Commuting clothes

veganrun

Following on from my thread a few month back about commuting distances and whether you cycle on hybrid's, road bikes, mountain, something else etc I was wondering what you folks do when it comes to cycling gear?

Do you wear lycra? What about the bad weather? I'm narrowing down a few areas where I want to buy and I reckon my commute could be about 10k each way. I cycle to and from work at the moment but that is only about 3k each way so I don't wear any specific cycling gear, I just wear my work clothes with a cycling jacket over the top, and helmet etc.

It was raining this evening so I had pullover waterproofs over my jeans and while they did the job they are a bit cumbersome and I reckon for a longer distance I am starting to think jeans and a t-shirt etc may become uncomfortable.

How far do you commute and what cycling gear is best suited for the distance?

Thinkingaboutit

Tracksuit bottoms, some sort of breadable t-stirt, a heavy hi-viz coat, a cap.

Lumen

Lycra for more than half an hour each way. Less than that and the faff of changing isn't worth it.

10k is marginal.

beauf

For me anything under up to 20 mins regular clothes. Anything over (mine is 35-70 mins) and basically gym gear and a windproof stuff for bad weather. Leave work clothes at work.

CramCycle

For 10k e/w I'd wear shorts and a t shirt, work clothes in a backpack (cereal packets are great for putting folded, ironed clothes inside your backpack). As Lumen said, 30 minutes and the faff of it isn't worth it. I do 45 minutes each way and I think its worth it, work clothes are just uncomfy and prone to excessive wear on that distance.

eeeee

Less than 35mins normal clothes. I wear dresses and skirts 90%of the time and tights so they dry quickly in the rain. I wear a rain jacket if needs be.
Current commute is 1 hour each way through town, lycra and clipless pedals for that.

What Username Guidelines

Shorts and T-shirt and light jacket with work clothes in a back pack. Gloves if <8°C. 12km each way.

Rainy days it’s waterproof jacket, old runners and swimming/surf type shorts as they dry out easier during the day, with work clothes and other runners, all in a plastic bag within the backpack.

magicbastarder

do you have a shower available to you in work?
that'd be key; if you're showering in the morning anyway, you may as well shower in work, rather than showering at home and then hopping on the bike. not much extra time cost and you don't have to worry about how you're going to arrive in work on especially humid days.

veganrun

Yeah we have showers at work. I cycled in today and it's very humid. I just had my cycling jacket, regular t-shirt and jeans on but put coverall trousers over them as it was raining. Although I haven't bought a place yet so my commute is still about 10-15mins each way. I did a test run the other night and it's probably going to take about 40-45 mins to cycle to any of the areas where I'm thinking of buying.

I think I need a different type of t-shirt or jacket or something as in the warmer weather I sweat a bit and my arms don't seem to air properly when I have the jacket on so they end up sweaty.

Explosive_Cornflake

I moved a year or so ago, and my commute is only 5k now.
I always used to lyrca up for the commute, but it's not really worth it now, BUT I find the seat of my pants does not last long when I cycle in trousers. Give it a few months and I'll have two holes where my seat bones make contact with the saddle.
i normally just throw on a crappy pair of normal day to day shorts now.

PhilOssophy

For a few km you don't need anything unless its raining.
What I do for the mornings is I wear running skins/shorts, waterproof jacket and just have my work clothes in my bag and shower in work.
I have a pair of shorts and waterproofs in work which I wear home if needed. I don't mind if I get pissed on on the way home, I shower when I get home if I do. If its not cold I'll often just brave it in the work shirt - sure its going in the wash anyway! I try to avoid my work trousers getting destroyed though so I have the shorts/skins and waterproofs.
I only have a few km either.

Utter Consternation

I got a cheap Karrimor trousers for in JD Sports. I think it's one for hill walking It's loose enough to be comfortable on the bike and it's warm enough in cold weather but doesn't roast me if it's hot.

I do 12km each way so shower and change in work etc.

tomasrojo

Just normal clothes. My journeys are mostly less than 15km each leg. I bring two clean t-shirts in a ziplok bag, and bring an
empty ziiplok bag to put used t-shirts in. When I get to my destination, if I've gone more than half an hour, I usually have a quick sink wash and use the t-shirt I was just wearing as a towel, and put it in the empty ziplok bag.

Mc Love

Explosive_Cornflake wrote: »

I moved a year or so ago, and my commute is only 5k now.
I always used to lyrca up for the commute, but it's not really worth it now, BUT I find the seat of my pants does not last long when I cycle in trousers. Give it a few months and I'll have two holes where my seat bones make contact with the saddle.
i normally just throw on a crappy pair of normal day to day shorts now.

Same really when i started commuting I'd have my work (business casual) on as I'm only 5k from work but there are times when you're a little bit sweaty or stuffy from the rain gear. Coupled with the above, the pants i had on had holes from the stress of the cycle. Now i wear lycra "skins" short ones for the summer, long ones for the winter with a pair of shorts over them and a training top. Optional jacket/pants for the rainy days.
Got good pair of galibier gloves for the winter commute but haven't had to use them for about two months

dermabrasion

I think there is a gap in the market to have a clothing line that allows commuting in climates like ours. What kills me are days when I have meetings in several places in the city during the day, where I'm in either in biz-cas clothing or even full biz clothes. My head is wrecked trying to workout parking or bus/luas, when I know the most efficient is bike.
Clothes that can work for sweating, rain, splash, grime from wheels, and that is also visible to motorists without being hi-viz.
I hate going into hotel toilets to peel off wet gear or tee-shirts and put on work shirts. Or look down at my shoes and see them speckled with grime.
I bet there is stuff out there, perhaps putting it together as a business is an option?

tomasrojo

Clothes that can work for sweating, rain, splash, grime from wheels, and that is also visible to motorists without being hi-viz."

I think Brompton, among others, did have a line of smart (supposedly anyway) clothes that, in the case of Brompton, included a reflective band that you could fold away when not on the bike. I'm not sure it's available anymore, and, from what I recall, it didn't look quite right.

Sam Brownes are also available to go over business clothes, old-fashioned as they might be, and they can fold away into a pocket. There are reflective sashes as well. Or just use day-time lights. Or, just don't bother, I suppose, but that's another thread. None of these options solve the problem of sweat and rain, really.

Or look down at my shoes and see them speckled with grime.

In this case,what you need is full-length mudguards with a mudflap. Mudguards on their own won't do the trick. In fact, most crap you get on your clothes, in my experience, is obviated by using mudflaps.

Basically, whatever the Dutch do is probaly the solution. Though nothing really works for very long journeys, except some sort of change of clothes.

CramCycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNYH5GOh9Rc

/thread

Mc Love

https://discerningcyclist.com/2018/07/best-cycling-chinos-trousers-stylish-urban/

Think i might have to get a pair or two

Mizu_Ger

My commute is 10km each way. Takes me 20-25mins.

I wear shorts and tshirt no matter the weather. I'll put waterproof leggings and jacket on if it rains, or a jacket/gloves/hat if it's really cold. I take my time on the way in, so don't sweat much at all (sweating is less of a problem on the way home). I just keep a change of clothes in my pannier. This works fine for me.

I hate wearing "normal" clothes on the bike, especially jeans etc as the saddle wears away the backside of trousers!!