BAD Chafing from new tri shorts...HELP ME PLEASE

Triathlon Forum
1

Bought a pair of new Pearl Izumi tri shorts last week, and DID NOT wash them before an Oly race.

RESULT - BAD/PAINFUL chafing around the chamois (sp) area on both the front and back.

Anyone else have this issue before with this short? Will this go away since I’ve washed it now?

Doing an IM with cuts on my rear/personals from the chamois stitching is not what I’m interested in dealing with.

Thanks.

2

wash them and try out a cream and go on a 30 mile ride or so. if they still hurt, ditch them–it’s not worth injuring yourself over!

some clothes just don’t work out, but i’m sure with cream and washing, they will soften up.

3

Did you use any kind of lube? Last year I used a pair of just-bought PI tri shorts in a Oly race (forgot to pack shorts for the Chicago Tri). Put a lot of Body Glide and had no problems whatsoever.

4

Yeah, I thought the PI tri shorts sucked. I’ve never had a chamois that felt quite like the sandpaper like chamois in the PI tri shorts. They suck. Get Oomph! shorts which are infinitely better than any other tri shorts I have used (sugoi, desoto, PI).

5

it sounds as if you might be working with one or two factors:

  1. there was some residual whatever left on the new, unwashed material, and it didn’t agree with your skin in race conditions. washing ought to get rid of that.
  2. your skin just decided that it was going to get persnickity. sometimes my fail-safe method of lubrication, squeaky clean shorts and body, etc., etc., just tanks and i get a saddle sore. just on accounta because. and then i deal with it and it goes away in a few days. who knows why.
    summary: i wouldn’t give up on costly shorts after just one (admittedly bad) experience. give it a few tries.
    peggy