Are you guilty of chucking your stinky cycling jerseys in the laundry basket after your ride? Are you splurging lots of money on your jerseys and want them to last longer?
The truth is, you do not need to keep buying and replacing old jerseys. All you need to know is how to take care of them to ensure that they can last.
We spoke to Marcus Oord, Director of International Distribution for ASSOS, while he was in Singapore to promote the new ASSOS apparel line. Operating since 1976, they are the first in the world to invent cycling shorts.
Here are some tips on how to care for your cycling lycra clothing, from the ones who know best.
Bacteria will eat up your fabric!
Have you ever ridden behind somebody and you can see their butt crack underneath their translucent lycra bib shorts? It is a sign that the strands and fabric of the lycra are damaged.
Note: The term “lycra” is merely a trade name from Dupont for the Elastane Fabric thread, just like how Panadol is a trade name for the drug Paracetamol.
“When you sweat, there are minerals in the sweat which stays in the garment. The bacteria that thrives on these minerals will multiply. Sad to say, their faeces is acidic and will damage your lycra, just like how sugar rots your teeth.”
Because bacteria feeds on the minerals from your sweat, this is where soaking your cycling clothing immediately after a ride becomes so important.
Follow the washing instructions
1. The best method: Hand Wash
You can use any type of soap like your shampoo and bath foam, but make sure you do not add any dye or softeners. Just soaking your cycling kit for 5 minutes will kill the bacteria. Remember, it is the duration that kills the bacteria.
How much soap should I be using?
According to Marcus, “when using normal soaps, you should at least make the water bubble. Detergents can be concentrated so just a little is enough to make it bubble. Overdosing is more a matter of rinsing it out again then it damaging the product.”
For example, if you are using the active wear cleanser from ASSOS, you will just need a bottle cap-full of cleanser when washing your kit in a sink.
Rinse, then hang out to drip dry. Never ever, ever put them in the dryer, because it instantly destroys your product.
2. For the lazy: The washing machine
i) Washing temperature: 30°C max
You can actually wash most of the ASSOS items in the washing machine. Even though ASSOS has tested their garments at 40 degrees celcius, it is still recommended that you wash them at 30 degrees celcius.
Check the label again if you are unsure of the washing instructions
ii) Put the cycling clothing in a laundry bag
Spinning cycles at 1000rpm (rates per minute) can get your garments caught on zippers on jeans, and might damage your product as a result.
To ensure that you do not destroy your cycling kit, put them in a laundry bag and zip up your jerseys before chucking it into the washing machine.
3. NO NO items to put in the washing machine
Soft shell and waterproof jackets. The taped seams, which are glued on to the jacket, are very delicate and cannot be chucked into the washing machine. At a wrong temperature and aggressive spinning cycle, the seams might can come off and start peeling.
To view ASSOS’ range of cycling apparel, please visit their website at https://www.assos.com/
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