What to do if you sweat too much on your bike commute

Have you had a problem with arriving to work sweaty? You will find plenty of advice what to do about it. The options usually are:

1. Ignore it and address the issue once you arrive at your destination. You can shower (if available), wash up and change clothes.
2. Dress lighter. Less clothing means more ventilation. The general rule is to dress for the end of your ride, not the beginning. This means that if you leave your house and feel toasty warm - you're overdressed. It's better to feel cold during the first few miles and warm up on your ride, than to arrive drenched in sweat.
3. Dress differently. Still wearing that rainshell? Yes, it blocks the wind but it also makes you sweat underneath. Why not try something lighter? A vest? A heavier sweater maybe?
4. Ride slowly. Maybe you're sweating simply because you're riding too fast? Slowing down should help.

Arriving sweaty again? (Source: yehudamoon.com)

 

So these are the typical advice you will hear. But there is one more thing. Something I haven't read about anywhere on Internet. Option #5 is this - if you don't want to get sweaty, change your riding position. I noticed that even if I consider options 2, 3 and 4, I still can get a bit sweaty on my upper back, especially in humid weather. This is because while riding a bicycle, I have to lean forward to hold the handlebars and that makes the shirt stick to my back. This applies to most bicycles I use. The lack of air gap between the clothing and my back reduces ventilation and makes me sweat. The solution is to ride in a much more upright position. Once I tried it, I immediately noticed the improvement. The shirt now simply drops down loosely from my shoulders, creating a generous pocket of air between clothing and my back, increasing ventilation and reducing sweat.

 

When I thought more about it, I realized that this is far from revolutionary. The Dutch and Danes surely have it in their Urban Cycling 101 handbook. Most people in Amsterdam or Copenhagen ride on urban bicycles, sitting very upright. Most of them move relatively slowly and travel short distances - both things helping them not being sweaty while cycling. But because they can keep their clothing loose, they can wear ordinary clothing and still stay dry. Have you ever seen a Dutch person wearing lycra in the center of Amsterdam? Me neither.

12 cycling things to do before you die

British magazine Cycling Weekly published a list of 26 things to do on your bike before you die. Some of these activities are British-specific, many are aimed at road bikers, a few are pure nonsense. I'm sure everyone can come up with a list of things one wants to do on a bike before death. And in fact, if you are into bicycles and cycling, you should have such a list. Well, here is mine (no particular order):

1. Ride a 100mi in a day

Ok, I'm a metric guy so normally I would go with 100km but it isn't a distance that is THAT challenging. A hundred miles (or 160km) on the other hand, is. Or can be - depending on your skill level. For an average, fairly athletic person, riding 100mi will take a full day and it's a great opportunity not only to learn more about your body and its limits, know your bike better, but also to see more. Pick a day with nice summer weather (but not too hot and sunny), plan a route that would take you through some quiet roads, new places you haven't yet visited and enjoy it.

My status: done

2. Ride a long distance trail

This is something good to try together with the next challenge below. Exploring a long, isolated trail should be fun. You're on your own, you have a clear goal in mind, you're in the area never visited before. And there are many miles of it ahead.

My status: open

3. Go cycle touring

I always wanted to try it. Just pack a tent, sleeping bag, some clothes, etc. and go for a week long bike tour. Explore new areas, meet new people, camp out in nature. Riding longer distance is not new to me, neither is camping. Now it's time to put it together.

My status: open

4. Ride with your kids

So you spent many bachelor years racing and bike touring all over the world. But now you are a family guy and you have two busy bees to look after. What do you do? Include them, of course! Get a trailer or a child seat. Put your kids on your bike, then when they grow up, on their own bikes. Teach them how to ride a bike and tell them about the traffic rules. Show them world from the saddle and they will like it more than sitting inside a car. Noticed something interesting? You can stop your bike anytime and explore.

My status: done

5. Get a friend into cycling

Cycling Weekly's list calls for getting 50 people into cycling in your lifetime but I would say one is good enough. Pick a good friend of yours and get him/her into cycling. Your kids don't count. Your non-cycling wife might do.

My status: in progress

6. Ride on another continent

I've done it but I don't think it should count. I used to live in Europe and biked there (in Poland, Germany, Austria and Denmark to be exact). Then I moved to U.S. and biked here. But I think to truly claim this one I should try again. How about a cycling tour across New Zealand? I'm in!

