Go to BKOOL
In an indoor training session, we can lose a significant amount of bodily fluids through sweat. Sweat during indoor training can become a real challenge and a nuisance.
Why is it important to manage sweat during training?
Sweat, being corrosive, can damage the metal parts of your bike and create stains on fabrics. Managing it is key to avoiding costly repairs and persistent bad odors in clothes and shoes.
In this article, we’ll share some truly useful tips to protect your bike, prevent unpleasant odors, and keep your training area in perfect condition.
Tips to protect your bike from sweat
1. Use specific protectors for the handlebars and drivetrain
Whether we use a SmartBike or a bike with a trainer, certain parts must be carefully protected.
Given our position on the bike, the handlebars, stem, and headset are the parts of the bike that we should prioritize for protection.
To address this, there are flexible and waterproof protectors that attach to the handlebars and seatpost of your bike. These protect not only the aforementioned parts but also the top tube and parts of the drivetrain (chain and chainrings).
You can complement this protection by using a small towel to cover the rest of the handlebars that are exposed.
Additionally, you can improve protection further by using short gloves, as sweat drips down your arms to your hands, and gloves can retain some of that sweat. Both the towel and the gloves will also help you wipe sweat off your face during the workout.
After a workout, it’s crucial to clean the sweat off your bike. The chain and the rest of the drivetrain are also exposed to sweat. Regular maintenance of these components is important.
You might be interested in: Bike Maintenance Guides
Don’t forget to clean your trainer, especially the parts directly under the vertical line from your saddle. Many trainers have screws and articulated arms in this area, which can rust if sweat isn’t cleaned properly.
2. How to prevent bad odors in your clothes and shoes
Certain materials and fabrics, when mixed with sweat, produce unpleasant odors that linger over time.
Take care to avoid using leather shoes. Once sweat permeates this material, eliminating the odor can be challenging.
For this reason, we recommend using low-cost shoes made from synthetic materials or old shoes that you don’t mind if they retain an odor.
There are also shoes designed for indoor cycling, which are highly breathable and made with materials that resist absorbing odors. These can be a great option, though they are usually not cheap.
3. Wash your clothes properly with baking soda and vinegar
As mentioned earlier, the combination of sweat and certain fabrics can produce unpleasant odors that are difficult to remove from clothes.
A useful trick is to soak your training clothes in water with baking soda and “a bit” of cleaning vinegar for a few hours before washing them.
If your trainer sessions aren’t too long, consider using old or inexpensive bib shorts. This way, you can save your best gear for long outdoor rides.
4. Protect the floor and reduce noise during indoor training
A mat is essential for your indoor training. It protects the floor from sweat corrosion, reduces vibrations, and minimizes noise, improving your overall experience. For cleaning the equipment, floor, or mat, there are specific products on the market, but you can also use water with a small amount of ammonia.
Always remember to dry all parts after cleaning.
We hope these tips are helpful and make your training routine smoother.
BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!
