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How Should I Wash Cycling Clothes on Tour?

Question: On a weeklong tour this summer I plan to stay in motels and carry minimal clothing to save weight. So I’ll need to wash out my riding duds each evening. What’s the most efficient way, assuming I don’t have access to a washer and dryer? — Bob W.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies: It’s easy to do your laundry in the motel bathroom. Cycling clothes are made of technical fabrics that dry quickly. Take off-bike clothes made of lightweight quick-dry material as well. Outdoors stores like REI and sporting goods stores have a wide selection.

I use the motel’s shampoo and wash my clothes in the sink. Swish and squeeze the clothing, rinse under the tub faucet’s for greater water flow, and then repeat the cycle. Wring the garments gently by hand.

Now here’s the trick that’ll help them dry overnight:

Lay a towel on the floor. Spread the clothes on it. Roll the towel into a long tube. Stand on one end, pick up the other, and twist the towel as tightly as you can. This wrings out most of the moisture.

Then put the clothes outside in the sun. Use the room’s luggage stand or lay them on a fence or bush. After dark, move them to a chair near the room’s ventilation unit. Everything should be dry by morning.


Coach Fred Matheny is an RBR co-founder who has four decades of road cycling and coaching experience. He has written 14 eBooks and eArticles on cycling training, available in RBR’s eBookstore at Coach Fred Matheny, including the classic Complete Book of Road Bike Training, which includes 4 eBooks comprising 250 pages of timeless, detailed advice and training plans. The Complete Book is one of the many perks of an RBR Premium Membership. Click to read Fred’s full bio.

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