# How many rides before you wash your kit?



## BigPoser

Just wondering. I only use one kit for each ride and wash after I have enough for a wash. 

What do you guys do? 1, 2, 5 rides before washing?


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## mik_git

er... 1 ride 1 wash thanks very much.


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## wgscott

Isn't this kind of a personal question? Or do you mean clothing? 

Once it gets so crunchy you can't fold it, it is time to wash it.

I find a good rinse in the shower is often adequate. I wash my jersey when it begins to smell so bad that my wife threatens to withold ..... dinner. (I ride with an under-shirt as well. That gets washed after one use.)


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## Winn

One ride one wash. I've read scary things about bacterial infections from chamois not often washed. I like my man bits in optimal condition. I might wear a jersey twice if it was a cool, short ride. Not the shorts though...


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## woodys737

One ride no matter how short or long = wash.


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## notquiteclimbing

My mid week rides are an hour. I'll wear my kit twice. Anything after an hour I'd wash.


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## paredown

One ride, one wash--except the outer layer jacket in winter... 

Touring tip--wash your kit in the shower with you when you finish the day's ride--always clean and dry by morning.


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## spdntrxi

1 ride = wash


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## BikeLayne

Fresh clean clothing for every ride. I washed my HR monitor last week by accident. It even went through the dryer but it still works.


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## tvad

No wash. Ride. Throw away. Open a new kit. Ride. Repeat.


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## Samfujiabq

One ride one wash is it unanimous yet?


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## Retro Grouch

I wash jersey, bib shorts and gloves after each ride..and I shower too.

I'll even clean the dried salt from sweat off my helmet straps.


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## cxwrench

Oh jesus...how long 'til old whatsername chimes in about how many rides she does before washing her kit? That was nasty...


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## wabasso

cxwrench said:


> Oh jesus...how long 'til old whatsername chimes in about how many rides she does before washing her kit? That was nasty...


There is a story here ......


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## 96_Litespeed

I'm trying to figure out why you wouldn't wash your jersey/shorts/bibs after every use.


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## mrcreosote

knicks, undershirt (in winter) or jersey (in summer), socks get 1 days wear
Jacket, long over-knicks, leg/arm warmers get 2-3 days depending on how much I sweat.
gloves may go a week or so before a wash.


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## jlandry

One ride, one wash. There is NO substitute.


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## willstylez

Retro Grouch said:


> I wash jersey, bib shorts and gloves after each ride..and I shower too.
> 
> I'll even clean the dried salt from sweat off my helmet straps.


+1 regarding the Helmet. I rinse my helmet (as a whole) & sunglasses after every ride. 

Bibs / Shorts / Jersey...1 use. If it's a cool weather ride, and fairly short, I'll get 2 rides out of my Jersey.


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## tihsepa

wabasso said:


> There is a story here ......


Yeah, there was a lady around here that waited a disgustingly long time before a wash. 

It was nasty.


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## Keoki

tihsepa said:


> Yeah, there was a lady around here that waited a disgustingly long time before a wash.
> 
> It was nasty.


Okay, I'm going to throw up now...


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## 9W9W

1 ride = 1 wash. though I s'pose if you wash it every ride, that was wash is probably different than a full cycle. I quick soak in a bowl, rub together, mash it with my hands, pay particular attention to chamois. rinse. done. 5 minutes. other times, if I'm lazy, ultra handwash cycle in machine. 

but yes, I perspire so much that I wash it every time. My buddy when asked said he washes it every other ride, same with his tops. 

gloves = never (I know, right)
helmet = little less than never (rinse it off when I remember)
socks = my shoes are really vented and I can get 2-3 rides out of socks before I wash them (just because). 

..... i don't know why these items don't make it to my "must wash" category, probably because they can't give me ass sores.


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## Shegens

Everything every time, but I'm an OCD clean nut. I wash mine in the bathroom sink in liquid baby detergent, hang and let drip dry.


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## NJBiker72

Wash bib and jersey everytime. Sometimes in winter, I will wear the outer layer bibs a second time if using shorts with chamois and bib tights without over the top.

But the chamois is to absorb sweat, do you really want to wear it more than once.

As for jerseys, I have enough. Over the years I have accumulated them from rides, clubs and souvenirs. Can't ride enough to wear them all. Now use them for running too.


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## phoehn9111

Fellas....

Troll


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## Gregory Taylor

Shorts/bibs = one ride, one wash. Even the wool ones. If it has a chamois, it gets washed.

Poly jerseys and underthings = one ride, one wash 

Cool Weather Gear Like Tights and Arm Warmers = it depends. No chamois, it can go a couple of cycles if you don't sweat too much. I hang them up turned inside out to let them dry.

Wool jerseys = they too can wait a bit. Hand wash every three or four rides. You don't want to be too aggressive and wash out the oils in wool that give it its warm properties when it gets damp or wet. Wool doesn't get the same funk that poly materials can get if you let it marinate in body proteins and sweat. However, wet wool smells like, well, wet wool. And I always wear a base layer (that is washed every time) to catch perspiration.


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## cdhbrad

Seems most of the prior posters misinterpreted the OPs real question: "I only use one kit for each ride and wash after I have enough for a wash. 
What do you guys do? 1, 2, 5 rides before washing?"

He agrees with everyone who has posted....fresh kit for every ride......but is asking in the last sentence of his post how long we let dirty kits sit in the basket before we wash them? Personally, I try to ride 6 days a week, taking Friday off, and I wash bike clothes at least twice a week, usually on Thursdays and Sundays. My wife rides too, just not as many days, so we wash a lot of bike clothes each week. 

Hope this helps the OP.


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## fireplug

Just as most people said...one ride one wash. I usually hand wash my stuff in the sink and hang them up before I get in the shower. Every is clean and dry for the next day.

My winter stuff in another story. Warmers, jackets and that kind of stuff are washed after a half a dozen rides or so.


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## tvad

cdhbrad said:


> Seems most of the prior posters misinterpreted the OPs real question: "I only use one kit for each ride and wash after I have enough for a wash.
> What do you guys do? 1, 2, 5 rides before washing?"
> 
> He agrees with everyone who has posted....fresh kit for every ride......but is asking in the last sentence of his post how long we let dirty kits sit in the basket before we wash them?


A+ for reading the question correctly.


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## cmtbiz

I think what OP is telling us that he wash and wear his kit for each ride.. but he just wants to know if anyone else wears same kit for more than a ride. (I could be wrong with my interpretation). 




tvad said:


> A+ for reading the question correctly.


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## AndreyT

BigPoser said:


> Just wondering. I only use one kit for each ride and wash after I have enough for a wash.


What kind of rides do you do? Cyclocross? Road? Do you get home covered in mud?

If you are a regular road rider, i.e. you come back from the ride in sweat, but otherwise clean, then the standard kit care procedure involves _rinsing_ all your gear in cold or lukewarm water after each ride. In other words, you handwash the kit in clean water (no detergent) and hang it to dry. That is all that's needed and that is the standard procedure cyclists normally adhere to.

Note, that doing a full-blown wash of your kit after each ride (as in washing machine + detergent) is an absolute no-no. Rules like "1 ride = 1 wash" are adhered to only by clueless people. This will ruin your kit very quickly. Nobody does that. A full-blown washing is done only occasionally, like after each 10 or 20 rides. (This is highly dependent on personal parameters and on the riding type). Basically, if you want your kit to perform properly, it very important to _avoid_ doing a full-blown wash on your kit as long as possible. Thorough lukewarm rinses after each ride is how you achieve that. 

(I saw some people recommend very mild detergent when doing that rinse, like small amount baby soap. Again, you can try it, maybe... In my case I didn't notice much benefit from it.)

If you are riding wet cyclocross, then, of course, it is a different story. But in that case you should get used to the fact tat your kits become almost single-use.


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## tlg

Of course... 1 ride = 1 wash. Do people wear their underwear more than once? :frown2:



BigPoser said:


> Just wondering. I only use one kit for each ride and wash after I have enough for a wash.
> 
> What do you guys do? 1, 2, 5 rides before washing?


I usually do laundry 2x a week. So my cycling stuff gets washed every 3-5 days. 

I think the jist of your question is you're wondering if the clothes get funky sitting for several days. I make sure to not throw them in the hamper. I hang them to dry right after removal. Something I've been trying lately, as it's been hot and humid is after I take them off, I spray the chamois and jersey pits with Enzyme Stain Remover (Zout). It seems to work well. Enzymes feed on bacteria. And bacteria causes odors. 

If you let them sit too long and bacteria start to grow, a simple washing will not help. Bacteria can survive the washing machine. I got jock itch once (from washed) bibs. Never had it before. OMFG!
If your stuff smells after washing, soak them in a bucket of water with a cup of vinegar. Also putting a cup of vinegar in the washing machine is a good idea. It's cheap, natural, and kills bacteria.


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## JCavilia

One regular exception to onerideonewash: commuting. I wear the same thing home in the afternoon that I wore in the morning. But the ride is relatively short (6-11 miles), mornings are cooler (though sometimes humid enough for serious sweating), and I hang everything up to dry during the day.

I wash once a week, usually, so I'm saving up 5 or 6 or 7 outfits. But I leave them out to dry thoroughly before tossing in the laundry bag, so I'm not helping bacteria grow -- or not too much, anyway.


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## cxwrench

AndreyT said:


> What kind of rides do you do? Cyclocross? Road? Do you get home covered in mud?
> 
> If you are a regular road rider, i.e. you come back from the ride in sweat, but otherwise clean, then the standard kit care procedure involves _rinsing_ all your gear in cold or lukewarm water after each ride. In other words, you handwash the kit in clean water (no detergent) and hang it to dry. That is all that's needed and that is the standard procedure cyclists typically adhere to.
> 
> Note, that doing a full-blown wash of your kit after each ride (as in wasing machine + detergent) is an absolute no-no. This will ruin your kit very quickly. Nobody does that. A full-blown washing is done only occasionally, like after each 10 or 20 rides. (This is highly dependent on personal parameters and on the riding type). Basically, if you want your kit to perform properly, it very important to _avoid_ doing a full-blown wash on your kit as long as possible. Thorough lukewarm rinses after each ride is how you achieve that.
> 
> (I saw some people recommend very mild detergent when doing that rinse, like small amount baby soap. Again, you can try it, maybe... In my case I didn't notice much benefit from it.)


That's one 'standard' procedure I've never heard anyone use. Never.


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## tlg

AndreyT said:


> If you are a regular road rider, i.e. you come back from the ride in sweat, but otherwise clean, then the standard kit care procedure involves _rinsing_ all your gear in cold or lukewarm water after each ride. In other words, you handwash the kit in clean water (no detergent) and hang it to dry. That is all that's needed and that is the standard procedure cyclists normally adhere to.


NEVER heard this one before.

So how does cold or lukewarm water kill bacteria. 

Is this the same procedure you follow for cleaning your underwear?



> Rules like "1 ride = 1 wash" are adhered to only by clueless people. This will ruin your kit very quickly. Nobody does that.


Guess I'm clueless. So tell me... what is "very quickly". My stuff lasts years.


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## AndreyT

cxwrench said:


> That's one 'standard' procedure I've never heard anyone use. Never.


Well, say, for example, I'm pretty sure that the piano tuning involves a lot of procedures that are considered "standard" in the piano tuning world. Yet, I have absolutely no clue about any of these procedures. I never heard about them. Why? Because I'm not involved in piano tuning. But if one day I decided to become a piano tuner, I'm sure I would gradually become more aware of what is considered "standard" in that world.

That's exactly how it works in the cycling world. As your exposure to the accepted (aka "standard") practices increases, you gradually get a better hang of it. You never heard about rinsing the kit after each ride, you say? I don't think so. Actually, that is exactly what cyclists mean by "washing" your kit after each ride. So, you heard about it, you simply didn't realize what it really meant. A lot of people make that mistake, ending up following the rabid and bizarre practice of throwing their gear into a washing machine after each ride. 

It is a good example of a "cargo cult" in cycling world: confused people doing things mechanically without giving any thought to why they are doing this and what for.


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## AndreyT

tlg said:


> NEVER heard this one before.


You live, you learn.



tlg said:


> So how does cold or lukewarm water kill bacteria.


Not sure I understand your question. Is this about water temperature or about absence of detergent? I hope you don't wash your kit in _hot_ water "to kill bacteria" (LOL!). (Albeit I won't be much surprised to find out that you do.)

