Keeping the sweat out of the workplace
 

What are you wearing when you commute to work? I'm going to start commuting to work (approx 10 miles). My job is pretty casual so I'm thinking of buying the 511 commuter jeans and just wearing UA/Nike dry t shirts. It's either that or dressing in full bike gear and changing at work. Which would be a pain for me.

Anyways... How are you keeping the sweat out of the workplace? :commute:

My commute is about six miles each way. Up to 70-degrees or so I just wear my normal work clothes. For me that might mean chinos and turtlenecks or skirts/dresses with button up tops under cardigans or blazers. When it's cold, I add a scarf, coat, and gloves. If it is on the warmer end, sweaters or blazers go in the pannier. When it is warmer than 70ish, I wear a sweat wicking top and change into a work shirt at the office.

I also don't ride very fast, about 12 mph. The slow pace allows me to enjoy the view and avoid working up a sweat.

I wear jeans and the dri fit shirts for the ride. When I arrive at work I get in front of a fan while I chug about 20-24 oz of ice water. After I cool down, a couple of the moist fragrance free wipes to clean up. Then, I put on a clean shirt. I keep the wipes, a stick of deoderant and some cologne at work.

115 degrees with 99% humidity in a steam molding manufacturing plant. You guys don't know what sweating is lol. I am sweating for 10 sraight hours at work, I sure wouldn't worry about the ride to work. I sweat just standing and punching the time clock, haha.

The -32 weather was nice a few weeks ago. Cooled the plant down to about 85. Didn't sweat just standing there and was able to even move a slight little bit before sweating.

I'm able to shower at work so I keep full changes, etc. there and bike in wearing my normal biking gear.

Full battle gear for me - I do 30 mi RT in Central Florida. Shower in the morning before take-off and thorough sponge bath in the bathroom upon arrival. We have powder room style bathrooms at work.

Full MAMiL regalia, change in the rest room. Sweat not an issue since the morning ride is taken slow in cool weather. I save the hard ride for after work.

I sweat profusely, even during a "polar vortex". I have no choice. I have to wear cycling gear for cycling and work gear for work. I get to work a little early, have a quick birdbath in the staff men's room sink, and change.

If you're going to try wicking t-shirts, keep in mind that wicking wear manufactures stink. You'll at least want a clean shirt (read: non-stink-producing) for work.

Full clad lycra, SPD shoes. Unthinkable to wear bike clothes at work and vice versa.

Light weight wool shirts are available. They have a reputation for wicking well and not stinking.
http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/at13.htm

I have a 12.5 mile commute one way (soon be my first complete year of bike commuting). I shower before I leave for work and wear whatever bike clothes it takes to suit the temp. I carry my work clothes rolled up inside my pannier with me and change when I get to work. I then let my wet clothes dry by my work spot. I use as much merino wool as I can as it really leaves little to no odor. I change back into my bike clothes I wore in (that are now dry) for the ride home.

I commute in normal cycling clothes and carry clean pants and shirt in a backpack. If it's not raining I try and wear minimal clothes so I'm usually cold for the first 30 min but don't sweat too much. I'll have a coffee, catch up on email and then have a shower after an hour or so.

This is what I do except my distance is a little longer and I have locker to store my gear in. My ride to work is at a lower effort to help with cooling down when I get to work. My work is located at a top of a hill, but there is a bike trail (MUP) that starts just across the street from my work that goes about a 1/4 mile. I ride on that path at a slow comfortable path to cool down. The cool down period from when I arrive to when I change into my work clothes is probably the worst part of the commute. In the winter it is great as I'm ready to get warm but in the summer it can take 30 minutes to cool off. There is a shower I can use, but it would probably be the same amount of time. I'll have to try it out later in the summer when the temperatures rise.

+1

I have found that generally, if the temperature is below 70F, I don't need to worry about sweating too much in work clothes. As the temperature gets closer to 70 and above, wearing a backpack/bag is will allow sweat to build up under your shirt. Above 80 F, even without a bag over your shoulder, you will start to significant sweat buildup.

Luckily, it rarely ever gets above 70F where I live, in the morning, and the 100F commute home isn't a problem as I can change and shower easily once home. As such, I don't bother with cycling clothes, but I only have 5 mile commute.

I have to ask, what is full MAMiL regalia?

well in the cool temperatures, you can get by wearing normal work clothes for pants, however you should use a wicking shirt. when you get to the office, quick bird bath, some wipes and change into work shirt.

when it gets warmer (guess around 70 degrees and depending on length of commute) I would go with biking gear and do the bird bath, change into work clothes...

MAMiL = Middle-Aged Men in Lycra.

In other words, cycling kit.

ok, good to know, though "kit" I would have understood... :)

For 10 miles in LA, I would ride in proper cycling clothes and change at work. Shower before leaving, bring baby wipes and deodorant.

My commute is 7 miles each way, so I wear gym clothes. In the winter, this is a base layer topped with a t-shirt and running pants with tights underneath. In the summer, it's gym shorts and a light-weight and/or sweat-wicking t-shirt.

When I get to work, I cool down for about 15 minutes and then change into my work clothes (business casual). Except on the hotter summer days, smell isn't an issue. On those days, I bring along an unscented wipe in a plastic bag and wipe down the more stinky body parts. A change of underwear helps, too.

Beat me to it :thumb: I believe the term originated in an op/ed by some bike hating journalist. Just as some blacks have "owned" the n-word, and many gays "own" the f-word, I use it as a badge of honor. I have lived too long to care what people like that think. I avoid riding in non-cycling attire.

Do you mean you avoid riding in anything other than kit, or other non-cycling specific attire? I ride in my work clothes. For me, they are cycling attire. The more use my bike for transportation the fewer items I have in my closet that aren't appropriate for the bike. I also have some only-on-the-bike clothes, but that doesn't make everything else I own "non-cycling attire."

Edit: On a quick re-read, I realize this sounds a little snippy. Sorry about that. I didn't mean it to be. You make a valid point. I'm just hoping we can refine some of our language so that sports clothing doesn't define what it means to be attired in a way appropriate for riding.

I find the "kit" just so much more comfortable on a bike than my regular work clothes, and I like to be in clean clothes at work, and there is no guarantee of the work clothes being very fresh, even after an easy ride.

Wearing as much wool as possible helps, as it seems to wick away sweat before it starts to smell. Then when I'm done exerting myself, it smells less than anything else after saturating it with sweat, and I mean it beats both cotton and synthetics.

Not all of us can wear wool as the bottom layer, at least not all the time. Often, I'm OK with being sweaty. I sit still and have ice water and cool down, and my clothes eventually get dry. If it's a lost cause, I change into the spare set of clothes I keep at work. I don't have to do it often, which means I don't have to carry clothes there or back often. The spare set goes a long time without use. And by the way, the spare set is complete: jacket, shirt, pants, underwear, socks and shoes. You never know.