Thousand Drips of Sweat
One more mile. One more minute. One more second. One THOUSAND more drips of sweat.
Done!
During this time, when most of us are staying inside to #rideitout, it’s essential to not only take care of our bikes but our kit as well. The cycling kit is an investment and requires the same amount of care as we give our bikes. Even indoors, we make sure our chain is well lubed, and gears are tuned to maximize performance. Cycling kit can also maximize your performance with its breathable fabrics and comfortable chamois— so we want to take care of these as well.
If you are anything like me, by the end of your Zwift/trainer session, the towel on your stem, the floor under your bike, and YOU are soaked: Chamois. Socks. Baselayer. Shoes. I even looked down yesterday and saw two lines of sweat on either side of my bike coming out of my SHOES!
Like most people, after I hop off the trainer, I try to get out of my soaked chamois as quickly as possible and get cleaned up. Once you’re out of your chamois, it’s important to either get it right into the washer or hang it up to dry out completely. You don’t want to leave it sitting in a wet heap until laundry day, allowing bacteria to flourish.
Here are some tips on washing your kit:
Always wash on the delicate cycle with cold water. Ideally, use a small amount of powder detergent, not liquid. Liquid detergent can clog the pours of technical fabrics, making them not breathe as well and causing the fabric to retain odors. Never use fabric softener. Less is more when it comes to cleaning your kit once it’s out of the washer, hang dry on a rack or clotheslines. Never put your cycling kit in the dryer. Hang with the chamois facing out to allow it to dry first, and if you are drying on a clothesline outside, the sun will help kill any bacteria potentially still on the chamois.
Our goal is to perform at our best—whether it’s to win a race or just get to the top of that hill one second faster than yesterday. Taking proper care of our kit helps in maximizing our potential and performance, and keeps us comfortable in the process. A chamois can last you thousands of miles with the right care. If you take care of it, your chamois will take care of you.
Check out our broad range of Castelli shorts.