Perspiration and ways to beat (or deal) with it while biking to work

As part of Active Trans' Bike Commuter Challenge and celebration of Chicago's Bike to Work Week, June 11-17, guest-blogger and Active Trans supporter Jay Ready will be offering a series of posts on overcoming the most common barriers to bike commuting.

Many people avoid biking to work because they say they sweat too much.

If you’re able to shower after the ride, who cares? Just cool down and move on. But showering isn’t an option for everyone.

For shorter rides, even sweat-hogs can dry off quickly. The key is to sit still for a bit after each ride and use the breeze to your advantage.

But here’s the key for the summer: Ride slower. Guess what? You’ll sweat less.

And once you get inside a building with air conditioning, you’ll dry off sooner than you think.

Most of the time, during April-June and September-October, you can ride in business casual without worrying about sweat. During the winter, it’s just a question of venting properly. So, it’s really only the few humid months of summer when you need to slow down and pack the occasional spare shirt.

For some other great tips on biking to work, visit the Active Trans website.