A friend of mine, Sam. Has made his big move down to London. Or, more specifically, his big move into our lounge in London. This is while he waits for his house to be available to move into. Soon he will be starting his training as an estate agent. (And yes he is being asked to give up his weekends for the next few months!). As part of his job he will be given a car which he will use to chauffeur people around prospective houses. In the mean time he needs a way of getting into work. Why don’t you cycle? Was of course my suggestion. His reply: “Cycle into work in a suit? Very tough.”
He has a point. Unless you have a bike with a chain guard then the chances of getting oil on your suit are pretty big. Plus I don’t know what kind of provision his company will be making for bikes so it may be tough to get changed in the office. Hence this weeks question..
Considering last weeks “nosy question” was a big success asking everyone “What’s in your bag?” and getting over 40 comments I thought we would continue this trend and ask a new question: “What do you wear to cycle into work?”
When I was working along Gray’s Inn Road I would always cycle into work in a pair of shorts, t-shirt and cycling jacket if there was bad weather. Then I would hop in the shower and change into my suit which I would leave in the office. Personally I can’t see myself ever cycling in a suit unless I fit a chain guard to my bike. I’d like to know what you guys typically wear to cycle into work? Do you go for the Lycra approach, the suit, or casual shorts?
See also:
- Go on be nosy.. what’s in your bag?
- How do you get around the no shower at work problem?
- Does your office offer these three cyclist facilities?
- Cycling book recommendations by my marvelous Twitterers
Image via Skarpetka Flickr
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I bike in what I”m wearing that day but I don’t have a dress code. I’m usually in skinny fit trousers, some girly tshirt, either knee high Panama Jack Basic 41 boots, Carvela Skint Heels or leopard print chuck taylors + helmet.
If it’s chilly/cold I layer a hi-vis jacket from primark with a down Northface/Columbia vest thing over top and wear leather gloves. In the winter I wear an american apparel circle scarf around my ears and neck and then tie a scarf like a bandito around my face to keep my breathing air warm.
I always keep a pair of cheap primark rain trousers in my pannier. No chain guard. I commute 10km a day so not sure far.
summer: padded cropped lycra trousers, a cycling t-shirt and a merino hoodie when it’s chilly.
winter: long lycra trousers, sometimes tights underneath, thermal socks and then layers of long and short sleeves on top.
i never thought i’d be a lycra cyclist. i’d love to look like a normal person on a bike. but even with just a 10km e/w commute i’ve found it’s just not possible, and if i’m going to have to change i figure i may as well wear lycra. it’s really quite comfy, after all…
“What do you wear to cycle into work?”
*Inoffensive albeit garish “walkable” Mtb cycling trainers with SPD cleats.
*Invisible half-length “sports socks”
*Baggy cycling shorts, with padded inner. 3/4 length, preferably.
*Offensive ironic bike theft related t-shirt
*Plain white cycling gloves w/ gel padding (Sugino; sourced NOS)
*Crumpler bag, over filled with bargain store tat/bike bits.
*Bloodstained “urban camouflage” cycling cap
+DEFINITELY NO PANNIERS+
+DEFINITELY NO CHAIN GUARD+
+DEFINITELY NO GEAR INCHES UNDER 70+
#nofakengerer
I currently live in the sunny southwest USA. We are gearing up to relocate to London next year. I have the opportunity to shop at backcountry dot com’s discount sites for bike gear and I went a bit crazy in preparation for my move to the UK. I am determined to commute by bike providing my [unattained] job is close enough and reasonably safe to get to (even then I am going to try my best to go by bike).
Anyway here in New Mexico it gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter (35C+ down to -5C easily), and my commute is about 7 miles each way. My work environment is casual, but I am lucky as not many financial support centers allow for shorts, jeans, t-shirts, etc. In the winter I like to dress semi casual and sometimes formal. Since I sweat very easily I think it’s more reasonable to get biking gear sweaty and just change into my work clothes when I arrive at work. So usually I wear a jersey and lycra, and in the winter I wear merino under my lycra pants (trousers) and layer on top. I clip in with MTB shoes so I have a little tread when climbing the stairs, etc and keep a couple sets of shoes in the office. Oh and one more reason for the bike shorts/pants – comfort. It really makes a difference on the rear end, especially if the commute is over rough road. Also aerodynamics play a small part, but a bigger part in the wind.
