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Cycling clothing on commutes

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Old 08-07-08 | 12:44 PM
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What is this demonry?!
 
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Cycling clothing on commutes

So I searched and couldn't actually find, at least easily what I am looking for.

To all of those commuters who wear cycling clothing on your commute and have the ability to change (at least) and shower what do you do with your cycling clothing? It will be semi sweaty and it might feel odd putting my cycling clothes on when returning home. Anyone do this/have a solution to this. I like to do intervals on my commute and that just doesn't feel right when I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Not to mention It's a waste of clothes since I'll be using 2 sets of clothes per day instead of just 1.
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Old 08-07-08 | 12:50 PM
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I lay mine on top of my panniers to dry off. I suppose I could use a hanger or two but this way they go under my desk and don't bother anyone. As long as the biking clothes are clean every day the sweat shouldn't be much of a problem as far as odor goes.
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:00 PM
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im lucky and work at a bike shop and our rack is right outside the back door so i can always see my stuff and i just leave clothes drapped across my bike to dry in this crazy heat
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:00 PM
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What is this demonry?!
 
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From: Central IL

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well so far this seems to mean that I need to invest in a couple more pairs of shorts and jerseys. Mine need approx 24 hours to dry completely after being washed (the chamois takes forever). But last thing I need is infections from bacteria growth from not being washed between sessions, and not washing them after you get off the bike and leaving them alone for half a day seems like the perfect way to grow something funky.
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:03 PM
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Magnets!

I have a metal bookcase that I have moved the lowest shelf about 2.5 feet off the ground, about the width of a bath towel. I ordered about 20 neodium magnets from ebay and I use them to hang my nasty clothes on the underside of the lowest shelf, then drape/magnet my towel in front of the opening to contain any wayward odors.

Everything seems to dry out pretty well over the workday and I've yet to have any complaints of smell.
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:03 PM
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I have a secure room where I store my bike and clothes. I hang them up and they're typically dry by the time I head home. The only exception would be my summer gloves, which rarely are completely dry anytime I put them on.
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by sdastroguy
I lay mine on top of my panniers to dry off. I suppose I could use a hanger or two but this way they go under my desk and don't bother anyone. As long as the biking clothes are clean every day the sweat shouldn't be much of a problem as far as odor goes.
+1 - pretty much what I do as well.
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:07 PM
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Hang it on the shower room heater if allowed. If not, then in clear view behind my desk (A not so subtle hint that the Facilities dept. need to pull their finger out and provide......facilites).
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:10 PM
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I hang my bibs and jersey on the same hanger and hang it on my cubicle wall. It drys by the end of the long before the end of my day, so I wear the same ones home. Start with a clean set every day.

The low humidity in Arizona in and the over use of air conditioning is a big advantage in things drying quickly.
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:11 PM
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I bring an extra jersey and pair of socks so I don't feel all skeevy on the ride home.
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:33 PM
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+1 on the extra socks!
My shirts dry no problem, and I alternate days on cycling shirts anyway (actually, they're standard issue knockoff underarmour - some loose, some compression). I currently don't wear the butt-pad shorts, but I think I need to start unless I replace my saddle with a bummer. I'll have to figure out a sol'n when I decide to take the plunge. Never wore the buttpads mountain biking, but I'm fast discovering that commuting is completely different
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:40 PM
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I'm something of a slob and will just roll up my biking clothes and place them in my messenger bag. My supervisor barely tolerates my bringing my bike in so I won't hang my clothes around. They are damp when I put them back on to go home but don't stink. I let them dry as soon as I get home until it's time to wash.
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:46 PM
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harden it up and where 'em, shower when you get home.
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Old 08-07-08 | 01:53 PM
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I hang my shirt on the handlebar end that isn't up against the wall, lay the shorts across the top tube and sit my helmet on the saddle.

They're usually dry by the time I leave, but even if they're still wet I'm still heading home where I know I can shower and change properly...so I could care less what I smell like when I get home.

Originally Posted by JeffS
The only exception would be my summer gloves, which rarely are completely dry anytime I put them on.
I had that problem at first. The fan I use to cool off with in the morning I turn on my gloves to aid in drying them out by the time I leave. It's worked so far.
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Old 08-07-08 | 02:03 PM
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One of the nice things about real, honest-to-goodness, synthetic cycling clothes is that they dry quickly. I just drape my jersey and shorts over some empty boxes in my office and they dry out in a couple of hours. It is very hot and humid in NC during summer, but my clothes are always dry when get ready to head home -- even on the few occasions when I left at noon.
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Old 08-07-08 | 02:03 PM
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Eat sardines for breakfast and Limburger cheese for lunch. Nobody will notice your clothing odor at all.

