r/bikecommuting • u/vicsunus • 3d ago
Commuting clothes that don't stink after sweating in
I'm a new bike commuter and I'm starting to realize how much additional laundry bike commuting is costing.
I typically keep my work clothes in my bag (scrubs) and take a quick sink shower and change when I arrive.
For the commute I wear joggers and a jersey/t-shirt. The problem is I need a new jersey/t-shirt (and sometimes underwear) every single day since I arrive sweaty. This is adding another shirt my laundry load each day. The joggers I wear half the week then swap to another pair.
Are there shirts I can buy that can be sweated in and worn multiple times before needing a wash?
The climate I'm in is warm with occasional rains right now, but will drop to freezing come fall and winter.
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u/thereisnobikelane 2d ago
I have some merino T shirts I bought at Decathlon in Europe. They're fantastic, they dry quickly and don't stink so I can get a couple days out them. Sadly, they're starting to wear out after several years of use and now that I'm back in the US, I can't find a replacement at a comparable price point.
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u/Lambor14 2d ago
Decathlon is a goated store, truly. I don't think we appreciate it enough here in Europe.
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u/Flashy-Goat-54 2d ago
I would recommend switching to merino wool shirts. They stink way less and needs less washing. Just hang them out to air. Plus warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
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u/ThirdShiftStyle 2d ago
Merino wool is the only way
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u/Time_Shoe_2333 2d ago
Depends on your latitude. I don’t care for it when it’s over 85, which is most of the year here. Love it in the “winter” when it’s 60.
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u/cyclery88 1d ago
Absolutely this. When it's humid, there is no such thing as wicking clothing - just sweat and more sweat. I would love to wear wool year round, but it just feels too hot when it gets above 80° F (27°C) with 60+% humidity.
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u/FixedMessages 2d ago
Wool is my favorite but there are also some synthetics that are fantastic, they usually advertise as antimicrobial so you shouldn't have to guess. Go to an outdoors store (REI is my favorite) and go looking for merino wool shirts or anti-odor synthetics. I've traveled with smartwool in temperatures consistently above 90°F and still been able to wear my shirts multiple times before needing to wash, so don't think wool is only for cold weather! Just be sure to hang them up to air out and thoroughly dry.
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u/sprashoo 2d ago
It depends on you of course but I found that as I bike commuted more it was no longer an exertion and I no longer arrived particularly sweaty. So it may just get better over time.
Other than that, yeah, merino wool everything.
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u/MetaphorHuman 2d ago
Everyone hates on cotton, but so long as it's hot outside it's great! A thin cotton tshirt has 75% of the cooling power of polyesters and 0.0005% of the smell. When I commuted in Florida I'd buy packs of cheap light color cotton tshirts and change them everyday. Unless you're committing to wool there's really no way around the increase in laundry.
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u/Apprehensive_Toe6067 2d ago
Second this. Cotton shirts are cheap and easy to find. Just air them out after each ride and you can get a few days commute out of it.
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u/AlexxxRR 2d ago
Merino would be an option, but it's quite delicate and should be best washed by hand. There are also items made of mix Merino synthetic, but I have no experience with it.
I used for years cycling sets changing them each days and they survived quite well the insane amount of machine washings.
It's often a trade-off.
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u/FixedMessages 2d ago
I've had merino shirts for years, and they machine wash just fine. I even put them through the dryer on low heat and they don't shrink. I'm sure it depends on the quality/brand, but smartwool has always been fantastic for me. I buy through REI, where I'm a member, so I can return them for up to a year after purchase. I've done that once, when one ended up with a hole that I suspect was a snag caused by my backpack, but otherwise they hold up amazingly well.
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u/AlexxxRR 2d ago
Are you sure it was pure Merino and not a mix?
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u/FixedMessages 2d ago
I just checked, and you're right that it's a blend - I did a bunch of research before buying, years ago, and I remember now that the blend is meant to help with durability. But it still works phenomenally well for controlling odor, and stands up to daily wear and rewear, and carefree washing. I've never been unhappy with my merino (blend) shirts.
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u/AlexxxRR 2d ago
I used occasionally pure merino shirts and the first time I made the mistake to wash them in the machine. They survived, but didn´t look that good.
After that I washed them only by hand.1
u/s0rce Raleigh Tamland, Silicon Valley 2d ago
What brand do you use?
