vrkelley

You can get rid ot he accumulated oder with some Oxyclean in the wash - every once and a while...wonder if that's what destroyed the wicking in my jerseys...hmmm

sgtsmile

regarding odours: try not using liquid detergent. A tip I got from a running store was to use powder. Something in liquid soap (I think it is an animal byproduct? not sure) makes stink hang around more. Air drying helps a lot too I find.

sgtsmile

To answer your question, I am not saying wool does not make you sweat. On the contrary, it most definately does. However, it does dry fast (at least my jacket does) and it breathes very well and insulates well when wet. This is what makes it superior for my purposes to a lot of nylon shells. That, and it is skin tight, and does not flap.

Trek930

REI sells this clothes wash for wicking materials. I just started using it. https://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...cat=REI_SEARCH

rknj

Heh, thanks for the advice but believe me when I say that those ones are beyond salvation. 10 hour workdays consisting of a mix of emergency medic, hard labor, and hurtling down terrain to decide whether or not it's safe enough to open beats them up nicely. Throwing them in a ski bag inside a locker and not washing them til I get back to Boston a few days later .. and well, that stink gets permanent by the end of a season.

But hey, they still wick! And if I'm living out of my car that weekend it's not like I smell too much better come Sunday.

crystalspin

kcmrl:
You know, I thought the same thing ab. my new jersey -- I can't wear those "breathable" nylon shirts from T-smith, LLBean, etc that my husband *lives* in, either -- I put on the jersey and noticed I was sweating in the house (AC not running but well-insulated, nowhere as warm as outdoors!)...

However, on the road *and* wearing helmet/gloves, I found to my surprise that I was quite comfortable and unaware of any over-heating or sweating. Only my second ride (and the other in a sleeveless exercise top) so can't compare with anything else... just that I was surprised.

Once I stopped, I did find I *was* sweating! Guess without the air moving, it wasn't evaporating -- supporting evidence that the darn thing really was working like it's supposed to.

So, have you tried cycling in that jersey? or so discouraged by the sweating before leaving that you took it off?
~'spin!~

foehn

Upon reading all the responses in this thread, I noticed that most of the people espousing synthetc wicking shirts and the like seem to be from places where the humidity may run just a leetle bit higher, especially during the summer, than kcmrl's, who lives in Tuscon Arizona.

I live in southern California and like riding in the summer time in loose cotton t-shirts. They get wet from sweat and the only time I feel hot is when the humidity is too high. Riding at speed keeps me generally cool and comfortable, but I point out that I am using a baggy t-shirt. Earlier in the season I had tried my synthetic wicking shirt and was roasting coming home from work, but it was hot and I am slow up the hill to my house and I was not acclimated to the heat.

kcmrl, have you tried a cotton t-shirt during your spring/summer riding?

I agree with the others that say that the synthetics need to be next to the skin to perfory satisfactorily-- and that you need to be moving to dump the heat and moisture from the sweat.

So, at least in your area, try a tighter synthetic and put it on JUST before you put feet to cleat, so to speak, OR try a loose cotton tee (during the really hot, dry times at least).

A story--about a month ago I rode to a soccer tourney. The day was hot as it was about 98º and it felt very dry. I cruise along, and I am feeling fine. Stopped to get a couple of coffees and in the store notice that I am completely slicked in a thin, shining layer of sweat. Continue riding and at the tourney people were saying I was nuts for riding that day! I was responding that I felt great, cool, all was good. I guess it must've really been dry because on the road, at speed I was cool and comfortable in a cotton t-shirt.

Try try some tighter synthetic shirts on muggier, wetter days and when the humidity drops try the cotton shirts. Use which ever feels best for the conditions.

You might also want to cut you off-bike air-conditioned living to a minimum, which may help some.

sgtsmile

Comment about humidity: here it gets VERY humid, and cotton is horrible to ride in compared to other materials. Good point.

kcmrl

Not necessarily speaking of jerseys (too expensive). Just the synthetics in general.
There are a few that are fine. If they are thin enough and have holes (like Nike running shirts or the athletic sleeveless that I got from Targe).
Just that MOST seem to want for me to sweat. I wish I could fine some thin (and inexpensive) wool around here just to try.

foehn

Low humidity and cotton t-shirts are nice. . . Cotton with high humidity not nice.