What bacteria, anyway? The sweat-breaking bacteria that got transferred from your body will all be dead once the fabric is dry. Rinse it clean and dry it. That's all there is to it.



tlg said:


> Is this the same procedure you follow for cleaning your underwear?


With your permission I'll do a soliloquy here. (Whispers to the spectators: I believe this is American Humor (tm), ladies and gentleman!)



tlg said:


> Guess I'm clueless. So tell me... what is "very quickly". My stuff lasts years.


Facepalm and sigh... No, sweetie, judging by your approach your "stuff" lasts for one or two washes at best. After that it is useless garbage. It is just that you don't realize it. Of course, if you buy useless garbage in the first place, then it might make no difference whatsoever.


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## tlg

AndreyT said:


> What bacteria, anyway? The sweat-breaking bacteria that got transferred from your body will all be dead once the fabric is dry. Rinse it clean and dry it. That's all there is to it.


Uhhh sorry, that doesn't kill bacteria.



> (Whispers: I'll risk a guess that this is American Humor (tm), gentleman!)


Where do you get humor from that? Do you simply wash your underwear in cold or lukewarm? 



> Facepalm and sigh... No, sweetie, judging by your approach your "stuff" lasts for one or two washes at best. After that it is useless garbage. It is just that you don't realize it. Of course, if you buy useless garbage in the first place, then it might make no difference whatsoever.


Speaking of clueless.  
You haven't seen my laundered clothing. It lasts years.

And I'm not your sweetie.


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## JCavilia

Beyond weird, Andrey. I've never met any cyclist who does the things you call "standard" procedure, and nearly every one I've ever spoken to engages in the "rabid and bizarre" practice of putting things in the washing machine with detergent.

Including me.



> your "stuff" lasts for one or two washes at best. After that it is useless garbage.


Funny thing is, after dozens of washes it seems to look and feel and perform the same as it did new. What am I supposed to be looking for to determine that it's ruined?

One more thing:



> As your exposure to the accepted (aka "standard") practices increases, you gradually get a better hang of it. You never heard about rinsing the kit after each ride, you say? I don't think so.


You were addressing this comment to a guy (cxwrench) who has been riding and racing and working as a professional bike mechanic for more than 40 years.


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## GearDaddy

I'm not in agreement with AndreyT here, but on the flip side I think you could challenge the confidence that machine washing with regular detergent is really needed in all cases or that it in fact "kills all of the bacteria", etc.

I say this from the perspective of being a hockey player, where issues with cleaning equipment and the negative results of bacteria and infection seem to be bigger issues than in cycling. The fact is that even regular machine washing with detergent doesn't get rid of all of the bad stuff. Look it up in regards to cleaning hockey equipment and you'll find a lot of info regarding more stringent cleaning practices to really do the job right.

It's not just about how you clean your equipment too. There are other best practices to avoid problems, such as:
a) Getting out of your sweaty stuff as soon as possible after your ride.
b) Allowing recently used equipment to air dry to minimize bacteria growth.
c) Using bacteria resistant stuff, i.e. there have been good developments in chamois to help this situation.
d) Using other products besides water and washing detergent to treat and clean equipment.
e) Using other products to treat and clean your own body after removing the equipment.


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## berserk87

I try my best to run my worn kits through the wash on the same day of wear. I find that if I don't, and the kit is really sweaty, it will retain my B.O. stench more easily than washing sooner. 

I also found that a kit that has become attached to my B.O. can be cured a bit by soaking it in a vinegar and water solution.


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## junior1210

Wow, if kits only survive one washing before becoming useless, I'm glad I've never ponied up for 'kit', just jerseys and shorts. :idea: The short/liners and jerseys I ride in get a full machine wash in cold water and detergent and hung to dry (since that's the what the care instructions that came with the garments call for), and have lasted quite some time (years). Doesn't matter if I'm on the pavement for 50 miles or the dirt for 20, they get washed every time. If this is somehow destroying them, I'll just have to take the hit. I'm not rich or have a ton of disposable income, but I can afford to buy a mid-level jersey or shorts/bib every 6 months if it came to that. Better than taking the risk of stinking or getting a fungus of some kind or other.


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## Corenfa

JCavilia said:


> One regular exception to onerideonewash: commuting. I wear the same thing home in the afternoon that I wore in the morning. But the ride is relatively short (6-11 miles), mornings are cooler (though sometimes humid enough for serious sweating), and I hang everything up to dry during the day.
> 
> I wash once a week, usually, so I'm saving up 5 or 6 or 7 outfits. But I leave them out to dry thoroughly before tossing in the laundry bag, so I'm not helping bacteria grow -- or not too much, anyway.



Curious - only because of the quandary that I've had around this same thing.

I've gone back and forth about either taking off my kit and bringing a FULL change of clothes or just leaving my kit on underneath my work clothes. I work in an offices, so slacks and a button down shirt with dress shoes.

I've done the latter mainly because I don't have a particularly good place to keep my kit at the office, but by the end of the day, the kit leaves me feeling hot and ready to peel it off. 

BTW, I'm in the one-ride, on-kit, one-wash camp. There's a reason team buses have washing machines in the bottom.


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## tvad

Corenfa said:


> I've gone back and forth about either taking off my kit and bringing a FULL change of clothes or just leaving my kit on underneath my work clothes. I work in an offices, so slacks and a button down shirt with dress shoes.
> 
> I've done the latter mainly because I don't have a particularly good place to keep my kit at the office...


Good God.


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## Corenfa

tvad said:


> Good God.


I'm not sure how this comment is useful or of any help. Please elaborate.


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## tihsepa

AndreyT said:


> Well, say, for example, I'm pretty sure that the piano tuning involves a lot of procedures that are considered "standard" in the piano tuning world. Yet, I have absolutely no clue about any of these procedures. I never heard about them. Why? Because I'm not involved in piano tuning. But if one day I decided to become a piano tuner, I'm sure I would gradually become more aware of what is considered "standard" in that world.
> 
> That's exactly how it works in the cycling world. As your exposure to the accepted (aka "standard") practices increases, you gradually get a better hang of it. You never heard about rinsing the kit after each ride, you say? I don't think so. Actually, that is exactly what cyclists mean by "washing" your kit after each ride. So, you heard about it, you simply didn't realize what it really meant. A lot of people make that mistake, ending up following the rabid and bizarre practice of throwing their gear into a washing machine after each ride.
> 
> It is a good example of a "cargo cult" in cycling world: confused people doing things mechanically without giving any thought to why they are doing this and what for.


You are on ludes if you think you can lecture CX on what cyclists do and still retain any credibility.

For the record, your "standard procedures" are not standard. In fact they down right stink. 

Have a nice day.


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## JCavilia

Corenfa said:


> Curious - only because of the quandary that I've had around this same thing.
> 
> I've gone back and forth about either taking off my kit and bringing a FULL change of clothes or just leaving my kit on underneath my work clothes. I work in an offices, so slacks and a button down shirt with dress shoes.


I understand you may have some constraints, but that sounds incredibly gross, not to mention possibly smelly wearing the sweaty cycling clothes under office garb. I'd look harder for someplace to hang stuff up --maybe there's a file room or storage closet, etc, where it won't be obtrusive.

I'm lucky. My employer provides showers and a locker room (mainly used buy lunchtime joggers, but cycle commuting has picked up in recenty years). 

If you're bringing in slacks and shirt anyway, it isn't much more to bring underwear.


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## Corenfa

JCavilia said:


> I understand you may have some constraints, but that sounds incredibly gross, not to mention possibly smelly wearing the sweaty cycling clothes under office garb. I'd look harder for someplace to hang stuff up --maybe there's a file room or storage closet, etc, where it won't be obtrusive.
> 
> I'm lucky. My employer provides showers and a locker room (mainly used buy lunchtime joggers, but cycle commuting has picked up in recenty years).
> 
> If you're bringing in slacks and shirt anyway, it isn't much more to bring underwear.


Unfortunately, there's really no place for me to hang it. It's a very open office farm. However, I live in Seattle. My trek to the office is mostly down hill and never in temps higher than 60 degrees. I do not sweat coming into the office. (If I were still in VA with 85 degree morning temps, it would be a different story).

Believe me, if I smelled, my coworkers would be eager to inform me.

edit - 
On the way home, with 3,000 feet of elevation gain, I definitely do sweat, but I promptly hop in the shower.


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## tvad

Corenfa said:


> I'm not sure how this comment is useful or of any help. Please elaborate.


It's a statement of an opinion regarding your choice of leaving your kit on under your work clothes, as it relates to personal hygiene and consideration of the comfort of your co-workers.

Hope that helps clear it up.


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## Corenfa

tvad said:


> It's a statement of an opinion regarding your choice of leaving your kit on under your work clothes, as it relates to personal hygiene and consideration of the comfort of your co-workers.
> 
> Hope that helps clear it up.


Please note, I've already replied that I don't sweat on my way in (as it's almost all down hill and cool).

Why would cycling shorts be anymore unsanitary than boxers or briefs? Why would a jersey be less sanitary than a t-shirt? I would consider taking those things off and letting them sit in a bag then putting them back on to be far more gross.


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## tvad

Corenfa said:


> Please note, I've already replied that I don't sweat on my way in (as it's almost all down hill and cool).
> 
> Why would cycling shorts be anymore unsanitary than boxers or briefs? Why would a jersey be less sanitary than a t-shirt? I would consider taking those things off and letting them sit in a bag then putting them back on to be far more gross.


You may not think you sweat, but it's likely you do. 

Cycling shorts fit tighter and because of the chamois do not breathe as well as underwear, and therefore create an environment for bacteria if left on all day. As stated earlier by others, it's gross hygiene, and while you may not believe you have bad body odor after your cycling commute, your co-workers may think otherwise. 

Anyway, you appear intractable on the subject, so it's time to move on...


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## tlg

AndreyT said:


> Note, that doing a full-blown wash of your kit after each ride (as in washing machine + detergent) is an absolute no-no. Rules like "1 ride = 1 wash" are adhered to only by clueless people. This will ruin your kit very quickly. Nobody does that.


Clearly you know more than Team Sky. For they are obviously clueless.

Team Sky Mechanics' Truck Tour | Tour De France 2014 - YouTube


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## n2deep

JCavilia said:


> Beyond weird, Andrey. I've never met any cyclist who does the things you call "standard" procedure, and nearly every one I've ever spoken to engages in the "rabid and bizarre" practice of putting things in the washing machine with detergent.
> 
> Including me.
> 
> Funny thing is, after dozens of washes it seems to look and feel and perform the same as it did new. What am I supposed to be looking for to determine that it's ruined?
> 
> One more thing:
> 
> You were addressing this comment to a guy (cxwrench) who has been riding and racing and working as a professional bike mechanic for more than 40 years.



Amen Brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is no excuse for being filthy in todays world.. A lttle soap and a little water will work wonders.. Nothing wrong with getting stinky,, but staying stinky is a different story,, more signs of bad wiring.


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## JCavilia

Corenfa said:


> Unfortunately, there's really no place for me to hang it. It's a very open office farm. However, I live in Seattle. My trek to the office is mostly down hill and never in temps higher than 60 degrees. I do not sweat coming into the office. (If I were still in VA with 85 degree morning temps, it would be a different story).
> 
> Believe me, if I smelled, my coworkers would be eager to inform me.
> 
> edit -
> On the way home, with 3,000 feet of elevation gain, I definitely do sweat, but I promptly hop in the shower.


If it's really all downhill on the way in, and always cool, here's what I'd do: Wear the work clothes on the way in, carry the cycling clothes and change in to them for the ride home. 

In any event, I do not like sitting around for a long time in cycling shorts when not riding, whether before or after a ride. I'd change.

Don't you even have a cubicle wall where you could put a hook? Given what I know of Seattle, I'm having a hard time envisioning an office environment so stuffy that people would object to a cycling jersey and shorts hanging in sight. But what do I know?

3000 feet? Really? How long is your ride?


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## cxwrench

AndreyT said:


> Well, say, for example, I'm pretty sure that the piano tuning involves a lot of procedures that are considered "standard" in the piano tuning world. Yet, I have absolutely no clue about any of these procedures. I never heard about them. Why? Because I'm not involved in piano tuning. But if one day I decided to become a piano tuner, I'm sure I would gradually become more aware of what is considered "standard" in that world.
> 
> That's exactly how it works in the cycling world. As your exposure to the accepted (aka "standard") practices increases, you gradually get a better hang of it. You never heard about rinsing the kit after each ride, you say? I don't think so. Actually, that is exactly what cyclists mean by "washing" your kit after each ride. So, you heard about it, you simply didn't realize what it really meant. A lot of people make that mistake, ending up following the rabid and bizarre practice of throwing their gear into a washing machine after each ride.
> 
> It is a good example of a "cargo cult" in cycling world: confused people doing things mechanically without giving any thought to why they are doing this and what for.


