Experiment: Ride SUPER slow to work. Then report back about sweat.
 

Here in Portland, Oregon we've got some rainy weather with temps in the 50s predicted for this week. I plan to wear waterproof pants and I'm dreading the amount of soggy sweat that will accumulate along my legs. As a test, I'm going to ride very slow and monitor how much I sweat. I'll also take note of the extra time this adds to my commute. Anyone want to join me in this experiment?

On my commute, I ride slowly uphill to avoid sweat. I have more problem when it's cold than when it's warm

I did something like that a couple of years ago except not while raining, nor with rain gear. It was on a couple of different September mornings where the humidity was relatively low and the temps were moderate.

On one morning I rode what I'd consider a close approximation to a city bike (as close as I could manage with one of my bikes) and carried my stuff in panniers. I showered at home and rode in work clothes. I tried to maintain a slow enough pace that I wouldn't sweat.

On another morning I did what I'd normally do, - ride a road bike with a backpack and go relatively fast. I showered and changed at work.

My commute is about 6 miles long. It's been a couple of years so I don't remember the exact results but I do know that riding fast and changing at work only saved me a few minutes at best. I did arrive a good bit earlier but I lost time traveling to and from the showers which are 3 floors down and towards the other end of the building.

Other things that were noteworthy is that I found it difficult to ride slow enough not to sweat. I just didn't like it. Then again, it's not what I'm used to at all.

During the winter riding is hard work and typically various parts of my body will be cool while other parts are sweating. I wouldn't want to try and ride any slower.

There are very few places usually where its even appropriate to go slow here. I mean, if the motor traffic is going 55, i better be doing 20 or i can end up blocking motor vehicles from turnoffs long enough to where they gotta slow, creating a hazard for the vehicles behind.

That said, if i'm feeling it & have the right song on, i'll slow way down or stop pedaling down hills & just enjoy the moment. :)

- Andy

I happened to do that Friday, 7.8 miles, it was somewhere around 0°C and I was running a little behind (!) so I went slower, wore the Friday casual jeans riding, skipped the shower at work and only changed shirts when I got here. I think I saved about 5-10 minutes, the fitness center is across the parking lot from my building adding a couple extra if I go there to shower.

I didn't actually go super-slow, from my perspective anyway - maybe 3 or 4 less than my usual morning pace.

That's one reason why I don't use rain gear, it feels like sauna.

This has been my habit since I started commuting to the place where I now work. I'm not a super sweaty person. I adjust my schedule so it's still fairly cool out when I leave my house, and pace myself so I don't get too hot. Then, on the way home, I ride like a bat out of hell.

Not an option for me... when I go all out and don't get caught by too many lights, my ride is already 35 min. If I were to slow down sigificantly, the bike commuting equation loses its appeal, as the time commitment vs exercise quotient becomes uncompetitive with simply running (or nordic skiing, if necessary). Not to work and back, by the way ;) , I mean in my free time, or best of all, during lunchtime on workdays.

I'm not convinced the drivers notice or care about the difference between 10 mph and 20 mph, especially if they want to go 50+mph. I find many drivers consider all bicyclists slow, even when the bicyclists are blocked by slow cars in front of them.

I've heard motorists make your argument, but on many of the 4-6 roads here (40-45mph limit), drivers in the right lane are routinely slowed to 20-25mph due to traffic entering and leaving all the shopping centers. This does not seem to pose a danger to the 40-55mph traffic in the center lanes (or they would not speed). I disagree that slow bicyclists are any worse than slow motorists and should not have access to these roads or destinations. (Comments from many motorists and some confused LEO.)

Your environment sounds different from mine, but I'm not sympathetic to the motorists' argument that they should slow only for motor vehicles, and bicyclists should not have access to these roads or to shopping centers etc. located on roads where drivers want to go fast.

Personally, I prefer to bicycle 15-25 mph because bicycling 10mph takes 2-3 times as long, but I think slower bicyclists should also be allowed to ride to any destination they want, and have access to any public road they need to get there.

I found it more efficient to ride quickly, and cool off / change at my destination than take twice as long riding, especially in the summer when even walking will generate sweat.

Many times I've tried to ride slowly but I forget and end up peddling at my normal cadence. If you're going uphill on low gear, you will be going slowly but you may be peddling like mad. If you are on higher gear, you'll slow your cadence but you'll be applying constant pressure throughout.

OP. Let us know how your experiment turns out.

On that front I gave up years ago. Got as soaked from sweat wearing water proof clothes as I did riding in the rain. Finally decided that for a 30 min or less commute/ride it was just as convenient to bring spare clothes. 'Course here in the Phx I get caught in the rain maybe twice a year.

I just bring extra clothes. It doesn't matter if I arrive at work dripping wet because I am the first person to get there. I love to bike in the rain, feels epic.

In winter I can slow just a little and be fine. In summer it doesn't matter. Slow or fast I still sweat buckets.

No thanks. I don't even want to know the results.

Just another point about the basic numbers, to put the time difference in perspective.

If I do my 7.8 miles at 18 mph average, that takes 26 minutes. If it's slow, at 13 mph average, it takes 36 minutes. The difference between a pretty good clip and really slow is 10 minutes.

It's not an argument made by anyone, it's simply how it is in several locations. The volume of traffic around here does not allow for "oh i'll just slow down" on the bypass. People should know how to drive properly, but as we on here all know, that is sadly rarely the case.

- Andy

I have a 6 mile commute each way. It normally takes me 15-20 min to get to work (down hill) and 30 min to get home (up Hill). When riding slow it took me 25 min to get to work and 35 min to get home and my sweat production was less but still noticeable. The temps are in the mid 40's and I'm not using rain gear, Just wind stopper fleece.

With temps in the 50s, I'd just wear some shorts and a rain coat. Being wet from rain is much better than being wet from sweat.