How to not sweat on your electric bike commute? What are the right things to do when you arrive at your destination?
How to not sweat on an electric bike commute? Quickly take off extra moisture with a towel, drink cool water as you stop, cool down by using a small desk fan. Take a shower and change clothing if facilities allow. Have a sealed plastic bag ready and an emergency kit with you. Build a routine that works for you and make it a habit.
Now that we have mastered planning your trip for a sweat-free commute and what to pay attention to on your commute to minimize the risk of breaking into a sweat, let’s take a look at what are the right things to do when you arrive.
Here are a few tips. Let’s discuss them one by one.
Drink cool water right when you arrive
As you hopefully already had a good glass of water before embarking on your trip and also had a few sips while on the road to keep your body well hydrated, drink another glass of water right on your arrival. This will have both a cooling down effect on your body (cold water) and a rehydrating effect.
To avoid sweat and smell, remember that it is not sweating itself that produces body smell, it is rather bacteria that start developing on your skin. The more hydrated your body is, the more clean and clear sweat will be, the fewer bacteria will have time to develop.
Quickly refresh and take off extra moist
Carry a small towel with you. Take off excessive sweat right when you arrive, even while in the parking lot. This will prevent sweat hydration from covering more of your body and reaching the areas which may be more tricky to clean if you do it later.
A good choice of a towel is a Chamois towel, which is often popular among swimmers (check the current price on Amazon) to dry off quickly, rather than having a full-sized bath towel.
Once you reach your office, visit a washroom and use baby moist wipes to take off any remaining sweat. Baby moist wipes not only clean but also help freshen up your body. Following these quick and easy steps will already help you feel as if you have just taken a shower, without actually taking one.
Read also: How to select the best city e-bike (with examples)? – also in this article, and this article. And, How much does a good city e-bike cost?
Cool down before you change
This advice may seem odd, but try to cool down before you change. If you can hang out in what you rode in on for a few minutes, you will avoid immediately sweating into the clothes you have just changed into.
There’s nothing worse than changing your clothes in the washroom only to notice your back is still sweaty 10 minutes later onto the shirt you carefully rolled up in your pannier.
For a quick cooling down effect, try out Kafka Kool Ties or similar (check the current price on Amazon for this one, or this one, or yet another one). These lightweight scarves are filled with polymer crystals that slowly release water. Wrap one of these around your neck while working to feel and look cool.
Change clothing and shower if you can
Obviously, the best choice would be to take a quick shower and change clothing to the office outfit if you have this option in your office. More and more companies provide a showering facility. And you are quite lucky if your company has one of those.
A two-minute shower will have you smiling and whistling a joyful tune on your way to your desk. Or, maybe there is a gym or sports center not far from where your work. A 10-minute stop there will do the job.
Another good idea would be to store some extra clothes at work. You will always have a spare supply, in case you forget to take a change of clothing with you from home. Or just need an extra piece in the case of a small accident on the road, or for another reason.
Bring a change of clothing the day before your planned commute and also leave an extra pair of shoes under your desk. You will not need to carry another pair of shoes with you every time you commute.
Read also: How to select the best commuter e-bike (with examples)? – also in this article. And, how much does a commuter e-bike cost?
Have a sealed plastic bag ready
Having a plastic bag or two is handy to seal away your sweaty clothes for future washing at home or disposal. If you keep a sealed plastic bag in the office, you can then bring used biking gear home once a week in one go, instead of taking it home every day. Saves space in travel bags, but requires several sets of biking gear.
An alternative or a complementary strategy would be to drive to work one day a week with what you will wear for the next four days and have extra storage space in the office.
Have an emergency pack with you at all times
It is always better to have a full change of clothes once you arrive. A complementary strategy would be to have a separate “emergency” pair of socks/underwear with you at all times.
If you have space, extra pants, a shirt, and shoes may also come in useful. You just never know when you’re going to get caught in heavy rain or something, and these few pieces of clothing do not take up too much extra space in the bag.
Use antiperspirants before you take off
Not only it makes sense to keep a deodorant at work, but it is also a good idea to put it on before you leave on your commute. Note that some deodorants are called “antiperspirants”. The aluminum oxide added in these products helps stop perspiration as it develops.
Read also: How to select the best folding e-bike (with examples)? And, How much does a good foldable e-bike cost?
Taking care of your hair
Both breaking into a sweat and wearing a helmet, can make your hair look far from how you had them when you left your home in the morning. Using hair styling spray or gel could be a good solution, even if you never used one. Keep a comb and a bottle of hair styling spray in the office.
It will take just a couple of minutes and your hairstyle will be back to how it needs to be.
Cool down at your desk
Whether you have an option to shower or not, or to change clothing or not, take a few moments to cool down at your desk. Take a relaxed position and let your body pass to its normal operating rhythm.
Our bodies tend to continue to produce sweat for a few minutes, even after we finish exercising. Give yourself these few minutes to cool down and relax.
Use a small desk fan to give you a steady fresh stream of air. This is exactly what you had during your commute and this is what has helped evaporate your sweat all along your commute. It is easy to add this pleasant experience to your desk as well. Keep a steady refreshing breeze blasting at your face until the sweat stops.
Some may even choose to spend a few minutes standing in front of an air-conditioner. This may initially look funny to your colleagues, but they will get used to it soon, as they know that you ride to work.
What to take with you
Here’s a summary list of items to bring with you in order to help you keep the perspiration under control.
- Small shower kit with soap, shampoo, deodorant
- Moist baby wipes
- A small towel to take off the initial sweat
- Small desk fan
- Plastic bag to seal off sweaty clothing
- Comb and hairstyling spray/gel
- Optional: Kafka Kool Ties to help cool down
Read also: Best city e-bikes for women, reviewed and compared. And, Best folding e-bikes for women, reviewed and compared.
Anything else we are missing?
Feeling comfortable in the office after a commute requires some practice and preparation. It also calls for some extra space in the office and on your e-bike to carry and then store additional clothing, shoes, and cleaning gear.
For example, if you like to wear something different each day, you will have to plan for it in advance. You can either take the entire week’s supply with you to the office and store it. Or be prepared to carry a smaller supply every day.
Closing thoughts – make it a habit
There is no one clear-cut recipe of how to completely avoid breaking in sweat while commuting on an electric bike. It is clear that electric bicycles offer many advantages for sweat-free commutes, compared to conventional bicycles.
Take time to prepare for your commute, follow a bit of guidance while on the trip, refresh and cool down fast at the destination. Change clothing and shower if you can, have extra clothes with you and a survival kit, and your arrival minutes will not give you stress any longer.
Do not be afraid to experiment with combining different steps of the process to establish your own routine upon arrival. Once you see what works for you and practice the same process for a few trips, it will become natural and you will not have to worry about it anymore.
Read also: Check out USA best travel destinations by electric bike.
Welcome to stress-free and sweat-free commutes! Welcome a healthier and happier you!
Cycling to work when your work does not have a shower? This video explains:
