Comments on: Commuting 101: Cleaning Up Your Act

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:49:03 +0000

Having a supportive boss really makes a huge difference. I am glad you found a solution, and also glad there are sites like this out there to reinforce and communicate how many bike commuters there are! There is certainly strength in numbers. Perhaps you could invite your boss to join you for your post-work workout?

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:45:38 +0000

Roll, don’t fold. If you are lucky enough to have casual attire at work, and can get by with jeans or khakis or knits, then try this: lay the knit items along the jeans/khakis lengthwise, and then roll them all up together with the pants on the outside, like a pinwheel sandwich. Oh, and socks and undies can go inside too, to keep the knit material from being too compressed or wrinkled.

By: celia

celia — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:35:54 +0000

A good tip that was given to me: Soak your shirt in cold water before your ride, and wring out most of the water before putting it back on. It will be damp and cool through the ride and basically dry once you get there.

I tried it today, have a 5 mile one way trip. A little chilly at first, but was only a little sweaty once I got to work.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:25:34 +0000

For drying jerseys and shorts use the towel roll technique. Robbie Ventura (Versus Commentator and Coach) has a youtube video of it.

1) layout your towel.
2) lay your jersey on your towel.
3) roll the towel up like a cinnimon roll.
4) twist the roll very tightly
5) fold it over on itself and stand on it (great for stretching your feet out too.
6) unroll and hang to dry the rest of the way. (this compares to 15 minutes in a electric dryer)

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:23:16 +0000

Febreze … really?

Here are some side effects:

* Possible mild gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
* Inhalation of high concentrations of ethanol vapor may cause irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, drowsiness, and fatigue.

(source: http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2008/11/19/greenwash-of-the-week-febreze-its-a-breath-of-fresh-air/)

This product can contain:

ACETALDEHYDE – Chemical on California’s Prop 65 List for cancer and reproductive
toxicity

ETHYL ACETATE – Chemical toxic to the brain and nervous system
89 Air Contaminants Detected

(source: http://www.ewg.org/schoolcleaningsupplies/cleaningsuppliesoverview?id=219)

Try Tea Tree oil instead …

By: Utah SEO

Utah SEO — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:10:36 +0000

I’ve got a shower at work, but hate showering there, just requires to much crap…towels and so forth.
Wipes and free paper towels will have to do!

By: Luke

Luke — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:38:35 +0000

Gold Bond works wonders. I commute 18 miles each way, and I couldn’t live without the stuff. Luckily, I work at a bike shop, so coming in all sweaty and out of breath is not a minus. But the wet wipes are definitely a good start, followed up by Gold Bond.

By: Keith

Keith — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:10:48 +0000

I keep a pair long pants at work, wear the same pair for 5 days then take them home on Friday to wash. Bring a clean shirt in my knap sack every day. I strip off my spandex shorts and frumpy tee shirt and hang them to dry in front of a fan in the back room. I also bring a set of underwear everyday because I go commando in spandex, it is much more comfortable for guys. I cool down fairly quickly but one lady manager complained to my manager that my spandex was indecent. I got a ruling that says I can wear spandex before and after work but not during, duh? I guess she was checking my junk out pretty good. She remained anonymous, darn!

By: Atlanta Railroader

Atlanta Railroader — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:23:49 +0000

Fortunately I work at a rail yard with locker rooms and showers. Since I am the only one that cycles I can monopolize the shower room. I dress business casual and pack fresh clothes every day. I leave two pairs of work boots/shoes in my locker as well as one extra set of clothes just in case I forget something in the morning. After showering and dressing I usually rinse out my cycling gear and hang it to dry outside the building in my “secret” spot. By quitting time the clothes are dry and fresh smelling for the 20 mile trip home. I think it’s important to make sure you have clean, dry shorts or you risk diaper rash on the hot days.

By: Ekdog

Ekdog — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:40:51 +0000

@Rule 56: As Anne says, Rivendell has some nice ones, as does Icebreaker (http://www.icebreaker.com/site/index.html). If you Google “merino wool”, you’ll get thousands of hits. They not cheap, but you’ll save a bundle on soap and water because they can be worn many times before they need to be washed.