How to look after your bike wear as good as possible

Bike clothing is not cheap and needs to be taken well care of to make it last as long as possible. During my career we used to often hand wash our gear after each stage of a race. Nowadays all of the teams have their own washing machines which makes life much easier for the riders. 

Up until recently I would only ever wash cycling gear at 30 degrees but with ONDA clothing the entire range can be washed at 40 degrees. This really helps when trying to remove splatters after a mucky winters day in Ireland. It also gets rid of every trace of sweat to leave the gear always smelling fresh and clean.


A few points worth noting would be :

• Rinse off any heavy muck in a sink first after a hard winters day
• Always close every zip before putting any cycling gear in the washing machine
• Velcro is very harsh on clothing so its best to wash any overshoes etc. in the sink.
• Don't use fabric conditioner as it affects the breathability of the clothing
• Hang out your gear on the clothesline if at all possible. Tumble dryers are not recommended. 

How to wash your gear when travelling or on holidays

What I often do to wash my gear when I am out in Mallorca or anywhere away from home is to wash it in the shower.

• I take it off and put it on the floor of the shower
• Then I hop in and take my shower
• As I am showering all of the shampoo and suds are falling down onto the clothing
• I walk around a little to work in the shampoo
• Then I get each piece and ring it out under the shower head
• To dry I just hang them up over the back of a chair or a railing.
• If I think they might not be dry for the following day I will place each item flat on a towel, then roll it up and twist as tight as I can. Usually this leaves each item almost fully dry and it will only need to air out overnight.