Cycle commuters, how often do you change your shorts?

Typically two days per pair. About 15 miles each way, probably only 4 times a week. Hung up to dry on my nice warm computer as they aren't supposed to be left lying around the office hanging on chairs or radiators.

As for bacteria, they need warmth and moisture to breed so if the shorts are taken off then they will breed less well. So the relationship between time and distance is not simple...

No need to wash your shorts just get yourself in the Schwag Grab and win a can of helmet cleaner!
http://road.cc/content/news/32390-schwag-grab-charge-bag-full-goodies-ro...

You can see why there are so many lone cyclists, I wash my shorts after every ride.

My workplace has changing rooms, but they are tiny. That means drying out cycling clothes is a running battle with the lunchtime-runners. If I leave my kit hanging on a hook it is often scrunched up in a ball on the floor by the time I am ready to go home. Still the London Marathon is only a month away, and the situation usually improves after that.

My commute is only about 15 mins each way, so no way would I wash them every day. Even if it was longer, as long as they weren't soaked through, I'd just dry them and spray them with antibacterial Fabreeze every night and get a good week out of them

I suspect most of those who change their shorts daily don't do their own washing.

I'm glad I got to Lidl yesterday. Otherwise I don't think I could afford to wear clean shorts everyday. A regular change of shorts is like a regular change of bed linen - not strictly necessary but I think girls really appreciate it.

@mr-andrew and how often does she make you change your jeans?

Quote:

after sweating in to them, the bacteria from your sweat/skin start to multiply, and that they continue to do so whilst your shorts sit, not being worn.

maybe i need to go at them with the dettol spray every night

Due to middle age spread, I've abandoned lycra and commute about 120 miles/week in jeans. My girlfriend makes me change my underwear daily.

The argument I've heard for only wearing the shorts on one day is that, after sweating in to them, the bacteria from your sweat/skin start to multiply, and that hey continue to do so whilst your shorts sit, not being worn. So when you change them should be overall time based, not distance or riding time based. I therefore change my shorts or padded tights each day - I'd rather do some extra washing than get painful saddle sores.

That said, (a) I'm no scientist - the explanation seemed sensible to me but I'm not sure whether it is true and whether the bacterial build up, even if correct, would be a problem; and (b) the problem may be eradicated/minimised by anti-bacterial inserts in shorts. Anti-bacterial chamois cream would also make the shorts last longer between washes, if the theory is correct.

hmmm, commuting alone, i only do 150miles per week.
yet, i change my kit everyday! i have 4 team kits that i change between everyday.
it shocks me to find someone that does over 100mile/week, only changing their kit every 4 or 5 days!!!

Clean shorts everyday. Please.

once a week for me too, disgusting oik that i am. sometimes twice if i've gone the long way home and gone after it a bit... total mileage is only about 55 miles.

Usually best to wash them if a skid mark appears on the chamois .....

Yup, I get a week out of mine (16 miles round trip) on the grounds that I wouldn't stop half a dozen times on a 200k audax to change, so why would I change after just 16 miles? Especially as they only do 8 miles at a time and have a nice airing in between.

I find the "sniff test" is always a good indicator. It may seem a little unsavory but it accounts for weather conditions, how energetically I ride and how long-ago my last shower was when I put them on. Turnover ranges from daily to up to 6 riding days.

13 miles each way. Clean shorts every day.

(Do people really not put clean shorts on each day? I'm amused to find I'm genuinely shocked)

Yeah I get about a week out of mine and like cat1 i always hang 'em up to dry. Now the weather is getting better though, I'll probably mix it up a bit with a pair of baggier shorts & we've got some Craft padded pant type things for wearing under normal shorts on your bike - that then raises the issue of whether I keep 'em on all day or change them when I get in… Hmm, thanks Denzil!

I'm going to be the first to bravely step up and answer. My commute is roughly similar to yours from the sounds of it and I tend to do it 4 or 5 days a week.

I have to admit I go for the once a week wash, but I don't let any of my colleagues near me, especially at the end of the week.

Mine seem OK for a week (5 days) of commuting, which is 200 km (125 miles), 7.5 h in the saddle. I do use chamois cream though, which seems to prevent minor saddle sore issues I occasionally suffered from when first committing to doing this commute every day. I never leave my lycra in a plastic bag though - they are always hung over a chair back by their bib straps to air when not in use.