Sweaty shoulders/back

jeatsy

I commute every day by bike, about 20 minutes each way, and I suffer from really bad acne where my rucksack straps sit on my shoulders and back. I wear ordinary clothes and an ordinary rucksack. Does anyone have any experience in avoiding this? Would proper cycle clothing help? I'd rather not use a rack and panniers, because my bike is a road bike and I don't think it can take them easily - and because I frequently carry a laptop.

Thanks for your help.

ride_whenever

use panniers, they will fit, if you're unsure get you friendly lbs to provide and fit a suitable rack.

If you're dead against this, go to blacks or wherever and get a rucksack that sits away from your back, although it wont help with the straps.

Equally try exfoliating, having a hot naked person do it for you means your much more likely to do it. Also wearing fewer clothes will help as you'll get less hot.

unixnerd

You could get a bag that fits onto the handlebars if you can't have a rack. Or even a large saddle bag.

SamWise1972

Panniers are fine for a laptop, and there are ways to mount them, or an off-the-body bag of some sort, to any bike. A rucksack will always make you sweaty.

meanredspider

Somebody ought to design (if it doesn't already exist) a laptop bag that fits in the A-frame. I'd buy one. Laptops are pretty heavy on your back and tend to bounce. You could probably adapt one of the thin type of bags to do this.

WesternWay

jeatsy wrote:

I commute every day by bike, about 20 minutes each way, and I suffer from really bad acne where my rucksack straps sit on my shoulders and back. I wear ordinary clothes and an ordinary rucksack. Does anyone have any experience in avoiding this? Would proper cycle clothing help? I'd rather not use a rack and panniers, because my bike is a road bike and I don't think it can take them easily - and because I frequently carry a laptop.

Thanks for your help.

What you are looking at here is the classic excuse for n+1. You clearly need a different type of bike for use when commuting.

Alternatively, go to your bike shop, they will have a rack that fits your existing bike. If they don't, go to a better bike shop.

rolf_f

Airflow type rucksack - the back panel is hard and curved away from your back - the rucksack is supported on your back by a mesh panel which means that it doesn't matter how badly you pack the pack, you won't feel any difference and their is an air gap between your back and the pack.

Computer sits happily in the hydration pack compartment. I've done up to 40 miles home on extended commutes with my pack, often with shopping in it. To be fair, sometimes it gives me a bit of backache but it is pretty good for minimising sweatiness.

Certainly not wearing things like cotton T shirts would help as well. I've been trying out a Shutt VR Jersey http://www.shuttvr.com/shop/search.php?id=31 (some last season seconds available for pretty cheap prices at the moment) all week - currently it has been on me for 7 rides totalling 165 miles without being washed and it is still refusing to smell!

MonkeyMonster

Rolf F wrote:

currently it has been on me for 7 rides totalling 165 miles without being washed and it is still refusing to smell!

I think you're just refusing to smell it - that it wakes you each morning by jumping off the ceiling and then trying to smother you surely demonstrates it needs washing

edit: as to help with sweat - you want wicking layer(s) (polyester/merino/whatever) and every so often as you ride shift your straps over slightly to allow it to evaporate off as you power along. Cotton t-shirts won't be doing you much good there, they will be acting like a sponge.

iPete

Panniers, they can go on a road bike. That or a saddle bag system.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12690492

meanredspider

Rolf F wrote:

Airflow type rucksack -

Certainly not wearing things like cotton T shirts would help as well. I've been trying out a Shutt VR Jersey http://www.shuttvr.com/shop/search.php?id=31 (some last season seconds available for pretty cheap prices at the moment) all week - currently it has been on me for 7 rides totalling 165 miles without being washed and it is still refusing to smell!

I've found airflow rucksacks next-to-useless (at stopping the sweat problem) although the priciple makes sense. The frame/mesh just adds weight which will make the strap problem worse too.

Good news on the Shutt - I ordered one the other day. Merino wool is fantastic.

paulbox

I'd say your main problem is the clothing, as already mentioned cotton T-shirts are rubbish and just get soaked full of sweat.

rolf_f

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

currently it has been on me for 7 rides totalling 165 miles without being washed and it is still refusing to smell!