You obviously have no idea what I've been doing for the last 30 years. You are most definitely in the minority w/ your 'technique', trust me. Assos is pretty much what everyone agrees to be the best of the best. Directly from their site:

After each ride, hang the garments in a well-ventilated environment or wash them immediately.
Do not hang the garments in the direct sunlight.
Never store damp clothes in a non-ventilated environment (e.g. plastic bags, sport bag, suitcase, etc.).
If your body has a tendency to sweat a lot, water-rinse the garments after each use to protect the fibers from bacterial attacks which might lead to fabric deterioration.

(That last sentence is meant as a pre-wash step if you're not going clean them right away.)


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## arai_speed

I am in the 1 use = 1 wash camp.

Anything else is just nasty!


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## cdhbrad

Who would have thought that there would now be 55 replies to the simple question of: "how many dirty kits do you wash at one time?" Maybe some need to get out and dirty kits more often, so it will give them something to do.


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## Corenfa

JCavilia said:


> If it's really all downhill on the way in, and always cool, here's what I'd do: Wear the work clothes on the way in, carry the cycling clothes and change in to them for the ride home.
> 
> In any event, I do not like sitting around for a long time in cycling shorts when not riding, whether before or after a ride. I'd change.
> 
> Don't you even have a cubicle wall where you could put a hook? Given what I know of Seattle, I'm having a hard time envisioning an office environment so stuffy that people would object to a cycling jersey and shorts hanging in sight. But what do I know?
> 
> 3000 feet? Really? How long is your ride?



Thanks for the thoughtful reply. The commute is about 20 miles. I come from the "ridge" near the Puget sound down into the valley. Coming home, there is a LOT of climbing. Heading out, there is some, but only about 700 feet. (It's actually only about 2600 total feet of elevation coming back. I rounded up.)

The cube farm isn't stuffy per se. It's that there aren't tall cube walls. It's short desks in an open environment.

I like the idea of just wearing the clothes on the way to the office - no issues there.


----------



## tlg

cdhbrad said:


> Who would have thought that there would now be 55 replies to the simple question of: "how many dirty kits do you wash at one time?"


Well that was a thoughtful post #56.
I notice you didn't answer the OP either. 



> Maybe some need to get out and dirty kits more often, so it will give them something to do.


You included? 
I can't ride till after work.


----------



## mikejd

What you need to do is wear the same kit for every ride, tracking your number of rides, until you develop jock itch. Wash clothing then. This is your baseline. Next time, back off your baseline by 5 rides just to be safe. Not sure if serious...


----------



## cdhbrad

Oh, but I did reply......5 hours ago. My last comment certainly wasn't directed to you, I just couldn't find a better place to put it. I just find it interesting that there is a thread about how many kits to put in the washing machine and its generated almost 60 responses. 

Sure enough, I'll be out after work too dirtying up another kit to add to the dirty ones already waiting to be washed tonight, it's Thursday after all and, as I said above, we wash bike clothes on Thursday and Sunday.

Hope you have a great ride tonight.


----------



## tlg

cdhbrad said:


> Oh, but I did reply......5 hours ago.


Ahhh gotcha.



> My last comment certainly wasn't directed to you, I just couldn't find a better place to put it. I just find it interesting that there is a thread about how many kits to put in the washing machine and its generated almost 60 responses.


Well that's kinda the cool thing about forum threads. They can diverge into multiple topics that aren't necessarily the OP. I've surely learned things... like certain people say they know what "everyone" in the cycling world does. Yet no one else in the cycling world knows of such things. AND those certain people seem to have terrible hygiene habits. Hopefully I'm never stuck behind them in a paceline!



> Sure enough, I'll be out after work too dirtying up another kit to add to the dirty ones already waiting to be washed tonight, it's Thursday after all and, as I said above, we wash bike clothes on Thursday and Sunday.
> 
> Hope you have a great ride tonight.


I will be MTB'ing tonight. So surely laundering will be required.


----------



## cdhbrad

Have fun and be safe. I don't MTB, too many friends tell stories about breaking bones in crashes. So far, I've only "fractured" a few on the road but no compound fractures.....at least not yet.


----------



## BigPoser

Man it is really entertaining reading all of your posts. Some of you guys are pretty nasty! 

My kits are used once before they are washed. Now sometimes I wait a couple days so that I can wash two kits together in the washer, but never more than one use, that's just gross.


----------



## JCavilia

tlg said:


> I will be MTB'ing tonight. So surely laundering will be required.


Just don't use any soap, or all your clothes will fall apart.

I've about half convinced myself that AndreyT is pure troll, and just makes it all up.

But only half . . .


----------



## spade2you

There's a guy in my area who smells like road kill.


----------



## arai_speed

spade2you said:


> There's a guy in my area who smells like road kill.


Do you think that's because he doubles or maybe even triple dips into his bibs w/out washing? Or cause he's just a smelly guy?


----------



## Blackbeerthepirate

spade2you said:


> There's a guy in my area who smells like road kill.


That guy does a shop ride down here too!

Don't be that guy!!!



I get my cycling stuff off as soon as I can. Just hate sitting in that any longer than I have to. I'll hand wash jerseys, shorts, sun sleeves, neckerchief and socks as soon as I get home and hang them to dry. As lazy as I am, if I don't do it right away, it won't get done. Gloves, helmet pads and stuff like that gets washed when they stink. 

I used to use Woolite but after forgetting to bring some on a trip and using Dr. Bronners 'cause it's all I had, I'm sticking with the Dr. That stuff works great. No stains, stuff seems to be holding up well and smells like peppermint.


----------



## LVbob

AndreyT said:


> What kind of rides do you do? Cyclocross? Road? Do you get home covered in mud?
> 
> If you are a regular road rider, i.e. you come back from the ride in sweat, but otherwise clean, then the standard kit care procedure involves _rinsing_ all your gear in cold or lukewarm water after each ride. In other words, you handwash the kit in clean water (no detergent) and hang it to dry. That is all that's needed and that is the standard procedure cyclists normally adhere to.
> 
> Note, that doing a full-blown wash of your kit after each ride (as in washing machine + detergent) is an absolute no-no. Rules like "1 ride = 1 wash" are adhered to only by clueless people. This will ruin your kit very quickly. Nobody does that. A full-blown washing is done only occasionally, like after each 10 or 20 rides. (This is highly dependent on personal parameters and on the riding type). Basically, if you want your kit to perform properly, it very important to _avoid_ doing a full-blown wash on your kit as long as possible. Thorough lukewarm rinses after each ride is how you achieve that.
> 
> (I saw some people recommend very mild detergent when doing that rinse, like small amount baby soap. Again, you can try it, maybe... In my case I didn't notice much benefit from it.)
> 
> If you are riding wet cyclocross, then, of course, it is a different story. But in that case you should get used to the fact tat your kits become almost single-use.


Funny that my stuff says "Machine wash cold. Use mild soap." Who to believe? Someone with a story or the manufacturer?


----------



## PBL450

I hand wash my bibs in cold water with a little detergent (ALL Free and Clear) immediately after every ride. Jerseys go in the washing machine. Bibs are holding up just fine BTW and I've washed some many, many times. Jerseys are seemingly fine also. Letting things get air and dry will kill most all bacteria actually but I wouldn't trust it to kill off what might be lurking in my bib. Think of shoes though, pull out the tongues, make sure they get circulation, ALWAYS wear socks in them to catch the skin cells... They stay pretty decent under the right conditions. They get crazy ugly under the wrong conditions... The reason you need to actually clean your bibs is because of the chamois. Others have said the same thing, your crotch stews bacteria in a very different way than the rest of your body. It's why we wash our hands when we use the bathroom. It's why we always put the lid down before we flush the toilet (you do right? It matters...). You are crazy if you repeatedly put a crotch soaked sponge up against your groin and then rub it really hard side-to-side thousands of times with well over a hundred pounds of force and a rigid saddle giving up nothing.


----------



## Donn12

I think the guys on MTBR would get a kick out of this thread


----------



## cxwrench

Funny how Andrey hasn't been around all day...maybe his crotch blew up.


----------



## junior1210

cxwrench said:


> Funny how Andrey hasn't been around all day...maybe his crotch blew up.


Maybe if his crotch were carbon.........


----------



## quikrick1

spade2you said:


> There's a guy in my area who smells like road kill.


I got stuck behind a guy like that once... yuck. To make matters worse, his shorts were so worn out in the back that you could see... well... again... yuck.


----------



## chriscc63

Yikes ! how is this even a question, how often do you change your underwear? like every day right? 

Oh my friend you need to get yourself another kit. Here are link for decent sets with free shipping but be patient it could take like a month to mail cause its from china. you have a choice between 482,377 different sets. good luck.

Wholesale Cycling Jersey Sets - Buy Cheap Cycling Jersey Sets from Cycling Jersey Sets Wholesalers | DHgate


----------



## ph0enix

I do a wash once a season. I've always been a fan of bacteria.


----------



## AndreyT

If it were my field of expertise, this thread alone would probably supply me with enough material for a PhD thesis on how that repetitive and primitive TV, Internet and printed advertisement, despite being generally despised, still manages to plant an easily recognizable and very uniform message into simplistic brains of certain individuals. It is the uniformity and repeatability with which the specimen respond to the corresponding stimuli is what takes the cookie in this case... Same keywords, in the same order, every time.

I could easily explain it by assuming that different forum ids are being owned by the same individual, but I know it is not true. It is just amazing.


----------



## tvad

AndreyT said:


> If it were my field of expertise, this thread alone would probably supply me with enough material for a PhD thesis on how that repetitive and primitive TV, Internet and printed advertisement, despite being generally despised, still manages to plant an easily recognizable and very uniform message into simplistic brains of certain individuals. It is the uniformity and repeatably with with the specimen respond to the corresponding stimuli is what takes the cookie in this case... Same keywords, in the same order, every time.
> 
> I could easily explain it by assuming that different forum ids are being owned by the same individual, but I know it is not true. It is just amazing.


Or...it could mean you don't read wash labels on your cycling clothing.

I'm gonna go with that.


----------



## arai_speed

tvad said:


> Or...it could mean you don't read wash labels on your cycling clothing.
> 
> I'm gonna go with that.


I just read mine. Machine Wash at the top and...get this....IRON LOW TEMP << that was news to me.


----------



## StuntmanMike

I've washed my Ridley once in 2,000 miles. It was after a muddy CX race.

I don't ride in the rain, and I don't ride in the winter weather conditions, so it doesn't get dirty enough to warrant a washing,

My MTB on the other hand, gets washed about every 3rd ride, depending on the ride conditions. If it was a muddy ride, it gets washed immediately after. If it was dry or dusty, no.


----------



## PBL450

AndreyT said:


> If it were my field of expertise, this thread alone would probably supply me with enough material for a PhD thesis on how that repetitive and primitive TV, Internet and printed advertisement, despite being generally despised, still manages to plant an easily recognizable and very uniform message into simplistic brains of certain individuals. It is the uniformity and repeatably with with the specimen respond to the corresponding stimuli is what takes the cookie in this case... Same keywords, in the same order, every time.
> 
> I could easily explain it by assuming that different forum ids are being owned by the same individual, but I know it is not true. It is just amazing.


That doesn't even make sense. Literally. Grammatically or, forgiving language barriers, the content doesn't make a stitch of sense. 

*"It is the uniformity and repeatably with with the specimen respond to the corresponding stimuli is what takes the cookie in this case."*

Huh? That's the biggest line of bullshit ever... As a troll, thank you, I did laugh like hell at that!


----------



## AndreyT

PBL450 said:


> That doesn't even make sense. Literally. Grammatically or, forgiving language barriers, the content doesn't make a stitch of sense.


It is perfectly expected. As it often happens in such cases, it is a self-fulfilling situation of sorts: if you were capable of grasping the meaning of what I said, you wouldn't be participating in this conversation in your current capacity in the first place.



PBL450 said:


> Huh? That's the biggest line of bullshit ever... As a troll, thank you, I did laugh like hell at that!


