Commuting - A potentially stupid sweat-related question

Okay, not afraid to make a fool of myself here, as I can't be the only one facing this issue, but it's keeping me from commuting more often so I'm going to ask. My commute is only about 4.5 miles, but that's enough to get the sweat going, no matter what the season. No showers in my building, like many here, I'm sure. Just curious to see how others deal, because sitting at my desk sweating for the first two hours of my day is kind of a downer, even though I'm proud of myself for making the effort. Obviously I bring deodorant with me to reapply at work, so it's not really a 'smell' issue.

I try to ride slowly enough that it is not a problem. That's 10-12 mph at a walking level of effort.

Paul

You should be ok if you give yourself enough time. I bike commute from 5 - 7 miles one way, and I get sweaty as all heck despite cool weather. Plus, I have to been in shirt/tie at work.

I find that you will be totally find if you take a shower before you leave the door, then put on CLEAN sports clothes for biking. Most of the "stink" comes from bacteria/fungus on damp clothing, and it gets worse with time. However, with clean skin and clean clothes, you should smell very little at all. Pretreat with libreal deodorant.

You DEFINITELY have to give yourself 10-15 minutes to TOTALLY cool off after your ride. Bring a book or something. After you are totally cool, change all your clothes to CLEAN work clothes, and bird bath rinse your face if needed.

I've inquired with all my friends, and nobody can tell that I've been a sweaty just 20 minute beforehand. And I sweat a LOT, and often ride hard in the morning for a mini workout.

You shouldn't be sweating for "two hours" after your bike ride - if so, your heat is turned too far up at work. It does, take, usually about 10 minutes though for a total cool off, especially if you sit outside.

I think you should be able to manage no problem without the work shower.

I had a prof who just showed up. if he was late to class, it was visually but not olfactorily obvious that he'd been biking. He didn't really do anything.

I have the advantage of working somewhere that nobody really cares how I look/smell, so I don't shower after my morning ride since I don't have to.

I had a prof who just showed up. if he was late to class, it was visually but not olfactorily obvious that he'd been biking. He didn't really do anything.

I have the advantage of working somewhere that nobody really cares how I look/smell, so I don't shower after my morning ride since I don't have to.

Likewise. At my job the fumes from fermenting grape juice overwhelm other scents. At this season most of Sonoma (and napa) county smell of grapes and fermentation. At jobs where smell mattered I often got to work up to 30 minutes early to cool down and change. Showering as soon as I get home helps too.

If it is a comfort thing, just buy a box of baby wipes and give yourself a quick once over in between bike-work clothes transition. You can either keep it in your office or get some prepackaged singles and keep them in your kit.

Are you sure you're not overdressed? These mornings (45-55F) I've been wearing a long-sleeve dress shirt and light cycling jacket, and I arrive sweating a little, but not a lot. We have a shower at work, but I've hardly needed to use it since July (with the cool August we had).

Sounds like a change of clothes is the way to go. And besides the reapplying deoderant, wipe off with baby wipes too, preferably unscented. And ditto not doing anything until you cool down, 10-15 minutes. I use the time to get through the morning email, check BF, etc. :D

Where in Maine are you? I live in Westbrook, work by the mall in South Portland.

I get the feeling you are wearing your "work clothes" on your commute.

I work in a shirt/tie (and frequently a coat), sweat on my way into work, and don't have showers. The key is the total outfit change. I ride wearing very cool clothing (e.g., down to about 55 degrees, I ride in MTB shorts or bike shorts and a light workout shirt or jersey), stop off in the bathroom to rinse off my face, take about 10-15 minutes to cool down, then change everything. Shoes and belts live at the office.

Slightly icky sometimes putting on the biking gear at the end of the day, but 5 minutes into my ride home, who cares? I shower at home at night.

All this makes commuting a bit more complicated as you need "biking gear" (doesn't have to be anything fancy), but it will make you more comfortable both on the bike and at work.

Finally, keep up the commuting!!

You need a fan.

I'll also second your experience of taking a long time to cool down. Not 2 hours, but if I change into the shirt and tie too soon, before I'm cool, it takes much longer to cool down.

In the summer, I do a total outfit change too, but I find it to be less necessary when it's cooler or downright cold. But also my office is business casual, which makes a little easier. In the summer I bring in a garment bag to hang shirts in on a coatrack, and I keep slacks folded in a desk drawer. I also have a set of work shoes and belt. And of course I bring a change of socks and undies. (I have a short commute and don't bother with cycling shorts.)

I arrive a little early and rinse/cool down in the toilet. My wife packs a change of clothes in an Eagle Creek travel/anti-wrinkle bag and changes at work.

I may the only one since no one else every seems to bring it up but shower to shower body powder or the like works great at removing that sweaty feeling. I use it as a freshen up in the men's room after I arrive. Makes me feel cleaner than I do with a wet nap bath.

I stick a clean hand towel in my bag for drying off. I try to give myself plenty of time to get to work and cool down before. After cooling down for 20 minutes or so, I put my bike in my office and go change in the bathroom. I drape my cycling shirt over the top tube of my bike to dry during the day. When it's time to go home, it's dry and good to go.

Something I do on the hot humid mornings we get here, is pour some water from my bottle over my head immediately after arriving at work (but before I change). You'll be surprised just how quickly that will cool you down, and thus reduce the amount you sweat after the ride. It's also handy to arrive early enough so that you can take your time while getting changed. That allows a little more time to stop sweating before putting on the work clothes.

