Best fabric to avoid sweat?
 

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bring your clothes in a pack or leave them at work.

use under armor or similar athletic gear that wicks sweat. oh, bring a change of underwear.

You're pretty much out of luck than; other then pedal slower. Polyester in a microfiber form is better than regular polyester; it's wicking. You might try "tropical weight" wool. In the winter wear loose knit wool.

Good luck.

Drive to work then.

or...

BRING A CHANGE OF CLOTHES WITH YOU!!!

There is no "avoiding" sweat. You're going to sweat. Period. Spring, summer, winter, fall, you're going to sweat when engaging in an athletic activity such as cycling. Pedaling slower doesn't work in the summer, either.

+1,0000

Start with Icebreaker and Ibex (icebreaker.com and ibexwear.com, respectively).

Unfortunately for guys, it's much easier to find inexpensive lightweight wool for women than for men (I wear wool shells that I pick up in thrift stores), but if you're willing to spend a little, merino wool garments are well worth it if you're trying to manage sweat more effectively.

Honestly, in the summer I've been wearing cotton. It holds the moisture more than poly, but for me anyway, it doesn't stink, and if the weather is warm it's not really uncomfortable.

I have alertshirts that I normally wear, but they get rotten smelling within an hour, especially in the summer.

I hear that wool is great. I'm just too cheap to buy it, and I have checked at the salvation army, and though they have literally a couple of acres of clothes, I have yet to find any wool other than heavy itchy sweaters there.

Mernio Wool undershorts (I'm particular to Ibex Balance Running shorts), Merino socks, synthetic khakis rolled up (like Rail Riders Backcountry Khakis rolled up to my knees), Merino Polo (though I'm looking at some highly ventilated button down shirts from Rail Riders and / or ex officio - because they're tougher and less expensive - with two little boys, I don't want to worry about my shirt getting beat up as soon as I get home - problem is synthetics get riper faster so I'll by necessity wash them more often than the wool... still thinking). If you really want to get breathable, Rail Rider's Eco Mesh pants are basically like shorts when the vets are opened...

Presuming I shower BEFORE I ride in, yes I sweat while I ride (6 mile each way), but it dries with no noticeable stink (trust me, I've asked enough people that I would trust to answer me truthfully).

Most ripe individuals (excluding some synthetics + certain biologies... some people just have bad reactions - generally natural fabrics are anti-microbial) are due to unhealthy lifestyle / diet combined with general lack of cleanliness (note, my added comment, I wasn't trying to implicate anyone here who may have problems with synthetics...).

+1 : Merino rules! Shorts, socks, underthings and Polos. A pair of wool trousers will probably look good and help you avoid the stank too.
I ride and sweat, merino wool wicks that sweat right away, and pronto. No pong when I'm done and no clammy cotton or synthetic squeak.
It's worth the investment. Ibex has good stuff. smartwool too. for cycle specific try joneswares also

Yep, summer weight wool baselayer (underwear), will do wonders. As others said, you can't really avoid sweat unless environmental conditions are ideal and you're not exerting at all. The wool will get it off your skin and keep it from getting "ripe" as it evaporates. I understand that in the old days wool underwear was ubiquitous. I guess the age of air conditioning made us forget why.

Cotton works just fine up until a certain threshold of sweating, beyond that it just gets clammy and uncomfortable.

An alternative to an all new work wardrobe would be to get stuff for riding to work and then change. Before you say: "I said I didn't want to wear spandex", there's no law that says that what you wear on the bike has to be spandex. Wear something light and well ventilated. The advantage to having a separate set of clothes for work is that you also don't have to worry so much about rain. On cool and dry days you can wear your normal work clothes.

I think sometimes we get so caught up in having to do something a certain way that we forget that there are advantages to being flexible. If you can wear your work clothes to the office 80% of the time without problem then go ahead and do it. That doesn't mean you have to wear your work clothes the other 20% of the time.

Shower before you leave for work with a strong deodrant soap, wear wicking under garments and bring your clothes. Get to work before the majority of your co-workers and use the bathroom to wipe yourself off. I wear my professional clothes at work. I would not wear my expensive clothes on the bike due to possible wear and tear (falling, dog, etc.) Purchase a trunk jjfor your bikek to carry stuff.

Gas, .69 cents the price of a can of beans.

Maybe you have a special situation, but I don't understand why you wouldn't want to change at work.

I'm quite minimalist when it comes to commuting compared to the rest of the commuting community.

Carradice Barley bag:

Main pouch - Small towel, shirt/pants (ironed and rolled so they don't wrinkle), undies, and deodorant.

I get to work and go to the restroom. Towel off all the sweat and change into fresh clothes.

I used to bike to work in my work clothes and I'm incredibly glad I changed my ways. Cycling shorts and a jersey is god send at 5AM when I start my commute. Comfortable, warm/cool when you need it, and moisture wicking. Who cares how it looks (if you do care). Function > fashion

OK.

Get a bus pass or more to a place that never gets warm.

There is no magic outfit that you can wear that will change how your body works. If it is warm, you will sweat with just the tiniest bit of exertion. If it is cold you will sweat with higher levels of exertion.

How long is your commute? If you have a wussy commute (5 miles or less) you might get away with putting along. If I did that on my 12 mile commute, I'd have to leave another half hour earlier. And even if I didn't mind getting up that early, the main reason I bike commute is the exercise and endorphin buzz that lasts all day. I wouldn't get this putting along at 12 mph.

