Kinda personal but underwear???

[Trekhawk]

Solved the problem of the washer wearing out the clothes by buying a front loader with no agitator. My undies seem to last much longer now, and I don't have a problem putting my shorts in them every time I wear them. Besides, there's no way I'm wearing those stinky shorts a second time without washing them. I sweat clean through the chamois almost every time I ride.

Karen

Tuckervill is right front loaders are the way to go. I wash my shorts after every ride in this machine. I trust the front loader so much I even stick my very expensive Assos gear in there. I have been riding for about 2 years and my first pair of shorts still look great.

[sandra]

I have a Bosch front loader. It's very gentle on my every day clothes. I wash my riding shorts on the hand wash cycle.

[tygab]

I have a front loader and dryer. I run all our cycling shorts, socks, gloves, shirts thru with other soft items (towels t shirts etc) on a gentle setting and then toss the lot in the dryer. Everything has held up well with minimal wear. Much prefer shorts only, they felt funny with u/w. I didn't know at first either.

also I have some cheap and some more $ shorts. I reserve the $ ones for the longest rides and use the others for the daily workout type rides which can mean a few washings a week.

now my tri suit i may treat differently, but I also have yet to use it....

[Tuckervill]

I don't dry mine because my hubby is notorious for putting my clothes in the dryer on high. It's not only bad for my bike shorts (I believe), but for everything else I wear, too. So to keep him from accidentally putting my bike clothes in the dryer on high, I warned him high and low not to put them in at all.

I read recently that drying white clothes on high can make them dingy. I never knew that. My nice new dryer has all these cool settings that won't ruin my clothes, and I'm going to teach him how to use them if it takes me 20 years!

Karen

[Grog]

I don't dry mine because my hubby is notorious for putting my clothes in the dryer on high. It's not only bad for my bike shorts (I believe), but for everything else I wear, too.

It's also bad for the environment and for your wallet!

Using the dryer less means big energy savings...

[Trekhawk]

I use a clotheshorse to dry my cycling gear and it works well.

[Kuota Rider]

No underwear is the way to go. I started cycling a couple years ago and was told then that it was the best way. I sort of shuddered at first, but now I can't imagine a long, hot ride with "bunched up" underwear. I can't imagine any pair that would be comfortable, even the smallest ones.
Great question, by the way. I'm sure other people wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well gee, if my underwear gave me wedgies or "bunched up" on long hot rides, I wouldn't want to wear it either!.....but it doesn't, so I'm perfectly happy.

[Crankin]

I couldn't not wash my cycling shorts. I have 5 pair, not including mtb shorts, knickers, or skorts, which I only wear on my errand runs or mtbiking. My tights are unpadded and I wear them for different things, along with cycling. They all go in the wash, regular cycle, front loader and hung to dry. Now that I have all "good" shorts, i.e. Terry Bella and Shebeest SSS, they show no sign of wear after a year. Once in awhile they go in the dryer, by accident, but I don't make it a habit.
With regular clothes I wear the most minimal thong I can. I don't wear them under pantyhose or tights, either. I hate the feeling of underwear in general!

[Kuota Rider]

We wash our cycling gear in the washer on the regular cycle. I do have a machine without an agitator though so it isnt rough on clothes. But we never put them in the dryer. The heat dries out the elasticity in the lycra and destroys the band around the leg opening. And by the way Lisa, I haven't worn those 'bunchy' underware, but just the thought makes me happy I don't.

[Tuckervill]

Grog, if I really wanted to save money on electricity, I'd stop using my air conditioner. Drying my clothes in a highly energy efficient dryer is a drop in the bucket compared to what it costs trying to stay cool in the summer time. Throwing the bike shorts in with clothes that are going to be dried anyway doesn't cost any more, either.

But yeah, I respect the sentiment!

Karen

[SadieKate]

. . .So if I haven't sweated too much I only need to wash them every 4-6 rides.

Well that's one way to create a gap in the paceline.

Wash on delicate every ride, drip dry and I've got shorts going on 10 years old that are just now having the chamois die. Lycra's still in good shape.

[KnottedYet]

Me, too. I have some el cheapo Nashbar and Hind shorts that I bought in 1995 or 1996, and they are still going strong. Machine wash after every ride, drip dry.

Now I have 3 Terry Commuter Skorts and a pair of Voler shorts and a pair of Ibex 3/4s, so they are taking some of the work load of my old shorts. They also get washed in the machine and drip-dried after every ride.

I'm a super sweaty monster (salty-crusty sweaty!). The washing machine is my friend.

[Grog]

Actually I find that what really wears off my shorts is the rubbing from pedalling, not the washing. They sort of wear off around the crease of the thigh, inside the leg. I've changed my saddle position a little so it might help in reducing the lycra-chafing. That's where they break down first...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well that's one way to create a gap in the paceline.

Hey, my shorts are NEVER dirty or stinky!
Seriously, unless i ride in 90 degrees or hotter weather, my shorts simply don't get sweaty or dirty. When I'm hot I mostly sweat on my head and neck. But I wash my shorts after several rides anyway even if they still seem quite clean. Because I wear panties, I don't need to wash them any more often than I wash my jeans.

I could ride in a paceline smelling like a daisy compared to most sweaty guys (if i "wanted" to ride in pacelines, which I don't!)

I am not advocating that everyone wear panties under their shorts, though it seems that most here are stating that panties should never be worn under biking shorts. I just am saying what works well for me and am relating a different side to it.