Care for Bike Apparel/clothes

It's pretty hard to find real chamois bike shorts these days
so I suspect that the shorts you have include a synthetic
chamois. If so, they really don't need the cream. I wash my
cycling shorts (real or imitation chamois) in the washing
machine, cold/cold cycle and let them drip dry. I NEVER put
them in the dryer.

Mark said:

Hi folks, I'm not so concerned for care of a Jersey,
but very concerned for the care/washing/maintainence of
Bike Shorts.

As with all technical fabrics, the most important thing is
to make sure they are well rinsed. Detergent residue can eat
up the material. I use a mild detergent, colc cycle with an
extra rinse cycle, and hang dry. Here's some advice I got
from a Pearl Izumi warranty guy:

"One of the critical issues to consider when washing any
technical garment is making sure you've completely
rinsed the material at the end of the cycle. If you give
your shorts a quick sniff after they come out of the
wash and they still smell like your detergent - they're
not quite clean."

If you need chamois cream, you will know it. Yes, it feels
weird when you first pull the shorts on.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA bike.terrymorse.combike.terrymorse.comOpen ↗

"Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks, I'm not so concerned for care of a Jersey,
but very concerned for the care/washing/maintainence of
Bike Shorts.

I Have recently bought a very nice pair of Santini
Shorts, and am

very

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happy with them. Very nice substantial padding. I did save
the tags, with care/washing instructions, but for the

life

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of me, I cannot find them. :-(

I was thinking of just hand washing them in
cool/lukewarm water

with

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Woolite, and perhaps a very gentle tumble dry cycle, or
just drip

dry?

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The other issue I have heard about is Chamois Cream.
Is Chamois

Cream

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so important to use on these shorts, or any others
like them?

I honestly cannot tell if it's real leather Chamois, or
synthetic

on

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these, they feel so much like real leather!? In either
case, do I really have to Chamois Cream these?

Slathering a Chamois with tons of Goop doesn't seem too
attractive

to

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me )Like I seen Lance do last week on TV), and I'm
thinking in my

case

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may create more problems than solve? With the amount of
Cream he applied, I think I would feel like a crapped
my pants!

I'm not in the saddle 6 hours at a time like pros are, and
I've experienced a very sore ass, but never chafing.

I definitely need suggestions soon, as I surely don't wish
to be wearing these when they are not clean, nor do I wish
to damage

them in

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any way. All suggestions would be deeply
appreciated! Thanks,

Mark

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D.

Try soaking them in diluted "Dettol" for say 20 mins, making
sure the chamois is fully soaked, then rinse twice and dry.
I have done this for ages with my cycling and gym clothes
(all synthetics) it works a treat.

John

"Ian S" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:3BMBc.55100$u%3.36873@fed1read04...

Quoted message said:

It's pretty hard to find real chamois bike shorts these
days so I suspect that the shorts you have include a
synthetic chamois. If so, they really don't need the
cream. I wash my cycling shorts (real or imitation
chamois) in the washing machine, cold/cold cycle and let
them drip dry. I NEVER put them in the dryer.

just want to second this advice-- Especially "Never put them
in the dryer"!

As for the creme, I find I can no longer ride without it.
Must be my delicate skin that chafes so easily. I also find
it eliminates saddle sores (well, maybe not the creme alone,
but its an important part of a regimen I've developed...)

(Mark) said:

Hi folks, I'm not so concerned for care of a Jersey,
but very concerned for the care/washing/maintainence of
Bike Shorts.

I've washed all my bike shorts, and jerseys for that matter,
in the washing machine (hot/cold with regular detergent on
the normal cycle) hundreds of times over the years. Never
had a problem. I always drip dry.

Michael

Hot? Really?

Michael Press said:

(Mark) said:

Hi folks, I'm not so concerned for care of a Jersey,
but very concerned for the care/washing/maintainence of
Bike Shorts.

I've washed all my bike shorts, and jerseys for that
matter, in the washing machine (hot/cold with regular
detergent on the normal cycle) hundreds of times over the
years. Never had a problem. I always drip dry.

Michael

Gary said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi folks, I'm not so concerned for care of a Jersey, but
very concerned for the care/washing/maintainence of Bike
Shorts.

I've washed all my bike shorts, and jerseys for that
matter, in the washing machine (hot/cold with regular
detergent on the normal cycle) hundreds of times over the
years. Never had a problem. I always drip dry.

Hot? Really?

Yeah, my jerseys get really stinky so I want the most
de-stinkifying wash possible. The shorts are just along
for the ride.

Michael

Quoted message said:

I was thinking of just hand washing them in cool/lukewarm
water with Woolite, and perhaps a very gentle tumble dry
cycle, or just drip dry?

I'm in So California, so after the hand wash, I let it dry
in the sun, inside out.

For many years, I very carefully washed all my bike clothes
by hand in cold water and drip dried. One day I got lazy,
and simply washed them with all my other clothes in warm
water in the machine. My only concession to the special
fabric was to use the lowest setting (but not the no-heat
setting) on my dryer. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never
had a problem.

For many years, I very carefully washed all my bike clothes
by hand in cold water and drip dried. One day I got lazy,
and simply washed them with all my other clothes in warm
water in the machine. My only concession to the special
fabric was to use the lowest setting (but not the no-heat
setting) on my dryer. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never
had a problem.

all the lycra and synthetic I wash in cold water, drip dry.
I like the Performance Gel shorts, and if you dry those with
heat the gel falls apart.