Oh, that's OK. I get this a lot. It is like trying to explain bicycle physics to some barfly in Milwaukee, WI: all one'd get in return is something along the lines of "that's the biggest line of bullshit ever" and, of course, laughter (yeah, "like hell").


----------



## tvad

StuntmanMike said:


> I've washed my Ridley once in 2,000 miles. It was after a muddy CX race.
> 
> I don't ride in the rain, and I don't ride in the winter weather conditions, so it doesn't get dirty enough to warrant a washing,
> 
> My MTB on the other hand, gets washed about every 3rd ride, depending on the ride conditions. If it was a muddy ride, it gets washed immediately after. If it was dry or dusty, no.


Washing bikes is not the topic.


----------



## cxwrench

AndreyT said:


> It is perfectly expected. As it often happens in such cases, it is a self-fulfilling situation of sorts: if you were capable of grasping the meaning of what I said, you wouldn't be participating in this conversation in your current capacity in the first place.
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, that's OK. I get this a lot. It is like trying to explain bicycle physics to some barfly in Milwaukee, WI: all one'd get in return is something along the lines of "that's the biggest line of bullshit ever" and, of course, laughter (yeah, "like hell").


What's your background? Where and how did you compile this veritable encyclopedia of cycling knowledge that no one else has every heard of? Physics...laundering advice...what else do you have that might enrich our sorry lives?


----------



## wabasso

Why did you ask that ???

he might answer


----------



## cxwrench

wabasso said:


> Why did you ask that ???
> 
> he might answer


Christ, you're right. My bad...


----------



## PBL450

AndreyT said:


> It is perfectly expected. As it often happens in such cases, it is a self-fulfilling situation of sorts: if you were capable of grasping the meaning of what I said, you wouldn't be participating in this conversation in your current capacity in the first place.
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, that's OK. I get this a lot. It is like trying to explain bicycle physics to some barfly in Milwaukee, WI: all one'd get in return is something along the lines of "that's the biggest line of bullshit ever" and, of course, laughter (yeah, "like hell").


No. It doesn't actually make sense. Period. Not the grammar or the content. It doesn't say anything. I already know I need remedial reading comprehension, so take that with a grain of salt. But, that statement makes no actual sense. I assume you know that, you wrote it. It's not over my head, or anyone else's head, it's just not a sentence, it lacks the structure, meaning and purpose needed to be considered meaningful human communication. It really does. It has nothing to with your having a flux capacitor and my not knowing what that is. That happens all the time because there is so much I don't know about flux capacitors (and so much more). Maybe if you keep getting told what you say is bullshit you should make sense instead? Just a friendly suggestion from a barfly in Milwaukee.


----------



## Pirx

I will stay out of this one, except for one remark: It is clear that this topic evokes some fairly strong sentiments, and it is also clear that those sentiments are almost entirely based on cultural norms, and have no objective, rational basis in fact. I emphasize that I am not arguing in favor of one cultural norm versus another, but I will say that it makes little to no sense attempting to rank cultural norms on an objective basis. Final remark: I wonder how in all the world some of the posters here might be able to survive in the wild, or even just in countries that are less fortunate as far as various infrastructures are concerned than the US. Goodness, what do I do if I am not in reach of a little spritz of cologne whenever I feel I need it.


----------



## Ryder's

Is this one of those internet trick question things ?


----------



## chriscc63

*Wtf are you talking about?*



AndreyT said:


> If it were my field of expertise, this thread alone would probably supply me with enough material for a PhD thesis on how that repetitive and primitive TV, Internet and printed advertisement, despite being generally despised, still manages to plant an easily recognizable and very uniform message into simplistic brains of certain individuals. It is the uniformity and repeatably with with the specimen respond to the corresponding stimuli is what takes the cookie in this case... Same keywords, in the same order, every time.
> 
> I could easily explain it by assuming that different forum ids are being owned by the same individual, but I know it is not true. It is just amazing.



WTF Are you talking about? :mad2: what is this gobbledy **** babble?ut: Wait, never mind, Andry don't answer that and please don't type anymore, until you formulate a coherent thought. :idea: In fact please don't log in again.:nono: Please spend your time washing your kit or just go change your underwear.:ciappa:


:aureola:


----------



## AndreyT

^^^ See what I'm talking about? Uniformity and repeatability


----------



## tlg

delete


----------



## JCavilia

AndreyT said:


> ^^^ See what I'm talking about? Uniformity and repeatability


Huh. How about that? 

Every time you post something bizarre and incoherent, somebody responds that it's bizarre and incoherent. 

What exactly does that prove again?


----------



## tlg

JCavilia said:


> Huh. How about that?
> 
> Every time you post something bizarre and incoherent, somebody responds that it's bizarre and incoherent.
> 
> What exactly does that prove again?


I think it proves Andrey uniformly and repeatability posts incoherently.


----------



## Winn

It also proves we will indicate his incoherence when it is noted.


----------



## AndreyT

Winn said:


> It also proves we will indicate his incoherence when it is noted.


Oh, that would actually be just splendid! 

I'll use it to gauge the local intelligence levels. (You know, by observing the reading & comprehension capabilities of the local audience.) With your permission I might even measure it in "Winns". As in "Today we registered 10 more Winns than yesterday, which indicates that the average intelligence continues to drop".

Can't ask for more.


----------



## Winn

AndreyT said:


> Oh, that would actually be just splendid!
> 
> I'll use it to gauge the local intelligence levels. (You know, by observing the reading & comprehension capabilities of the local audience.) With your permission I might even measure it in "Winns". As in "Today we registered 10 more Winns than yesterday, which indicates that the average intelligence continues to drop".
> 
> Can't ask for more.


I am actually enjoying this quite a bit and if you would like to use my last name as a unit of measurement you are welcome to. I actually do believe I understand what you were getting at (I am not sure I agree with it but why bother trying to argue there is little hard data that would be useful) but, why even guess it's more fun to watch the others. So if I read you correctly a winn factor would be equal to x amount of misunderstanding and incoherent musing on your supposed incoherence, yes?


----------



## PBL450

Winn said:


> I am actually enjoying this quite a bit and if you would like to use my last name as a unit of measurement you are welcome to. I actually do believe I understand what you were getting at (I am not sure I agree with it but why bother trying to argue there is little hard data that would be useful) but, why even guess it's more fun to watch the others. So if I read you correctly a winn factor would be equal to x amount of misunderstanding and incoherent musing on your supposed incoherence, yes?


Isn't that trolling? I'm back to it being really funny!


----------



## Winn

PBL450 said:


> Isn't that trolling? I'm back to it being really funny!


I'm not sure it might be. Are we intelligent enough to know?

If it is trolling I would be trolling a suspected troll right?


----------



## PBL450

Winn said:


> I'm not sure it might be. Are we intelligent enough to know?
> 
> If it is trolling I would be trolling a suspected troll right?


Im clearly not intelligent enough. Trolling for trolls? Great concept!


----------



## cxwrench

Troll Poll:

Are Andrey and myhui the same person on opposite ends of a bipolar personality? 

Yes or No...


----------



## Retro Grouch

cxwrench said:


> Troll Poll:
> 
> Are Andrey and myhui the same person on opposite ends of a bipolar personality?
> 
> Yes or No...


I was thinking this whole thread is some type of interweb human emotion experiment sponsored by Facebook. 

Phase two: midnight abduction and probing will soon commence.


----------



## Winn

I'm certain it was sponsored by google and they are far more likely to probe you. Where your lube to bed...


----------



## 32and3cross

AndreyT said:


> Well, say, for example, I'm pretty sure that the piano tuning involves a lot of procedures that are considered "standard" in the piano tuning world. Yet, I have absolutely no clue about any of these procedures. I never heard about them. Why? Because I'm not involved in piano tuning. But if one day I decided to become a piano tuner, I'm sure I would gradually become more aware of what is considered "standard" in that world.
> 
> That's exactly how it works in the cycling world. As your exposure to the accepted (aka "standard") practices increases, you gradually get a better hang of it. You never heard about rinsing the kit after each ride, you say? I don't think so. Actually, that is exactly what cyclists mean by "washing" your kit after each ride. So, you heard about it, you simply didn't realize what it really meant. A lot of people make that mistake, ending up following the rabid and bizarre practice of throwing their gear into a washing machine after each ride.
> 
> It is a good example of a "cargo cult" in cycling world: confused people doing things mechanically without giving any thought to why they are doing this and what for.



Wow your so wrong you don't even make sense. the rest of us are washing our clothing with soap after every ride.


----------



## arai_speed

cxwrench said:


> Troll Poll:
> 
> Are Andrey and myhui the same person on opposite ends of a bipolar personality?
> 
> Yes or No...


Perceptive...you are...maddening...this thread is.


----------



## AndreyT

32and3cross said:


> Wow your so wrong you don't even make sense. the rest of us are washing our clothing with soap after every ride.


No surprise here. Albeit it depends of what you me an by "us" in "the rest of us". 

The modern society is well-known to be rather distinctively stratified in accordance with the intelligence levels of its participants. And there's nothing unusual in the fact that this stratification is pyramidal in shape: more primitive minds are always represented in much greater numbers. That's just the reality of life.

So, yes, I understand (and actually expect) that there will be quite a few "wow your so wrong" (sic!) types here, who have serious difficulties "making sense" of things, and who are not only oblivious to the proper performance clothing care practices, but actually actively oppose them.

So, yes, I know that "the rest of you" is quite a numerous group. And that's why I'm here. I'm here to educate, if you haven't figured it out already, understanding perfectly well that most of "the rest of you" are ... well... hopeless.


----------



## tihsepa

AndreyT said:


> No surprise here. Albeit it depends of what you me an by "us" in "the rest of us".
> 
> The modern society is well-known to be rather distinctively stratified in accordance with the intelligence levels of its participants. And there's nothing unusual in the fact that this stratification is pyramidal in shape: more primitive minds are always represented in much greater numbers. That's just the reality of life.
> 
> So, yes, I understand (and actually expect) that there will be quite a few "wow your so wrong" (sic!) types here, who have serious difficulties "making sense" of things, and who are not only oblivious to the proper performance clothing care practices, but actually actively oppose them.
> 
> So, yes, I know that "the rest of you" is quite a numerous group. And that's why I'm here. I'm here to educate, if you haven't figured it out already, understanding perfectly well that most of "the rest of you" are ... well... hopeless.


If you cant dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit. 

Right?


----------



## AndreyT

tihsepa said:


> If you cant dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.


Sounds like something Billy Ray said when he found someone's book on relativistic physics in a public restroom in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.


----------



## arai_speed

tihsepa said:


> If you cant dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.
> 
> Right?


Not even, now he's putting us in the sheep category and hopeless sheep at that, all because we choose to put our bibs in the washer. Meeeehh!! Meeehhh!


----------



## Cni2i

tvad said:


> A+ for reading the question correctly.


+1000

I wait until after 2-3 rides...usually over 2-4 days. But definitely don't reuse before washing...,especially my bibs!


----------



## Oxtox

AndreyT said:


> No surprise here. Albeit it depends of what you me an by "us" in "the rest of us".
> 
> The modern society is well-known to be rather distinctively stratified in accordance with the intelligence levels of its participants. And there's nothing unusual in the fact that this stratification is pyramidal in shape: more primitive minds are always represented in much greater numbers. That's just the reality of life.
> 
> So, yes, I understand (and actually expect) that there will be quite a few "wow your so wrong" (sic!) types here, who have serious difficulties "making sense" of things, and who are not only oblivious to the proper performance clothing care practices, but actually actively oppose them.
> 
> So, yes, I know that "the rest of you" is quite a numerous group. And that's why I'm here. I'm here to educate, if you haven't figured it out already, understanding perfectly well that most of "the rest of you" are ... well... hopeless.


I've got five bucks that says you giggle audibly after you post this stuff.

have to admit tho, your little pedantic schtick is pretty humorous.


----------



## Buzzatronic

For commuting I get two rides (to work and to home) out of a bib/jersey/socks combo mainly because I don't want to carry "ride home" kit with me on the way to work. I have a hanger and fan setup to force dry things in my office to try and minimize things that may try and grow on wet gear. 

Every other ride means a full wash of bib, jersey and socks. 

I've been doing this for over 10,000mi now and so far so good.


----------



## Fireform

If you enjoy saddle sores and have too many friends, don't wash your kit before every ride and you'll be all set. 

