Cycling UK Forum

Picking up on a subject from a JoGLE thread:

It took us quite a while on the learning curve, but we found we could dry our padded stuff overnight.

The "roll up in a towel" technique worked for us.

Take the biggest towel, which will do two pairs of shorts (there were two of us).

Lay towel flat on floor, then lay the shorts on towel side by side.

Roll up tightish. Tread up and down the roll a few times with your heels. (Shoes off, please!)

Full body weight provides plenty of squeeze.

Now the towel is wet, the shorts nearly dry.

Hang up, preferably where air can get all round.

If you hang them up in a humid bathroom, they won't dry, because the air itself is wet.

We found they dried better away from the bathroom, even if we used the heated towel rail.

Most times, the shorts were ok to wear the next day. But we had two pairs each, anyway.

If I had been allowed to repeat the process with the second towel, I think it would have worked every time.

Simon

It is the system I always use when riding in damp climates, and with other clothing items as well. And agreed, a second towel helps.

If riding in arid areas, just hang them outside overnight - after the towel process.

Scout trick i learnt. After drying your shorts in the towel, put them on and crawl into your sleeping bag. They will be dry by the morning when you wake up.

wet clothes you can spin dry just by winding your arm around a few times to drive the water away to the outside.

I wouldn't wear them overnight as you risk getting sores but taking in the bag with you will help them along, putting the towel on the floor, then shorts then sleeping mat works as well.

when riding you can stick stuff under your top at shoulder level or tuck into the back or that days shorts to use body heat to dry.

hand dryers can be usefull especially for wet socks if you pop the tops over the nozzle to inflate the sock.

I have used the rolling with a towel technique and it is the reason I only take one pair of cycle shorts (or liners) on tours. Any slight residual dampness in the morning goes after half an hour's use.

charliepolecat wrote:If riding in arid areas, just hang them outside overnight - after the towel process.

Depends on the 'arid area'. When the humidity is below 5% things dry very quickly.

I was once told off for hanging my cloths up in Birdsville that they would not dry because the cloths peg was somehow wrong.
I though to myself .. if I took them in to the pub (my next stop) put them on the bar stool and sat on them .. they would be dry by the time I finished my second beer. However .. arguing when the pub is waiting is a waste of drinking time.

Usually I don't bother with a washing machine out that way ... just ware them into the shower, turn on the water and get everything wet, take the cloths off and stamp around on them while soaping yourself, then rinse yourself and cloths. Stop the water, ring the cloths out then roughly dry yourself, put damp cloths back on and your done. Cloths will be dry in 20 minutes in the mean time you can enjoy some coolness in the 35C heat. However on that particular occasion in Birdsville the cloths had not seen water for some weeks ...

Oh .. word of caution. If you camp in the desert areas out that way .. the dingos like to chew things .. like shoes or clothing . so if you leave things outside your tent or bags over night you may spend some hours looking for the left shoe that the dingo has taken to much on. Bags should be firmly attached to the bicycle and the top closed. Some of our wildlife have learn how to open zippers too!

the dingos like to chew things

Over in the Sierras it is marmot's that are the main problem. There was a incident where a hiker found a marmot with its arm inside a backpack up to its armpit and with a look that said: "What?"

charliepolecat wrote:

the dingos like to chew things

Over in the Sierras it is marmot's that are the main problem. There was a incident where a hiker found a marmot with its arm inside a backpack up to its armpit and with a look that said: "What?"

Humm .. well possession is 9/10ths

Take two pairs of shorts -

while wearing one pair, dry the washed pair by wearing them on your head like a hat as you ride,
this will have the added benefit of keeping the sun off your head, and the sunshine will dry the padded inserts in no time

For the final drying after the towel wrap, pegless travel clothes lines seem good and can be found in high street discount shops for about £2. They're basically two thin bungees sharing a hook twisted together that you put the corners of the clothes between and the twist holds them.

Debs wrote:Take two pairs of shorts -

while wearing one pair, dry the washed pair by wearing them on your head like a hat as you ride,
this will have the added benefit of keeping the sun off your head, and the sunshine will dry the padded inserts in no time

This wouldn't work for me as I always wear two pairs of shorts

Debs wrote:Take two pairs of shorts -

while wearing one pair, dry the washed pair by wearing them on your head like a hat as you ride,
this will have the added benefit of keeping the sun off your head, and the sunshine will dry the padded inserts in no time

Plus One, no need to waste time washing ones hair either

My historic technique in weather like we've been having has always been to start cycling early and finish early so line drying in the afternoon is easy (obviously I take string with me for a line). Of course not everyone likes early starts so maybe late finishers find the towel technique useful? and some campsites lock you in until 7am or so.

In poor weather I might well wear each pair for a couple of days. But when traveling with the family and having four sets of things to wash I moved over to using the washing machines and dryers in campsites every couple of days (I don't think they used to have dryers?) and basically the days of flapping washing are gone. Trying to think if some campsite laundry rooms also have an indoor hanging area.

Didier's gear cable technique



I managed to dissuade him from drying his shorts at the other end.

A7 Simon wrote:Lay towel flat on floor, then lay the shorts on towel side by side.

Roll up tightish. Tread up and down the roll a few times with your heels. (Shoes off, please!)

Full body weight provides plenty of squeeze.

Simon

Almost same technique, except instead of treading on the rolled up towel, I twist it from the ends. You can do it on your own but with two of you it's so much easier. I think that twisting (leverage?) exerts more pressure than your body weight.