These microfiber briefs come in boxers too, and work for me. Others wear other brands, these just happen to be what I ended up. They solve the problem of what to do if you forget your underwear too. I've seen more Underarmor golf shirts too, could you wear something like that?

I'm hoping the OP isn't opposed to changing per se, but he may not have access to a shower and he doesn't want to wear spandex. Some people don't like to wear spandex and that's fine. There are plenty of alternatives that would be cooler than typical business casual clothing.

In the summer I don't wear long pants if I can avoid it. Being outside in warm and humid weather it's hard not to sweat in business casual attire even if you aren't on a bike. Inside a climate controlled environment is a different matter. Different clothes for different environments makes sense to me.

Plenty of people don't have access to a shower and still manage to make it work. The answer is hygiene, not some hypothetical miracle fabric.

Putting your location in profile would really help.
That should be mandatory when joining bf.

Advice for someone in your situation in montana could be drastically different than for someone in Houston.

Because if you were in Houston, I'd say sorry pal, you're s**t out of luck. You can't even stand outside without sweating, let alone ride a bike.

+1

When I lived in Las Vegas, the office did not have a shower. I packed a change of clothes and a small towel, with basic clean-up stuff, and I'd do a quick clean-up in the bathroom and change into my clothes before work. I always allowed myself 5-10 min to cool down enough so I didn't re-sweat everything.

I have found that (for me) commuting in my work clothes is not desireable, and I frankly prefer to ride in "exercise friendly" clothing and find a way to clean up and change at work. All I need is a bathroom and a sink. I'm lucky enough to have a shower at work now, but I consider that a luxury.

I find baby wipes + deodorant work wonders as an alternative to showering. Then again, I don't sweat that much (commuting weather has been low 20C). And I cruise at the final km mark to cool off. I still bring a set of clothes to change however.

I too don't have access to a shower. As many have said. Give yourself a few minutes to cool down. Wipe yourself off with a small towerl and change into your clothes for work.

I like spandex. It's comfortable, I don't mind the look, and I feel much better about sweating in it than in regular clothes.

As an alternate to baby wipes, Action Wipes are supposed to be a good bit bigger and easier to use for "sink showers".

I now make my own wipes with blue shop towels, wintergreen alcohol, regular alcohol, a little witch hazel, some water, and one drop of baby wash. Store in a sealed ziploc freezer bag. After wiping, dry off with a washcloth or small hand towel.

As just about everyone is saying, a wipe-down and change really is essential; there are no clothes that will prevent sweating, and sweating is inevitable in hot summer weather or warm humidity.

Not necessarily. I don't wipe down (occasionally I'll towel off a bit with a paper towl or two) or change. Yes, my commute is only 6 miles, but it is in hot and balmy Kansas. I normally stop across the street at Starbucks, get an iced espresso, read a bit and just cool down (occasionally mopping my brown with a napkin or paper towel when I get to starbucks). However, much of the time I'll just grab my espresso and ride right to the office with no real cool down. I'm dry within a few minutes of chilling at my desk.

Unless you have very serious hills, you can ride in a manner that you don't sweat much more than walking in the same heat. I have a six mile each way commute in sometimes very hot and humid Virginia. Last year I did the whole wipes and change of shirt thing during some of the summer. This year I don't bother, and I much prefer it this simple way. I ride a tad bit slower in the morning. I get to the workplace about two minutes later, but I get to working earlier not messing around with all that. The alternative for my ride would be walking 10 minutes to and from the Metro (subway), so it isn't much different than that. I notice others who walk here don't change clothes after arriving. I carry a bandana to wipe light perspiration (or rain) off my face before I go in.

You may want to wear a Champion double dry t-shirt under your dress shirt. There are quicker dry button-down shirts as well, but they don't always look quite as nice. Rivendell Cylcles swears by light searsucker shirts. Yes, they are cotton. But really the best way to stay cool is with a billoway light shirt, not a tight synthetic one (regardless of it's wicking ability). You can also get can compression seamless quick dry underwear (like Champion Double Dry boxers). I use those sometimes. I also have a pair of quick-dry light nylon khacki pants that I got on sale at REI, but I normally wear normal pants.

In all but the hot times, get as much merino wool clothes as you can. They don't stink, and are much better with wet and heat regulation than most anything else.

I will admit that I've done this from time to time as well, but I don't quite trust my own ability to judge my smell. (I will never do this unless I've showered immediately before riding, of course!)

I find the rest of the day (in an office) much more comfortable if I've wiped & dried & changed.

Just keep one of these handy.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...3/ShamWow4.jpg

I don't trust my own judgement of smell, that's why I've asked a number of people I trust, a number of times, after my ride home in the afternoon which:
1) I normally ride harder
2) It's almost always hotter and more humid
3) It's my second ride of the day

This may be too much information for some, but my "feeling nasty" was always my feet and / or nether regions. Injinji Wool Socks (keeps the perspiration wicked from between my toes) and Ibex Balance Running shorts (for the other place) fixed all that.

Wet wipes to the rescue!

That's a good point -- my alternative to biking is public transit, and on a hot summer day I'm likely to sweat as much in that sardine can (or more) than I am on the bike. when your alternative/standard of comfort is an air-conditioned car, though, people probably feel differently.

Actually, I was blessed to have a shower in the office. But, as I used the above said options (along with showering well at home) I realized I didn't need them. It actually takes MORE time and energy to shower at the office than to shower before I ride.

PS - I actually feel more grimy when I drive instead of riding... don't know how to explain it... maybe because my body is still kind of stagnant? (note, before anyone asks, yes, I still shower before I drive... it's how I wake up in the morning)