Kudos to AndreyT for the troll of the month. If serious, he's never read the manufacturers care instructions for any of the garments he's rinsing, or pondered the fact that Assos includes detergent in the box with their bib shorts. But he's not serious.


----------



## LVbob

AndreyT said:


> No surprise here. Albeit it depends of what you me an by "us" in "the rest of us".
> 
> The modern society is well-known to be rather distinctively stratified in accordance with the intelligence levels of its participants. And there's nothing unusual in the fact that this stratification is pyramidal in shape: more primitive minds are always represented in much greater numbers. That's just the reality of life.
> 
> So, yes, I understand (and actually expect) that there will be quite a few "wow your so wrong" (sic!) types here, who have serious difficulties "making sense" of things, and who are not only oblivious to the proper performance clothing care practices, but actually actively oppose them.
> 
> So, yes, I know that "the rest of you" is quite a numerous group. And that's why I'm here. I'm here to educate, if you haven't figured it out already, understanding perfectly well that most of "the rest of you" are ... well... hopeless.


What part of following the manufacturer's care instructions do you not understand? It seems like you are the one who is cognitively challenged.


----------



## Winn

LVbob said:


> What part of following the manufacturer's care instructions do you not understand? It seems like you are the one who is cognitively challenged.


Obviously the clothing manufacturers are in on the whole anti-bacterial washing conspiracy.


----------



## LVbob

Winn said:


> Obviously the clothing manufacturers are in on the whole anti-bacterial washing conspiracy.


Of course they are. AndreyT has assured us the machine-washed apparel is reduced to tatters in a short time frame so the manufacturers make more money. Oh, except that would mean I would at least be looking to a new brand since the clothing didn't last as long as is reasonable while following their care instructions.


----------



## xxl

AndreyT said:


> No surprise here. Albeit it depends of what you me an by "us" in "the rest of us".
> 
> The modern society is well-known to be rather distinctively stratified in accordance with the intelligence levels of its participants. And there's nothing unusual in the fact that this stratification is pyramidal in shape: more primitive minds are always represented in much greater numbers. That's just the reality of life.
> 
> So, yes, I understand (and actually expect) that there will be quite a few "wow your so wrong" (sic!) types here, who have serious difficulties "making sense" of things, and who are not only oblivious to the proper performance clothing care practices, but actually actively oppose them.
> 
> So, yes, I know that "the rest of you" is quite a numerous group. And that's why I'm here. I'm here to educate, if you haven't figured it out already, understanding perfectly well that most of "the rest of you" are ... well... hopeless.



Please, sir, may I touch the hem of your robe?


----------



## 9W9W

xxl said:


> Please, sir, may I touch the hem of your robe?


LOL. What a character.


----------



## ChiroVette

Winn said:


> I am actually enjoying this quite a bit and if you would like to use my last name as a unit of measurement you are welcome to.


Actually, I think that is a very good idea; however, your present debating partner, AndreyT, in my estimation has the proportions somewhat mathematically reversed. I have debated with you, and we still absolutely disagree on some issues. However, I have learned (unlike some people) that disagreeing with a man is NOT the same as assuming the person is an idiot. 

In almost every instance you disagreed with me, even when I was espousing an opinion that you more likely than not found offensive and even insulting just because I posted it, you still were one of the people who attacked my position without attacking me personally. I won't get back into that discussion, because clearly it is not a worthy point of further elucidation and clarification. Save to say that I bring "that debate up" as an example of how people of good conscience and a modicum of civility and manners debate a point, without insult, straw men, and disparaging statements. 

So, yes, to respond to the point in your post about using you as a yardstick, let's do that, shall we? 

But if we do, then how about we go this route:

A moron might be, say .01 Winn's. Someone average or of average intelligence, might be, oh, say .5 Winn. A very intelligent guy, espousing an opinion, even in stark disagreement, but doing so articulately and with civility and respect, might even be one full Winn. Again, I don't care what the person's position is at all, only his or her behavior while defending it and attacking another position (again, while NOT attacking the person they inherently disagree with, even of said agreement is on even a visceral level)

So, using that as a segue to my next point: 

*AndreyT*. I would like to respond to your post. Here, I will quote it for you before doing so:



AndreyT said:


> No surprise here. Albeit it depends of what you me an by "us" in "the rest of us".
> 
> The modern society is well-known to be rather distinctively stratified in accordance with the intelligence levels of its participants. And there's nothing unusual in the fact that this stratification is pyramidal in shape: more primitive minds are always represented in much greater numbers. That's just the reality of life.
> 
> So, yes, I understand (and actually expect) that there will be quite a few "wow your so wrong" (sic!) types here, who have serious difficulties "making sense" of things, and who are not only oblivious to the proper performance clothing care practices, but actually actively oppose them.
> 
> So, yes, I know that "the rest of you" is quite a numerous group. And that's why I'm here. I'm here to educate, if you haven't figured it out already, understanding perfectly well that most of "the rest of you" are ... well... hopeless.


You know, I am a pretty educated and articulate guy. I am a novelist (by hobby right now, hoping to get published someday) and a doctor by day. My specialty, not that it is relevant, is chiropractic. I have an excellent command of the English language, or at least like to fancy myself possessing such skills, though admittedly loquacious much of the time.

However, I don't have to work at it. It has always come natural to me, and is never strained or "trying too hard," though to some, I can see why it may come off that way. However, I can assure you, that my verbiage and intellect are not forced or stilted. Before I respond to your point, I would like to point out to you that I read the post you wrote, which I quoted (and for the record, I read it twice to make sure I wasn't ascribing a negative quality to you that was less than attributable). I also took the liberty of reading some of your other posts in this thread, by the way, just to gauge your general tone and demeanor. I cannot help but get the distinct impression that the intellect you are attempting to delineate comes across to me, subjectively, of course, as stiff, wooden, and pretentious. Now I could, of course be wrong about you, and I certainly will not make a grandiose statement like that as absolute from only one post, but I can tell you, as an "audience member" that this is how your post comes off. 

The language is both strained and seems artificial to the reader, as if you are not speaking conversationally so much as you are feverishly reading or looking up definitions from books or online sources and that your intellectual grasp is sort of exceeding your reach, as it were.

If I am wrong, I apologize, but that's how it reads to me, anyway. So take it for what it's worth, okay?

tl;dr? Okay fair enough. As to your point, are you really comfortable accusing people who disagree with your opinion on something so personal as clothing hygiene as necessarily residing in an intellectual rung that is categorically below yours? I mean, I am forced to agree with your first point, that "modern society is rather distinctively stratified in accordance with intelligence levels," with the lower base of the proverbial pyramid being occupied by most people, and as you get closer to the apex, the cream, so to speak, rises. But this is ONLY speaking about intelligence, or to quantify it, IQ.

Forget about the many varied strengths and weaknesses of the individual for a moment, and let's now focus on your point: You have delineated a position whereby you elevate yourself above the rest, at least in part, due to your desire to...wait for it...wash your clothes less than they do?

Really? This is your platform for endowing yourself with special intellectual powers?

You know what? I am all for taking an unpopular side of a debate and NOT backing down as long as I feel I am correct. I call it character. However, to denigrate people who hold the opposing opinion, just because they hold it (which is what you are basically doing) is not the sign of your residing in the very top of the intellectual pyramid, my friend. Quite the opposite. 

I seem to be using the term "Straw Man" a lot in this forum, so please indulge my use of it once again: You, sir, are creating a straw man. And not because you differ in opinion, that is certainly fine. If you want to defend the position that we Americans, and others in Western society are preoccupied with cleanliness to an unnecessary and even ridiculous extent, then we might even find some common ground here. But because you seem to feel the need to both elevate yourself and disparage your opponents in doing so is where I have a problem. 

Think about it, and no hard feelings. I don't hate you or think you are stupid. I simply disagree with your position.

Edit: Corrected some lol'able typos.


----------



## mambo

ChiroVette said:


> Actually, I think that is a very good idea; ...........................................


I this the first chapter of your novel?


----------



## ChiroVette

mambo said:


> I this the first chapter of your novel?


Yeah, but being the disreputable jerk that I am, I now have to find a way to cheat *Winn* out of the royalties he would otherwise have coming if I do. :cryin:


----------



## chriscc63

AndreyT said:


> Oh, that would actually be just splendid!
> 
> I'll use it to gauge the local intelligence levels. (You know, by observing the reading & comprehension capabilities of the local audience.) With your permission I might even measure it in "Winns". As in "Today we registered 10 more Winns than yesterday, which indicates that the average intelligence continues to drop".
> 
> Can't ask for more.



Your posts are not informative but are condescending and there is no place for them here.

Go post on Craig's List under Intellectual S&M.


----------



## tvad

Kudos to ChiroVette for taking the time to comprehensively offer a teachable moment.

I tend to wonder if there's perhaps a language barrier that's responsible for some of the semantics in AndreyT's posts, but this doesn't excuse the condescending attitude conveyed.


----------



## ChiroVette

chriscc63 said:


> Your posts are not informative but are condescending and there is no place for them here.
> 
> Go post on Craig's List under Intellectual S&M.


Wow! Craigslist has a verbal BDSD forum? Who knew?


----------



## Winn

ChiroVette said:


> Yeah, but being the disreputable jerk that I am, I now have to find a way to cheat *Winn* out of the royalties he would otherwise have coming if I do. :cryin:


I'm certain you can hear the shuffling of papers in my local law office right? I do ride a Specialized, you know. Prepare to feel the full stinging power of Trujillo Law Offices trademark infringement department...


----------



## ChiroVette

Winn said:


> I'm certain you can hear the shuffling of papers in my local law office right? I do ride a Specialized, you know. Prepare to feel the full stinging power of Trujillo Law Offices trademark infringement department...


I'm not worried about it, though. On the famed pyramid of intelligence, you are in the lower tiered group of intellectually challenged, unwashed-heathen masses. Just ask *AndreyT*. So how good could your law firm be, right?

Just don't send Alan Shore after me!


----------



## Winn

Now hold on a second. This whole pyramid thing is getting out of hand. Everyone knows cyclists are the cream of the crop so we are dealing with a structure like an obelisk on this site. I am, of course, in the pointy part at the top (yes that is the architectural term). My lawyer's brain pulses in a discernable way too.


----------



## ChiroVette

Winn said:


> Mow hold on a second. This while pyramid thing is getting out of hand. Everyone knows cyclists are the cream of the crop so we are dealing with a structure like an obelisk on this site. I am, of course, in the pointy part at the top (yes that is the architectural term). My lawyer's brain pulses in a discernable way too.


Well, honestly, I don't know if I can deal with a brain-pulsing lawyer. Fine, you win, sir. When I get my Book* All About Winn* published, I will pay you your royalties.


----------



## T K

I have learned three things here. Andrey is full of it. Chiro is full of himself, and retro grouch is still my hero.


----------



## ChiroVette

T K said:


> Chiro is full of himself


It took you long enough to figure that one out, dude. I guess I learned two things from this thread: You are pretty slow, and it certainly seems like you're not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Oh wait, that's really just one thing.


----------



## T K

ChiroVette said:


> It took you long enough to figure that one out, dude. I guess I learned two things from this thread: You are pretty slow, and it certainly seems like you're not the sharpest tool in the shed.
> 
> Oh wait, that's really just one thing.


Ohhh you got me. So, what was the length of that bus you rode to chiropractic school?


----------



## ChiroVette

T K said:


> Ohhh you got me. So, what was the length of that bus you rode to chiropractic school?


I'm not really a chiropractor. I am actually unemployed and live in my mother's basement. Although, to answer your question, I do take a little, yellow bus to "the center" every day where I get to sit on the floor wearing a helmet and eat crayons all day long.

It's totally freakin' awesome, dude! Everybody loves me there so much, and all day long, the counselors praise me and tell me what a good boy I am and how special I am. I'm the luckiest boy in the whole, wide world! :thumbsup:


----------



## ChiroVette

T K said:


> Shockingly, you just described my day too!


I had a feeling there was a profound kinship between you and I from the very moment I saw your post in this thread. This confirms it. I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time!


----------



## T K

ChiroVette said:


> I'm not really a chiropractor. I am actually unemployed and live in my mother's basement. Although, to answer your question, I do take a little, yellow bus to "the center" every day where I get to sit on the floor wearing a helmet and eat crayons all day long.
> 
> It's totally freakin' awesome, dude! Everybody loves me there so much, and all day long, the counselors praise me and tell me what a good boy I am and how special I am. I'm the luckiest boy in the whole, wide world! :thumbsup:


Shockingly, you just described my day too!