My status: done (but must be repeated)

7. Restore an old bike

Hmm, it depends on how I look at this. If restoring a vintage bike means returning it as close to its original condition as possible,  paying close attention to using era-correct components and fabrication methods, I haven't tried it and I may never have a chance to do it. But if we just talk about taking an old bike and bringing it back to a useable condition, then I have done it a few times. Nevertheless, this challenge is just a good excuse to getting your hands dirty. Which is always a good thing.

My status: done?

8. Build a bike

If you bought your trusty Trek at a local bike store and you're happy with it - that's fine. But it doesn't mean you should stop there. Think what your current bike is not and should be. Think about your perfect bike (within the budget, of course) and then try to build one. Unlike owning a car, building your own bicycle is much simpler, cheaper and all components are readily available. You will end up with your own, customized machine, not to mention that the build process itself can be a lot of fun too. A word of warning though - if you haven't try it yet, start small and slow. Learn how to service your current bike an replace its components first. Putting a whole new bike together will come next.

My status: done (multiple times)

9. Ride on snow and at 0 deg F weather

Most people who use bikes for recreation call those warmer months of the year a "bike season". For most of dedicated cyclists, there is no such thing as the bike season because we know that bikes can be ridden year round. But even those who decide to ride their bikes through winter, sometimes decide it's officially too cold for a bike ride, when air temperature drops into negative American degrees. Well, it can be done but it may take you a while to figure out how to dress properly. Choose a shorter distance, wear something to block the windchill, cover your face, nose and ears. Wear goggles and balaclava if necessary. Use good gloves and warm shoes. You may find it challenging and you will notice car drivers looking at you in awe. Snow and 0 degrees? Challenge accepted! 
My status: done

10. Ride a fatbike

Because Cycling Weekly list focused too much on road cycling, I decided to fix it. Hence, riding a fatbike shows up on my list. I had a chance to do it recently and I have to say I couldn't get rid of the smile on my face for the rest of the week. They may look goofy, they may look heavy but once you try it, you will wonder why nobody invented such a thing earlier? Fatbikes are fun!

My status: done (but needs to be repeated!)

11. Ride to work for a full year

You may live too far from your office to try it on daily basis but if you don't, or if you can use light rail to cover some of the distance, you definitely should try bike commuting to work for at least one full year in your life. It's not only about the exercise but it does make you stronger, healthier and more aware of the surroundings. You will see the seasons change. You will notice the first flowers in the spring, experience (and survive) heavy summer thunderstorms, see leaves changing colors and learn how to dress for a ride at 5 deg F weather.

My status: done and still going

12. Ride in the dark

Riding in complete darkness isn't really my type of entertainment. During those dark, winter months I try to avoid pitch black bike paths and switch to riding along main roads that at least have some street lights. But riding in darkness can be interesting, at least in some places. Trails do look different when you can only rely on the headlight on your bike. Your eyes may not be enough to navigate. Time to open your senses and listen. What's lurking behind those bushes?

My status: done in urban setting but I need to try it again in deep forest

Obligatory picture. Unrelated to content.

Monetary and daylight savings

After the cold and rainy weekend sun has peeked through the clouds again. But despite the really nice weather this morning, I had to take my car to work as I needed to run some errands later and running them by bike, although totally possible, would be simply time-inefficient.

 

A quick stop at the pump came with a surprise that a gallon of gas costs only $3.10. Cheaper than a gallon of milk! Looks like bikers have just lost a few fellow commuters. Cheaper gas means usually less incentive to save money and ride a bike to work instead.

Expensive gas = more cyclists on the road? (Source: yehudamoon.com)

 

It's November and the time to switch clocks an hour back. Which means a dark commute for the next 4 months. Time to check on those lights. Don't be a bike ninja!

 

This also means that soon I will be saying goodbye to the Minuteman Bikeway. I like riding my bike that way from Arlington to Bedford, even though it takes me more time to get to work. Avoiding smelly cars and general traffic is well worth it.

But this popular path has one major flaw that makes it less attractive in winter time. It is nearly completely pitch black after 5 p.m. There are no street lamps and even with a decent headlight on my bike I don't find riding in complete darkness enjoyable. This makes me choose the alternative path along the busy Rt 2A, even if it means riding along the car traffic.