I recently read a Guardian article debating the merits of wearing the same sweaty gym clothes more than once – as in without washing them straight after a work-out session. This got me thinking about my own clothing gear and laundry habits.
What type would I fall into?
OCD Aero, (a) washing clothes straight after a sweaty 20 miler, or (b) Minimalist Aero drying them out and wearing the same kit for the next session?
On a personal note, and as an Adidas fan – I tend to try to use the most out of all my cycling clothes (or anything for that matter).
I wear the same clothes from my morning session, all the way through to the afternoon training hour. I only tend to change into a second kit when I roll out to pick up the kids from school, or if torrential rain drenches me in the morning. Here in Derbyshire, when it rains – we call that a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, plus Friday. Well, you get the picture.
Call it minimalism if you will, but simple living is something that has been influenced by my cycling habits as a single speed rider. Simply put, I use what I have and make the most out of it until my clothes tear off.
This is one of the reasons why fixed gear cycling has an appeal to me. The ability to make a single item (in my case a 17t cog) push you outside your comfort zone and beyond. The essence to make the most out of that one cog on a 12% climb, while descending with a grin at 30 mph on the other side of the hill.
It’s fun, and simple to live with. Making the most out of what you have is minimalism at it’s finest. A simple life. Challenging but blessed with an added bonus of adventure.
So what type of laundry mode do I fall into?
I guess you can officially call me Minimalist Aero-AKA-Wear-It-‘Til-I-Collapse-Dude.
Cos’ I’ma be rockin’ this gear hard ’til my cog falls off.
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