----------



## T K

ChiroVette said:


> I had a feeling there was a profound kinship between you and I from the very moment I saw your post in this thread. This confirms it. I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time!


Oooh, maybe our moms can set up a play date!


----------



## BigPoser

Hahaha! This is the best thread ever! Thoroughly entertaining.


----------



## Dave Cutter

I air my kit after each use... before washing. We only do laundry once a week so I am careful to not throw wet sweaty clothing in the hamper. 

I like to hang the clothing on the deck in the sun when we have sun. Otherwise it [hangs and] air dries in the garage or laundry room. If it's a short cool ride I might get a couple wears of the jersey (not my underarmor). Gloves I wear till they show salt. I wash my helmet (pads and headband) 3-4 times a season.


----------



## cxwrench

I wish there was a 'like' button for so many of these posts. You guys have really managed to turn this thread around!


----------



## T K

cxwrench said:


> I wish there was a 'like' button for so many of these posts. You guys have really managed to turn this thread around!


Well, my mom and Chiro's mom are taking us to Chuck E Cheese's. You can come too if you'd like. Actually, everyone here is invited. Mom says Andrey can't come though. She says his clothes are stinky.


----------



## Winn

I'll be there. Who's bringing the crayons? We'll need desert. (I like the green ones BTW)

Also Chiro that was a wise decision I'll expect a signed copy. When can I expect the first check?


----------



## ChiroVette

Winn said:


> I'll be there. Who's bringing the crayons? We'll need desert. (I like the green ones BTW)
> 
> Also Chiro that was a wise decision I'll expect a signed copy. When can I expect the first check?


Don't I have to, ya know, write the epic novel first then get it published, then get some money, and then pay you? Sheesh some people!



T K said:


> We'll, my mom and Chiro's mom are taking us to Chuck E Cheese's. You can come too if you'd like. Actually, everyone here is invited. Mom says Andrey can't come though. She says his clothes are stinky.


See, I disagree. Every play date can benefit from a smelly kid to ridicule and make us feel better about ourselves. You really want to eliminate that from our Chuck E Cheese adventure?

Think of the fun! Wedgies, swirlies, Purple-Nurples....sigh...I'm getting all misty now. :aureola:


----------



## ChiroVette

cxwrench said:


> I wish there was a 'like' button for so many of these posts. You guys have really managed to turn this thread around!


What, are you saying that imagining 60 days worth of smelly sweat buildup in Andrey's tattered clothing was hurting this thread...?

Ugh, can't even finish the thought. You're right. This one needed derailment... and FAST!



Dave Cutter said:


> I air my kit after each use... before washing. We only do laundry once a week so I am careful to not throw wet sweaty clothing in the hamper.
> 
> I like to hang the clothing on the deck in the sun when we have sun. Otherwise it [hangs and] air dries in the garage or laundry room. If it's a short cool ride I might get a couple wears of the jersey (not my underarmor). Gloves I wear till they show salt. I wash my helmet (pads and headband) 3-4 times a season.


I don't have a washer or dryer in my apartment, so I have to do laundry at a laundromat. Having only one pair of cycling shorts (for now. I want to see what I like and buy more) can be a bit daunting, but I have a strange solution. I have a half gallon of liquid laundry detergent in my bathroom, and after every ride, I fill the sink with cool to lukewarm water and suds and I turn my shorts inside out and swish them arounf and scrub with a soft brush, then hang them on the shower door. It takes all of three minutes after a ride to clean the pants. They dry in just a few hours.

Easy peasy and, though obviously this sense of cleanliness, by itself, makes me profoundly intellectually inferior to guys like *AndreyT*, I'll take that over the fetid stench of my ride-induced-body-odor permeating my pants!


----------



## skitorski

I find this whole mess very disturbing and am requesting banishment for all. Permanently.


----------



## ChiroVette

skitorski said:


> I find this whole mess very disturbing and am requesting banishment for all. Permanently.


Hot Diggity Dog, now you're talking!


----------



## JCavilia

> I have a strange solution.


???
It sounds like you hand-wash your shorts after each ride. There's nothing strange about that.

I have a washing machine, but I prefer to do a full load of wash, so I wash the cycling clothes once a week. I commute daily, and ride on weekends. I have 8 or 9 pairs of shorts.


----------



## GearDaddy

Well we've all had some great fun with this thread, haven't we? It has gotten way off-topic and a good productive discussion has been completely lost here.

@AndreyT never suggested that you shouldn't wash your stuff after each ride, rather he just stated *how* the stuff should be cleaned. Specifically, he said:



AndreyT said:


> ... you handwash the kit in clean water (no detergent) and hang it to dry. That is all that's needed and that is the standard procedure cyclists normally adhere to.
> 
> Note, that doing a full-blown wash of your kit after each ride (as in washing machine + detergent) is an absolute no-no. Rules like "1 ride = 1 wash" are adhered to only by clueless people. This will ruin your kit very quickly. ...


OK, most of us disagreed that machine washing is so destructive. Then the whole thing degraded with @AndreyT calling others sheeple for blindly following certain washing routines, yada, yada, yada. But, it's actually a good point in asking "what is an necessary and effective method to clean your stuff"?

In fact, right after @AndyreyT's first post was a sensible post by @tlg that brought up some very valid issues with machine washing with detergent:



tlg said:


> Of course... 1 ride = 1 wash. Do people wear their underwear more than once? :frown2:
> 
> I usually do laundry 2x a week. So my cycling stuff gets washed every 3-5 days.
> 
> I think the jist of your question is you're wondering if the clothes get funky sitting for several days. I make sure to not throw them in the hamper. I hang them to dry right after removal. Something I've been trying lately, as it's been hot and humid is after I take them off, I spray the chamois and jersey pits with Enzyme Stain Remover (Zout). It seems to work well. Enzymes feed on bacteria. And bacteria causes odors.
> 
> If you let them sit too long and bacteria start to grow, a simple washing will not help. Bacteria can survive the washing machine. I got jock itch once (from washed) bibs. Never had it before. OMFG!
> If your stuff smells after washing, soak them in a bucket of water with a cup of vinegar. Also putting a cup of vinegar in the washing machine is a good idea. It's cheap, natural, and kills bacteria.


+1
Very good points.

I think we can all agree that washing of some sort after every use is reasonable. But, it is a very good question as to what is really necessary to properly clean your stuff. Lots of good questions could be addressed here, such as:
- What if you don't have the convenience of enough kits and/or machine washing?
- Is rinsing in water and air drying enough in some cases?
- Is a machine wash really required, i.e. does a hand wash with some soap do the same?
- Does a machine wash guarantee bacteria is killed? (I say NO in some cases)


----------



## tlg

GearDaddy said:


> - What if you don't have the convenience of enough kits and/or machine washing?
> - Is rinsing in water and air drying enough in some cases?
> - Is a machine wash really required, i.e. does a hand wash with some soap do the same?
> - Does a machine wash guarantee bacteria is killed? (I say NO in some cases)


Rinsing in water sometimes is sufficient. Although if I'm going to go through the effort, I might was well use some detergent too. 

No a machine wash isn't required. In fact, as with all clothes, a hand wash is better. Machine washing causes more wear and tear on your clothes. But it's more convenient.

No a machine wash isn't a guarantee to kill bacteria. In fact it's common for bacteria to live inside a washing machine.
Dirty Laundry? Germs and Bacteria Last in Washing Machines - ABC News


----------



## tvad

tlg said:


> Machine washing causes more wear and tear on your clothes.


Many women use lingerie washing bags to protect their delicates in the washing machine. Fortunately, my wife is one who uses lingerie bags. So, I use them for my cycling clothing...especially for bibs and smaller items.

Assos includes wash bags with their higher end bib shorts. The Assos bags aren't as effective as lingerie bags because the Assos bags are pretty small, and they don't have zippers, so they sometimes open in the wash and allow the garment out...but Assos recognizes the effectiveness of wash bags for protecting their clothing.

Highly recommended for protecting clothing from top loading machines with agitators. Front loading machines without agitators are much more gentle on clothing.


----------



## ChiroVette

JCavilia said:


> ???
> It sounds like you hand-wash your shorts after each ride. There's nothing strange about that.


lol Fair enough. It seemed strange to me washing clothes in my little bathroom sink.


----------



## Silchas Ruin

Anyway.... I wash my bibs after every ride. Socks and bibs, are wear once and wash items IMO. I don't want itchy toes or... Other parts. It may not be as big a deal for boys, but ladies need to be careful.


----------



## Silchas Ruin

ChiroVette said:


> lol Fair enough. It seemed strange to me washing clothes in my little bathroom sink.


I wash mine in the shower with me!


----------



## tlg

ChiroVette said:


> lol Fair enough. It seemed strange to me washing clothes in my little bathroom sink.


It's like Vegas... what happens in your bathroom stays in your bathroom.


----------



## PBL450

ChiroVette said:


> lol Fair enough. It seemed strange to me washing clothes in my little bathroom sink.


I do exactly the same thing. I use a little drizzle of ALL Free and Clear in cold water. Turn my bibs inside out and scrub the chamois. I will then do a quick scrub in a change of water, turn them back right side out and scrub them in clean water... All the detergent is removed. Ring them out and hang them from the legs (not the suspenders) to dry. It's quick. I have a washing machine my cleaning instructions for my fave bibs say to hand wash. I really don't mind.


----------



## Drew Eckhardt

BigPoser said:


> Just wondering. I only use one kit for each ride and wash after I have enough for a wash.
> 
> What do you guys do? 1, 2, 5 rides before washing?


Shorts: one ride plus an optional preceding 7 slow commuting miles
Jersey: one ride or commuting round trip

Itchy tender bits suck. Stinking sucks. Buy more clothes and/or wash more frequently.


----------



## BigPoser

Silchas Ruin said:


> Unless your "best friend" films it in on her phone, and shows everybody you know.


Hahaha! Funny! I can honestly say that has only happened once.


----------



## Silchas Ruin

tlg said:


> It's like Vegas... what happens in your bathroom stays in your bathroom.


Unless your "best friend" films it in on her phone, and shows everybody you know.


----------



## AndreyT

skitorski said:


> I find this whole mess very disturbing and am requesting banishment for all. Permanently.


No need for anything that drastic. I'd say that it is more scientific than disturbing. It is sad, but _objective_. That latter is what matters most.

One thing that we observe here is known as "inversion". It is a normal, well-researched natural phenomenon. It basically boils down to the fact that even though the most primitive organisms exist in much greater numbers, they nevertheless appear later on the scene. In simple words, even though there are much more maggots than carnivores in the world, maggots appear only after carnivores have left. Again, this is well-researched and there are perfectly good logical explanations for such inversion. This thread is basically going through the same stages. We are at the point when the lowest layers of the aforementioned intellectual pyramid decided it is finally their time to appear. And, expectedly, the thread turned into a proverbial maggotfest. This is what one of the simpletons higher up the thread referred to as "taking this thread back" (LOL!)

As for the sad part... It is not exactly on-topic for this specific forum, more for the "Politics" maybe, but anyway.

As one would expect, the social stratification any American-dominated Internet forum will reflect the general social structure of the US society, i.e. reflect the fact that only about 5% of the modern US population still qualify as people, with the remaining 95% being essentially degenerated to the state of a much more primitive form of life. I, as an armchair researcher of the phenomenon, have always been interested in seeing how (and if) this 5/95 distribution agrees with the distribution of intellectual capabilities. Topic-specific Internet forums prove to be rather useful research medium with respect to that: it is interesting to observe how that distribution looks within specific human activities. 

On one end of the spectrum, I, by trade, participate in several forums involving higher mathematics, computer science, theoretical physics etc. No wonder, the percentage of human participants in such communities reaches almost to 100%. Needless to add, such communities are more advanced in a large part because they are heavily "diluted" by non-American participants.

On the other end of the spectrum we have typical free-for-all communities like car forums, for example. I spend quite some time in various Amercian BMW owner forums and the population there is basically "pure USA" - the very same 5/95 split, i.e. a dim and hopeless retardfest.

But this are extreme examples. And the interesting question is: is there a middle ground? Is there a social group that works as an intellectual "middle class" in the US society? Or is that "middle class" already extinct?

