This week one of our mates shared a fond farewell message she was directing to her Deanos, the first piece of Nzo kit she ever had, procured long before we got acquainted and became friends.
The shorts are still intact, but the synthetic chamois (our favourite pad we have been using in Deanos and Cruiseliners since 2009, maybe earlier) had well and truly come apart. She sent us a photo of the resulting carnage that we won’t share in a public venue like this newsletter.
Deanos, and Cruiseliners for that matter, are Nzo’s version of a cycling garment designed to give your undercarriage a bit of protection. The simple and comparatively slim pad we choose takes the edge off but leaves you free to move around when you are on your mountain bike. Unlike some of the multi level pads we have seen that don’t allow you to walk, let alone ride, without feeling like a badger has invaded your pants.
In reality, the best way to get really comfortable on a bike seat is to sit on one, repeatedly and often. Once that has been done sufficiently, and the required period varies from person to person like the derrières we are discussing, you won’t always need any padding at all.
I will use Deanos when on a road ride, and they are also great under Sifters or similar for a big day on the trails, but after half a century of sitting on bike seats I am pretty happy whatever I happen to be wearing.
In fact, in my bike racing days, which were a long time ago, chamois pads in bike shorts were exactly that: chamois leather pads. Devilishly difficult to keep in optimal condition, and providing no actual padding whatsoever. And back in those dimly remembered decades, we were not riding fully suspended bikes with low pressure tyres and about 5mm of closed cell foam in the saddles, all of which make for a floating deluxeness only dreamt of before.
Still, even with long habituation, a nice pair of lightly padded shorts can be your friend.
Here is what our friend said about hers:
A sad farewell!! Together we had over 8 years of joy and pain. Hundreds of kms. A number of stacks. That snag on the China cabinet door handle. My first 100km. Round Taupō. That fun K1 where there was rum at the summit. Night rides, day rides, pregnant rides, mum rides. Goodbye ol' mate!
We reckon that is a fair old innings, so did our mate.