Symox

I apologize in advance for the gross nature of this post, but I could use some suggestions.

I tend to sweat a lot when I ride hard (mainly up hills). Try as i might, I cannot seem to stop the post ride underarm stench.

I've verified its not embedded in the jerseys as I've cleaned them with Borax and white vinegar *and* I've gotten the same smell after riding with an unwashed new jersey.

The stench is in the underarm area

I thought antiperspirant would help, but alas, I just came back from a 2 hour ride and "woof"

I've tried shaving the pits, using deodorant (helps a bit) and antiperspirant (worked once) but I'm not sure what the deal is - i'm a stinker

I don't seem to have this issue when exercising in a gym (or maybe I don't work out as hard). In the gym i tend to wear cotton so i don't know how much of it is related to the fabric type (my jerseys are all from Voler made of synthetic material). Not sure what it is about bicycle riding and/or jerseys that bring this out but its pretty annoying

Seattle Forrest

Try a merino one.

datlas 

Sorry, this persists AFTER you shower with lots of soap and water?

joesch

What is your diet?

rumrunn6

I've read that smell come from decaying bacteria. you may need to clean more thoroughly. I personally have had to do multiple treatments under my arms. shaving is not necessary but use scissors to reduce hair length. I'v tried all kinds of things, back to back. it wouldn't hurt to try whatever you have in the shower, such as bar soap, shampoo, shaving cream, etc. now this last suggestion is the best, but I suggest adding it to a soapy washcloth after you've used all the others. don't damage your skin w/ scrubbing. here's the last thing you can try & it's potent so just a small dab spread over a soapy washcloth, OK. toothpaste. whatever kind you have will help. diff. types are stringer, like the mint flavored ones. the gentler type for sensitive teeth would be kinder to your skin. I now have a good routine, so I rarely have to resort to the multi product plus toothpaste routine. good luck!

qwaalodge

This. Eating lots of meat and spices will make you stink.

I also sweat a lot on the underarm area but don't stink much. I have low meat diet, very few spices, and sponge bath everyday. Daily sponge bath is also huge help.

cyclezen

An understanding of the sources is essential to working towards solutions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_o...2Den%2D3%2Done)
"...In humans, the formation of body odors is caused by factors such as diet, sex, health, and medication, but the major contribution comes from bacterial activity on skin glandsecretions.[1] Humans have three types of sweat glands: eccrine sweat glands, apocrine sweat glands and sebaceous glands...."
SO whatever affects the activity of the sweat glands, the bacterial load of the area, and what holds the stinky byproducts should be considered.
Our local club kit is from Voler - but then it's likely that Voler uses a number of fabrics, different in constitution, depends on what they're producing...
1. To remove (or include) the fabric type from the search equation - have you ridden the same kind of riding using another fabric type? You say cotton, in the gym, doesn;t seem to give you BO... Ride a cotton shirt with roughly the same weight and fit - determine if it smells as much. Now, that may not be a good tell, because some fabrics just 'present' the BO stronger/better than others. But if cotton comes back stinky, then maybe it's not a major part of the stink awareness equation.
I have ONE jersey, out of some 4-5 dozen, which ALWAYS holds stink strongly... totally fabric problem, because, even though I do perspire, most jerseys aren't badly obnoxious after a long ride (confirmed from ride buddies...). So this one jersey - even though it's a fav, is relegated to non-use.
... are you a 'cheese' or 'vinegar' guy ?
Ride on... quickly ... into a slight headwind...
Yuri

The_woo

https://trustproducts.co.uk/products...our-protection

This deodorant is a game changer for life in general, not quite sure it’s it’s originally intended for extra smelly people or those doing adventure trekking / riding / festivals with days without showers etc. but it’s incredible as someone who commutes by bike, does group rides multiple times a week, goes bikepacking etc.

One application a week, fully waterproof, can shower as normal once it’s dried. It works by stopping the bacteria that cause smells but doesn’t stop you sweating. A tiny pot last 6+ weeks minimum.

tajimirich

It's diet. Guarantee. Particularly guilty parties would include Red Bull et al, beef, spices, coke, stuff like that..

