Bike to Work and Dress up

With the generalization of city bikes, more and more residents are likely to bike to work. It is beneficial for the environment, I think. But the hard point is biking usually goes hand in hand with sweating. The sweat doesn't smell. So how to deal with it? What should you do? Should you wear your suit biking to work? Here are the answers.



>>> the virtues of riding to work

Riding to work is actually a healthy and economical way. On one hand, it can build your body. It is a great cardio exercise. On the other hand, you can also save transportation costs. You don't have to fear of missing the bus. And it may lead to a romance.

It seems that everything is fine. But hopes dashes as sweating, unless your commute from home to work office is breezy and completely flat blocks.



>>> how to tackle with sweating

Experienced cyclists may notice the interesting phenomenon that you sweat more after you ride. When riding, the wind keeps you cool. But your body still needs to get rid of excess heat after your arrival. You break into sweating in a first few minutes.

Pack a towel and a big-ass ziplock

Carry a towel with you. You can wipe the sweat if necessary. You can buy the towel for yourself on the internet or at a store. You'd better stock up and carry a fresh one with you every time you ride to work. Bring a ziplock bag with you. They can stay your sweaty stuff from stinking up your office or ruining your bag.

Start to work early

Arrive at work office earlier than your colleagues, you will have enough time to use the bathroom to freshen up and change. Keep a deodorant, hair product, body wash, and comb at the desk and make sure to style your haircut. Freshen up yourself, and rub all over your body. Not only will it make you feel clean, but you really will be clean. If you ride a long route without a shower, it's possible and actually somewhat easy to wash your hair in the sink. Now wash your hands and get to work.

Find out different routes

A fool will choose a route with many uphills to ride unless he would like to change himself. Before starting, you can find out different routes as possible as you can. Finally, start with the best one. Nobody minds going downhills on a steep hill, I believe, but close a longer, less steep route for uphills. In effect, longer routes are much more comfortable.

Try to avoid traffic lights or junctions

Frequently stopping and accelerating takes a lot of effort. The flow of the traffic on roads may force you to accelerate harder than you really want. It's more comfortable and easier to ride at a slow constant speed than at a higher speed but with lots of braking and accelerating.

Choose a high-quality bike

If you want to buy a bike, choose the high-quality one. It can help you actually. You will get less stressful but more comfortable. A high-quality bicycle works very well as a commuter one.



>>> how to dress up for riding to work

Someone did an experiment and drew a conclusion that wearing a cotton T-shirt on the ride to work works better than a synthetic fabric bike jersey. The reason is that cotton absorbs more sweat than synthetic jersey. He said he was not so sweaty. He spread the shirt out on his bike bag under the desk so it is dry for his trip home. He wore the regular work pants on the ride to work, his legs didn't really get sweaty.

Wear sports clothes
Sports clothing is designed to exercise. You don't have to wear a suit even if you are on the way to work. Because you are still exercising. Wear clothes you can sweat in. Sports clothing is your first choice. It looks more professional and keeps you comfortable.

Carry a bag
Carry a bag with you. A backpack is OK, but a pannier is better. Because a pannier can be attached to the side of a bike, while a backpack isn't good for cycling, and is very bad for causing sweat. You can put the heaviest stuff at the bottom, and then fold your suit in case of wrinkling. If you carry a laptop, you should sit flat against your back when wearing the backpack. If you are a girl, pack your dress shoes in cloth shoe bags and then put them at the bottom. Roll your little towel like a flat burrito and fold your suit pants around it. Besides, put your wallet, phone, and keys in a small exterior bag pocket.



>>> if sweating, what should you do?

Sweat smells bad. The unpleasant odor is produced by bacteria breaking down sweat into acid. So what should you do?

It takes some time for bacteria to multiply. It doesn't matter how much you sweat. What matters more is how long it is been since your last shower.

So you should do:

Shower thoroughly with soap before going to work, put on clean clothes.

If you sweat, sweat as much as necessary on the way to work. On arriving, let the sweat dry naturally (which takes about 15 minutes or so).

Change from shorts to long trousers, e.g. in the washroom (more details on Tip 2 "start to work early" )