Nah. Today's gen of sports clothes are really good. Even my cheaper Performance Bike shorts are up to the task. No damage with soap, detergent, etc., and no problems even if you spin cycle them or even stomp on them. (I would though suspect wringing them out would be the most potentially damaging. Even then, I'm sure they're up to the task.)

The manufacturer instructions make them sound like glass. Nothing is further from the truth in my experience.

That's my point. My "gentle cycle" is rather short, and I use sports detergent, but it's still a spin cycle. However the stomping is harsher than the washing machine. I will say this - things like fabric softener do inhibit moisture transfer, and there are things in hair shampoo that are similar. Which is why this plan may be worse than just throwing them in the washer.

Just noticed this one...

Touring cyclists have been using all sorts of different detergents to wash their clothes for ages. We used shampoo for bodywash and washing clothes and -- wait for it -- washing the dishes. Conversely, I've used dish washing detergent to wash dishes, to shower with and -- wait for it -- to do the laundry!

Touring cyclists have been doing this for ages, and the shorts I refer to in an earlier post have been treated no differently. They've been through the mill, so to speak, and have come out the other side fine.

People get all tied up in knots about what soap or detergent to use for their clothes and every other darned things in their lives. In my experience, it really doesn't matter. Except for dish-washing machine detergent. And if you have allergies to some varieties of soap/detergents.

+5

I will say that the traveling trick that was on this forum a few years back was excellent. You shower with your kit on then, then once you start below the neck you start pulling off layers and just wash them lightly to get the salt and stink out; hang them on the shower bar and once you're done with the shower and dry you roll them in the towel and twist it up and stomp on the towel. At that point they are ALMOST dry to the touch. I have tried this trick many times and have been pleased by the results every time.

While you're at it, why not put a sink disposal in your drain and start chopping up your salads for dinner while your in there?

You mean like this?

However I prefer this reference

As does Mr. and Mrs. Walter.

You're definitely overthinking this.

There is no way that the tiny amount of residue that fabric softener leaves in any way detracts significantly from the performance of bike shorts or a jersey. No way.

And again, even if the stomping and wringing is harsher than the washing machine (it likely is), the shorts and jerseys STILL come out fine. I've done it as well in the past, and even though I don't stomp on 'em or wring em anymore, I used to for over a yera, and I'm still wearing those shorts and bibs and jerseys no problemo.

The amount of delicateness people treat their bike clothes with is really humorous to me now that I've had 4-5 years to see how sturdy the stuff is. If anything, you should be babying your cotton clothing since those are the ones that lose lots of fibers as lint in the dryer - the technical clothes lose almost none.

Wash in cold, toss in dryer. I've never given it any more thought than that and I get tired of old bibs/jerseys long before they wear out from washing. They also sit in a laundry hamper for up to 3-4 days until there's enough for a full load.

My work routine is one of sink washing. I have my own kitchen, so ya fill [the sink] with soap of any kind, let it soak, squeeze generously while submerged, wring and dry by one of the CRAC units. By lunch I can ride again in the same garb.

This has made me lean more toward hand-washing, but gentle cycle has worked well so far.

I'm sure they exist, but I can think of no other commoditiies besides bike gear which are so overpayed for and then so jealously guarded against wear and tear. Leave the hardware aside for now. Why are cycling clothes so much more precious than regular clothes? Why do you pay so much for so little improvement over the middle range and then have to worry so much about how long the goods will last? Do you buy $2,000 suits and then take them to a dry cleaner that charges $20 to clean them? Not most folks. These days most folks never get our of their $20 cargo shorts. Why do cyclists pay the extreme with regard to their crap nylon shorts and jerseys and then have to tally up how many times they can wear them to not feel cheated? Blows my mind.

Part of the reason why is that manufacturers like Assos first charge you and arm and a leg and then include in the instructions very clear print saying pretty expliclity to baby your bibs - only wash in the lightest cycle, with sports detergent, and use a special BAG that comes with the bibs just for washing them.

I ended up taking a spill and putting a quarter-sized hole in the side of my Assos so they were pretty early on relegated to trainer duty (I ride 50% of my miles on the trainer so it's not trivial) and I stopped with the baby care - in fact, I was hoping they'd die an early death so I could replace them. Alas, 4 years later, that quarter sized hole is the same size, and the rest of it looks new.

I think it's just a perception of quality that the bike manufacturers are selling you. In reality, they're much, much toughter than their 'instructions' say.

Wash cold, hang dry. No problems, no "early retirement" based on excessive wear.

A la Kramer

This is kind of a major factor, imho. Great way to get jock-itch.

That's what I'm talkin' about.

Or contract uromysitisis. I hear it's life-threatening.

Here it is again:


The only way to do bike laundry on the road, complete with the reverse snail. This is how I always do mine when I'm out of town or touring. Shampoo works fine.

Clearly you need to rethink you hair care products. PM Tea Tree shampoo is very different from Matrix Biolage.

Yes way. Take two bath towels. The fluffier the better. Wash one with Downy. Wash the other without. One will feel softer...and it won't get you as dry.

And that's my point - if the whole goal of stomping around in the shower is to make the clothes last longer it would seem to be counter productive.

Christ datlas, been doing that for 40 years.

That's the one. Love it.

Why have you been keeping it such a tightly guarded secret??

NTTAWWT, of course...

p.s. love the seinfeld references. That's GOLD!!

Here ya go

For what you pay right the way through the range, bike clothes are pretty durable, and worth the money in terms of comfort, ease of maintenance and durability. Reference my aforementioned PI shorts.

(I was trying to find something witty to say about the $2000 suit but let it go because I can't say wanker without offending someone wealthier and more powerful than me).

In terms of longevity, adding in pain avoidance and general comfort, hard to beat the value of quality cycling clothes. Crappy kit, not so much.