Chamois is basically the padding on the inside of bib shorts - although, with the proliferation of shorts with padding inside, one could probably extend the meaning to cover them as well. From what I've gathered, in the past, the cyclists' padding was made from chamois - which, if you've ever washed your car using a chamois cloth, is a special type of leather (calf I think) that is soft, absorbent and tough... These days, the padding is mostly synthetic, and consists out of a range of materials - but the name has stuck. Chamois cream is the generic name for a range of creams that one can purchase to smear onto your parts that come into contact with the 'chamois', and onto the chamois itself. They are usually antiseptic in nature, and are designed to reduce the chance of chaffing and prevent saddle sores etc by disinfecting potential problem areas while you're riding... So get yourself a good pair of bibshorts, and ditto a tub of cream - and Bob's your uncle... Hope this helps!
