(Photos © J. Maus)
Chamois cream is something a lot of people use, but not many people talk about. For the uninitiated, chamois cream is something you apply to the inside of your spandex prior to long rides in order to reduce chafing. For 31-year old Sellwood resident Jason Britton, it’s not only an imperative on long rides, it’s also a good business opportunity.
Earlier this year he was getting ready for a long ride and happened to take a look at what his chamois cream was made of. “It contained mostly preservatives,” he recalls. So, like any self-respecting Portlander with equal parts DIY spirit and love of bicycles, Britton — an experienced tourer, former bike courier, and current racer with a thing for long distance off-road rides — set out to make his own. “Later that week I started my research and within a few months I had a chamois cream that worked exceptionally well.”
Britton calls his soothing concoction “Cream of the Gods” and he makes every batch by hand from his home in Sellwood. His recipe, honed after six months of research and testing, consists of just five ingredients (all of which are organic and/or fair trade of course). A web developer by day, Britton says his budding career as a chamois cream developer, “fills a need to make something tangible.”
Cream of the Gods is available online and is also sold at Sellwood Cycle Repair. Britton displayed at BikeCraft and was also vending out at many of the local cyclocross race. He hopes to find other shops in Portland that want to sell a locally made chamois cream; but not too many. Since the recipe contains no preservatives, he likes to sell in small quantities so customers get the “freshest batch possible.”
For more information, or to get a few jars for yourself, visit CreamoftheGods.com or send Jason an email at info[at]creamofthegods[dot]com.