Commuting in work clothes?

[JulesV]

Good point- it is far easier to cycle in work clothes in cooler weather. I am now thinking of getting a rack and panniers to avoid the sweaty backpack syndrome.

 

Yeah I wasn't aware of that sweaty backpack syndrome until my colleagues pointed it out lol

 

Used to ride in kit and shower at work but then one winter of riding with normal clothes made me lazy to pack, undress and shower at work.

 

Panniers work well thought in my experience and who knows, you might like the feel so much you'll start touring with them

[Ecko_1]

No.

[bj horn]

Get a backpack large enough to take all your work clothes and pop it in the washing machine every now and then.I'm lucky to have shower at work,basin washing is not the same.

[Warren_G]

Problem solved

[Shebeen]

I commuted a lot at varsity undergrad, distance ~1.5km.

Way quicker than walking,

 

About the same as driving, because traffic is never an issue and you always have parking right out front.

 

Problem is, for such a short distance I ended up leaving late a lot, because I could always hurry up and mash the pedals to make it in time. That’s where the sweaty commuter comes in, if you are able to ride a bike slowly then you can go a much further distance without showering. If your inner race gene is hardwired, you end up charging at max speed the whole time and rock up breathing heavy and sweating already.

[Kranky]

Slightly off topic, but why do people commute in full sporting gear? Is it really necessary? What are the advantages? Even if you're changing clothes at your destination. Maybe it's just a habit carried over from sports cycling many commuters participate in. I find my daily commute in t-shirt, shorts and everyday sneakers (I find normal shoes much more mobile in cities) to be comfortable (when the weather is good).

 

Supposedly, wearing normal clothing is also good manner in which to normalize commuting in cultures where it is not strong, i.e. not looking odd or like a sports cyclist but rather a normally dressed person.

Edited October 30, 2013 by Nick.

[mudda]

Bib shorts - way more comfortable than normal shorts on a bike - less friction on pedal strokes to saddle. No Flapping in the wind. Padding where you need it. Cycle shirt has convenience pockets on the back and allows more air through to stay cooler. Clip in shoes - way more control when on-off pavements , bunny hops etc.Also allow more air in to stay cooler.

 

Sports cyclists dont look odd. They look cool.

[Caerus]

Slightly off topic, but why do people commute in full sporting gear? Is it really necessary? What are the advantages? Even if you're changing clothes at your destination. Maybe it's just a habit carried over from sports cycling many commuters participate in. I find my daily commute in t-shirt, shorts and everyday sneakers (I find normal shoes much more mobile in cities) to be comfortable (when the weather is good).

 

Supposedly, wearing normal clothing is also good manner in which to normalize commuting in cultures where it is not strong, i.e. not looking odd or like a sports cyclist but rather a normally dressed person.

Most South Africans are too proud and lazy to commute by bike.

[Shebeen]

Slightly off topic, but why do people commute in full sporting gear? Is it really necessary? What are the advantages? Even if you're changing clothes at your destination. Maybe it's just a habit carried over from sports cycling many commuters participate in. I find my daily commute in t-shirt, shorts and everyday sneakers (I find normal shoes much more mobile in cities) to be comfortable (when the weather is good).

 

Supposedly, wearing normal clothing is also good manner in which to normalize commuting in cultures where it is not strong, i.e. not looking odd or like a sports cyclist but rather a normally dressed person.

distance. if your commute is long enough for you to shower at destination you might as well wear he proper kit. nothing worse than putting on a sweaty t-shirt for the return trip!

[Bateleur1]

distance. if your commute is long enough for you to shower at destination you might as well wear he proper kit. nothing worse than putting on a sweaty t-shirt for the return trip!

 

And cycling kit dries quickly instead of the normal t-shirts

[Spidermonkey]

Slightly off topic, but why do people commute in full sporting gear? Is it really necessary? What are the advantages? Even if you're changing clothes at your destination. Maybe it's just a habit carried over from sports cycling many commuters participate in. I find my daily commute in t-shirt, shorts and everyday sneakers (I find normal shoes much more mobile in cities) to be comfortable (when the weather is good).

 

Supposedly, wearing normal clothing is also good manner in which to normalize commuting in cultures where it is not strong, i.e. not looking odd or like a sports cyclist but rather a normally dressed person.

I strongly agree with this philosophy - dressing 'normally' may encourage more motorists (or other road users) to give cycling a try. When faced with cyclists in full racing kit, the road users are intimidated and less likely to identify with the cyclist and will continue using motorized transport.

[Spidermonkey]

distance. if your commute is long enough for you to shower at destination you might as well wear he proper kit. nothing worse than putting on a sweaty t-shirt for the return trip!

 

Although I own bibs/jerseys etc, I find it more comfortable to commute in nylon shorts, nylon T-shirt and sneakers. These dry very quickly.

[Spidermonkey]

After changing from my usual nylon commute gear, to experiment for a while with a daily bicycle commute in full work clothing, I now present some key findings:

• It is far less hassle to cycle in work clothing.
  

However, as keen as I am on this practice, there are some pitfalls:

• I like cycling (much) faster than 'no-sweat speed', so...
  
• ....sweat is obviously an issue
  
• Cotton work clothes take longer to dry than nylon T-shirts, so...
  
• ...cycling in the rain is a problem, that leads to...
  
• ...mud-stained pants from rear wheel spray (my bike has no clearance for mudguards) and passing-car slosh (got a face-full the other day)
  

In light of these findings, I have reverted to my usual nylon riding clothes. I have commuted for years in such gear, and now will continue after the downsides I experienced. Perhaps winter is a better season to attempt my work-clothing commute, because of lower temperatures and less chance of rain (at least on the highveld).

 

After all is said and done, I suggest trying a work-clothing commute at least once in your life - it's a great experience. Cars seem to treat you with more respect if you're dressed like a normal human being!

[2wheelsgood]

I ride in work pants and shoes, and a t-shirt. Granted in summer sometimes I'm a bit sweatier than I'd like to be, but most of it is on the home-leg when there's still a good amount of sun left at the time I ride. In rain I'll either wear rain-pants, or if it's raining in the morning I'll just wear shorts and some other pair of shoes.

I've also got no issue with dialing it back a few notches and spinning it nice and easy so I don't work up a lather.

I'll never wear proper cycling togs - I do not want to be associated at all with roadies or racers of any kind.

[divernick]

I ride in padded MTB baggies that look like shorts and a normal t-shirt most of the time. OK, I wear a helmet and Camelbak too, and proper MTB shoes.

My commute is 21km each way, so riding at no-sweat speed would take me all day. I ride hard, ride fast and suffer from SCR. Any cyclist ahead becomes a target and must be passed. I know, I have a problem.

[divernick]

http://www.itsnotarace.org/scr-rules/