Advice on commuting clothing

peanut1978

Use my bike a lot at weekends/weeknights for training runs.

Looking to use it to commute to work (only 4ish miles each way).

Not wanting to get fully kitted up for commuting, any advice?

edhornby

all depends on your facilities at work - my commute is about 4 miles and I wear full kit

yes it could be done with work trousers and shirt on - however I have access to showers and lockers so I choose to use them. this way my work clothes are clean and fresh

If I didn't have shower/locker I would just ride a lot slower and find a disabled loo to change in - my principal reason for not wearing work clothes is the weather. when it's cold and raining the clothes get icky and dirty (even wearing full waterproofs) and in the summer you get sweaty. I also have clipless pedals so if I'm changing shoes then clothes as well is a logical step

also... when someone goes past you, it becomes impossible to not hang onto their wheel and before you know it you're on the silly commuting racing thread 8)

peanut1978

Have showers, changing facilities and anything else I could need (including bike workshop).

Work at the local college in the sports department.

Was thinking of 3/4 shorts and top of some sort, usually carry rucksack, but not sure what best option is?

Gustibus

I've been commuting to work (9 miles each way) for about 18 months. I tried a variety of things, wearing work clothes, using a rucksack etc. After a bit of trial and error I ended up going with trail shorts, spd clipless and panniers. All the rucksacks I tried ended up with a sweaty back or wet clothes if it rained too hard.

I use the disabled loo in work, don't use a normal cubicle or you'll end up retreiving your wallet from behind the toilet we don't have proper changing facilities.

For the winter overshoes and a good jacket are very important. Go high vis for obvious reasons. As Edhornby said, you will get covered in crap from the road in winter so bear that in mind.

I've found for going in and out every day you just want fairly cheap comfortable tops and shorts that you can bung in the washing machine. So I have lots of endura loose fit trail stuff. It does the job very well, is fairly low key and it keeps the pricey gear nice for the road bike at the weekend.

A couple of people I work with use the bike a few times a week and use a car one day a week. They bring clothes in the car and leave them in work, so if you do that there's no need for panniers or a rucksack.

peanut1978

any advice on particular items of clothing?

FSR_XC

Not clothing, but I got a Crumpler (Cheesey Disco), which has been ideal for carrying basically anything I want to take to work. The '3rd leg' holds it stable and spreads the weight and I find it more comfortable than a rucksack.

tyax

Have to agree regarding rucksacks... They WILL make your back sweaty, regardless of weather, and I use a fairly pricy "laptop" rucksack that allegedly helps airflow around the back area. - it just doesn't. Tiny Camelbak-style things don't make my back sweat too much, but obviously load-carrying is restricted.

I haven't tried a manbag, because...well, just because :shock: I'm now looking for a pannier rack to fit my bike, as I really believe this is the way to go to stop sweatyback.

With regard other clothing, as long as it's breathable you shouldn't sweat too much. I wear cheap(ish) DHB baggies from Wiggle, plus a baselayer and slightly heavier breathable longsleeve top from my local Mountain Warehouse, and I have no reason to complain, I just add more baselayers and a waterproof jacket in winter

Just don't assume that because it's "cycling-specific" that it's necessarily better than other man-made clothing

Gustibus

Specifically I use these

Jacket
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... delID=9268

Excellent jacket for the money. Totally waterproof, and I live in Ireland so we're not short on rain. Stick it on a plastic hanger and use the showerhead to rinse if it gets dirty during the week.

Specialized trail shorts
http://www.cyclesuk.com/295-258324

Jersey
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/end ... y-ec002076

Shimano MT41 shoes

I've a few of the tops - always found them in a half price sale for some reason.

Anything comfortable, hard wearing and machine washable is the ticket.

zedders

I don't cycle into work everyday as its 15+ miles each way. 2 or 3 days a week is fine for me. I agree with the rucksack thing, (hot and sweaty) but like you I have changing and showers facilities as well. So I take a load of stuff into work in advance. A weeks worth of clothes, etc and leave it there. I then collect it all the next time I drive in at the end of the week. Therefore I only need one or two bits in the rucksack so its pretty light and helps alot. If your only doing 4 miles I think a rucksack will be ok? No?

Clothing? If you can shower and change it don't matter what you were does it? It can get caked up and you ain't got to wear it all day?

geoff_ss

My commute was 13.5 miles each way which I did every day throughout the year regardless of weather. I wore normal cycle clothing. It gradually changed from tweedy plusses and Greenspot jacket to gear younger forum members might think of as 'modern' ie lycra etc I carried everything in a Caradice Camper Longflap saddlebag mounted on a quick release hanger.

We had a cloakroom at work and I used to wash in the sinks. I left clothes at work to change into and we were provided with Toetector shoes (in case I dropped a pencil on my foot) so shoes weren't a problem.

