@Crtimark, I’m in the same boat as you. I always wear gloves and will soak 2 hand towels on a trainer ride. After every ride, the gloves and HR strap get washed by hand with a bit of foaming hand soap. My kit and towels get washed with Rockin Green Active Wear detergent, the only one I’ve found that reliably keeps my clothes smelling fresh without any added perfumes.
I live on the equator in Singapore and typically ride in humid, 28-34 degree weather all year ‘round and can feel like 39-42 degrees, so I’ve gotten pretty good at understanding how to manage the flow of holy water. Environment has a massive influence on how much we sweat. I used to live in Boulder Colorado, which is a high plains desert and I rarely showed sweat marks. Here, it’s just the opposite.
For trainer rides, I ride in aircon, which not only cools, but also dehumidifies, and have a strong fan blowing on me. Even so, I still soak the towels, gloves, jersey and bibs. I rotate 3 pairs of gloves and they last about 18 months with frequent usage.
I’ve upgraded all my kit to super fast evaporating materials, which has the upside of me now wearing pro-level gear. Had I not gotten desperate, I don’t know that I would have ever sprung for top end kit. But now that I have it, I’m glad I did. I was so hot, I used to pour holy water out of my shoes after an outdoor ride. It was crazy.
Another tip picked up from the pro teams is to lower the body’s core temp pre-ride. Many teams travel with a slushy machine for this purpose. My water bottles are now chilled or iced, with one frozen solid for long rides. After an hour on the bike, it is slushy and ready to drink. Proper timing and amounts of hydration, electrolytes, and carbs pre-ride and while riding is essential, especially with regard to recovery.
I learned that the amount of salt we excrete is genetic and doesn’t change over time. (Maybe the coaches are of a different opinion?) I did a test (www.precisionhydration.com) with a local triathlete coach using a sensor that showed that while I sweat a lot (~1200ml per hour), I excrete a moderate amount of salts (800mg per hour). Armed with that info, I no longer have to guess what to do. For outdoor rides, I pre-load according to the guidance on the website, then replace the 800mg per hour while riding. For indoor rides, I typically don’t pre-load, just take the 800mg per hour. My performance and recovery have greatly improved as a result. Hope this helps!