With all of this said we don’t get the rain like you guys do. So by watching the discount sites, I went kind of wild and got a pretty much completely waterproof outfit. For bottoms got half price on a set of Endura MTB pants made from eVent material. For milder days I have a light eVent jacket made by Cutter (paid $60 from $300 – not worth the full price but so far the breathability seems to be excellent). I also have a Gore-Tex jacket for the really cold. Finally, I invested in the Gore helmet and shoe covers. I honestly feel like I could do a MTB race in pouring rain.
My commuter is a Surly CrossCheck – a fantastically versatile bike currently run as a single speed although may make it a 1 x 7 for the UK as I am unfamiliar with the terrain. It could take a full road setup as well if I want, or anything in between. What I love about this bike is that it will accept 700×45 tires without fenders (mudguards?) or 700×40 with fenders. So I think I will add fenders and a chain guard for the UK it’s not what falls from the sky that you have to worry about, it’s what comes up from below. Even in New Mexico in the winter I run fenders, I haven’t had the Surly in the winter here yet, but I did run fenders on my old bike and on those precipitous days they were a godsend. The Surly has braze-ons for racks; while it is a cyclocross frame it’s touted for being a versatile child carrier, light tourer, etc.
So what do you think guys? Did I go a bit overboard? Think I may tone it down when I get there? Seems a pannier is needed just for my rain gear, although none of it is particularly heavy, just will take up valuable work clothes and lunch bag space in my backpack (rucksack!).
For anyone interested in cheap stuff and has a contact to ship it to in the USA, backcountry.com is fabulous, and they run one-at-a-time deals (often 50-75% discounts) at steepandcheap.com, bonktown.com, and chainlove.com. No you can’t ship stuff to me.
Oh and – great site Andreas et al., I love reading the posts and the comments are fabulous too. Funny and enlightening. Hopefully next year when I arrive I can get involved with some of the activities you all do. All the best!
interesting discussion. I love to cycle, used to wear shorts and change at work, but now have a job nearer to home so have just been cycling in my work trousers, rolled up…but.. I’ve worn through the material on the bum of all my trousers now. No good at all. I’m thinking of investing in a pair of cordarounds or swrve, but expensive.
I have a trip of 15 miles a day (7.5 there and 7.5 back)…..legings, t-shirt & trainers do me fine…..I shower in the hospital & then on with the smart clothes…you’d never guess that I’d just got of a bike after doing a 7 and a half mile bike ride.
Just normal clothes when cycling!
For me it has to be rolled up jeans and simple polo t-shirts. If I’m cycling somewhere far enough that I’m going to get hot, I pack a spare one in case! But yes, it’s annoying especially when raining!
Personally I prefer a tutu which means no need to change at work.
Good man John! Great choice of gear..
pictures or it didn’t happen!!!
It might sound disgusting but if you shower before you leave the house your sweat is pretty clean and you can just get dressed when you get to the office. Ive not had any complaints
Normal cotton mix trousers and cotton shirt, leather work shoes that keep out the rain and breathable leggings and top for the summer for wet weather.
For the winter I wear a hi vis jacket and a polar fleece hood for when the temp starts falling low with Berghaus gloves.
**Naughty spammer caught**
Dear Heron Cleaning supplies,
My choice of cycling gear mentioned above:-
(Personally I prefer a tutu which means no need to change at work.)
Means I am always highly visible.
Regards
John
You gotta hate the spammers ey!
With 18 miles each way, it’s full garb, but flourescent tops/jackets. I aim for 55 minutes, so I get sweaty. People do complain if I don’t get changed.
