Line drying bike clothes
#1
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Line drying bike clothes
For those of you who hang bike clothes outside on a line to dry: which side out?
As I was harvesting my dry clothes yesterday, I started thinking, which way would be better? I'm thinking about special event jerseys, for instance, which have dyes patterned on the outside of the jersey, as well as shorts. Inside out, the fabric gets the full sunlight, including UV, which might damage the fabric. Right side out, the UV may fade the pattern. Which would you do?
Shorts, I do inside out to let the fresh air and UV get maximum exposure to the chamois.
As I was harvesting my dry clothes yesterday, I started thinking, which way would be better? I'm thinking about special event jerseys, for instance, which have dyes patterned on the outside of the jersey, as well as shorts. Inside out, the fabric gets the full sunlight, including UV, which might damage the fabric. Right side out, the UV may fade the pattern. Which would you do?
Shorts, I do inside out to let the fresh air and UV get maximum exposure to the chamois.
#2
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So you have one of those high tech solar powered clothes dryers. Inside out makes sense to me. But Lycra dries in minutes in the low tech indoor clothes dryer. Hardly worth the effort to take them outside.
Still remember the days of putting my hand laundered wool shorts out in the sun, chamois side up. That chamois was like a hard shell taco when it dried.
Still remember the days of putting my hand laundered wool shorts out in the sun, chamois side up. That chamois was like a hard shell taco when it dried.
Last edited by big chainring; 06-04-20 at 05:25 AM.
#3
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I found that my stuff molded because it didn't air dry properly. I live in a small NYC apt. I dry everything in the dryer with a few towels. thankfully I have ten tons of stuff so everything is rotated.
having said that, i'd wash and dry everything inside out.
having said that, i'd wash and dry everything inside out.
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I only air dry outside when I tour. I definitely go inside out with shorts and jerseys to start. I’ll reverse the shorts once the pad is dry. That’s the most important thing to dry first. Not so with the Jersey. UV can really do a number. I have a looser fitting jersey that I always tour with. The upper back and shoulder areas are noticeably faded from the sun. The tops of my rear panniers are also faded, but it doesn’t affect the waterproofness.
#5
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I'd go inside out if I was drying it in the sun but living where I do the humidity inside is extremely low (living in an already arid desert and then with A/C running a lot during the day when it's hot out) so I'll just hang my cycling clothes out on a chair, the back of the couch, whatever.
I'm curious whether air drying cycling garb rather than tumbling it with all the other laundry in a clothes dryer really makes a difference in how long they last. The cycling garb I've had go bad before was generally due to zippers going bad or else stitching coming undone.
I'm curious whether air drying cycling garb rather than tumbling it with all the other laundry in a clothes dryer really makes a difference in how long they last. The cycling garb I've had go bad before was generally due to zippers going bad or else stitching coming undone.
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If you are only drying bike clothes they dry fast. Just put them in the drier for half the time of a normal load. Don't worry about them much.
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Inside out when I wash and dry. Either inside at home or outside on tour.
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I just hang them over the shower curtain rail and that works just fine.
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If it is sunny and/or the temperature is above ~15 deg C, then I line dry. If conditions are not suitable for line drying, I throw my bike stuff in the dryer at the end of drying a larger load.
In the winter we usually heat the house with a wood stove and I have a clothesline that strings across my living room near the stove to dry my XC ski clothes.
I believe the clothes dryer is not good for the fabrics and materials of bike clothes so I use it sparingly.
In the winter we usually heat the house with a wood stove and I have a clothesline that strings across my living room near the stove to dry my XC ski clothes.
I believe the clothes dryer is not good for the fabrics and materials of bike clothes so I use it sparingly.
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#11
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I always hang clothing bike or otherwise outside whenever possible. Dries better, fresher and as regards bike stuff always inside especially bib shorts. UV good to kill bacteria so anything that's not been killed by a cool wash (as recommended for most cycling kit) then the sunshine should do the trick.
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upside down inside the drier on lo & tumble.
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