Originally Posted by
cmc0108
with most newer washers (especially the front loading ones since they dont have an agitator) you dont really have to worry about them damaging your cloths. The cycles are pretty gentle and shouldnt decrease the life of your clothing.
I still choose not to dry my clothes though, as extensive heat probably isnt good for them.
Originally Posted by
hhnngg1
Just gotta add-
I've been using 3 pairs of bibs and 1 pair of shorts for the past 4 years, and I pretty much throw them in the spincycle dry weekly.
There is zero damage to any of them, and they all look pretty much completely intact - no frayed threads from the dryer. I thought they'd get beat up after awhile in the dryer, but no such luck - the fibers are as tight and intact as they were when I got them. Since then I've never been afraid to cycle dry any of my bike/run clothes. All of them have done great.
From what I have read, and my experience, spin drying lycra/elastin/spandex is good because it shortens the fibres again and restores the clothing's tightness and support.
Certainly, I have three or four pairs of Pearl Izumi shorts that are around 10 years old and have seen thousands of miles of riding, and are still wearable. Some are thin in the fabric admittedly, but still able to be worn and still providing the required support and comfort under long pants or over shorts.
Much does depend on the quality of the fabric from the get-go.
I have to add that we don't have a dryer at home, and we air dry all our clothes. However, the method outlined by datlas in the thread-starter has been used by touring cyclists for as long as there have been touring cyclists. We do use dryers when on tour...