jameso wrote:Merino boxers are easier to pack a spare, comfier, faster to wash / cleaner ime and just feel more, well, normal.

On a related note... who's making decent merino boxers these days? Chocolate Fish used to do them but seem to have ceased trading... Howies have gone 'Modal cotton' or something...

Raphas here, usual Crikey, how much thing of pricey but really comfy, showing no signs of wear yet. Alpkit have some also.

I am one of the lucky people who can get away with any saddle, if hard and unpadded, no padded shorts, just cotton undies and any shorts. endure zymes and singletracks, with the liner removed.
on long audax rides in the past and weeks away touring, I have used sudocreme, it stopped any soreness.

I have some of the Alpkit boxers for biking, good fit and seem well made. Happy so far.

I've had two visits to hospital to get sores dealt with, I was a self employed courier at the time and couldn't really afford not to ride. I always used clean shorts every day and think mine were caused by washing powder. I changed to using natural soap and the problems stopped.

Endura MT500s and Sweet Cheeks chamois cream here, no issues on long days out and repeated days out

Used to use Assos minty arse lard for years till I tried the sweetcheeks stuff in NZ, was so impressed I imported some

Also, firm believer in the idea of UCT, uneccesary chamois time, get em off as soon as you stop riding and get some fresh air in there ;-)

How can I put this delicately...

I have found the use of dedicated beard trimmers to reduce tugging helps a hell of a lot.

Nothing drastic just the areas that are in contact with the saddle.

I drew the line at shaving n d think that may actually be worse.

Pirahna wrote:I always used clean shorts every day and think mine were caused by washing powder. I changed to using natural soap and the problems stopped.

Topical for me atm this, after a few longer rides recently it's looked like my ass has been set about with a cheese grater when i've never really had problems previously. The only thing i've changed is the washing liquid, as the previous soap flakes that i used to get are a lot harder to find now. Going to try & change back to a 'natural' soap & hopefully it'll cure it..

Which soap do you now use Pirahna?

I accidentally shaved my balls once (long story). The next few days were the most uncomfortable of my life. I think trimming the contact points may be a good idea though.

ootini wrote:I accidentally shaved my balls once (long story). The next few days were the most uncomfortable of my life.

Never a dull campfire if ootini's around with long stories like that : )

I had to have mine done for a minor op a few years ago,
The missus did it (worse than the op ), afterwards was some of the
Most uncomfortable days ever

Wotsits wrote:
Which soap do you now use Pirahna?

Whatever the wife buys. She won't let me go the supermarket with her, apparently the shop takes twice as long, but she buys non bio stuff, I think we've got some Ecover at the moment.

Try shifting your saddle a fraction off center opposite to whichever leg is longest.

After your ride wash and apply Gold Bond body powder, Amazon, soothing medicated talc works wonders overnight

ootini wrote:I accidentally shaved my balls once (long story)

Im puzzled how you can do this accidently?

Pirahna wrote: Whatever the wife buys. She won't let me go the supermarket with her, apparently the shop takes twice as long, but she buys non bio stuff, I think we've got some Ecover at the moment.

Thanks Pirahna, might be a bit of a push for your wife to get me some too, i'll search out some Granny's Soap Flakes ont t'internet

Finisterre make really nice merino boxers. Not cheap though.

Talking of balls. Mine got sore on tour divide. Weird thing was, I had put so much sudocream down me shorts that the hair follicles were filling up with sudocrem and looked like huge boils. It all settled down after a shower, but the 5 days previous were mighty uncomfortable.

True story bro.

mountainbaker wrote:True story bro.

I can tell, it's not one of those stories you make up

Cheaper merino boxers can be had from Sportpursuit (http://www.sportpursuit.com/sales). They have fairly regular sales of Super Natural stuff, including their boxers. Typically around the £12 mark, still not cheap but better than £20 or £30 plus. Think they have a "merino" category for all the brands they're doing sales of and then it's just a case of trawling through looking for those doing boxers and/or in your size.

Currently doing BAM stuff (bamboo based, be interested if anyone's used that stuff instead of merino?) though not boxers. Here: http://www.sportpursuit.com/sales/bam-aug15. BAM have a load of stuff on their own site and sales come around often so worth following / signing up for newsletter https://bambooclothing.co.uk/

Personally I find merino a mixed bag; comfy and great temp regulation but easily overwhelmed by the sweatier beasts (me), poor at drying / shifting the moisture and loses much shape / fit. That's stuff like Howies' pure merino things, some of the blended stuff like Super Natural and some Montane gear is much. much better.

HYOH

I've found the trick is to keep the contact points dry.

Last year during TD, I was soaked from morning to night and ended up with massive saddle sores. After drying off, triple antibiotic ointment / A&D cream would sort 'em out (for the most part) overnight, but as soon as the wet shorts went on in the morning, all hell would break loose again. A fellow rider described the sensation of his saddle sores as "like peeling the skin off a peach".

This years TD was bone dry and using the same shorts, I had pinhead sized saddle sores instead of 50p sized ones.

Then there's also the rather annoying raw taint issue, which needs addressing daily during multiday events. I could handle the saddle sores...but the stripped taint was something that had me right out over the edge.

"The TD aint for the faint of taint" - Big Dave Wilson.

Greetz

S.

Then there's also the rather annoying raw taint issue, which needs addressing daily during multiday events. I could handle the saddle sores...but the stripped taint was something that had me right out over the edge.

Could someone translate that for me please - "taint"

Cheeky Monkey wrote:

Then there's also the rather annoying raw taint issue, which needs addressing daily during multiday events. I could handle the saddle sores...but the stripped taint was something that had me right out over the edge.

Could someone translate that for me please - "taint"

T'aint your balls and t'aint your arse.

Also known as the "Cossif", simply Cossif it wasn't there your guts would fall out.

Cheeky Monkey wrote:Personally I find merino a mixed bag; comfy and great temp regulation but easily overwhelmed by the sweatier beasts (me), poor at drying / shifting the moisture and loses much shape / fit. That's stuff like Howies' pure merino things, some of the blended stuff like Super Natural and some Montane gear is much. much better.

Agreed in general for merino, for boxers I think thin merino that's covered with wicking / poly-nylon shorts stays dry well and there's no noticeable insulating effect, certainly a lot cooler and breezier than a pad in that area. I suspect it's the lower insulation and the fact it's a natural fabric that helps avoid some of the usual issues. A blended fabric could be even better?

ootini wrote:

Cheeky Monkey wrote:

Then there's also the rather annoying raw taint issue, which needs addressing daily during multiday events. I could handle the saddle sores...but the stripped taint was something that had me right out over the edge.

Could someone translate that for me please - "taint"

T'aint your balls and t'aint your arse.

Also known as the "Cossif", simply Cossif it wasn't there your guts would fall out.

I recall Dave Barter referring to the general area as your barse.