body glide vs vasoline

Vasoline is not recommended with a wetsuit.

And vasoline is a mucky mess, Body Glide is very easy to apply and use.

vaseline or any petroleum product eats away the neoprene on the wetsuit.  Don't use it.  

Body glide is the only thing that works for me. It's not messy, it stays in place, and it doesn't destroy clothing. I don't really consider it expensive given how well it works. I use it daily, and I probably spend between $21 and 30 per year on it. Compared with the multitude of expenses associated with triathlon, it's nothing!

If petroleum jelly works for you and you don't have it near neoprene, great!

It's unlikely to last well through an entire triathlon, though, for example.

I use a petroleum jelly / shea butter combination for long-ride lubing.

Things may also change if you increase your training volume and the max distance of your long workouts. I can use petroleum jelly / shea for what I'd now call medium bikes (25ish miles) and medium runs (10-14 miles) but anything over that, I need a different combo or different products.

It's worth it.

I hear bag balm is more cost effective...but I haven't used it before.

I only ever use Vasoline.  I don't own a wetsuit so can't speak to it hurting the neoprine.  Vasoline is what you will find out on the course when you do marathons and IMs and other long races so I'm thinking "train like you're gonna race".  I have found Vasoline much more persistant than Bodyglide.  That is, it doesn't wash off with sweat.  Vasoline is much cheaper and readiliy available in most convienant stores.

The bottom line is, if it works for you, use it. 

~Mike

Any petroleum based product will break down neoprene in the wet suit, but also will severely reduce the lifespan of the chamois in the cycling shorts (it breaks down the padding), plus all elastic leg grippers will be broken down....

... and yes, the cycling/tri specific lubes are more expensive, but buying new shorts all the time is not exactly a great way to save money...

Is this theoretical or anecdotal?  I've have the same 3 pair of biking shorts for the last 5 or 6 years, have logged several thousand miles, nealy always use Vasoline an have not seen ANY deterioation in the padding or the leg grippers. 

~Mike

Edited by Rogillio 2010-07-11 6:28 AM

This user's post has been ignored.

Really, OK maybe 4 or 5 years but I really do.  Also have one pair of longjohns....or whatever you call them, for cold weather....they are 4 years old. 

~Mike



ETA

BTW, I NEVER wash out the pool water from my jammers either.  I take them home and throw them in the wash with everything else....wash them on warm water than put them in the dryer.  Now those do deterioate but they are cheap....least the ones I buy are cheap.


Edited by Rogillio 2010-07-11 7:10 AM

Is this theoretical or anecdotal?  I've have the same 3 pair of biking shorts for the last 5 or 6 years, have logged several thousand miles, nealy always use Vasoline an have not seen ANY deterioation in the padding or the leg grippers. 

~Mike

I use bag balm for tris or swim/bike bricks but chamois butter for biking only.

I've wondered if bag balm is better than body glide in the water....Bag balm also looks very similar to vaseline but I don't recall it being petroleum based...

What about using deodorant stick. It has gotta be similar to Bodyglide. 

No, not really.

Noxema cream isn't something I've tried but I have seen it recomended.