And here's where cycling initially came into picture. On the one hand, popular stereotypes do not normally associate sports with intellect ("more muscle than brain" etc.). On the other hand, the undeniable air of exclusivity and "Euro" appeal of this specific sport might just work to attract more intellectually advanced layers of the US society, while filtering out the degenerates (you know, just putting on Lycra shorts is something that some Billy Ray from Milwakee, Wisconsin will see as a crime against his manhood). And indeed, for the extended period of time it looked promising. I was almost ready to declare that I found one good example of that "middle class" I was looking for. However, this meltdown of the seemingly civilized facade that I'm observing right here right now clearly shows that it was but an illusion. 

I don't yet know what to make out of it. Apparently, the participants here sincerely want to evolve into normal human beings (and, quite likely, cycling as a sport imported into the US regime from the Free World can take large portion of the credit for that), but that desire alone is just not enough to override their nature, as is clearly evident in times of "crisis"  

However, I strongly believe that that desire to evolve should be encouraged, not suppressed by "banning".

P.S. I believe it is too early to abandon the search for that elusive American intellectual "middle class". Arts maybe? Photography?


----------



## tvad

Jeezus Christmas, isn't this a thread about washing clothes?


----------



## Winn

tvad said:


> Jeezus Christmas, isn't this a thread about washing clothes?


not anymore


----------



## Oxtox

AndreyT said:


> We are at the point when the most lowest layers...
> 
> 'most lowest'...?
> 
> fail.


----------



## paredown

Oxtox said:


> AndreyT said:
> 
> 
> 
> We are at the point when the most lowest layers...
> 
> 'most lowest'...?
> 
> fail.
> 
> 
> 
> But wait--he's in the top 5%
> 
> I guess the rest of us ijits will have to try to keep up....
Click to expand...


----------



## spdntrxi

just think how many kit washes have been missed.. wash your kit stinky


----------



## mjduct

If you aren't riding hard enough to make it disgusting to the point where this question answers itself then you probably don't need to worry about it


----------



## AndreyT

tvad said:


> Jeezus Christmas, isn't this a thread about washing clothes?


You seriously expected that a "thread about washing clothes" on road cycling forum will stay a "thread about washing clothes"???


----------



## spdntrxi

AndreyT said:


> You seriously expected that a "thread about washing clothes" on road cycling forum will stay a "thread about washing clothes"???



yes, It would seem a simple enough to do.


----------



## Winn

Oxtox said:


> AndreyT said:
> 
> 
> 
> We are at the point when the most lowest layers...
> 
> 'most lowest'...?
> 
> fail.
> 
> 
> 
> That's all you found there?
Click to expand...


----------



## PBL450

AndreyT said:


> No need for anything that drastic. I'd say that it is more scientific than disturbing. It is sad, but _objective_. That latter is what matters most.
> 
> One thing that we observe here is known as "inversion". It is a normal, well-researched natural phenomenon. It basically boils down to the fact that even though the most primitive organisms exist in much greater numbers, they nevertheless appear later on the scene. In simple words, even though there are much more maggots than carnivores in the world, maggots appear only after carnivores have left. Again, this is well-researched and there are perfectly good logical explanations for such inversion. This thread is basically going through the same stages. We are at the point when the lowest layers of the aforementioned intellectual pyramid decided it is finally their time to appear. And, expectedly, the thread turned into a proverbial maggotfest. This is what one of the simpletons higher up the thread referred to as "taking this thread back" (LOL!)
> 
> As for the sad part... It is not exactly on-topic for this specific forum, more for the "Politics" maybe, but anyway.
> 
> As one would expect, the social stratification any American-dominated Internet forum will reflect the general social structure of the US society, i.e. reflect the fact that only about 5% of the modern US population still qualify as people, with the remaining 95% being essentially degenerated to the state of a much more primitive form of life. I, as an armchair researcher of the phenomenon, have always been interested in seeing how (and if) this 5/95 distribution agrees with the distribution of intellectual capabilities. Topic-specific Internet forums prove to be rather useful research medium with respect to that: it is interesting to observe how that distribution looks within specific human activities.
> 
> On one end of the spectrum, I, by trade, participate in several forums involving higher mathematics, computer science, theoretical physics etc. No wonder, the percentage of human participants in such communities reaches almost to 100%. Needless to add, such communities are more advanced in a large part because they are heavily "diluted" by non-American participants.
> 
> On the other end of the spectrum we have typical free-for-all communities like car forums, for example. I spend quite some time in various Amercian BMW owner forums and the population there is basically "pure USA" - the very same 5/95 split, i.e. a dim and hopeless retardfest.
> 
> But this are extreme examples. And the interesting question is: is there a middle ground? Is there a social group that works as an intellectual "middle class" in the US society? Or is that "middle class" already extinct?
> 
> And here's where cycling initially came into picture. On the one hand, popular stereotypes do not normally associate sports with intellect ("more muscle than brain" etc.). On the other hand, the undeniable air of exclusivity and "Euro" appeal of this specific sport might just work to attract more intellectually advanced layers of the US society, while filtering out the degenerates (you know, just putting on Lycra shorts is something that some Billy Ray from Milwakee, Wisconsin will see as a crime against his manhood). And indeed, for the extended period of time it looked promising. I was almost ready to declare that I found one good example of that "middle class" I was looking for. However, this meltdown of the seemingly civilized facade that I'm observing right here right now clearly shows that it was but an illusion.
> 
> I don't yet know what to make out of it. Apparently, the participants here sincerely want to evolve into normal human beings (and, quite likely, cycling as a sport imported into the US regime from the Free World can take large portion of the credit for that), but that desire alone is just not enough to override their nature, as is clearly evident in times of "crisis"
> 
> However, I strongly believe that that desire to evolve should be encouraged, not suppressed by "banning".
> 
> P.S. I believe it is too early to abandon the search for that elusive American intellectual "middle class". Arts maybe? Photography?


What? We found the bottom 5% alright! and it's right here. Inversion? What kind of idiocy are you talking about? Like lakes? Or do you mean the Hegelian Dialectic? 5/95? Any fool can figure out that a bell curve captures variance? Period. The tendency of everything is to gravitate toward the mean. If you actually had any grasp of, or contribution to, the scholarship you mention this would be a fools folly. But obviously you have nothing but a keyboard. The intellectual middle class is an obviously ridiculous concept. The entire notion is riddled with thousands of layers of nuance. 

Retardfest crosses the line *******. There are tens of thousands of of people with various disabilities and even thousands more families that love and care for people that need might need that extra care. Many don't. You have just gone from asshat troll to bigoted scumbag.


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## tvad

AndreyT said:


> You seriously expected that a "thread about washing clothes" on road cycling forum will stay a "thread about washing clothes"???


No, I seriously expected you would get the hint that as a bigoted faux intellectual you've made yourself unwelcome, but clearly you're at the bottom of the pyramid of "those who get it".


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## AndreyT

PBL450 said:


> Retardfest crosses the line *******. There are tens of thousands of of people with various disabilities and even thousands more families that love and care for people that need might need that extra care. Many don't. You have just gone from asshat troll to bigoted scumbag.


Oh, here we go... Climbing that high horse of insulted virtue, aren't we?

To the spectators: The quoted paragraph above is perfect illustration of how the firmware of such individuals works. They don't have the intelligence to understand the actual meaning of what is said, so in order to feign some sort of human-like behavior they are designed to look for and react to specific _keywords_. This one detected a keyword "retard" in my post above, and it immediately triggered a corresponding subroutine from the "holier than though" library with easily predictable canned response. It is so simple, it gets frustrating from purely scientific point of view.

P.S. Where is out resident spell checker? Did you detect that double "of" in the post above?


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## xxl

AndreyT said:


> Oh, here we go... Climbing that high horse of insulted virtue, aren't we?
> 
> To the spectators: The quoted paragraph above is perfect illustration of how the firmware of such individuals works. They don't have the intelligence to understand the actual meaning of what is said, so in order to feign some sort of human-like behavior they are designed to look for and react to specific _keywords_. This one detected a keyword "retard" in my post above, and it immediately triggered a corresponding subroutine from the "holier than though" library with easily predictable canned response. It is so simple, it gets frustrating from purely scientific point of view.
> 
> P.S. Where is out resident spell checker? Did you detect that double "of" in the post above?



You're gonna get that at the most lowest layers of society, you know.


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## adjtogo

I wash mine right after every ride. I could never, ever imagine letting things fester in there and wearing them the next day unwashed, or leaving them in the laundry 3-4 days. That's just unhealthy. I live in hot and humid Florida. When I get back from a ride, there's nothing dry on me at all. I'm soaked head to toe. I strip right at the door and put on a pair of shorts, then take my clothes right to the wash machine and wash them in cold water/cold rinse on delicate cycle with Tide.


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## PBL450

AndreyT said:


> Oh, here we go... Climbing that high horse of insulted virtue, aren't we?
> 
> To the spectators: The quoted paragraph above is perfect illustration of how the firmware of such individuals works. They don't have the intelligence to understand the actual meaning of what is said, so in order to feign some sort of human-like behavior they are designed to look for and react to specific _keywords_. This one detected a keyword "retard" in my post above, and it immediately triggered a corresponding subroutine from the "holier than though" library with easily predictable canned response. It is so simple, it gets frustrating from purely scientific point of view.
> 
> P.S. Where is out resident spell checker? Did you detect that double "of" in the post above?


The trolling thing was kind of funny. But using hate speak to get a reaction is very different. I can think of many "keywords" that would get quite a reaction, use hate speak about national origin or race for example... If you had connection to or knowledge of social science you would know that and avoid it. But you don't. You are a simple bigot. And just for the record, most of what you say has no actual meaning which makes you similar to most bigots.


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## ChiroVette

PBL450 said:


> The trolling thing was kind of funny. But using hate speak to get a reaction is very different. I can think of many "keywords" that would get quite a reaction, use hate speak about national origin or race for example... If you had connection to or knowledge of social science you would know that and avoid it. But you don't. You are a simple bigot. And just for the record, most of what you say has no actual meaning which makes you similar to most bigots.


I agree with you. I don't think so many people would take issue with his position so much as his personal attacks and derogatory statements about their intellect for daring to disagree with him.

Additionally, it isn't so much that what he says has no meaning (though you certainly have a point about that as well), but he is puffing his arguments up with air and gibbering like a gibbon rather than actually supporting a position and refuting the opposition. Let me give a few examples (though I suspect this was precisely what you were alluding to anyway):



AndreyT said:


> Oh, here we go... Climbing that high horse of insulted virtue, aren't we?


"Insulting virtue," in the English vernacular and idiom is NOT associated with a metaphorical horse. He is mixing his allegories in a nonsensical way. In fact, when one behaves in the condescending, overblown, snooty way he is, they are said to be, "On a high horse."

But there is no such thing, even in idiom, of being on a high horse of insulted virtue. He made it up. That wouldn't be so bad. I am all for colorful, artistic license with metaphor. The problems get worse, though:



AndreyT said:


> To the spectators: The quoted paragraph above is perfect illustration of how the firmware of such individuals works.


First, and less important, there are no spectators here, only readers. But that I could give him a pass on were it not for things like referring to "firmware" of individuals to make his point. You know what? My computer components have firmware; my phone has firmware; My iPad and even much less sophisticated devices have firmware. 

Human beings DO NOT. Even in the modern world where metaphor equates humanity to tech, there is no linguistic meaning, other than his attempt to sound more intelligent. 



AndreyT said:


> They don't have the intelligence to understand the actual meaning of what is said,


Here again, the issue isn't people not understand what he is saying so much as it is him not actually, ya know, saying anything comprehensible. I am not suggesting people have to speak plainly or dumb down their intellect for forum posting. But if you are going to run your mouth in an effort to show how intelligent you are, then perhaps there should be more actual, standardized meaning in what you say, and not just a series of fabricated metaphors with high-sounding words strung together haphazardly in the hopes nobody actually calls you on it, which is what he is doing.



AndreyT said:


> so in order to feign some sort of human-like behavior


Human-like behavior? Really?

All behavior exhibited in this forum to date is quite human. Forget about the strange linking together of "human" and "like" of course. Even if the people were just attacking AndreyT had no good reason to be doing so (though they do in this case) the behavior is still very much human.

Again, I'm all for metaphor and whimsy in speaking, but to puff your speech up with misused, intellectual sounding words that are only marginally even conveying one's intended meaning is not only pretentious and stilted, it is a little neurotic as well.



AndreyT said:


> they are designed to look for and react to specific _keywords_. This one detected a keyword "retard" in my post above, and it immediately triggered a corresponding subroutine from the "holier than though" library with easily predictable canned response. It is so simple, it gets frustrating from purely scientific point of view.


