Cooling off after the sweaty commute
 

Just wondering what your typical post-commute TO WORK cool off routine is, to avoid being sweaty all the time.

I found for me, that when I bike to work (about 7 miles) with panniers, going about 15mph on a mild uphill all the way, I get pretty sweaty. I shower before I get on my bike, put on fresh sports clothes (tank top & light shorts in summer/fall weather) to maximize cooling, and bring my work clothes (shirt & tie) in my panniers. I wear my work shoes on my bike - work surprisingly well. Generous antiperspirant and deordorant as well. Oh, and a dab of sunscreen where it's needed.

For cooling, I purposefully take a leisurely 3-5 minutes to lock my bike with a U-lock, and thin cable to connect my helmet, rear tire, and seat. I used to try and do this as fast as possible, but good advice on this column showed me that the leisurely approach is much better for starting your cooldown and getting a good, solid, worry-free lock on your bike.

I then go sit down somewhere outside and read a book for at least 15 minutes. I start out really sweaty (I leave a wet spot on the concrete where I sit), but after 15 minutes, I'm totally dry. Even though I'm in the white-collar shirt & tie crowd, I don't even shower before work; I just change all my clothes, including underwear, and dab down my face & hands at the sink. Nobody at work has ever noticed anything out of the ordinary with me when I start up, even when I ask them to try hard. I suspect that much of the "odor" that people associate with sweating is due to accumulation of mold on clothes and bacteria on skin - when you start off really clean, there's much less of a problem.

I suspect that my commute on-bike is 20mins, and my cool off time is also about 20 mins. Seems long, but it's actually quite productive and relaxing, to sit outside and read my books in the morning sunrise. I find I'm more focused for thinking during the day with this non-harried approach. It even far beats the car, which gets me to work in 15 minutes (no traffic), but I tend to "rush" it, and park, walk over, and start work without the "zen" morning startup routine.

When I was working at a grocery store over the summer, I tended to get pretty hot and near a full sweat on the commute. Standing in the produce cooler in the basement felt good but it didn't really do much to cool me off. I think "cooling off" is more about slowing down your body functions that sped up whilst commuting; the only thing that seems to really work is to sit down and relax for a couple minutes.

Glad this works out for you....It's very easy to assume that what worked well for a 20min commute also works well under other weather conditions or longer commutes. So when your riding conditions change, be sure to revisit the oder/sweat issue.

i bring a clean washcloth with me and when i get to work i quickly lock up my bike and go to the bathroom and wipe myself down with a cold wet washcloth to get rid of sweat before it has a chance to get stinky. I heat up really fast (red face and everything) so this cools me down so i don't have a red face at work. i underdress for the commute in the mornings so im pretty cold the whole time, often shivering a little, that helps to make me not sweat much if at all. this is in addition to having a complete change of clothes too. I also leave early and ride really slow. on the way home however i dress as warm as i feel necessary and ride as fast as i want.

I've commuted 7 miles, 14 miles, and 32 miles (only a few times) to work and haven't changed my routine at all and still end up feeling fresh. I finish my ride, stand outside for a few minutes taking a drink or chatting with someone. Go inside, grab my shoes from my locker and head to the bathroom to wash my face and upper body with soap and water then change into my work clothes. If I'm still warm by the time I get my desk (common if it's over 60 degrees on the way in) I'll put my fan on to keep the cooling effect going. The only thing that seems to vary with ride length/temperature is how wet my hair is.

I tend to have rolling sweat all over and visit the washroom to wash the face and cool off when I can but it often takes about 30 mins before I even cool down some. Cold drinks definately help but unfortunately all the places I work don't have showers and I can't really carry a bunch of shirts with me along with my gear I need to work. I'm already humping around 30-40lbs in my bag while trying to keep a ~20kph avg speed. Gong up hills are the killers. I end up dripping so much sweat it's hard to see. -.-; God I /hate/ summer. Always hot and humid.


Zero_Enigma

Shorts and a light shirt down to about 55 degrees. I come in, lock up the bike, walk up to my floor. To the bathroom where I splash cold water on my face, go to my office, drop off bags, get a glass or 2 of cold water. Sit at my desk for at least 10 minutes to cool down then a full change of clothes. If they installed showers here, I probably wouldn't use them because of time. I shower at home at night.

Stinkiest things by far get to be my gloves and helmet.

I have a 10 mile bike ride, a 5 minute wait, then a 23 minute train ride, topped off by a one-mile bike to the office. Most of my cooling down happens on the train. I wipe down with baby wipes before donning office attire.

No matter how thoroughly I clean up with wipes; if I don't shower in the morning before leaving home, I start being able to smell myself about 1:00 pm.

This fact gets a little problematic in the cool months, as I don't care for starting a ride in the cold, while still damp from a shower. I might have to see if I can find some wipes with an alcohol content and se if they have a different effect on the stank-bacteria.