I washed my bike gear today.
It is all Textile so is fairly easy.
I had curry stains on the jacket sleeve from last summer and the trousers were a little err... fragrant.
So being a brave girl I took out the armour and filled the bath with warm water and Nickwax simple soap. Having dumped it all in and stamped on it for a bit to kill off the Armpit trolls that appear to have been using the lining for breeding and eating crisps, I let it sit for a while,hoping the curry stains will fade.
Now I have a pile of armour on the bed and I use the loosest description of it. It looks like the sort of stuff that Laser Quest used to give you so you looked like a pillock in the dark. However, does this stuff really work and is it worth putting it back in the jacket and trousers? It is made by a company called Knox and seems to be made out of plastic and foam rubber.
Anyway, back to the fausty kit, leaving the water several shades darker than when it went in, lifting the kit out was like heaving sacks of rubble because the water proof fabric turned into bags, full of water. I rinsed it all out, again in warm water and drained it off before hanging it in the garden to drip dry. I have thought about reproofing the outer fabric, but it still seems to be beading ok, so did not bother.
Any other tips for things I should do while my kit sits unused over winter, until I can afford to start bike training again?
As for the bike, the alarm killed the battery, so that was brought in and charged up again and the alarm switched to Winter mode. Lots of people I talk to seem to think I was a fool for having an alarm fitted. I get comments like "An alarm wont stop your bike being stolen, they just wrap it in a blanket and load it into a van!" All very discouraging.
So winter rituals, what should I really be doing (and don't say riding my bike because I am on the push bike trying to loose weught and be super fit for next year to take my DAS again)?