Outside of the companies which make and QA their products, I doubt you will find any ‘scientific’ evidence. It’s not exactly the most pressing concern.
I’m pretty happy to go with anecdata on this one. Always follow the laundry advice found on your kit.
It’s not guesses or anecdotes. Driers are hard on even regular clothing. Dark shirts, even those made of cotton, will lose their color more quickly. The situation is worse for sensitive fabrics. Quality sports clothes are made of functional materials like Gore-TeX that have millions of microscopic holes in them or have a special coating to e. g. repel water. Many (but not all) of these layers are very sensitive to heat and certain chemicals in e. g. fabric softeners. Stretchy fabric will lose its bounce and be less flexible over time.
You should never, ever put cycling clothes in the drier and air dry all of them. Especially cycling jerseys and bib shorts dry very quickly, so there is no need to put them in the drier. What works best is special detergent for sports clothes, which is not just gentler on the fabric, but also contains disinfectants, which kill the bacteria that decompose your fresh sweat into smelly, old sweat.
Functional clothing can be very expensive, yes, and you don’t have to go for the Mercedes when the Volkswagen will do the same job. Still, there are quality items of clothing, which are worth it — also financially. One of my favorite pieces of kit is my 10±year-old Pearl Izumi Pro-level softshell jacket. It is so old, I don’t even remember exactly when I bought it. I have worn this from -20 degrees to +30 (with different clothes underneath, obviously), and while it looks kinda ratty now, it still works. It wasn’t cheap (although not obscenely expensive), but it still works as advertised. The Gore bib short I bought less than two years ago is another story. That thing looks tired and really wasn’t worth the money.
You don’t necessarily need scientific studies for everything. I just know that since I stopped using a drier for my black shirts, they live longer. And I know my wife would kill me if I put some of her clothes in the drier, specifically things like underwear. Why? Well, for the same reason, they are also made of sensitive fabrics.
I know for a fact that Black Bibs bibshorts will not survive too many times in a dryer at high heat. Not only will the material become see thru but the gripper leg band will lose its form and start riding up your thigh. But it was a cheap enough pair just to find that out.
Do you have an example of sport detergents? I was enlightened in another topic on this forum about using a disinfectant, maybe by you. I started using lysol laundry sanitizer, which was recommended to me. Oh man. Huge difference!! Haven’t had a single saddle sore or even a bump on my bottom. It has even improved saddle comfort during the ride.
The simple answer is to shorts longevity is to get rid of the drier, simply hang them on the spinning bike you no longer use.
I am doomed if I put my wifes clothes in the dryer. Dryer is evil apparently.
Yeah, try some cheap ones. Also, assuming you do a lot of training indoors keep your old ones for that, also on cold days you can wear them under your long leggings. I think you dont have to spend loads on these things. When youve finished with them, cut the chamois out and use to clean stuff
Lydia, do you remember when shorts had real chamois leather. Had to add olive oil and stretch them back into shape. They took a lot more attention than the new ones.
Plus, you could dry your car after a ride. 
We use the Tide Sport one because you can get it at the grocer. Or, just google “sports detergent”. There are lots.
Yo be honest any soap would work… Don’t use softener or hot water and either use very low heat or no heat to dry it…
I wash my own running/cycling/swimming gear and dot mix it with any of the other clothes.
If you take normal care of your gear, it will last. Unless is absolutely garbage. I have many target running shorts that have last 2 years before the liner becomes too elongated and I can’t no longer use without chafing …
I have cycling bibs and shorts that have no less than 8 years… The newest I have is 5 years old…
I just bought that Tide Sport… I’m not sure if it does much more than give everything a “sporty” smell.
Buy a quality bib, cold wash (delicate), air dry, ride, repeat. /thread
What do you expect laundry detergent to do other than clean laundry?
Haha. I just meant that I wasn’t sure what it offers over regular Tide
I have a four bibs that I found on Amazon. They are a Przewalski brand that I found on Amazon. They cost about $35 dollars. I found them to be comfortable with a nice thick chamoi. The Spandex material is relatively thick, and they seem to be holding up well. I was very pleased and surprised by the quality. That’s why I ordered more.
I have more expensive bibs that are a bit more comforable, as they breathe better, but it’s not worth the extra $100 in costs. I would recommend Przewalski to anyone looking for a quality go to bib short.
In Japan I use Ariel Sports, in Germany I used to use antibacterial detergent made by Sagrotan (the non-scented variety). I reckon you can also use a combination of laundry sanitizer and detergent for sensitive items.
And totally agreed, it made a huge difference. When I made the switch, my sports clothes were kinda smelly even though I had just washed them. A friend of mine recommended antibacterial detergent to me, and I haven’t had a problem since.
Thickness ≠ comfort. Just like with saddles, many people equate thickness and softness with long-term comfort.
To contribute to the discussion, I have bought a pair of DHB bib shorts for about the same amount and the chamois is atrociously bad. Basically, I wanted to see whether they were good enough for indoor rides and they are not. I have also a pair of mid-level DHB shorts, and they look really, really old even though I bought them 3 years ago or so. The chamois has gotten a lot less comfortable, so trainer rides over 1 hour sometimes get uncomfortable.
Of course, but the chamois on these are legit.
