don't hate yourself for all the self loathing

on weekend joy rides I do carry a small face towel, so when I stop to go into a convenience store at the 1/2way mark I can be publicly presentable. 4 or 5 folded paper towels also works

I have found that my skank factor is reduced wearing a thin wool T-shirt and socks rather than synthetics or cotton - there is something about wool. I wonder if anyone makes wool under-briefs?

Place has to have a Bathroom.. bring a sponge and a Towel.

smartwool but they run ~$40

If that's the same thing as a micro-fiber towel (for example Sunland Microfiber Towel ) I've found the small one sufficient to dry off after a shower and more than adequate to wipe down sweat. Folds up smaller than a sandwich, weighs next to nothing. I put one in a sandwich bag in my jersey pocket if I've gone out without a commuting bag.

Why worry about being presentable in a convenience store, especially if you bring your bike inside, as long as you're not dripping (oil, water, mud, blood...)?

My commute is 26 miles in the Texas heat. No showers at my office. I am pretty sweaty upon arrival. I've been doing this for years and here's what I've found.

1) Shower before you leave the house. Sweating onto clean skin, helps keep your BO in check.
2) Ease up on your pedaling within a mile or two from work (coast all you can). This allows your body to start cooling before you get off the bike. While you are moving on the bike, the wind is evaporating a bunch of the sweat that is produced. If you go all-out, up until you step off the bike, your body kind of panics a bit and dumps a ton of sweat after you are off the bike and there's no wind to help it evaporate.
3) Keep your hair buzzed, if you can stand it. This allows me to put my head under the faucet in the men's room and shampoo my hair. The cold water also helps cool me down.
4) Baby wipes or "Wet Ones" to wipe your pits and crotch.
5) Baby powder in your undies and socks as you get dressed helps. (Don't pre-powder your clothes. It makes a big mess in your bag.)
6) Axe body spray before putting on your work clothes. You'll start the day smelling like a teenager, but that's better than the alternative.
7) Carry a complete change of clothes. Sweaty undies and socks are going to stink, no matter what.

I hang my sweaty cycling clothes under my desk to dry for the ride home.

^^ All good, except I don't know about the buzz-cut part

Our showers have been under renovation all summer so I've been getting a "refresher" in this. Atlanta heat is not Texas, depending on where in Texas, but still a challenge.

It takes me ten minutes to cool down on the bike, so closer to two or miles easy at the end. In fact, when it's hot and your commute is much shorter than 26 miles (yikes) just go easy the whole way or at least never actually go hard.

Number 1 and number 7 are key on this list in my opinion. I'll add route selection, in the shade as much as possible and fewer hills makes a huge difference.

I sweat a lot and my appearance matters to me. I'm used to ppl smiling at me not snearing. and when I walk up to a counter for service, sometimes like the coffee shop in Arlington, I don't want to be dripping onto the food counter everyone shares, that's just not sanitary, and frankly rude. make an effort, ya know?

All of these tips are very good. But I would recommend against alcohol. If you use it, try witch hazel. It has the same drying and cooling effect, but it doesn't dry your skin. Sometimes I put it on when I'm at home just to cool off, as we don't have A/C at home. It works great.

Well aside from stinking, I simply would not feel clean and comfortable and able to concentrate without a shower. A short commute would be okay but if the commute is long enough and energetic enough to require purpose made cycling cloths then it is long enough to want a shower for multiple reasons.

Yup, $40 seems to be the going rate, a smart sell for the producer.

Sometimes Icebreakers are on sale for $25 at Sierra, I've been wearing their wool T-shirt in 90 F heat and it is wicked pissah cool.

Sorry y'all! Been a rough couple weeks at work. I finally have a few mid afternoon start times and will implement these suggestions today & update! It should be a 90 degree day, and I'll be pushing myself on the way in because I like going fast.

Thanks for all the tips!

One caveat. Synthetics stink.

One improvement I have made is to use wool. I have $100 wool cycling jerseys, but honestly, a $5 merino or cashmere sweater from Salvation Army works just as well. I can ride one of those for a month without washing, and it smells better than one ride in my synthetic jerseys.

Consider wool if you are concerned about that sweaty smell...

Isn't wool hot...and itchy?

Wool is only hot if it's thick, and it's only itchy if it's low quality. Wool clothing exists that is thin and high quality (like the $40 undies referenced earlier in the thread) which would be comfortable to wear while cycling.

My favorite cycling socks are made of wool, too.

Good question.

Merino is pretty good and is about as comfortable as synthetic. Its light, thin, breathable, and has a good temperature range.
Cashmere is very soft and luxurious and as comfortable as cotton. Costs $300-$400 new, maybe $100 on sale in early spring, or $5 at salvation army.

A nice light wool breathes so well, it’s not hot (although thicker wool can be quite warm). Wool breathes much better and has a broader temperature range than synthetics. I wear the thinner wool from well below freezing up to about 85 degrees. It has a huge temperature range (I layer when it is below 40 degrees).


Wool socks are great too.
https://www.amazon.com/Defeet-WBCHA-.../dp/B004BA5FN2
Bespoke wool jearsey (even better than the $5 version).
Pro Merino Wool Cycling Jersey | ELEVEN vélo

what kind of merino garment do people get from the SA for cycling? I saw a regular sweater once and considered buying it, but I'm not gonna wear a long-sleeve pullover for cycling. Do people cut the sleeves off? How do you prevent the cut ends from fraying? What if there's a collar you don't want for cycling?

Long sleeve? Some of us commute during the winter. And snow. My $ 3-5.00 merino sweaters get cut all the time. Cut off the collar or make it a v neck. No issues. For cold rides it is wool base layer, merino wool sweater and another layer if needed.

Good advice all around here. I've been commuting in south Louisiana for several years, and here's a few tips I can add:

Cold water on your face. This triggers the Mammalian Diving Reflex, and causes your body to slow down/cool off very quickly. The water has to be cold, though.

Showering before you ride does help. I bring a towel with me. Wash my whole head in cold water, then towel off in a bathroom stall.

Your clothes (especially synthetics) will hold odor. Best way to get rid of it that I've found is to let them soak in hot water, 15-20 minutes, and then pour 1 cup of vinegar into the washing machine's "bleach" dispenser. Then close the lid, let it wash as normal, and the vinegar will be added during the rinse cycle. For really smelly stuff, you may have to do it a few times, but this really works.

I get it that other people cycle in the cold, and even in San Diego it can get slightly below freezing overnight in the winter, but mostly I'm in short sleeves and shorts.

When you cut the merino, the cut ends don't unravel? You don't need to sew a hem on it or anything?

Yeah, for $5 you can get a tailor to make a sweater into a short sleeve.

Cashmere wool is my favorite as it is so soft, and often is very light weight (good for the summer). Merino can be pretty light too.

I've bought V-neck, 1/4 zip and full zip wool sweaters for $5. the light weight ones I convert to summer use, and use as a base layer when doubling up layers in cold weather (or just use with merino wool arm warmers for extra versatility).

have you tried rocket shower? this is what my husband used when he rode to work and the office didn't have a shower. it kinda works, still not a shower but helps with the smell.

also it looks like you need this:

cycling proof men's dress shirts?
Biking to work can be a sweaty disaster. Can Ministry of Supply's dress shirt help? - Jun. 30, 2016

You mean this?
https://www.theguardian.com/environm...er-in-a-bottle

looks interesting, if a little extravagant. I just use unscented diaper wipes. They work great for a dry shower.