Not seen this discussed anywhere else so purely in the interests of scientific enquiry I thought I'd raise the subject here. If you commute in Lycra how often do you change/wash your shorts in a week? My colleague Dave has been strangely reluctant to join me in the search for the optimum commuter short wearing time, so I'm asking you.

I'm guessing if your daily commute is an epic the answer will be every day, but what if - like my new commute it just strays in to the realm where Lycra is slightly the better option?

Up until recently I've worn Lycra for longer weekend rides only, a day in he saddle, and my daily commute has been done in more or less normal clothing. However a few months ago I changed jobs and so now do a slightly longer, hillier commute… It's still only half an hour each way but it's a harder ride and just slightly too sweaty for civvies.

However, two 30 min rides a day divided by eight hours drying time doesn't seem to justify bunging them in the wash every night, or changing for a clean pair. Nasal tests confirm they still seem fresh, even against a control of some clean unridden shorts, my colleague Dave balked at confirming my findings (Pah! calls himself a scientist - they still smell better than his lab coat!).

But joking aside how long would you use the same pair of shorts for, and would your measure be one of time or distance ridden?