sweating

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
cyclop
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sweating

Post by cyclop »

It,s a cold,breezy day so two layers plus windproof.Cafe stop, base layer almost sodden,then return home taking ages to warm up,unpleasant.Next ride,same deal except an extra zipped long sleeve over the windproof to change into at the cafe,much better.Never done this in my cycling life.Anybody else have this problem?Am I a man or a mouse?Goretex windstopper,lifa base,merino mid layer.
Vorpal
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Re: sweating

Post by Vorpal »

I sweat a lot. I've had better luck with merino base layers than technical ones if I don't have time for them to dry. Otherwise, maybe worth carrying a spare.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
DNC123

Re: sweating

Post by DNC123 »

I always cool down when I stop. Wearing similar to you.
Just accept it. When you stop riding you stop burning calories and generating heat. Doesn't take long to get back up to speed/warmth.....unless you start thinking about it.
freeflow
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Re: sweating

Post by freeflow »

Don't use the windproof. If like me you sweat a lot you need to maximise breathability without getting too cold. That means more thinner layers and accept you will feel chilly.
Tangled Metal
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Re: sweating

Post by Tangled Metal »

A windproof can be vented though.

My trick learnt from hiking is to start cool so you're at your ideal operating temperature when riding. This is about getting your layers right to achieve this. Then having a throw over layer for your stops. Reduces sweat but not completely. You do need the extra layer though because once you stop you're cold quickly just without as much sweat in your clothing system.
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cycleruk
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Re: sweating

Post by cycleruk »

I wear a thick-ish top layer that lets some ventilation through plus the layers underneath. Windproofs restrict the breathabilty of under garments not allowing them to wick moisture away.
You'll never know if you don't try it.
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andrew_s
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Re: sweating

Post by andrew_s »

Tangled Metal wrote:My trick learnt from hiking is to start cool so you're at your ideal operating temperature when riding.

This was always been the advice to newbies in my cycling club too "if you're warm enough when starting , you're wearing too much and will get sweaty later".
Generally, "warmed up" is 3 to 5 miles in to the ride. Obviously, getting it right requires a certain amount of experience. It's also handy, particularly when gaining the experience, to have a saddlebag to hold an extra layer, or a layer you take off.
At least when cycling, out in the open stops are limited to the duration of a puncture repair, so warm layers for stops are less necessary.

The other thing I've always found good is a gilet.
It keeps the chill off the body whilst allowing you to get rid of excess heat through un-windproofed arms.
slowster
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Re: sweating

Post by slowster »

cyclop wrote:base layer almost sodden

It sounds like you are using a rubbish base layer. Base layers used for aerobic (sweaty) sports should simply not be able to hold much water*. A lot of the fabrics used in modern base layers are relatively poor at wicking. The best base layers I used to have were the old Helly Hansen Lifa tops - they were so effective at wicking that you could see the beads of sweat sitting on the outside surface of the fabric. The tops did not look very stylish, the knitted fabric bobbled and pilled, and it had a reputation for stinking ('Smelly Helly'), although that could be cured apparently by using a sports wash or vinegar to wash it.

* Merino wool is an exception because of the way wool absorbs moisture while still providing insulation, but if you are working hard/sweat a lot then you will exceed wool's capacity to hold moisture away from the skin and it too will feel clammy.

Modern baselayers like Craft and the current version of Lifa have nice smooth surface and look better, but perform far worse, i.e. fashion has taken precedence over function.

Currently I reckon the best base layers for aerobic activity are Brynje Super Thermo mesh. If you have a rubbish synthetic baselayer or a merino one which you don't use because of how it feels, try wearing them under a Brynje mesh base layer. The mesh will hold the other baselayer's fabric away from your skin, so it doesn't matter if it's sodden, clammy or itchy, and a close fitting second base layer will help to trap air in the mesh gaps (and it's air that insulates, not the fabric, so you want to stop warm air moving away from your skin and being replaced by colder air).
mattsccm
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Re: sweating

Post by mattsccm »

For some of us nothing works. Used wool a lot but sadly it saturates and then you freeze when you slow down. Thin vests such as Lifa with wool over the top work best for me.
If it's really wet then fibre pile next to the skin is the most comfortable. The old Helly Hansen is still the best here.
Rode to work the other day at about freezing temp. Lifa vest and normal cycling jersey on. I was frozen but still sweating. :roll:
Trick is not to stop.
mattheus
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Re: sweating

Post by mattheus »

There is an eskimo saying: "You sweat, you die." I guess the intention there is never overdress and/or over-exert when the polar-bears are shivering.

So if you are sweating even in "eskimo" weather, that sounds like a problem :( Does this mean some folks are just wired wrong? Are they sweating whenever they excercise, even when there is no need to lose heat?

mattsccm wrote:For some of us nothing works.
...
Rode to work the other day at about freezing temp. Lifa vest and normal cycling jersey on. I was frozen but still sweating. :roll:
Trick is not to stop.

Did you feel cold as you set off?

(I'm genuinely curious, and I don't claim to have any answers!)

I have an occasional audax riding buddy who can squeeze pints of sweat out of his helmet pads when he stops in single-hand temperatures.
slowster
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Re: sweating

Post by slowster »

cyclop wrote:It,s a cold,breezy day so two layers plus windproof.Cafe stop, base layer almost sodden,then return home taking ages to warm up,unpleasant.Next ride,same deal except an extra zipped long sleeve over the windproof to change into at the cafe,much better.Never done this in my cycling life.Anybody else have this problem?Am I a man or a mouse?Goretex windstopper,lifa base,merino mid layer.

Windstopper may be a bit more breathable than the waterproof version of Goretex, but it's nowhere near as breathable as a windproof jacket which does not have a membrane, and which relies instead on a tightly woven fabric for its windproofing properties. If you are working hard and sweating a lot, a Windstopper jacket will trap more moisture inside your base and mid layers than a simple nylon windproof.

BITD before membrane jackets became so ubiquitous, most club riders wore a nylon fronted acrylic jacket over a long sleeved jersey, e.g. like this, and they were very effective at keeping the rider warm AND allowing sweat to disperse.
Bonefishblues
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Re: sweating

Post by Bonefishblues »

Perhaps drop a line to Prince Andrew for advice?













Too soon?
Vorpal
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Re: sweating

Post by Vorpal »

I sweat no matter what. If I start off in a base layer and a long sleeved top in freezing weather, I will feel like an ice cube until I warm up, but I still sweat. Furthermore, when I stop, I get cold so quickly, I sometimes can't warm up again.

I just have to deal with the sweat. I start out a little cold and wear plenty of layers, so I can remove some, and carry an extra layer in case I get stuck somewhere with a puncture or something. And wear stuff that stays warm, even when I sweat.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
mattsccm
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Re: sweating

Post by mattsccm »

Warm when I leave/ I just sweat a lot and get wet.
drossall
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Re: sweating

Post by drossall »

I agree, try to start the ride on the cool side, and allow yourself to warm up. And avoid like the plague any top layer that is remotely plastic or similar. I do use, and like, Goretex Windstopper, but I try not to wear waterproofs in light rain because of the "boil in the bag" effect.

I don't find base layers make nearly as much difference as top layers. I do now wear a base layer, but I was happy in cotton t-shirts for decades.
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