Managing Cycling Clothes

How do you manage your cycling gear?

  • Wash After Every Ride

    Votes: 23 53.5%

  • Buy multiple kits so I always look good and fresh

    Votes: 13 30.2%

  • If its not soaked and stinkin', I'm wearin'

    Votes: 13 30.2%

  • Cycling gear, what's that? I ride naked.

    Votes: 2 4.7%
  • Total voters
    43
I have a wife and 7 year old identical twin girls so we're perpetually doing laundry. I can piggy back off one of their loads of laundry after any ride. I also have the quick wash setting if I need to just do my bike gear. Since I always wear some sort of padded tights under my biking shorts my shorts can get away with a few rides between washes, but since everything else is getting washed I just throw it in anyway.
 
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All year: Bibs and liners are a wash every time
Summer: Jerseys / shirts, every time, outshell (baggies) every few rides
Winter, next to skin layers are usually every ride, with the exception of wool base layers; maybe two rides. Outer shells; pants, tights, leg warmers, outer jersey shells, etc. are every few rides.

neck gators/hats/gloves are when they are stretched out (hats and nexk gators), very dirty or stink.
 
1speed said:
I have a lot of kits. I have a separate wardrobe in my basement for all my gear. I always wash them on a gentle cycle and then hang them up to dry on a laundry rack that is ONLY for my gear. (My wife occasionally tries to use it for other things, but I got her one of her own because ... dammit, it's for riding gear!) But I NEVER ride in anything dirty. In fact, I have to change as soon as I'm done riding because otherwise I feel sick later. When I've done bikepacking rides, I either carry multiple changes of clothes and/or I find a way to clean my gear every night. The only thing I don't wash completely is my (favorite) Gore Shakedry jacket, which unfortunately, died last night from overuse. (Luckily, I have a second one ready to go.) That I just wipe down with a wet cloth and then ... well, I shake it dry.

View attachment 148002
Kits all hung up in the wardrobe, shoes on the door, and socks, baselayers, winter-specific gear, etc. in the bins on the right.


View attachment 148003
RIP, shakedry jacket ...
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wow, that’s organized, you would shudder if you saw my basement and garage. I may need to hire you!
 
Summer is basically everything every time. Gloves are disgusting, my son calls the smell dirty bbq sauce.

Hang dry and wash as needed in the colder weather.
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Pearl said:
the hardest problem i have with cycling gear is when do i throw it out? i have a bag of jerseys i dont wear anymore but cant part with...
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Take more trips where you fly somewhere and bring that stuff.

I typically look like I'm homeless on any trip with old clothes, but it's nice to just throw out your clothes each day, especially sweaty running/biking stuff. It's nice to just wear old shorts/jerseys on a ride, throw them out, shower and hop on an airplane. Much less stuff to carry around on the trip as the days go by.

And... it's grossing me out that people here wear their bibs more than once. If I take them off, they don't go back on without washing... Since sports stuff gets washed on cold, I just was them 1-3 days after wearing stuff and hang dry everything. I'd rather wash more often than let it sit in a basket stewing.
 
My gear is a healthy mix of kits, tech material t-shirts, button downs (flannel and short sleeve), jeggings, over shorts from Target and a hoody from Target. Usually cycling laundry is once a week. I ride 4-6 days a week I guess. I keep them hung up near my bikes and cycling socks are kept separate from urrday socks.


My wife got these scent bead things that make my stuff smell really nice

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roc said:
wow, that’s organized, you would shudder if you saw my basement and garage. I may need to hire you!
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Yeah, you don't want to hire me. I'm OCD with this stuff to an unreasonable degree. Every time it rains/snows or I just can't go out, I start thinking of ways to re-organize my shop/wardrobe area and my den to make them "more efficient". It's a sickness - embrace your mess. It snowballs if you don't.
 
I'm lucky not to have to wear deodorant regularly but once the stink penetrates, it's hard to get rid of that smell. Bacteria gets imbedded in the fabric and regular detergent won't help.

If you've got stinky gear and can't get rid of the smell, soak it in Lysol and let it dry ... then wash it again using hot water. That usually does the trick. At least for a little while.
 
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