My mentor told me he used a big gob of Vaseline before each ride so that has been my habit for a few years.  At first i had no special cycle shorts but now i do.  I have used various kinds of grease (never gear grease) with apparently equal success.  Bought some  Tiger Balm yesterday for longish ride today, worked ok, i guess.  

What is the experience of others on this topic?  Some grease must surely be absorbed faster into the skin reducing the effectiveness, but others maybe last longer. The cycle shorts' padding now smells of Tiger Balm.  Have also used A&D baby diaper grease, also good. 

How much to use is another Q.  

If you’re only riding 100 km on fairly flat rides, then do what you want.  Or not bother.  I find a good wash with soapy water just fine the day after, but then I don’t wear padded shorts that might absorb the mank. You could consider carrying a clean lightweight pair of shorts to change in to when you get to the pub.

My favorite bum savior: ASSOS Chamois Crème.

It depends on the brand of bibs I'm wearing. Usually I don't need any kind of chammy cream. But I have a couple of sets of bibs where the stitches are irritating. I've tried several solutions but Vaseline seems to work best. I use a lot and it does get absorbed into the padding and material. The downside to that is that I have to be careful where I sit when I get off the bike. The Vaseline will stain wooden and cloth surfaces.

Note that I'm only using this for the stitches at the edge of the padding. Nowhere else.

I use locally made Smooth Ass Silk chamois cream that I order at

www.smoothasssilk.com/shop/ or https://www.facebook.com/ChamoisCream/

I use the same one as Junglechef. Smoothass Silk. Well not his, my own stock. Same-same, but different.

 

And Tigerbalm? I don't even want to think about that.....?

3 hours ago, bobfish said:

I use the same one as Junglechef. Smoothass Silk. Well not his, my own stock. Same-same, but different.

 

And Tigerbalm? I don't even want to think about that.....?

bobfish glad you got your own, I was getting tired of telling you to keep your hands out of my shorts!!

You need padded shorts, I've just bought 2 new pairs and they are definitely better than my old ones. I wouldnt use grease or Vaseline as a rule definitely no tiger balm. The only time i use Vaseline is on my junk if rain is forecast, friction is worse then