{"id":1284,"date":"2013-05-22T17:48:18","date_gmt":"2013-05-22T17:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nikwax.wordpress.com\/?p=1284"},"modified":"2024-10-24T09:51:21","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T08:51:21","slug":"the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chamois Solution: A Care and Handling How-To for your Bike Shorts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/bicycling-chamois.jpg?w=611\" alt=\"Care properly for your bike shorts and they'll last a long time. Photo: Michael Robertson\" class=\"wp-image-1285\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Care properly for your bike shorts and they&#8217;ll last a long time. Photo: Michael Robertson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Quick! What\u2019s the first thing you do after a bike ride?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you didn\u2019t answer, \u201ctake off your chamois,\u201d then we\u2019ll give you a moment to rethink your response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of us call them bike shorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But years ago, I overheard a professional cyclist refer to them as \u201cchamois,\u201d and I immediately adopted the affectation as my own. It made me feel a little cooler and a little faster than I am.&nbsp; Try it, and you\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of what you call them, bike shorts are integral to riding. (If you don\u2019t think so, you\u2019ve probably never worn them.) Plus, they can be expensive, which is extra incentive to ensure they last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are a few \u201cDos and Don\u2019ts\u201d for keeping your chamois in tip-top shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DO&nbsp;<\/strong>wear shorts with a comfortably snug fit. The material shouldn\u2019t jiggle around, but neither should it cut off circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DON&#8217;T&nbsp;<\/strong>wear underpants with your bike shorts. Trust me on this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DO<\/strong>&nbsp;care for your shorts as the high performance gear they are. The fact that you can throw them in the wash without regard doesn\u2019t mean that you should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DON&#8217;T<\/strong>&nbsp;ever use fabric softener. Fabric softeners coat garments in a subtle, stain-blocking film, which is the very reason clothes and towels treated with softeners feel so soft to the touch. The problem is that this film clogs up the wicking and breathability features of synthetic and wool fibers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DO<\/strong><b>&nbsp;<\/b>wash in cold water. Heat is the enemy of Lycra and elastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DON&#8217;T<\/strong>&nbsp;use a heated setting on the dryer, or don\u2019t use the dryer at all. Most people agree it\u2019s best to line dry cycling gear. If you\u2019d like to accelerate the process, use the dryer on no or low heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DO<\/strong><b>&nbsp;<\/b>use a gentle cleanser like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nikwax-usa.com\/en-us\/products\/productdetail.php?productid=473\">Nikwax BaseWash\u00ae<\/a>.&nbsp; Harsh detergents wreak havoc on synthetic fibers and the elastic around the waistband and thigh bands. Plus, BaseWash not only cleans, it enhances wicking and <strong>eliminates odors.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DON&#8217;T<\/strong>&nbsp;assume your \u201cchamois\u201d\u2014and by that I actually mean the part that cushions your bum\u2014is made of suede leather. While this all-important section of the bike short used to be made of sheep hide, most \u201cchamois\u201d from the past 15+ years is fully synthetic and should be cared for accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DO<\/strong><b>&nbsp;<\/b>turn them inside out to wash and avoid wadding them up in the hamper if you&#8217;re not planning to wash them right away. This prevents a stink fest.&nbsp;Without going into too much detail (use your imagination), there\u2019s a reason we recommend taking off your shorts immediately after a ride&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DON&#8217;T<\/strong> assume you need the thickest chamois on the market. Ask an expert at the bike shop to recommend the right shorts for your type of riding. A general rule of thumb is this: If you&nbsp;prefer an upright position, buy shorts with extra rear cushioning. If you&#8217;re more stretched out on the bike, opt for shorts where the chamois foam is more evenly distributed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quick! What\u2019s the first thing you do after a bike ride? If you didn\u2019t answer, \u201ctake off your chamois,\u201d then we\u2019ll give you a moment to rethink your response. Most of us call them bike shorts. But years ago, I overheard a professional cyclist refer to them as \u201cchamois,\u201d and I immediately adopted the affectation&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"iawp_total_views":133,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[2634,2635,2636,2637,539,2638],"class_list":["post-1284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gear-care","tag-bike-chamois","tag-bike-shorts","tag-bike-shorts-care","tag-chamois","tag-cycling","tag-cycling-shorts"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Chamois Solution: A Care and Handling How-To for your Bike Shorts - Nikwax NA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Chamois Solution: A Care and Handling How-To for your Bike Shorts - Nikwax NA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Quick! What\u2019s the first thing you do after a bike ride? If you didn\u2019t answer, \u201ctake off your chamois,\u201d then we\u2019ll give you a moment to rethink your response. Most of us call them bike shorts. But years ago, I overheard a professional cyclist refer to them as \u201cchamois,\u201d and I immediately adopted the affectation...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nikwax NA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-05-22T17:48:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-24T08:51:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/bicycling-chamois.jpg?w=611\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Heidi Allen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Heidi Allen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Heidi Allen\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#\/schema\/person\/dbd090f84780234eaadb61c5b44496e2\"},\"headline\":\"The Chamois Solution: A Care and Handling How-To for your Bike Shorts\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-05-22T17:48:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-24T08:51:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/\"},\"wordCount\":552,\"commentCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/nikwax.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/05\/bicycling-chamois.jpg?w=611\",\"keywords\":[\"bike chamois\",\"bike shorts\",\"bike shorts care\",\"Chamois\",\"Cycling\",\"Cycling shorts\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Gear Care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nikwax.com\/en-us\/posts\/the-chamois-solution-a-care-and-handling-how-to-for-your-bike-shorts\/\",\"name\":\"The Chamois Solution: A Care and Handling How-To for your Bike Shorts - 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