I ride in cotton t-shirts (cut off arms) and cotton underwear under nylon running shorts. Clothes line air overnight or just hang over bike. Good to go, no washing.
IMHO, the outdoor clothing industry has duped many people into believing synthetics are waaaay superior to cotton and into paying 10 to 20 times more for a t-shirt! : facepalm:
In extremely cold weather synthetics have many advantages, but otherwise, they just stink.
Originally Posted by
mm718
Thank you for saying this. Cotton is so much more comfortable to me and I've been thinking of trying it on the bike. What are the downsides of a cotton shirt?
Whatever works for you. In my younger days, I wore whatever I had, and it worked. These days, either because I'm not in as good of shape or because I live in warmer, more humid climate, I tend to sweat a lot. My cotton shirts soak up that sweat like sponge, and I can be damp for hours after I stop riding. That may not bother everyone, and that's fine. I prefer the feel of cotton to any synthetics, and I often bring a cotton shirt to sleep in, but I don't wear it when I ride unless it's getting nice and cool outside. I never thought I needed special clothes for biking, but once I tried some athletic shirts, I was hooked. I feel dryer, I dry quicker, and the clothes dry quicker on the line.
For cleaning, I usually stay at campgrounds. If there's a shower, I use it. I wash with my clothes on and just run my bar soap over them. Then I take them off and rinse and ring them out. Hang them under the tarp of my tent, and usually they're dry enough to pack in the morning. If not, they ride outside the bag for a while.