I occasionally had to interview potential undergrad apprentices at a remote location. I used to cycle there and change in a big toilet I found. I also used to cycle 20 miles to meetings and attended in my cycle clothes. They were more interested in my technical expertise than my dress and got accustomed to it.

My cycle commuting caused some minor amusement at first but colleagues got used to seeing me half stripped off in the cloakroom. Eventually more and more people emulated me and several cycle commuted and at least one ran in about 5 miles most days.

Personally I don't give a toss what people think of me. In fact I find it sad that gains we made in the 60s (ie do your own thing) seem to be eroding in the 21st century as youngsters become concerned about being 'uncool'. Who cares?

Geoff

jthef

I commute 12.5 miles each way and now have loads of kit dependant and the time of the year, weather and time of day I use pannier bags so can carry loads in or just bits for that day.
your kit has to be flexible for example at the moment I have a wind proof top, arm warmers and short top with bib shorts (as they keep your back warmer all year round) and max repel tights. Where as on the way home bib shorts and top and may be arm warmers dependant on the temp. The reasons are its cool at 6:30 am and a lot warmer at 19:30 when I finish.
But 4.5 miles sort your kit out as you go along.
PS it might rain as well so the right kit keeps you warm/cool

Sevenfold

I do just under 9 miles each way to/from work. Endura Humvee shorts with the lycra inner work very well, plenty of pockets, vents as well. They are waterproof (as I found out last night on the way home!) & are also available in a 3/4 length or a long trouser version. Very comfortable plus you can buy additional liners fairly inexpensively which can be used with the shorts or on their own or with any Endura shorts with the 'clickfast' fitting. I plan on using them on 32 mile XC charity event in the New Forest early June so will really know if they are ny good...

stfc1

Fit mudguards! Do that, and have some waterproofs on hand should you get caught in a downpour, and I don't think you'll need any other specialist equipment as long as you take it easy (unless you have to dress particularly smartly for work, which I don't).

And get some good windproof gloves for the winter because your fingers will not have time to warm up on a ride that short. (I know, I ride about three miles to work and some days last winter I lost feeling in my fingers after half a mile and didn't get it back until I'd spent five minutes in the warm office.)

Wooliferkins

Klik Fix do a rucksack that you can fit to your seatpost see here so you can avoid sweaty back syndrome

MichaelW

A 4-mile commute is a completely different kettle of cheese to a 12-mile one. The equation of getting ready time, locking up time, top speed, cooling time, changing time and their relation to time from door to desk need to be examined.

My solution for short commutes is to wear casual hiking gear, a wickable T shirt and general outdoor/multi-activity/hiking gear according to the weather. I have tried wearing work trousers but they wear out more quickly and can get damaged or I arrive wet from a rain shower.
I prefer my riding to be "normal" rather than a sporting challenge.

On longer commutes, the most important factor is how rapidly you ride the miles. On shorter rides, speed doent make any difference, the top and tail of the ride play more significant role.
I prefer a pannier for rides over about 3 miles but the quick-release variety rather than hook and elastic.
I switched from removable lights to a hub dynamo so less messing around is required.
I even selcted a wallet with a key pocket to speed up my locking time. It all adds up.

jim453

Lot's of advice here but the question's a little hazy.

Given that you're a teacher or similar, do you mean you don't want to rock into work in the full lycra cos you'll look daft?

If so, I feel your pain. What I do is leave the smart stuff at work and wear three quarter or rolled up carrharts or similair and a decent high vis mtb jacket if it's raining (it always is). If not any old outdoor wear will do on the top half.

Don't forget your shoes and your belt thogh, or a clean folded shirt in your rucksack (in a tesco carier to combat the sweat/rain/both).

Enjoy the ride. You might want to use a mtb with road tyres on and a crud catcher. The garb described above looks equally stupid if yer hunkered down on the aero bars of a 1 gram wind slicing TT rig.

fnegroni

I wear a high viz belt, daytime or evening, and it helps to be seen even in bright daylight.

I don't bother with mudguards:
A) they don't fit my current bike
IME, they don't actually do anything: I commute by bike whatever the weather, and I have seen no difference in amount of crap on bike and amount of crap sprayed behind.
Mind you I use 23mm slick tyres so don't think spray is an issue.
I get more crap thrown into my face from cars and lorries.
Just wear a jacket if it rains, and if you are worried about spray, don't slipstream the bike in front: it's not clever when commuting.

merlinghnd

I don't think over shoes have been mentioned. I find all my clothes dry OK but shoes can be a pain to get dry.. I have some neoprene overshoes which are excellent. They also keep your toes warm in the winter. Highly recommend them, would not be without mine.