Also, cut your armpit hair as short as possible, no need to shave but short enough to allow your deodorant to evenly coat your skin.. try to get a block-type deodorant that specifically says it can protect you for 48 hours and the like.

freeranger

Not much to add to the above. Have you tried showering using Dial soap?

indyfabz

+1. If it’s only before you shower, so what?

PeteHski

Yep, Merino base layer and top to avoid the smells. Works amazingly well for me.

rumrunn6

in the list of things the OP mentioned, absent is a shower. not that I need a shower before a ride, but my old joints like a warm/hot shower to help me stretch & limber up. & yes there will be less bacteria to migrate to my clothing, regardless of fabric & under arm treatment. I generally wash my ride gear right after my rides. depending on the ride, I'll shower again. I do like water. always seem to have some laundry kicking around the house that I can throw in to make a load. admiringly easy when my washer is right next to my bedroom

indyfabz

I meant post-ride, pre-shower. It’s hard to tell if the OP referencing continued smell post-shower.

rumrunn6

oh right, of course

rumrunn6

with multilayered rides, like in the winter, where I've used up to 5 layers, one has to decide how far out, from the skin, do the layers require a wash

1. wind breaker vest - no
2. fleece jacket w/ open pit zips - no
3. thermal layer, like my favorite fleece shirt - maybe
4. thicker base - yes
5. thin base against skin - yes

Symox

no, what is it about dial that helps?

Symox

i can't seem to find many merino jerseys, but lots of base layers.

Maybe i'll give them a try

Symox

I don't shower before a ride
i definitely shower right after and soak my clothing overnight in a bucket of water with some white vinegar and Borax.

Polaris OBark

Cut your armpit hair, and put antibiotic cream in your arm-pits about once a week.

datlas 

I (still) don't understand the problem. Please clarify:

Is the concern that your body/pits stink after a ride and AFTER a shower?? That's not normal.

Or is the concern that your bike clothing stinks after a ride?? That's kinda normal.

rumrunn6

interesting combo! when I can't wash right away I've done a cpl things. sometimes I'll use bar soap on armpits & crotch areas w/ a little water, squeeze dry but damp. or spray w/ some liquid detergent that I keep for stains. I used to use stain remover like Shout, etc. but in a pinch I resorted to liquid laundry detergent. seems good enough so why spend extra $$

noimagination

Your original post is a little ambiguous, so I'm listing the assumptions under which I'm providing my feedback:
1) You "stink" after cycling.
2) The odor is not residual odor on your cycling clothing from previous rides.
3) This odor is not present when working out in a gym.
4) The odor is not persistent after showering.

Personally, I notice that my body odor is different depending on the ride. For rides spent mainly in the aerobic or lower zones, my body odor is basically concentrated eau-de-noimagination, it isn't unusually smelly it just smells as if I haven't taken a shower in a few days. For hard rides with significant time spent at LT or higher levels of effort, the odor is quite different and more stinky. The difference you notice between that present after cycling and that present after a gym workout might be explained by this . Differences in diet, obviously, can also affect body odor - going on a ride the day after a meal heavy in garlic, for example, can result in body odor that is different from normal.

I wouldn't be too concerned, people smell after working hard. If you're offending anyone's sensibility then that's their problem, IMO. Maybe try a ride at an easy pace, and see if your body odor is significantly less, to see if the level of effort is causing the unusual level of odor?

freeranger

Doesn't necessarily have to be Dial, but they make anti-bacterial soap. If nothing else has helped, worth trying. No loss if it doesn't work, still have useable soap.

noimagination

Sorry, just a follow up:
I'm not an exercise physiologist, so others on the board may be able to help more than me (and correct my errors), but: excess body odor could indicate you're getting into ketosis during your rides. While this is not a bad thing in moderation, if you're going into ketosis during every ride, that is not a good thing - you're riding too hard. Consider planning your rides to do more aerobic and recovery level efforts, and do harder rides at planned intervals. Obviously, for us duffers, it's hard not to go into Z4 or Z5 when we hit a difficult hill, but try to get back to Z3 or lower as soon as you can after your climb. Using a HRM (heart rate monitor) during rides can help to maintain discipline.

Again, I know just enough about this subject to be dangerous, so take my post with a rather large grain of salt and do your own research.