Comments on: Commuting 101: Cleaning Up Your Act

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: nuoc hoa

nuoc hoa — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:42:01 +0000

thank you for sharing

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.

By: John

John — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:39:32 +0000

Another good idea…which I need to get back to as summer approaches here in Austin TX…is to dry my cycling clothes outside in the sun. The sunlight and fresh air will kill loads of bacteria that would otherwise lurk in the fabric waiting for me to feed them with fresh sweat. As with so many good ideas, it solves multiple problems. Not drying clothes in the dryer will save on the utility bill and, of course, the environment.

As for wipes/towels, I just use the little towels I get at triathlons and duathlons. Haven’t done a race? Why not? You have been training when you commute. Swap riding for running some of the days and you are good to go for a duathlon! And sometimes they give you a little towel.

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:55:41 +0000

Rivendell carries wonderful ones. http://www.rivbike.com

By: Rule 56

Rule 56 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:42:21 +0000

Ekdog – Do you have a link for those merino wool undershirts? I’d like to give them a try.

By: Ekdog

Ekdog — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:06:14 +0000

I strongly agree with JP Amaral. Why use disposable wipes when a small cotton washcloth will work just as well,if not better, while not producing waste? Simply carry a little bottle of alcohol along with it and clean under your arms when you get to work.

Using silky-smooth merino wool undershirts is another big help, as they hold no sweaty odour and don’t need to be laundered nearly as often as cotton or synthetic ones.

By: JP Amaral

JP Amaral — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:50:47 +0000

Directly from Brazil:
I go to work everyday in São Paulo. I take about 45 minutes to get there, and I always have a little towel on my bag.
These kinds of wipes aren´t reusable, right?
So why not use a towel, which will be cheaper in long term, and will reduce garbage generation?