Commuting in the Heat and Humidity
 

Looking to start using my bike to commute after the DST change over. Not a bad ride at just over 4 miles, but long enough to build up some body oder in heat and humidity that's coming soon and I don't want to smell all day. Ive got some ideas bouncing around of how to deal with it, but looking to see what others do.

If I was dealing with heat and humidity I would definitely go for pannier over a backpack or messenger bag. Other than that, taking your time and going a bit slower so you don't work up too much of a sweat helps.

If it is only four miles, it seems like showering in the morning and putting on a fresh shirt once you arrive should do the trick. Maybe I'm just ignorant; I've haven't ridden much in temperatures over 115F (dry) or 95F in humid FL.

I live in the heat/humidity capital of America. If you shower first, and dry the sweat off as soon as you get to work, you won't stink all day. It doesn't sound like it would work, but it does. Splashing cold water on your face will trigger your diving reflex, and help you cool down faster. That's all I do, and I sweat a lot here. Take your time, don't race. 4 miles shouldn't leave you dripping unless you're hammering it.

Baby wipes are your friend, if you sweat a lot when you ride.

These are brilliant. I used them last year, and plan on using them again this year. Cheap and effective. Just wipe down with one and put on a fresh shirt and you should be golden.

I miss the heat and humidity, I'm sad to say...

I shower the night before. Take a little bit to cool down prior to getting off the bike and once inside I take a sink bath. Apply fresh deodorant and a little aftershave.

At four miles, I doubt you'll have time to get a good sweat going.

I disagree. It hasn't even gotten that warm here yet, and there have been times on the way home that I've gotten a sweat worked up in the first few miles.

+1

One thing that's not mentioned, drink lots of water as you ride. You'll have to force yourself to do so, but the extra hydration intake will keep you naturally cooler, and you won't stink as bad which will make it easier to get the lesser stink off. Not saying you won't have to do any of the above, but maybe it'll be easier to deal with.

Very true, and if he's where his username suggests, it's humid already. Once the summer kicks into gear in the Caribbean, all you need to do to work up a copious sweat is step outside.

When I lived in Tampa I would have beads of sweat soak through my shirt between my car and the Home Depot entrance. It gets pretty brutal... I couldn't imagine commuting by bike there in the dead of the summer. Most I would do is bring a change of clothes with me.

Shower and deodorant before leaving. (I put some deodorant on my sternum as well as under my arms; for some reason I get particularly sour-smelling funk from there.)
Gold Bond on your junk.
Wear a lightweight, light-colored, wicking shirt on the ride. I have a few Under Armour Catalyst shirts I wear.
Use wet wipes to clean up and reapply deodorant on arrival if necessary.
Change into normal clothing.

Shower before you go to work and wear clean clothes (or have a change of clothes). You can wash up using the sink and maybe keep some baby wipes.

Also you shouldn't be hammering in on your way into work, just take it easy. Also, watch what you eat. Certain foods can contribute to body odor.

+1 to most of this. Shower, deo, Gold Bond, towell at work w/cold water on the face and re-deo if necessary. My commute's 40 mi rt. I live in Mid-TN and it gets humid here, too. Never have a problem w/stinkage. The main addage I follow is 'never ride in one's work clothes or work in one's ride clothes'. So, adding rack/panniers or seatpost rack/trunkbag combos is important to carry one's belongings. Whether you load every day or carry in a week's worth on Mondays like I do some sort of transport add-on is needed. Wouldn't advise using a backpack as they just contribute to one's level of perspiration.

I live in Louisiana and have a similar commute distance to the OP. The mornings are cool enough and the ride short and I don't push hard. I'm dry as long as I'm moving (even walking in the hall) but as soon as I sit at my desk I have to turn on a small fan for @ fifteen min.

In the afternoon, it may be 105 and humid but when I get home I can strip and get under the garden hose to cool off.

The input is much appreciated folks. The wipe/Wet Ones recommendation was a good one; had not thought of that. My biggest problem with commuting is keeping the throttle dialed back. Non-Commuting road cycling has my mind trained that there's only one way to ride: hard and with purpose.

Another question - Do ya'll ride with or with out cleated shoes? My thinking would be it's easier to ride more leisurely with regular shoes. Not to mention less hassle of carrying a change of shoes.... and strange looks from sounding like a tap dancer.... Not sure how well a tennis type shoe would work with the smaller clipless pedals however.

Make absolutely sure you use a base layer (is this the term?) like Under Armour. I use a Zensah compression shirt, Israeli military issue I imported for $50 to the US; it's silver-oxide impregnated, which is anti-microbial, so while it wicks the sweat away it kills whatever will make it smell (bacteria consume the androsterone). I'll go with Under Armour next, way cheaper; maybe the HeatGear base? I prefer compression, personally. In any case, once the water dries, you have less of a problem.

In the cooler days, get a very light and breathable windproof jacket and get away from the insulation. You'll probably shed this on these kinds of days, though you still sweat just pedal-pumping. As the weather warms or as you warm, ditch the wind proof jacket: the air channel will carry moisture away, preventing consumption and conversion. Sweat is evaporative cooling, the thermal energy in the water goes away when the water goes away as water vapor.

As others have said, base layer (wicking, anti-microbial/anti-odor, they mean the same thing), t-shirt (Under Armor actually makes anti-microbe T-shirts), anything else you feel you need (wind/rain proofing). Ditch the base layer and the t-shirt when you get to work--for added effect, wait about 15 minutes to cool down/dry out, then ditch--and put on your regular work shirt and a fresh t-shirt. I don't change, and I'm fine.

