How to bike to work without getting sweaty

A lot of us ride a bike to work every day. But especially new commuters wonder how to bike to work without getting sweaty. The answer is pretty simple but consists of different parts. Let’s look at them one at a time.

How to bike to work without getting sweaty

Go slow and wear gym clothes on your bike. Carry a change of clothes in a pannier and avoid backpacks at all costs. Cool down for at least 10 minutes before freshening up (maybe even showering) to avoid after-sweats. That’s how to bike to work without getting sweaty.

Go Slow and take extra time.

Give yourself at least 20 minutes more than you expect to need to commute.

That sets you into the right mindset to take it slow.

It also allows you time to freshen up and cool down before work begins. More on that later.

Another great approach is to see the morning commute as a way to get to work or school, and the evening commute as a workout.

If you drink a lot of cold water while riding, it will help regulate your temperature and keeps sweat at bay.

Stick to a comfortable gear ratio in the morning. The exercise level should feel like a casual walk rather than a road race.

And at night, you can go as fast as you want on your way home where a shower always awaits you.

Pro tip: Time your commute to avoid the hot weather in the summer months. This is a great option if you’re flexible at work.

Pick your route carefully

Choose a flat route, even if it’s longer.

Uphill parts are a great way to make you sweat. So if you can replace them with more gradual inclines, you will be much more relaxed when you arrive. And a lot less sweaty.

Keep in mind that a shaded route stays cooler throughout the day and that forest trails are usually colder and more humid as well.

These tips above help the most to bike to work without getting sweaty.

But they will not be able to fully prevent you from sweating.

So let’s take a look at how to deal with arriving sweaty at work.

For an in-depth review of how to pick the best bike route in Google Maps, check out the article How long will it take me to bike to work?

Wear bike clothes and pack your office clothes

Some bikers swear by Merino wool to wick away the moisture. Merino is a thinner and lighter sheep wool that can keep you dry all day.

Other riders prefer Lycra.

Find what works for you and that fits your style.

But keep in mind that brighter clothes don’t warm up as much as dark clothes in the sunshine. That can be a good thing in the summer and a bad thing in the wintertime.

Speaking of winter:

If you’re cycling in the winter months, wear layers of breathable clothes.

When you get warmer during your commute you can start shedding clothes to avoid sweating too much.

A bike rack is your friend.

Avoid backpacks at all costs if you want to avoid sweating on your bike ride.

They will leave wet prints on your back.

Instead, carry gear in a pannier on a bike rack.

Panniers can usually carry more stuff, are water-proof, and are much more convenient than backpacks.

Some riders even like to bring their entire week’s worth of clothes to work on Monday morning (possibly in a car). They can then ride to work in Lycra throughout the week, keeping things light and easy. Then they always know that they have plenty to wear at work for the rest of the week.

Give yourself some cool-down time

Slow down for the last 5 to 10 minutes of your bicycle commute.

That is when your “cool-down period” starts. It will help you sweat less when you arrive.

Alternatively, you can also sit for 10 minutes at work to cool down before freshening up (see below).

Because you don’t just sweat while riding, your body will still sweat for 15 minutes or so after you have arrived.

Drink lots of cold water during your cool-down phase.

If you don’t have 10 minutes to cool down or if you are really sweaty, try this instead:

Run cool water over your wrists for 30 seconds. It can speed up your cool-down time significantly.

Freshen up when you get to work

First and foremost: Plan ahead and bring all necessary toiletries to work.

That includes deodorant, wet wipes, hair products, and a small towel at the very least.

If you have a shower at work, consider using it. You can also join a gym close to work – so you can use their shower in the morning and arrive refreshed at the office.

If there is no shower, make sure to wash and dry off thoroughly in the washroom.

The sweaty smell comes from bacteria and moisture. If you wash away the bacteria and dry up, there is nothing left to smell bad.

And don’t forget to dry your exercise clothes as well.

There is nothing worse than having to get back into wet and stinky clothes for your ride home.

The fitter you get, the less you sweat

It’s true: Fitter people sweat less after mild exercise like a bike commute.

At least as long as you keep your speed the same.

So rest assured that the more you ride, the less you will sweat on your morning commute.

Consider an e-Bike

This may seem obvious, but E-Bike riders don’t have to work out as much to get to work.

If you want to combine a relaxing bike ride and avoid sweating at all costs, consider this option.

Sure, it’s a big expense and not as much of a workout on your nightly commute (if that’s what you want).

But it is a viable option to avoid traffic and get through the city efficiently. And fast.

You will sweat (But no one cares)

At the end of the day, you will sweat if you ride your bike to work.

Maybe more or less. But that’s not a bad thing.

As long as you follow some takeaways from this article you will be fine and no coworker or client should have a problem with your body odor.

Just focus on the fact that you are still riding the after-workout-high instead of worrying about the after-sweats when you arrive at work.

And since you biked to work, you’re a badass.

You already put in a workout and feel energized while your coworkers are probably still tired and stressed from sitting in traffic in their cars.

Now, the bigger problem is avoiding helmet hair.