But seriously... people worry waaaay too much about body and clothing odor. As long as you maintain reasonable hygiene standards (showering and such) you shouldn't have any problems unless you have some sort of physical problem that causes additional body odor.

I start each morning with a shower and application of deodarant as if I was going to drive in to work like any other schmoe. Then I ride my 10 miles to work... and I tend to ride hard and arrive soaked with sweat. Upon arrival, I sit for about 10 minutes in my cycling clothes to cool off a bit. Then I change into my work clothes and hang my shorts and cotton tshirt over a spare chair in my cube. I've never had a problem with offensive odors from either me or my clothes... and I've asked my friends to be brutally honest with me about it just in case I do start to smell bad.

So start each day with fresh clean clothes... shower to start the day... and quit stressing. You probably don't stink.

Last edited by Hydrated; 08-07-08 at 02:45 PM. Reason: typo
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Old 08-07-08 | 02:15 PM
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I live in 95-100F temps with insane humidity, but I have yet to have drying issues with my cycling kit. I am sweat-soaked from my morning commute, and I simply give my jersey, shorts, socks and shoes a few squirts of Febreze, then hang them up in the storage room behind the men's room. It is warm and without any moving air back there, but between 6:30AM and 4:00PM they always dry.
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Old 08-07-08 | 02:31 PM
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What is this demonry?!
 
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From: Central IL

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Well, I guess I'll just have to give it a shot, the problem is at the moment I only own one pair of bibs so either way I need to get more. This might be the excuse needed to spend money and buy 2-3 at once.
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Old 08-07-08 | 02:42 PM
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I have one of those closet organizer frames in my office, so I rinse them and hang them up to dry on hangers. Having a small fan helps dry them quicker.
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Old 08-07-08 | 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Szczuldo
Well, I guess I'll just have to give it a shot, the problem is at the moment I only own one pair of bibs so either way I need to get more. This might be the excuse needed to spend money and buy 2-3 at once.
Yeah, that is the rub...good cycling gear is almost prohibitively expensive. (At least for those with income comparable to my own.) I have been holding off on ordering more jerseys/shorts for a while. Maybe now is the time.
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Old 08-07-08 | 02:56 PM
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I have an extra desk in my area, so I rigged up a piece of PVC under there. My kit is completely dry by the time I head for home and it stays out of sight.
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Old 08-07-08 | 03:13 PM
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What is this demonry?!
 
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From: Central IL

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Originally Posted by surveyor
Yeah, that is the rub...good cycling gear is almost prohibitively expensive. (At least for those with income comparable to my own.) I have been holding off on ordering more jerseys/shorts for a while. Maybe now is the time.
it's quite bad as a student...especially since I managed to spend all summer not working just taking classes which I am quite frustrated with but hey that's my fault. I believe I have enough money for another pair of Giordana bibs.
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Old 08-07-08 | 03:22 PM
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I wear cycling shorts and a cotton t-shirt (hopefully I can get an actual cycling jersey ). The t-shirt gets soaked on the ride, but I just drape it over the back of my chair, turn it over around lunch, and it's dry by the time I get ready to leave work. Same with the shorts, only they get drape over the waste can under my desk (no need to shock everyone ).

The only issue I have with drying my clothes is when I wash them after I get home, mostly the time it takes. I hand wash the shirt and shorts then hang them on a wooden drying rack in the bathtub. Takes about 24 hours or so to dry (a fan blowing on the clothes helps speed things up).
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Old 08-07-08 | 03:59 PM
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Originally Posted by JeffS
I have a secure room where I store my bike and clothes. I hang them up and they're typically dry by the time I head home. The only exception would be my summer gloves, which rarely are completely dry anytime I put them on.
mmm.....I bet they smell nice, too.
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Old 08-07-08 | 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted by surveyor
Yeah, that is the rub...good cycling gear is almost prohibitively expensive. (At least for those with income comparable to my own.) I have been holding off on ordering more jerseys/shorts for a while. Maybe now is the time.
When Performance has their "last year's designs" on sale, you can pick up nice gear for cheap. That's how I go about it for my everyday commuter gear.
I really want a pair of Assos FI.Mille bibs, but even on sale those things are almost $200!
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