As for cleats, I'm getting a set; my understanding is if you lift, you'll use a separate muscle group, reducing the overall work any one muscle has to do, thus reducing overall heat, reducing needed blood flow (heat generation), and reducing fatigue. If you just use them to stick, and still pedal-pump down only, no difference except maybe a little more mechanical efficiency. I haven't tried yet, so I can't account for this; but I can explain the theory :) With the SPD Shimano cleats, the shoe has a recessed cleat platform; and you can buy rubber cleat covers.


Edit: http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/e...6010-100&FSR=1 Yes I want this and I want it in white! (reflects heat)

earlier + slower = cooler commuting

I commute in Florida (32 roundtrip) where it is always hot and humid.

What I do is this:

Take a shower BEFORE the commute. Wait to apply deodorant.
A no-sleeve UnderArmour(or any wick material) as a base is great and you will notice how "cool" your body feels when you take it off(the bonus is that there won't be much if any sweat). Don't listen to people who tell you UnderArmour sucks, it doesn't let up. I have used it for commuting for the past year or so and it still wicks away like it was day one and barely fades, just follow cleaning/drying directions. I wear a commuter pullover on top which acts as a "be seen" article as well as something for those chill mornings.

On my way home, I put on sunscreen, reapply deodorant (if necessary) and ride. Two-three bottles of water is plenty. The great thing about riding is you can ALWAYS slow your pace and not worry about the guy behind you. Soon enough, you will notice you will sweat far less.


EDIT-Everything bluefoxicy said. Also, I moved to clipless a few months ago and have noticed these things. I even tested riding clipless and clips, switching between both and maintaining around the same speed in the same gear. I felt far less fatigued using clipless.

I find that just towelling off, completely changing my clothes, and reapplying deodorant is enough to clean up after a hard ride into work. I only wear a thin running shirt and cycling shorts for the commute, so the sweat doesn't really stick to me that much, which makes cleanup easier. :)

Think of your commute to work as a recovery ride...then you can hammer riding home.

All I usually carry on the bike are a shirt, pants and my lunch. I keep a pair of shoes and belt (and indeed a complete change of clothes) at work and commute in my SPDs. If I get caught in a downpour and my shoes/socks and/or packed clothing get wet, no biggie.

As so many others have already recommended, I shower at home before leaving, then just wash up in a sink and change my clothes when I get to work (only the gals have showers here...and for some reason they won't let me share :()

Oh, not short sleeve or long sleeve? I used to drive in the heat and you'd see what looked like chicken grease slicking my arm (ever see body builders with their oiled-up muscles? I had that sheen and far more fluid dripping off me), puddling all over my leather seats and stick shift. I had to wipe my car down!

But on the flip side, if I'm not using a wind jacket, direct air exposure is more breathable...? Actually, Under Armour is pretty thin and breathable, I'd think the air would flow through and dry it out. ???

Oh good. I have zero experience with clipless pedals; I have some though, and some mountain bike shoes coming, so :) Looking forward to this now.

So far I've been thinking the thudbuster, clipless pedals, and CamelBak would be the most significant things I'd buy; but now I'm thinking I definitely need to get some UA and the extra light wind jacket is going to be awesome for the fall/spring months.

It occurred to me yesterday that cycling to work is teaching me a hell of a lot. I've never had luck bundling up in the winter: huge coat weighs 20 pounds, and I freeze in it. The summer I always suffer from the heat; it won't kill me, but I'm all sweaty and nasty and grimy and I hate it. Umbrellas keep my head and shoulders dry, and I get soaked. But now I've got resources to put on some really thin layers of clothes to block wind, rain, and cold, and even to get rid of the sweat and grime feeling in extreme heat. When I'm done I'll be able to survive the cold and the desert in comfort. :D

+1 and some deodourent

There is no such thing as lifting pedalling force under normal circumstances. This was proved years ago using strain gauges in pedals. The only measurable power advantage of clipless (compared to other pedals that let a rider apply power in the horizontal part of the stroke like BMX pin pedals) lies in standing sprints by athletic riders, where they can deliver around 5-10% more power and let a rider get up to max power output much more quickly.

1st things 1st, WAR EAGLE!

I used to pedal up US29 (not the best road for riding) from the outskirts of Tuskegee to my office on campus a few days a week.
Either dropped some clothes there the day before, or hauled my stuff in my Timbuk bag.
Had no shower, so it was always a sink basin cleanup, followed up with WetWipes & deodorant.
I made sure to arrive well ahead of time, as I have a bit of a blubber layer it takes me a while to cool down.
SPDs, always....shoes were kept in my office.

Even at 6:30am, AL is nasty hot & humid.

Skip the shower, sink washup and change of clothes for a few weeks and they might suddenly change their minds. :lol:


As for me, I don't think I could commute without shower access, which is why I love commuting to school. Well, MAYBE in the winter I could pull it off. Yesterday, before the storm blew in, it was about 90 degrees or more with about 50% humidity. I walked from my place to my uhaul storage directly across the street and back, probably less than 5 or so minutes, and once I got inside, I had to change shirts! I sweat. A lot.

So for the OP, you just have to try it out a few days to see how it goes and tweak your plan along the way. Along with baby wipes, your can also check out shower wipes made for camping. They might be more expensive, but they're made to specifically handle the job in question.