Quote Originally Posted by fixiegrrl
Cycling clothes can be washed in the machine, but NEVER place them in the dryer - it ruins the lycra over time.
Funny - I've been drying my cycling shorts and jerseys in the dryer on low heat for years, and I have not had a problem with the dryer ruining the lycra. My suggestion would be to follow the washing / drying directions from the manufacturer - my PI ultrasensor shorts carry a tag that says "tumble dry low".

Yes, the shorts do wear out over time. But I can tell you from experience that line drying does not save them from wearing out. When I rode cross-country back in 2002, I started with 2 new pairs of shorts. I wore a pair & washed a pair every day, and the shorts were line-dried on that trip. I replaced the shorts with new ones in Colorado as my original shorts were woefully worn at that point in time (but from wearing them out, not from a dryer!).

--- Denise