Wipes of some sort. Isopropenol alcohol and a paper towel for a "sponge" bath.

You need to reduce your heat generation: ride more slowly
Increase your heat loss: wear less clothing.
Cool down more efficienctly. Use the last 1/4 mile of your journey as a coldown, ride at 10mph and catch the breeze. Cooling down on the bike is much better than trying to cooldown indoors in a stuffy office.

If you lock up outside, take your sweat time doing it. I do one step, then swig water and look around for a minute, then do the next step etc. 10-15 minutes locking up, but I walk in to the building "not steamy"

Also on the hottest days (are they gone forever ? :( ) I will douse myself from my water bottle in the last couple of miles. Riding with a soaked head and shirt cools you off right quick.

I'm the same, I sweat whether it's hot or cold out (maybe I need a lighter jacket). But apparently, my sweat doesn't smell. My wife said so. So as long as you bathe regularily to wash away the day's exertion, you should be fine. Maybe keep a small towel (remember to wash it regularily too!) to wipe off any obvious sweat on your head or arms.

I think anti-bacterial (the anti-bacterial part being key) Wet Ones are a god-send.

I got to work this morning after a hard 18 mile ride in under an hour and I was dripping wet.

1. Shower the night before.
2. Go into a rest room and was your face with cool water. You can also get some on your hair but since you can't dry your hair, you don't wantto get it very wet.
3. Go outside and have a drink to cool down.
4. Go back in and wash up again.
5. Change into your work clothes.

Total time is 15-20 and you would never know I was dripping with sweat when I showed up. The 10-15 minutes just sitting outside really helps to cool you down.

I think I've definitely been riding too hard on the way into work, since I like to really push myself. I think since my commute is so short, I'll skip the cycling clothes, and will allow myself time to cool down outside before heading in. I can wear pretty much whatever I want to work, so that will help.

John - I live and work in Scarborough, not too far from you. That Mall traffic must be a lot of fun between Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially when it gets dark so early.

0. Before leaving the house, take a nice cool shower.
1. Wear nothing more than bike shorts and sleeveless, open bike shirt.
2. Arrive half hour earlier than necessary.
3. Dunk head under cold running water in bathroom sink.
4. Relax.
5. Towel off.
6. Repeat steps 3-5.
7. Reapply deodorant.
8. Apply a teeny tiny bit of cologne.
9. Put on fresh clean work clothes.

The only thing I do is apply deodorant. That and shower the night before.
I really don't sweat too much after loosing my excess weight over the last year.
One of my coworkers stated that I smelled musky and if I had BO she would personally kick my arse out of the building. :p

Sweat doesn't smell, bacteria does.

http://www.coolnurse.com/body_odor.htm

Maybe my weight loss has helped too, because I was barely sweating at all after I rode in this morning. Also, I did take it quite a bit easier. Thanks for the suggestions.

Shower and be a seriously clean and good smelling mofo when you head out the door.

Wear riding clothes and pack or stage work clothes.

Take it easy on the way in, give yourself some cool down time after you arrive...in front of a fan with a cool drink will help you stop any residual sweating.

Once you have stopped any sweating...use a microfiber towel in the restroom and mop yourself off. Soap and rinse your pits. Apply deodorant.

Change into your work clothes and enjoy your day knowing that at the end of it you get to go on a frikkin bike ride instead of slog home with all the other drivers.

Incidentally, in no way shape or form do I take it easy. I pick a decent pace and stick to it. I sweat the entire ride in.

My advice is simply : Ride a road bike ! I find it much easier to stay out of the "sweat zone" on a bike that is faster than most of the other commuterbikes around me. I have the same distance to ride and as long as I am on my road bike I arrive quite fresh at work.

heres the deal! my commute is either 13.5 mile or 19 dep on rt.

For one im a clyde and clydes are known to sweat (some anyway)

I dont have showers here either so heres what Ive found to be true at least in my case.

1) wear wicking clothes , poly pro silk wool whatever, I have inexpensive Xmart polyester T shirts for warm weather and I have thrift store wool and silk stuff for colder weather. and yes cycling shorts .

wicking material will keep you pretty dry and not let the sweat pool.

2) FRESH SWEAT DOES NOT SMELL! sweat only stinks if it has a chance to sit and cook in your body heat for awhile(grow bacteria) so if you are drier from the wicking material and you clean up ASAP NO STINKO! hair is one exception mine gets pretty wet under my helmet (see below)

3) I keep wipes ,a towl , deoderant and shampoo in my desk (I have a small locker now) so I wipe down and do a quick shampoo in the sink and good to Go , Im a guy so the hair thing is easy just towel dry and comb . I can see why a Blow drier may be needed. for some.

but thats it , I dress office casual dockers polo shirts so I need to be presentable and no smell.

"John"

I second buying "wicking" clothes. They reduce sweat significantly.

Also, underdress. You will warm up in 5 minutes and be fine. In 55 degrees, I wear one tee. That's it. If you can't bring yourself to do that, then start with an overshirt and take it off in 5 minutes.

I also change shirts at work. I wait about 15 minutes and take off the tee and hang it up in the bathroom (where I put a coat rack). Then I put on my work shirt and life is good. If I'm still sweaty, I'll wash up my upper torso in the sink.

I don't worry about my pants much--I don't change them.

Try this before you slow down--you want to get the most out of your ride. In my opinion, you'd be hurting your exersize by getting a road bike--keep the slow one! You've only got 20 minutes as it is--making it in 15 isn't good! I go out of my way to make it a half hour with my relatively slow bike.