I don't think you're allowed to castigate the thoughts of people by referring to sait thoughts as "subroutines" while at the same time claim the moral high ground of "scientific" frustration. 

Also, it's "Holier than thou," but I am NOT the spelling police. Just pointing it out in case it wasn't a typo, but he actually thought it was spelled "though."

And all this is just ONE relatively small post from AndreyT, not even his other lengthier ones, also filled with lingo from Bizzaro World.


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## Fireform

I think everyone understands AndreyT just fine.


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## cxwrench

CrankyMinion said:


> Never, just buy new ones after one use.


Thanks for the input but this stopped being about clothing about 5 days ago.


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## CrankyMinion

Never, just buy new ones after one use.


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## Camilo

Dave Cutter said:


> I air my kit after each use... before washing. We only do laundry once a week so I am careful to not throw wet sweaty clothing in the hamper.
> 
> I like to hang the clothing on the deck in the sun when we have sun. Otherwise it [hangs and] air dries in the garage or laundry room. If it's a short cool ride I might get a couple wears of the jersey (not my underarmor). Gloves I wear till they show salt. I wash my helmet (pads and headband) 3-4 times a season.


I pretty much do what you do except the gloves - have you looked at or smelled your hands after a ride? I never noticed it for many, many years (I never washed my gloves), but now I know that gloves get filthy inside and cycle three pair of gloves through my washing cycle just like my three-four main bibs, jerseys, socks, etc.

Oh, I also use skull caps whenever I ride, mostly for sun protection, but I've found they greatly extend the life and "freshness" of the helmet pads so I don't have to wash or replace nearly as often.



tvad said:


> Many women use lingerie washing bags to protect their delicates in the washing machine. Fortunately, my wife is one who uses lingerie bags. So, I use them for my cycling clothing...especially for bibs and smaller items.
> 
> Assos includes wash bags with their higher end bib shorts. The Assos bags aren't as effective as lingerie bags because the Assos bags are pretty small, and they don't have zippers, so they sometimes open in the wash and allow the garment out...but Assos recognizes the effectiveness of wash bags for protecting their clothing.
> 
> Highly recommended for protecting clothing from top loading machines with agitators. Front loading machines without agitators are much more gentle on clothing.


I've always called them "mesh washing bags", not lingerie bags. None of the females in my house have ever used them, but I bought a few mesh bags of various sizes a long time ago for organizing packing (long story, but it made great sense and utility for that extended (1 year) family trip) I found that my bib straps were getting wound up in the agitator and tangled with other clothes so I just started using the garment bags for that too - large size, one or two bibs/bag. I also use small garment bags for anything that has velcro, like my gloves.

Machine washing decreases life? Bah - maybe in theory, but I could care less if my athletic gear lasts "forever" vs. what they actually last which is "many years"

Machine drying ruins elastic? Double Bah. See above, plus does it "ruin" the elastic in your underwear? And who drys synthetics on medium or high temp anyway - low heat is barely hotter than skin temp. It's not going to ruin anything.


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## AndreyT

Camilo said:


> I've always called them "mesh washing bags", not lingerie bags.


The official name for jersey-sized mesh washing bags is "_sweater_ washing bags", as opposed to small "_lingerie_ washing bags"


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## tvad

Camilo said:


> Machine drying ruins elastic? Double Bah. See above, plus does it "ruin" the elastic in your underwear? And who drys synthetics on medium or high temp anyway - low heat is barely hotter than skin temp. It's not going to ruin anything.


My experience has been that machine drying shortens the life of gripper elastic, so I hang all my cycling clothing to dry...bibs and shorts in particular.

I try to follow the Assos washing instructions for all my cycling clothes (although since my clothing is in zippered lingerie bags, I do let them go through the spin cycle). Assos specifies no machine drying.

YMMV.


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## Cableguy

The pair of bibs I use daily I wash about once a week on average. I find that regardless of how sweaty they get, if you hang them up to dry in a well ventilated area they air out and are just fine to use the next day. I hang them off the handlebars infront of the fan after each ride. There is absolutely 0 smell, and the next day it's like they were just taken out of the drier. After about a week the only sign they haven't been washed are some lines of salt here and there from sweating. If anything I probably wash them too much. I guess YMMV if you're a smelly person or live in a very humid area.


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## crit_boy

Cableguy said:


> The pair of bibs I use daily I wash about once a week on average. I find that regardless of how sweaty they get, if you hang them up to dry in a well ventilated area they air out and are just fine to use the next day. I hang them off the handlebars infront of the fan after each ride. There is absolutely 0 smell, and the next day it's like they were just taken out of the drier. After about a week the only sign they haven't been washed are some lines of salt here and there from sweating. If anything I probably wash them too much. I guess YMMV if you're a smelly person or live in a very humid area.


As you are willing to expose the boys to repeated exposure to bacterial infested "waters", I question your ability to detect "zero" smell. I believe this claim requires a second zero smell opinion from a female in your life.


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## Winn

crit_boy said:


> As you are willing to expose the boys to repeated exposure to bacterial infested "waters", I question your ability to detect "zero" smell. I believe this claim requires a second zero smell opinion from a female in your life.


You are making a HUGE assumption thinking there may be a woman in his life.


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## T K

crit_boy said:


> As you are willing to expose the boys to repeated exposure to bacterial infested "waters", I question your ability to detect "zero" smell. I believe this claim requires a second zero smell opinion from a female in your life.


Maybe Stinky doesn't have a female in his life. Or is allowed on any group rides.


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## Fireform

crit_boy said:


> As you are willing to expose the boys to repeated exposure to bacterial infested "waters", I question your ability to detect "zero" smell. I believe this claim requires a second zero smell opinion from a female in your life.


Assuming there is a female in his life. Not sure I would go that far.


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## spiderwj

Wash after every use. If you want to pile up for a day or two, that's your risk but its proper etiquette to wash it before you wear it again out of respect to the other guys in the paceline (or the reputation of other cyclists in your local community).


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## Jay561

Wow is this real? 1 ride every thing gets washed.


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## Blue Star

I hand wash and hang to dry after every ride. I do this with my running gear too and have for many years. Clothing tends to get retired to the goodwill box rather than wears out or carries a stink.


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## Winn

This thread will never die. Just for the new ones just tuning in. He means how many kits do you was*h* at once not how often do you wash the kit you just rode in or how many times you wear it. Just if you wash daily. And yes AndreyT is crazy


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## NiGHTsC

Do you guys use also dehydration after rinse?
I heard that it's better to squeeze out the water by hand instead of letting the washer does the job
after that, line dry, of course.


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## tvad

Winn said:


> Just for the new ones just tuning in. *He means how many kits do you was at once not how often do you wash the kit you just rode in or how many times you wear it just if you wash daily.*


Say what?

Does that sentence come with a secret decoder ring?


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## Mandeville

Jersey and shorts after each ride. Gloves once a week.


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## Fireform

Lovely. This one again. Doesn't anyone have a silver spike?


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## robt57

I can't believe this is a conversation even....


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## Pirx

robt57 said:


> I can't believe this is a conversation even....


Yeah, those OCD cyclists... Why would I wash my kit more often than I change the cables on my bike? Sheesh...


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## junior1210

Pirx said:


> Yeah, those OCD cyclists... Why would I wash my kit more often than I change the cables on my bike? Sheesh...


Are you gonna start a thread "How long should your kit last?"


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## Winn

tvad said:


> Say what?
> 
> Does that sentence come with a secret decoder ring?


It was missing an *H *and a period.


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## Carverbiker

Heck I might go six or seven rides before I wash my kit........but I only wear the shorts once and save up until I have enough to wash😄


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## Pirx

junior1210 said:


> Are you gonna start a thread "How long should your kit last?"


Hmm, yes, that reminds me: My shorts never last as long as my cables. Oh well, thankfully that's only a cosmetic issue, functionality is not affected. I can still shift just fine in worn-our shorts...


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## Mr. Versatile

I try my best to make sure my kit is completely clean & free of any bacteria after every ride. There are several steps that I take when laundering.
1. I wipe them off thoroughly with Clorox Handi Wipes
2. Then I wash them for 30 minutes in a 50-50 mix of boiling water and Clorox bleach.
3. After that I let them drip off for a few minutes, then rinse them with 100% hydrogen peroxide, followed by a final rinse of distilled water at exactly 72F.
4. Finally, I hang them on a clothes line & dry them with an acetylene torch. (be careful with this step).

You'll be amazed at how clean your kit will be.


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## chriscc63

Mr. Versatile said:


> I try my best to make sure my kit is completely clean & free of any bacteria after every ride. There are several steps that I take when laundering.
> 1. I wipe them off thoroughly with Clorox Handi Wipes
> 2. Then I wash them for 30 minutes in a 50-50 mix of boiling water and Clorox bleach.
> 3. After that I let them drip off for a few minutes, then rinse them with 100% hydrogen peroxide, followed by a final rinse of distilled water at exactly 72F.
> 4. Finally, I hang them on a clothes line & dry them with an acetylene torch. (be careful with this step).
> 
> You'll be amazed at how clean your kit will be.




What? you mean you don't put them in the microwave for 40 min. before the final rinse?


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## tvad

Mr. Versatile said:


> I try my best to make sure my kit is completely clean & free of any bacteria after every ride. There are several steps that I take when laundering.
> 1. I wipe them off thoroughly with Clorox Handi Wipes
> 2. Then I wash them for 30 minutes in a 50-50 mix of boiling water and Clorox bleach.
> 3. After that I let them drip off for a few minutes, then rinse them with 100% hydrogen peroxide, followed by a final rinse of distilled water at exactly 72F.
> 4. Finally, I hang them on a clothes line & dry them with an acetylene torch. (be careful with this step).
> 
> You'll be amazed at how clean your kit will be.


That seems about right. Nice.


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## Natedogz

mrcreosote said:


> knicks, undershirt (in winter) or jersey (in summer), socks get 1 days wear
> Jacket, long over-knicks, leg/arm warmers get 2-3 days depending on how much I sweat.
> gloves may go a week or so before a wash.


Precisely. Rashes and infections are not fun. MTB kit (and from my bike) managed to spread poison oak rash...yikes.



cxwrench said:


> Oh jesus...how long 'til old whatsername chimes in about how many rides she does before washing her kit? That was nasty...


OMG....nasty. Where's the puke icon? lol


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## Killroy

1 ride = one wash

A dude I know got a yeast infection when he did not wash his kits.


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## tvad

Killroy said:


> A dude I know got a yeast infection when he did not wash his kits.


Didn't know that was possible with dudes. 

Learn something new every day.


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## Pirx

Killroy said:


> 1 ride = one wash
> 
> A dude I know got a yeast infection when he did not wash his kits.


A dude I know got brain cancer. He did wash his kit.


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## NJBiker72

Pirx said:


> A dude I know got brain cancer. He did wash his kit.


Did he read this thread?


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## SwiftSolo

I agree, if you don't wash your kit, you're eventually going to have to take a shower.


96_Litespeed said:


> I'm trying to figure out why you wouldn't wash your jersey/shorts/bibs after every use.


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## bikepro

Mr. Versatile said:


> I try my best to make sure my kit is completely clean & free of any bacteria after every ride. There are several steps that I take when laundering.
> 1. I wipe them off thoroughly with Clorox Handi Wipes
> 2. Then I wash them for 30 minutes in a 50-50 mix of boiling water and Clorox bleach.
> 3. After that I let them drip off for a few minutes, then rinse them with 100% hydrogen peroxide, followed by a final rinse of distilled water at exactly 72F.
> 4. Finally, I hang them on a clothes line & dry them with an acetylene torch. (be careful with this step).
> 
> You'll be amazed at how clean your kit will be.


I'm sure you also follow the Sheldon Brown (RIP) recipe for chain cleaning:

The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System


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## Pirx

NJBiker72 said:


> Did he read this thread?


:hand: Heh, awesome return. No, that was two years ago, but, yes, I can see how this thread could do that to someone...


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## chuckice

Wash your clothes stinky britches.


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## T K

OMG! Stumbled across this thread from 5 years ago and had a good laugh. Man RBR used to be so much fun. Call thread dredge if you want but as I was reading six other people were reading it too! Timeless classic.


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## flatlander_48

Anything polyester and wool bibs: 1 ride, 1 wash

Wool jerseys: 2 to 4 rides, 1 wash


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## Lombard

When it turns green, it's time to clean. :thumbsup:


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