I think you're just refusing to smell it - that it wakes you each morning by jumping off the ceiling and then trying to smother you surely demonstrates it needs washing

Naaah, still smelling better than polyester after one ride. I'll wash it as soon as it needs tethering to the radiator to stay put!

meanredspider wrote:

I've found airflow rucksacks next-to-useless (at stopping the sweat problem) although the priciple makes sense. The frame/mesh just adds weight which will make the strap problem worse too.

Hmmm, doubt that the weight issue makes any difference; it isn't adding much if anything- the rucksacks without the mesh back end up needing lots of thick, heavy padding. Some of the cheaper ones seem to have inadequate ventilation gaps but, that aside, they really do work very well; I use them for hillwalking too where the benefits are even more appreciated!

Canny Jock

Similar to Rolf - I have one of these which doesn't get too sweaty, as it has a mesh back a few cm away from the main body::

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 119c003128

And I wear pure Merino for commuting, it lasts for 5 days (10x7 miles) without smelling at all. The Shutt jerseys are very nice but only do 2-3 rides before smelling.

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/8654/Endu ... gn=pid8654

meanredspider

Rolf F wrote:

I use them for hillwalking too where the benefits are even more appreciated!

Yup - me too - though I'm still underwhelmed. They are probably marginally better but nowhere as good as I'd hoped they would be. I'd buy a mesh-vented one if I had nothing - would I go to the expense to replace a standard one? Probably not.

biondino

meanredspider wrote:

Good news on the Shutt - I ordered one the other day. Merino wool is fantastic.

The Shutt website's sizing policy has me as a small, and not even at the top end of small. Anyone have experience of this?

jimmypippa

meanredspider wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

I use them for hillwalking too where the benefits are even more appreciated!

Yup - me too - though I'm still underwhelmed. They are probably marginally better but nowhere as good as I'd hoped they would be. I'd buy a mesh-vented one if I had nothing - would I go to the expense to replace a standard one? Probably not.

I've had a berghaus freeflow 20 since 2008, and I found it pretty good. Its capacity is less than you would expect for the volume, because of its shape, but on the plus side I found the lightweight frame does tend to keep my stuff well balanced.

If I am wearing it on a cotton T-shirt, you can see the mesh pattern in the sweat on the cotton (nice).

I do find it a vast improvement on other daysacs, on a bike, but panniers are far better.

I do like it for hillwalking though.

meanredspider

I have the Freeflow 35 for walking. I don't now use a backpack for cycling but a very large beltbag (I can get quite a bit of stuff in it and it sits where I'm not aware of it on the bike at all). I think it's a great compromise and perfect for me - but then I leave my laptop at work and rely on my Blackberry at home (or home PC).

jonginge

biondino wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

Good news on the Shutt - I ordered one the other day. Merino wool is fantastic.

The Shutt website's sizing policy has me as a small, and not even at the top end of small. Anyone have experience of this?

How is this possible? :? I'm a medium on their charts...

jimmypippa

meanredspider wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

I use them for hillwalking too where the benefits are even more appreciated!

Yup - me too - though I'm still underwhelmed. They are probably marginally better but nowhere as good as I'd hoped they would be. I'd buy a mesh-vented one if I had nothing - would I go to the expense to replace a standard one? Probably not.

I had a Lowe Alpine airmesh-25, which was a conventional one, and pretty good, but getting long in the tooth (early 1990's and with a lot of use)

It is a very large 25-ltres, as it seems to hold more than most 35-litre daysacs. But as it was finally giving up the ghost, I decided the smaller daysac was worth it.

I also find that as it has a frame, I can often hang it off one sholder when walking on flatter stretches (which is most of the Peak district). It is just about firm enough for running with too.

Canny Jock

biondino wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

Good news on the Shutt - I ordered one the other day. Merino wool is fantastic.

The Shutt website's sizing policy has me as a small, and not even at the top end of small. Anyone have experience of this?

I'm a small in normal (i.e. non-cycling) clothes, a medium in Shutt. Chest size is 36 - what size are you?

meanredspider

My Shutt VR arrived today - it's very nice though probably a tad shorter in the body than I'd prefer. I'm 6' and it's a large. Interestingly, I have a pretty big chest and shoulders, and the fit there is nice - close but not tight. It's not too short to keep and I'm looking forward to trying it in anger.