12 miles each way so lycra + baggies (its a mental thing – weekends on the road bike I’m fine with 2mm of spandex). I use panniers so the sweating could be worse… although I use my commute as training. So, change of smalls and tee in the pannier, keep jeans and trainers at work. Shower and change of the essentials and jobs a good ‘un
I normally wear tracksuit bottoms, a cycling t-shirt (often one i got from the LCC) trainers, cycling gloves and helmet. I am not very fashion conscious, i go for comfort.
I have a shower as soon as i get to work, and change into my daily clothes.
I wear a nike pro base layer, nike shell trousers, trainers and a second long sleeve base layer and/or an altura rain jacket if necessary. In winter I also use a pair of old snowboard gloves as winter cycling gloves seem to be practically the same.
On a couple of occasions the trousers and trainers are not waterproof enough, but that happens so infrequently it doesn’t seem to be worth the bother as I shower and change into work clothes when I get to work anyway.
I wear my boxer shorts and nothing else – and cycle at my desk. I work from home most days! – Do tend to leave a puddle of sweat around a 2 metre radius of the computer though…
I use to ride a scooter to work and I still have a lot of scooter gear from tucano urbano that is good enough for riding a bike too.
Jackets and trousers are waterproof and are good when is really cold or wet. Maybe a bit too warm in summer even if they have some very smart summer clothing too. Winter gloves are definitely too warm but summer gloves are OK. Price is ok maybe a bit higher than altura but you get more pockets and even a full set of protection for elbows.
I usually wear an outdoor vest that wicks away sweat, lycra shorts, with the latter covered by less outrageous shorts and fingerless gloves. In winter I usually add a warmer layer or/and wear a jacket. helmet is worn all year round but I add a warm balaclava in the winter.
When I know there won’t be changing facilities at my destination, Primark’s cotton chinos at £6 a pair are as comfortable (not to say as cheap and cheerful) as it gets!
cycling in a suiot is not as bad as it fuirst appears. I do it most days as I now work somewhere with no shower or changing facilities.
Use reflective bamds ariund your lower leg to keep trousers away from chain, roll up jacket & put in bag, undo a couple of shirt buttons and unless you cycle really fast you can arrive in a presentable state!
hey buddy… i just wanted to say that my browser is freezing when I click on the links… are you using some JavaScript or something?
Summer I wear shorts and one of my mtb tops (muted colours, tiny branding), sometime a thin merino jersey (subtle or no branding) and the modest but great Exustar Stelvio shoes (classic touring shoes in black).
Transitional seasons I’ll wear slim jeans or (when there might be rain) Swrve trousers, a thicker merino top and a Altura Night Vision jacket (often stashed). In really bad weather Altura over troozers.
I go to meetings or run my portfolio around on my bike; clients don’t mind what I wear really, and even if they do I have the high moral ground! I’m happy they know I’m biking around London, I’d like to think I might encourage some one, some time, to do the same. the best to hope for isn’t it? Turning up in Lycra is just going to put people off.
So I try really hard not to look like a ‘biker’, but the clothes have to work on a bike: stretchy jeans = brilliant, merino wool long and short sleeved jerseys in classic designs are great and comfortable, and other specialist bike wear that doesn’t look or sound like bike wear when you’re wandering around off the bike -like proper cycling shoes that house cleats that don’t clack on the pavement when walking).
It’s a long haul finding this stuff , but eventually you can get a set of clothes for all seasons that work on and off the bike and don’t make you look like a dick.
Choice of appropriate bike is step one. Buy a track bike, a tri bike, or a race bike and you’re locked into a riding style that can dictate a specific style that might not be utilitarian enough for city commuting. Buy a tourer or city bike and you can dress sensible. And it doesn’t mean you can’t ride like a loon. I can still have huge fun on my bike in London even dressed sensibly.
I cycle 6.2 miles each way in full office clothes. Corduroys, shirt, tie, jacket, and hi-vis over the tweed.
If you shower immediately before cycling you will not smell during the day.
Body odour arises a significant amount of time after sweating: the bacteria need time to multiply. This does not happen during office hours.
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