Ive been commuting and arriving to work pretty sweaty and stinky.
I try to cool down inthe bathroom, but i still feel like i reak.

What do you guys do when you get to work? Spray on cologne? axe?

wipe off the sweat with a towel, then reapply deodorant.

it will be less of a problem as it gets colder :-)

a change of clothes and cologne works for me

not sure where you are and what kind of temperatures you're dealing with - but SLOW DOWN. you can hammer it on the way home.

+1 leave a bit earlier to work =)

I'd personally agree, my solution is just to take it easy! That doesn't work for everyone, but i'm personally very happy to just wake up a little earlier, do everything I want to do in the morning, and leave without stress. It keeps you from being sweaty, it is pretty easy to do, and its relaxing.

Some people just get the need for speed though. That's understandable.

If you need some inspiration on your groovy journeys:

Start clean, wearing clean clothes. If I'm pretty sticky I give myself a quick wipe down with https://www.actionwipes.com

Shouldn't be a problem.

Baby wipes for the armpits, sac, arse, etc.

Shower and change of clothes for me. When the shower breaks, I have baby wipes as back up.

I'd rather spoon a bum than catch a whiff of Axe.

Try wool clothing. It has magical stink inhibiting properties. I am not kidding. Man made materials get really funky, really fast. There's nothing nastier than getting within a 10 yard radius of a bunch of lycra clad roadies. Yuck. Those podium girls must be paid really well.

+1. No, screw that, plus infinity.

I got rid of all my cotton and poly tee shirts over the past year. Wool is warm, even when it's wet, but never too warm. It draws sweat away from you like a sponge in the desert. And it's the best deodorant ever invented. The bacteria in your sweat that make you stink can't live in wool. You can wear the same shirt every day for two weeks before it'll need a wash. It's just the most wonderful fabric you can wear, and enough good things can't be said about it.

Also, slow down on the way in to work, and make up the exercise on the ride home.

I used to have access to a shower at work. Not sure about the new arrangements...I've been out for several months and we were bought out in the meantime.

My "Plan B" is to put a towel down and take a sink bath. Powder and deodorant will hopefully take care of the rest.

Are you wearing your work clothes while riding?

I take a shower right before I leave for work, baby wipes in the bathroom stall, fresh deodorant (don't put any on before you go) and a little bit of crappy spray just in case, and then fresh clothes.

Seems like "crappy spray" might prove counterproductive...(J/k)

haha, I meant to say 'cheap body spray'. Sorry.

Shower before you leave.
Wear merino wool base layer
Dont overdress, dont wear a waterproof unless it is raining, use a windproof of appropriate permeability (more permeable for spring/fall, less permeable for winter). Consider sleeveless gillet style outer layer.
Putting insulation OVER your shell makes it easier to add or remove during a ride.
Ride more slowly. Use the final section as a cooldown. It takes much longer to cooldown off the bike and inside. Going fast just requires a longer cooldown so there is no gain. In hot weather, splash some water over yourself when riding. In cold weather, open up your zippers to cooldown.

lots of good advice so far. the only part i kind of disagree with is the baby wipe thing. it may work OK, but, i find that a large hand towel works better for a few reasons. first off, it's reusable, again and again and...well, you get the idea. being a cheap fu...uhhh i mean environmentally sensitive, this is important to me. also, a soaking wet towel across my body aids in the cool down process.

and let me second the + infinity rating for merrino wool. the stuff really is magical. i wish my entire wardrobe was made from it. comfy as cotton, laughs at getting wet and is absolutely odor proof. i can wear my merrino wool socks multiple days in a row and they are still fresh as a daisy. cotton socks=toxic waste after one day.

First off: Are you sure you smell? I only ask because feeling sticky /= smelly, NUG. During the summer months, I was riding 6 miles one way, arrived at the subway sweating like a faucet. I showered before my ride, used my 20-30 minute metro ride to cool down, and changed clothes when I got to work. I sat next to 2 people (literally next to at a long table -- not 'next cubicle'), both women, and I made them promise to tell me if I smelled. No complaints. Even when I started riding the entire distance, and arriving without the train ride cool down, no odor.

I cannot comment on the advantages of wool, but I will agree that 'performance fabrics' smell worse than any natural fibers.

One last thing to consider: Diet. What you eat can have a dramatic effect on how you smell!

sweating hard /= bad smell

Do you shower before you ride?

Good advice so far guys!

Ive been gunning it to work in the morn. Mostly downhill, and all uphill on the way home. I pack my work clothes in my bag and take a shower in the morn.

Ive been wearing a nike dri-fit long sleeve usually and yesh, its pretty stanky, even the next day.
When you guys say wool sweater, are you talkin about this stuff?


That looks like I'd sweat out an orphanage of liquids!

Bring baby wipes with you. Or you bring a towel or washcloth in your bag. Dampen it up and wipe yourself down before you change (that's assuming you don't have a shower at work). You could even bring a small travel container of bodywash and add a dab to the washcloth to feel extra clean. I was fortunate enough to have a shower at work when I lived in New Jersey. Not so much where I am now.

nope. i have a very lightweight black merrino wool crew neck sweater. wear it as a base layer and it is more comfy than poly or cotton.

got lucky and found it at a salvation army store for 3 bucks. unfortunately my daughter threw it in the wash so instead of an XL it is now more of a smallish large.

does anyone know if this stuff can be stretched back out? it is still wearable and hopefully in another 20 lbs or so, i will have shrunk down enough to make it once again a perfect fit.

Some things I did, I used to have a real problem:
Shower or at least ho-shower before riding. Since smell is usually from bacteria on your body. Washing it off right before helps.

Wear natural fabrics for your base layer. If you can afford merino wool jerseys I find those to be the best. But even on sale at sierra trading post they are about $50 a pop so I only have two. But two last me the week.

Slow down, or at least towards the end. Don't overdress. etc.

Maybe the outer layer also needs to be looked at if it's causing you to sweat. I prefer the kind of outer later that is "breathable" and you have wash in woolite and re-apply waterproofing every few months. I find those better than more waterproof solutions where i just sweat a ton in.

edit: funny someone mentioned diet. Since my 95% vegetarian (she eats meat once a month) g.f. moved in with me I find I smell much better. I used to eat low carb (dieting) but now I eat more rounded and less meat sources of protein. (I still eat meat almost every day) but I just smell better. (well ok the sweat doesn't smell as bad, all the extra fiber causes other smells ... )

You want a base layer that is thin like a t-shirt.