damnable

Hi folks,
I'm back in the commuter saddle after a long time, but I'm hoping for some suggestions on sweaty gear. I'm in the Southern Hemisphere so heading into Summer and more sweat.

My work has a bike shed, showers and small lockers, so not bad, but doesn't have anywhere I can hang up sweaty gear during the day.

After I change into my work clothes, my only option to store commuting clothes appears to be shoving it in my small locker for at least 8 hours where it doesn't get a chance to air out or dry. So putting it back on to ride home is a bit gross and sticky, and I know things will also get funky.

I'm hoping for tips and tricks for this situation please.

If it matters, my commute is a hilly 7 miles each way.

roadcrankr

I never practiced wearing my kit more than once.
But seven miles likely works okay.
Sounds like hanging the sweaty gear on your bike gets frowned upon?
It may act as a theft deterrent, tho!
You could bring a couple fresh kits with you and rotate 'em.
Let the just-ridden set in the locker overnight.

flangehead

I commute in Houston Texas in the southern US. Summer is 35-38C and 80-90 % humidity.

When I had your situation at one work location I took my wet kit out and hung it on the bike. I was in a low-theft location. I have at times run my clothes through a cable lock.

I don’t re-use anything; it gets washed after one day of use. Also using helmet liners saved my marriage….

surak

I highly doubt anyone would take your sweaty clothes if you hung them on your bike. You can also try keeping desiccant in your locker, like Damp-Rid.

pdlamb

Depends on your work situation. I work in a cube, and hang bike clothes (on a hanger) catty-corner on the edge of my whiteboard, or on the doorway to the cube. It's usually dry by the end of the day, unless I sweat through a warm shower on the way in.

cyccommute 

I hung mine in out of the way places around the building when I worked. I hung them under a stairway for a while. I hung them in an unused vent chase way until that room got remodeled. I hung them in the shower room since I was about the only person who used the locker room on a regular basis. We had hooks on the wall and I’d just hang my clothes on hangers along the wall.

BobbyG

At my old job I had many empty rooms to choose from. At the new job I put up an inexpensive portable wardrobe behind my desk and occasionally spray Febreeze air freshener into it. And wearing fresh bike clothes every day in the warm months. My office suite mate says it smells fine, and other co-workers seem to agree.

ericoseveins

A quick clothes wash in a sink followed by wringing out the water and draping the clothing over something has always worked well for me. As an alternative to wringing, I've also used a portable washing machine which gets clothing very nearly dry even prior to hanging up. Never tried a salad spinner but I wonder if something like that might work almost as well, with the benefit of being really cheap and portable. If you can't hang up your clothes or drape them over a chair, what about setting up a little clothesline somewhere innocuous, like under or next to a desk?

rumrunn6

you probably aren't wearing much. I used to throw my ride-in shorts & shirt in a plastic bag & wore a fresh set of shorts & shirt for the ride home. washed both sets when I got home & they air dried before my next commute, the next day

Colorado Kid

Since I too work in a cube, hanging things up is a must. Who wants to ride home stinky and damp? The no-smell rule is way to go for the office. What if you had a job you got smelly and dirty? Is anything goes the way ride?

I-Like-To-Bike

Your method seems the best choice if space is limited or the presence of sweaty clothes would cause issues with co-workers or the public who have access to your work space, and I would do the same as you.

Luckily for me, many of my last working years I had my own office with a door to keep out uninvited co-workers. The inexpensive coat rack handled the drying process of all sweaty layers of clothing after an 11 mile commute in time for a warm and dry ride home. These clothes layers were effective in keeping me warm during the entire commute even in sub zero F. weather. I recommend that the OP find out if there is anyplace at the work site to place a clothes rack for his sweaty bicycle clothes to dry out that is secure and private enough, otherwise rumrunn6 provided the best solution.

rumrunn6

that is quite nice!

at my last employ, there was a rather clean boiler room / storage room, w/ various places to hang & drape stuff. boss offered to install lockers & maybe he should have. but w/ all the open space I was able to hang out 2 layers, of full storm gear, head to toe. airflow is key

the OP wrote: "Southern Hemisphere so heading into Summer and more sweat" so they are probably 1/2 neked anyway, so probably only shirt & shorts. socks, one can hide & dry out

BobbyG

This is what my setup at my old job looked like. Who's a-thunk a photo like this could induce nostalgia?

scottfsmith

I have my kit spread around my office in various spots to dry out. My office is generally pretty messy so it blends right in 😁

RidingMatthew

I have a metal garden rod under my desk. I run a fan on them and microfiber towel most of the day.
no one has said they smell anything. I wear the same clothes to and from work. Bib shorts and jersey in the NC summertime cycling clothes in the winter as well.

mstateglfr 

Old job- 16mi each way- had a desk in an open bullpen style layout. There were showers. I would shower and hang clothes in the shower room. Then I moved the clothes to hang on a bar brace under my desk. That worked best as I had a small fan run to dry everything out by noon, and it was out if sight since it was on a support bar under the desk.

Current job- 7mi each way- have an office. No showers. I hang the stuff in a small coat closet in my office.



If I were in an office setting with cubicles or open bullpen and couldn't hang it in a desk brace bar out of the way, I would ask to hang it in the server closet/room. Tons of air circulation in those and typically nobody goes in em so the clothes are out of the way.

Korina

My workplace had a door that was open all the time, so I got a set of dollar store over-the-door hooks and just hung my clothes on the backside of the door. Cheap, discreet, and everything dried quickly. HTH.

zandoval 

Ya might want to try out a portable ozone generator.
40 USD Amazon: HME Trow-N-Go Ozone Air Purifier for Clothing and Gear

I used ta use a rechargeable battery powered fan similar to a computer muffin fan. It could circulate enough air through my locker vents to dry out most of my stuff. Of course it did not do much for my stink.

Sedgemop 

Most offices I've worked in have coat closets that are empty in the summer. Haven't had any problems hanging damp clothes in the coat closet on hangers during the work day. Clothes are dry by the end of the day.