Umm...sweaty bum...HELP!

Okay, I searched all over this forum to see if I could find a previous thread about this (to save me the embarrassment of posting it myself), but it looks like I'm out of luck. So here it goes...

I just moved to Chicago to live car-free. (Anyone want to buy a Mazda3)? :D That means I ride pretty much everywhere--the library, the grocery store, etc. But I'm prone to be sweaty. Even a ride that I feel like I'm taking it easy, my hair still gets sweaty underneath. But I'm dealing with that.

The *real* problem is my bum. When I get off the saddle, I'll have a wet spot on my bum. I'm riding in everyday clothes (cotton panties, cotton capris or shorts). I don't have anything against technical clothing, but sometimes you don't want to show up to a discussion group at a coffeehouse in bike shorts and a jersey.

Can anyone help...please?!?!

Have you considered getting the padded undies to go under your everyday clothes? Or a wraparound skirt to go over bike shorts?

Hi, Pooks! That's a thought. This might be a dumb question about the padded undies--can you tell they're padded when you where them under your clothes? Thanks for your suggestions!

It's funny you mention this because yesterday a friend and I were riding on my usual bike trail and this kid came up from behind and he had very noticeable butt-sweat going on which is something I've never encountered. I tend to ride with Lycra at the very least. If I don't ride with the padded biking shorts (sans underwear, of course) I just wear some spandex that I found at my local Target underneath some shorts. You might want to consider bringing a skirt or something to wear once you've reached your destination over your bike shorts and no, the padding doesn't show.

I'm selling my Mazda 5 with 49,000 miles to my brother TODAY. He's on his way here now from MD to turn it into a taxicab. I'm not committing to "being car-free" - but I'm not running out to get anything this week, and in mid-june I'll be gone for a week on a bike tour (GITAP)... and I wasn't driving anyway...

Cotton is not your friend (in this case)...

There are skorts and other nifty options (look at some ofthe Zoic stuff) right here on this site. With the money saved gonig car-free, you can invest in accessories for your new vehicle - YOU :)

I've not worn the padded undies with dress trousers that I can recall...but I wear them with skirts, and more recently, bike shorts with skirts to counteract the Marilyn Monroe effect.

Under skirts that you can ride a bike in, you can't tell. Under jeans and chinos, you can't tell. I've just never tried with office-type clothing. One tricky area is the waist, as in matching the height, or rise, of the shorts to the clothing.

Both methods have been really effective and helpful.

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts on this...uh, situation of mine. :o I appreciate the input. It looks like the padded undies might be the way to go until I sell the car, then one of those cute bike skorts will be mine!!!!

Hi Pooks,

In addition to skorts (which have built in bike shorts underneath), you can also purchase wrap skirts (Terry makes cute ones, or at least used to) that you can put on over your bike shorts after a ride. I have one I take in my rack pack for running errands on the bike.

Good luck, and a hearty congratulations on going car-free .... my dream too someday!

Emily

Emily! Hi!

It was bikewriter who asked the original question. I agree with you -- I offer her my congrats on a bike-free lifestyle, too.

I very much endorse the wrap skirts or the skorts! They are the perfect commuting outfit for summer days and nights. I often do a "ride" before I ride to work (I have a late start.) So I want the comfort of padded bike shorts. When I get to work, I have to do the bank deposit and then ride to the bank and back. Darn bank doesn't let me do the drive-thru on the bike. :( So in I go with my wrap skirt over my lycra shorts and I feel right at home. I've also been using the bike for other errands and I feel less conspicuous in a skirt than in bike shorts when I am shopping. I make my own, but there are some really nice ones available to purchase if you don't sew.

Annie

Forgot to mention - if you are worried about sweating, don't put the skirt on until you have arrived at where you are going. It will cover your sweaty shorts.

I am a prolific sweat-er. Even bike shorts under cotton (capris or cargo shorts) don't cut it for me. I still end up looking like I peed my pants. Even my nylon Rivendell pants look "wet" with bike shorts underneath for longer rides.

Terry Commuter Skorts keep me looking decent.
http://www.teamestrogen.com/categories.asp?catID=54

Otherwise I'm stuck with wearing bike clothes on the bike, and just adding the street clothes when I'm off the bike. Or wearing black running pants over my bike shorts on colder days for longer rides. (they don't show the wet like the Rivendell pants.)

It's frustrating.

Wool is a wonderful thing as far as managing my sweaty self is concerned. I haven't tried buying the wool "street" pants offered by Ibex (cuz they're too expensive), but my wool shirts and cycling capris have handled my heavy sweating gracefully. www.ibexwear.com

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Originally Posted by annie

Darn bank doesn't let me do the drive-thru on the bike. :(

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Really? I did this the other day at my bank and nobody had a problem with it (part of the reason I did it was because it's a pain to lock the bike to what's available there, and part of it was just to see what the reaction would be!). I felt slightly goofy, but nobody gave me a hard time about riding a bike in the drive-thru.

Starbucks wouldn't serve me in the drive-thru.

The barista said it was a liability to have bikes in the line with the cars, that I would have to leave the order lane (where I had been waiting in line WITH CARS :eek: :rolleyes: ) and come inside.

I went across the street to an independent espresso stand, where they were happy to serve me and I could keep my bike with me.

(Seattleites - this was the Starbucks in LFP, right across from the Burke! I can't remember the name of the independent but it's in the gas station parking lot and next to the Perkins Creek park.)

I'd be inquiring about where that policy is, in writing, and asking the question slowly so they'd figure out that indeed, it will be less hassle to serve you! No such silliness at our banks here.

I ride my bike through the drive-through at my bank frequently with no prob. They've never even done a double-take, which made me wonder if I'm not the only one. (But I don't live in an area that is heavily populated by utility cyclist so that would surprise me a lot.)

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Originally Posted by Geonz

I'd be inquiring about where that policy is, in writing, and asking the question slowly so they'd figure out that indeed, it will be less hassle to serve you! No such silliness at our banks here.

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You know, I just might do that. It would certainly simplify things.

Annie

Places with a drive through often have policies on not serving pedestrians. Not always tho. The bank employees may assume that a bicyclist should be treated as a pedestrian. And well, not so.

If you know or can find the appropriate sections of your area's vehicle code, that may help.

I second the terry wrapper skorts. They fold up really small and wrap over your normal bike shorts. I have a commuter skort, but the chamois is very thin and sometimes the skirt gets in the way, so I prefer my regular bike shorts with a wrapper skort for those places you don't want to show up at in bike clothes. I also have jerseys that match the skirts and look sporty, but not like normal bike jerseys. Another idea are mountain bike shorts that look more like everyday shorts than bike shorts.