Question about bike shorts and commuting...

[GLC1968]

If you have a fairly long commute where you sweat, do you wear the same shorts on your return trip as you wore on the way in?

Right now I only bike my commute one direction per day, so I just wear new shorts each time. I'm thinking about biking both ways on some days. I can see leaving a sweaty shirt to dry out for the afternoon commute...but what about the shorts? Would it be gross to wear them twice in one day or is that what most people do?

FYI: I commute 14 hilly miles each way, so I pretty much always sweat.

[7rider]

I turn my shorts inside-out and hang them on a hook in a quiet corner of my cube to air out/dry. I do the same with my jersey and bra. I'll wear the same stuff home. It all goes in the laundry then, and I hop in the shower.

[DebW]

If you have a fairly long commute where you sweat, do you wear the same shorts on your return trip as you wore on the way in?

I wear the same shorts both ways (13 mile hilly ride). After I shower and change, I spread the jersey across my top tube and hang the inside-out shorts from a brake lever in my office. They are always dry by the time I go home.

[Cassandra_Cain]

Ditto Ditto Ditto.

My commute is about 29 miles RT. I wear the same shorts, jersey, socks, and grin

I know we all want to be clean but some level of germs, is natural and not going to harm you. Sterile is not what I'm after

[GLC1968]

So I'm guessing that you guys don't use chamois cream for the commute? Reusing those shorts would be kind of gross...wouldn't it?

I'm going to try going without tonight and see how I do. I started using in on my previous, poorly fitting bike out of necessity, and now I'm scared to go without it! This bike fits though...so it should be fine.

[Tater]

I wear the same shorts, jersey and bra (leg warmers now, as well!) for both ends of my commute (24 miles RT). I do the same as Regina and just hang things under my desk to dry out. As for the cheek lube, I typically only use it in the warmer months and even then, in the afternoons, so I didn't have to worry about sliding into pre-lubbed, already worn shorts. Sorry, not much of a help here!

[7rider]

So I'm guessing that you guys don't use chamois cream for the commute? Reusing those shorts would be kind of gross...wouldn't it?

I only use my Chamois Butt'r on longer rides on the weekend. I don't use it when commuting.

[DebW]

I often use chamois butter in the mornings but not the afternoons. The shorts don't remain slimy and the hours-old chamois butter isn't effective. Need a fresh application in the afternoon if I'm using my old worn-out shorts (if I remember to have some with me).

[Dianyla]

I tend to save the slimy ButtButter type for long weekend rides. If I feel the need for something while commuting, I use BodyGlide. It doesn't work as well as the slime, but it's got a fairly dry feel.

[GLC1968]

Thanks for all the info!

I rode home last night and back in this morning without chamois cream and it was totally fine. I guess that's just one more difference between a bike that fits and one that doesn't!

Next week, I'm going to plan on at least one 'full' commute day!

[8bit]

I assume you're going to shower anyway when you get home, so the issue isn't so much putting on dirty clothes over again but the possibility of bacterial growth. I'll second the suggestions to just let your shorts dry out over the day (or at least don't smoosh them into a bag while they're wet). If you try it and suddenly start getting saddle sores, then it wouldn't be very hard to go back to the 2-shorts a day system.

I don't know if this idea sounds horribly disgusting to you, but I've done multi-day tours where I've re-worn dirty shorts and haven't had any additional trouble from it other than getting chafed in the same spots from wearing the same shorts. *oversharing* If you're worried about cleanliness of the other bodily secretion sort, the key to the shorts re-wear up to several days is wearing a tampon */oversharing*

[Geonz]

HOly cow, "they" always say Americans are totally twisted about cleanliness... remember the good old days in pioneer times when you'd sew youreself into your clothes for the winter? (Oh, yea, a lot of people died, too...)

But seriously, it ain't nothin' but a thing! IMO if you ahve to use a bunch of grease the shorts prob'ly don't fit, but then I've never used chamois butter at all... so I may be made of different stuff (or it might be riding the more upright stallion).

[CorsairMac]

I base it on miles: I wear mine for about 25 miles or 2 days of commuting. I figure if I was going on a long ride I'd wear those shorts for 25, 50 100 miles....it's not going to hurt me to wear them 2 days in a row

oh: and I don't use chamois creme - even for my long rides....never have.

[Cassandra_Cain]

Sorry but I don't get why wearing shorts twice in a day is 'gross'?

I mean you wear your underwear say 10, 12, maybe 14 hours continuously?

So why the worry about wearing bike shorts for a grand total of 2-3 hours a day for your commute ?

Just my opinion....

About chamois butter....I have never needed or used the stuff.

[GLC1968]

I think I need to explain myself a bit better.

Up until the past two commutes, I have always used Assos chamois cream. It's wet and kind of slimy and then it mixes with sweat (and perhaps other bodily fluids). If I were to leave the shorts hanging in a locker for 8 hours, I figured it would either be super stinky, extra slimy or worse...hard. The thought of pulling that up against my naked privates is very unappealing. It's bad enough when I have to pee at mile 75 of a century...I didn't want to have to do it every damn day unless there was no other option.

I don't bike with any other women whom I could ask...and men are obviously structured a little different down there!

For whatever reason, it never occured to me that I could just skip the cream. Now I get it...and no, it's not gross to wear bike shorts for two consecutive commutes when the chamois isn't saturated with stuff! I appreciate all the info...you learn something new every day.