Comfort in commuting....

[Twanger]

OK. What do people do.....?

1. Padded shorts, padded saddle cover, or let your bottom get used to it?

2. Water bottle on frame, volvic/ evian bottle in pannier, or put up with it and wash your mouth out when you get to work?

3. Pedal slow enough not to break much of a sweat, towel it off later or shower at work?

Just out of nosey interest....

 

[aserota]

OK. What do people do.....?

1. Padded shorts, padded saddle cover, or let your bottom get used to it?

2. Water bottle on frame, volvic/ evian bottle in pannier, or put up with it and wash your mouth out when you get to work?

3. Pedal slow enough not to break much of a sweat, towel it off later or shower at work?

Just out of nosey interest....

On my 30 mile daily commute;
1. Padded Shorts
2. Drink at work and when i get home, fixed track bike so no bottle cage
3. Pedal hard and shower at work

 

[Twanger]

I'm still humming and hah'ing about teh shorts. I used to use chamois lycra shorts, but they were high maintenance. I have a pair of padded "baggy" shorts, which are fine for long rides, but when you are stopping starting in the city, the padding kinda moves. Gets uncomfortable.

Water is an issue. I find I need to wash my mouth out. Hence the bottle cage. I notice not a lot of people seem to use them.

Towelling off has worked so far. We'll see what happens when it gets hotter.

 

[Lell]

Padded shorts (or tights, if it is very cold), always.
No drinks - I only have 6ish miles each way, so not much of an issue.
Towel of at work, as no shower facility. Currently campaigning to get one installed...

Everything I need is carried in a rucksack.

I take it easy on the way in on very hot days to avoid sweating too much. Hammer it on the way home to make up for it!

 

[Wigsie]

Padded shorts
1 bottle of drink in cage
Pedal bo**ocks off 18.5 miles each way and use baby wipes, towel dry and BO basher at work

 

[Bman]

1. Get used to it, but make sure its a decent saddle
2. Carry water!? Thats extra weight. Drink water before and after commute.
3. Take the trip to work easy but push as hard as I like going home.

 

[Tynan]

padded bib shorts/longs

bottle in cage, dn;t need it really but it's nice when there's anything in it to kill some time at th elights

cane it all the way, proper shower at work, nice

sympathies to those having to do without

 

[hackbike 666]

OK. What do people do.....?

1. Padded shorts, padded saddle cover, or let your bottom get used to it?

2. Water bottle on frame, volvic/ evian bottle in pannier, or put up with it and wash your mouth out when you get to work?

3. Pedal slow enough not to break much of a sweat, towel it off later or shower at work?

Just out of nosey interest....

9 or ten mile commute

1) Ordinary Shorts

2) No but perhaps I should.Frozen milk is carried.(for work)

3) I sweat a lot so I tend to pedal as fast as I have the energy for.Change at work but not sure of the shower status.As we haven't had a shower since I have been there for over twenty years I just do what I have been doing for the last twenty years.

 

[Cubist]

Cycling kit, incl padded shorts. Carry water in hot weather. Use the 7 miles to work as a workout so try to better my time each day. I keep my uniform in a wardrobe in my office, and take a week's worth of shirts pants and socks with me on day one. I shower when I get there.

 

[Keith Oates]

I use my commute as training and so ride fairly hard for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


1. Padded lycra shorts
2. Water Bottle on frame
3. Complete change of gear and shower at work

 

[hambones]

Only 8 miles for me, so...

1) Baggy shorts - commando!

2) No drink

3) Steady going in (wash in sink at work as no showers), and a bit more effort coming home.

 

[fossyant]

Commute here is training...

So padded shorts - remember new shorts aren't high maintenance like the old chamois (leather) inserts -

Bottle of water for my 7-11 mile commute

Baby Wipes and deo (carry shirt/undies each day - leave trousers at work during week)

 

[arallsopp]

Yup.

17 miles each way.
Shirts + Trousers + Babywipes in the office.
No drinks.
Lycra shorts + S/S Jersey, + lightweight windproof for the wet days.
Takes an hour, but has some pretty nasty climbs.

 

[ianrauk]

15 miles each way, downhill most of the way in, so take it nice and easy.
Cane it on the way home.
Baggy Shorts.
Always bottle of water.
Baby Wipes and deo when in.
Luckily I don't sweat much.

 

[dondare]

I'm back on the bike following a very long period off it 'cos of a knee injury, and I'm giving the "slow movement" technique a try-out. Apart from cycling slowly, this involves not wearing or carrying anything on the bike that you wouldn't wear or carry off it. The point of this is to demonstrate how easily cycling can be fitted into the normal routine of normal people, like walking or taking the bus, rather than making it look like an activity only risked by super-fit lycra-clad road-warriors.
Today I cycled 11 miles wearing jeans & T-shirt and no padding in the pants with no discomfort. The saddle is a very old San Marco Rolls that does not have gel. The bottle cage is always empty unless I'm using it to carry a bottle of beer or wine for later.