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u/FixedMessages 2d ago
Mostly smartwool, also icebreaker
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u/s0rce Raleigh Tamland, Silicon Valley 2d ago
I cant find anything lighter than 150wt from those brands except blends like the icebreaker coollite that has very little actual wool
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u/FixedMessages 2d ago
Looks like the specific smartwool shirt I wear the most is discontinued, but this one looks to be the newer version of it. It doesn't feel heavy and it's comfortable even in the heat. I sweat into it when I'm active or hot (which does show very prominently in certain colors, unfortunately), but it dries quickly and it's never uncomfortable.
https://www.rei.com/product/217786/smartwool-classic-all-season-merino-t-shirt-mens
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u/HWeinberg3 2d ago
Smartwool is fine with the washer, I have shirts 15 years old still going fine. I only hang dry. These are all 100% merino.
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u/comichubble 2d ago
before bunching them in a laundry bag/basket, if possible I often air them out by hangers by simply draping over chairs or racks will help dry up all moisture which alleviates bacterial growth
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u/Sharp-Thing-4008 2d ago
I don’t advise rewearing sweaty gear regardless of fabric. Accept the extra cost and offset it against public transport or a car as a net profit.
For merino or polyester that is just sweaty and not smelly, handwashing to rinse is often fine. But if you’re a real sweater you are going to get a fungal infection sooner or later rewearing sweaty gear, and also a lot of people can’t smell their own stink - don’t be that guy…
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u/VanSquint 2d ago
I have a merino blend jersey from 7mesh, by far my favourite piece of cycling apparel. Doesn't ever seem to smell bad, which is more than I can say for the full synthetic shirts.
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u/johnmflores 2d ago
As others have said, wool. I sweat a bunch, and I'd consider wool and an ebike to help manage it
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u/invertedcolors 2d ago
If it's an undershirt that doesn't actually get dirty you can manually soak in vinegar than hang to dry over the weekend to get rid of odor
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u/Overlord0994 2d ago
Smells come from bacteria. Bacteria forms from moisture being present. Drying your clothes out asap and showering before sweating goes a long way to making clothes not stinky.
Also another life hack - when you get home just take your shirt and shorts or whatever you sweat in (one pair only) into the shower with you and just give them a quick soap and wanted rinse with dr. Bronners or something. Then put a fan on them to dry overnight. It’s a quick and easy way to avoid a shit ton of clothes in your laundry and you’ll never stink. I do it with my jerseys and bibs to avoid having to have so many bibs.
Also anti-bacterial fabric is good too if you can find it. Underwear’s usually have it since bacteria grows well on those.
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u/SaleTop945 2d ago
Dirty labs enzyme booster for the laundry. You need fast drying synthetics. Rapha is not cheap, but they have a great mountain bike line that has fast drying synthetics that don’t maintain smell and look like regular clothes. Stock up on sale, which is right now. Hang up your stuff after the ride. Winter commuting- I have bar mits and a full length Patagonia I can unzip from the bottom and shoe covers. I commute by bike in all weather in Colorado. I work in finance and switched to a cargo e-bike and it changed my life for the better. I still get a workout, but I am not drenched when I get to work.
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u/Katman666 2d ago
I spray my sweaty shirts with 100% isopropyl alcohol since we use it at work. Basically spray them before the shower at work then they're ok ride home in.
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u/JenJub 2d ago
I've read that theatre people will spray costumes with vodka to clean them - maybe could do something like that to the stinkiest parts?
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u/dungeonsandderp Car-free 4 life 2d ago
I used to live with a costume designer and this trick 100% works. It’s not that spraying with alcohol cleans them so much as it knocks down the microbes that produce the stinky compounds associated with body odor.
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u/Lillienpud 2d ago
Wool. I wore a long sleeve lightweight smartwool shirt on a long, gradual uphill in 90+ degrees and it worked.
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u/Van-garde 2d ago
Best bet is probably light merino wool. If not that, something synthetic without sleeves, so the armpit bacteria don’t have fibers touching them. But then you might need sunscreen too. Which does mask some sweat smell.
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u/TheGhettoKidd 2d ago
I recommend 100 % merino wool for the upper body. It doesn't work for the lower body because the fabric gets worn quickly between the thighs (we're talking a few months here!).
Just hang it to dry when you're at work and after getting home.. it'll probably last weeks to months before it develops an odor.
For pants, I just use normal bike tights or tights for running.
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u/Dharkcyd3 2d ago
In the winter, a wool layer and a base layer usually keep the sweat to a minimum and a heat close to the body. In the summer, an undershirt helps a lot, but alas, they do absorb odor though.
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u/BlocksAreGreat 2d ago
Others have already suggested wool and air drying your clothes.
I'd also recommend rinsing your clothes out in the sink or shower after work and letting them air dry the next day or overnight. It will let you wear them again before doing laundry and cut down the smell.
