. What comes down to: it's a personal choice. But you certainly don't need one to be considered a biker!

Gear Pressure Is Real

We can get caught up in gear and what's considered cool or necessary. We see Sally wearing this or doing that, and she's super good, so we must need that too. Wrong. Most of my audience is probably old enough to have learned this lesson by now, but if you're getting into a new sport, those feelings can definitely surface.

So, Do You Actually Need One?

That's TBD. What you definitely need is time in the saddle to decide, likely with and without one. Like anything, your body will adjust, but things will be sore and uncomfortable at first. Every spring, I have to readjust to being in the saddle for longer periods of time. It's normal. It's like not working out for months, then going in for a heavy leg day, and then not being able to sit on the toilet without rails to help you up and down.

To make it even more complicated, chamois come in all different styles and qualities. Like most gear, it takes trial and error to find what works for your anatomy, which isn't always easy with hefty price tags and, well…a product that I don't think has the most favorable return policies.

Here are three different brands I have: Wild Rye, Shredly, and Pearl Izumi. It’s hard to see the details of the Wild Rye pad, but notice the difference in the seam patterns. This can also make a big difference for your body/saddle combo.

My Suggestion: Time in the saddle

Start by paying attention to where you actually have discomfort, because it could very well be a saddle fit issue that exists with or without a chamois. And consider your saddle itself, because this makes a huge difference in pain points. If something isn't improving over time, that's your sign to look at fit before anything else.

Which brings me to my next suggestion: a bike fit. Also not cheap, but it genuinely helps with the efficiency of your riding, keeps your body in a better position for longer efforts, and helps prevent injury down the road.

If you absolutely can't stand it without a chamois, by all means go for one! I'm not a chamois-free convert yet, but I am going to start exploring that journey as I plan to start doing multi-day trips. That's honestly what started this whole rabbit hole. I kept wondering: how do you pack enough chamois for a long trip? Are you supposed to gulp, re-wear them day after day?

I literally asked that to an avid bikepacker, and her response was: "That's exactly why I started going chamois-free, a bad infection."

And, FWIW, the legendary Lael Wilcox goes chamois-free and sets world records. 😉

The Bottom Line

You do not need one, but you may want one, and hey, that's your prerogative, baby. Don't let other people's choices dictate yours. So, are you team chammy or no chammy? Drop it in the comments.😘