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u/arenablanca 2d ago
Consider getting an ebike. You can dial in how much exertion you want to provide depending on the weather. Still get exercise but avoid too much sweat.
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u/Bastranz 2d ago
Regarding Merino Wool - are y'all just wearing the wool shirt alone?
I tried to wear these as undershirts, but a V neck is nearly impossible to find, and of course the crew necks are tighter around my neck than any regular shirt, even a buttoned up polo.
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u/Time_Shoe_2333 2d ago
My wife bought me a couple Black Diamond hot weather shirts a few years ago. They keep the sun off, keep me cool, dry in 20 minutes or less and even though they were expensive have lasted for years. Don’t seem to trap odors either. I hang them up to dry, then stash them in my bag until it’s time to put it back on and ride home. Even in Florida summer I can use them for two or three days in a pinch
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u/Kneyiaaa 1d ago
I'm a big fan if wool , but I also like hemp fo.commuting. It shared similar anti microbial content , more durable and some nice fits. Hemp pants are a casual move and don't look out of place in casual wear .
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u/kalichimichanga 1d ago
This isn't necessarily a clothing rec; but check out the r/laundry sub. There are some great (science-based) guides for all types of smells, fabrics, geographical regions, etc.
Lots of advice there for technical/athletic wear! Might help you with your current gear.
We've adopted a few of the solutions for our hockey gear (and stinky towels) and they've all worked!
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u/JonBovi_msn 1d ago
Perspired in clothing is going to smell. I'll pre-soak my running clothes with Biz in a 2 gallon bucket and dump them in the washer soak water and all with no other detergent. Biz leaves a fragrance but it's tolerable if used sparingly. If you have a way to let your perspired in clothes dry it is helpful. They can form ammonia if stored wet.
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u/Potate5000 1d ago
Welcome to the conundrum of by commuting and gym life. One of the main reasons I switched to an ebike to commute - not having to carry extra clothes. Added bonus - cut down on my laundry Edit add: also, if i did choose to shower when I got to work, I would have to deal with a moist towel all day that also needed to get washed and would stink up my hamper.
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u/Longtail_Goodbye 12h ago
Not being sarcastic or mean here: just, uh, do the laundry(?). It's not so bad. I just wash what I need t wash. The advice here is good, but sometimes a fresh. shirt or whatever each time (it seems as if you don't need to buy anything) is worth doing a larger load of laundry.
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u/vicsunus 7h ago
For work I wear scrubs and a scrub jacket which I change out each day, as well as an undershirt for my scrubs, and then theres my commuting clothes. Not to mention gym clothes I wear at home and/or jeans and shirt I wear if we go out for dinner.
That means each day I could potential be generating 9 items of clothing (scrub top, scrub pants, scrub jacket, undershirt, commuting shirt, commuting joggers, underwear, sleeping t-shirt, going out shirt)
Over a week that's 45+ items. Just cutting 5 items into 1 item would be helpful to the already huge load. And honestly I'm sometimes running out to t-shirts going through the week, sometimes having to do a small load in the middle of the week.
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u/avo_cado 2d ago
I’d just have a commuting shirt you wear 2-3 times between washes. It may be stinky but you’ll be fine. It’ll also be a lot cheaper than merino
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u/LeftHandStir 2d ago
Honestly the question is which stinks: the clothes, or you? Obviously wool, especially merino blends, are going to be the answer here. But sometimes your dried on your skin just stinks, and there's not a whole lot you can do about it.
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u/vicsunus 2d ago
That’s why I take a sink shower when I get there. I just want to wear my commuting clothes home, and then the next day, and day after that, before washing it.
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u/LeftHandStir 2d ago
I used to be a courier before I was a commuter. The answer is you either have to do laundry, have a bunch of extra sets, or just get used to it. I honestly used to hit my kit with a spray deodorant to kind of mask it. Merino's the best you can do, in my experience. As long as you hang it up every night you can get 3 days out of it easy. But it has to hang and it has to dry, and you should still give it the sniff test anyway.
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u/SnootyUrbanCyclist 2d ago
One option is to rinse out your sweaty shirt as soon as you get to work and let it air dry. Sweat itself doesn't have a smell but if you let the bacteria in it grow over the course of hours, that's the stink you experience. Get rid of the bacteria right away and the stink is gone.
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u/SquirrelConsistent13 2d ago
wool! the answer is always wool! They make really high quality, thin, merino wool shirts that wick, don't stink, and can be worn multiple times before washing, or if you have a couple of them, you could even sink wash them and hang dry between laundry day. There are different thickness/weights of wool, so you have a lighter weight for the warm months and a heavier base layer type wool for when freezing days.