What to wear when Commuting to work

[chrisb1357]

I think for tommow which is my first ride to work i will cycyle in my work trousors and take my shirt rolled up in my bag. Also going to put in my over waterproofs incase. Once i get an idea on if we get lockers at work etc i can maybe leave my work stuff there and get some of that cheap aldi gear as i noticed its on sale again this week in local store

I was just worried you see if i cycle in my shirt etc and get there like a drown rat being that its my first cycyle to work and for a first day did not want it to go wrong

Chris

My old commute was about 3.5 miles I just wore the shirt and trowsers. Sometimes I liked to put a bit of effort in and build up a sweat, so on those days I'd wear a aldi cycling shirt and carry the work shirt in my pannier. In the heat of summer I'd sometimes wear aldi shorts and roll up the trowsers, I never had a problem. For days when the road was wet I liked to wear a pair of overtrousers.

 

[HLaB]

I think for tommow which is my first ride to work i will cycyle in my work trousors and take my shirt rolled up in my bag. Also going to put in my over waterproofs incase. Once i get an idea on if we get lockers at work etc i can maybe leave my work stuff there and get some of that cheap aldi gear as i noticed its on sale again this week in local store

I was just worried you see if i cycle in my shirt etc and get there like a drown rat being that its my first cycyle to work and for a first day did not want it to go wrong

Chris

Good Luck, If its good weather put the waterproofs in the bag, wearing them can sometimes be 'boil in the bag'

 

[potsy]

Good luck with the new job Chris,take it nice and easy.

 

[GrasB]

For 3.5 miles you'll want a decent shower proof jacket & waterproof trousers then take it easy. This may mean you want to down gear your bike so you can gently trundle up the hill.

As for keeping your work clothes smart, firstly fold them properly & how are you carrying them? One trick I've used in sandwiching clothes in pieces of stout cardboard & wrapping string around them. Else look on-line for people trying to keep things uncreased in suitcases, there's lots of tips out there some will & some won't work for you.

Just dress normal, commuting is about transport, not sport, although sometimes people forget that

Or have worked out that it's actually simpler to wear clothing which is task specific, ie 'sports clothing', & change when they get there. I say this as I know for me it's quicker to cycle in to work fast, cool down, change & have a shower than it is to cycle in in my work clothes & be presentable. Further more I can cycle in more quickly & with less effort using cycling specific clothes compared to a normal short n' t-shirt affair, this means it's by far the best solution for me.

 

[chrisb1357]

Am sure i will find out what best way once i get to know my new workplace. Going to see if they can offer me a locker as i would rather leave all my stuff there and change at work as you say its more presentable.

Not sure how long its going to take me tommrow to get in

Chris

 

[HLaB]

Not sure how long its going to take me tommrow to get in

Chris

I used to use a slow 10mph to estimate time, so for about 3 miles I expect around 20 mins, give yourself some leeway say 30min in total.

 

[BentMikey]

Besides if you leave extra early you can treat yourself to some cake and coffee before work!

 

[hackbike 666]

Besides if you leave extra early you can treat yourself to some cake and coffee tea before work!

Altered that for you.

 

[levad]

Next question LOL.

You class normal clothes as in jacket, tshirts and bottoms.

How do people stop getting there workware i.e shirts and trousers creased in there back pack

Chris

I fold my shirts and trousers and then roll them up. I have a locker at work so I take in a weeks worth of stuff in a pannier each Monday. My clothes stay pretty 'un'creased.

 

[summerdays]

It also depends on how smart you have to be at the other end - I don't have to be so I can almost wear what I want (occasionally I have to be a bit smarter but never really smart) so when I buy clothes I think about how they will be to cycle in. I've been known to sit down in the changing rooms and make cycling like movements with my legs to test them out.

Doesn't always work - bought a lovely pair of trousers before Christmas but if I wear them for a couple of days of cycling my knee seems to give me problems - I assume it restricts the movement there of the knee cap. But I'm fine to wear them on just one day - and they are a lovely purple colour.

Good luck with the new job.

 

[TheBoyBilly]

For what it's worth in my opinion there is nothing like cycling specific clothing for any commute over 2 miles. It doesn't take long to change but I found wearing my uniform for my commute across London (around 3.5 miles too) a real pain. I feel so much better about everything by just having the right sort of gear. It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, but it is something you might want to consider once you've got a steady income. And your going to want to do much more on your bike(eventually) than commute, right? Lol. Good luck.

 

[Armegatron]

My commute is just under 3 miles, but I prefer to take the work clothes in a bag and get a shower at work. I have a large-ish hill at the start of the ride and this gets me a bit hot sometimes so its nice to be fresh when Im working.

Now that Ive got a bit fitter though I might try going with the office clothes on and see if I can get away with it.

Either way, enjoy your commute

 

[trio25]

Hope it went well today.

My advice normal clothes until you get the lie of the land re lockers etc!

 

[chrisb1357]

Hi all,

I am still recovering from my first ride to work LOLOL.

Decied to go in my work bottoms but a tshirt and then my waterproof jacket over it. Foldered my shirt and put my shoes in my back pack.

Took around 30min at a slow ride and i had to rest for a few min after the big hill climb as it took it out of me LOL and messed up on all the gears.

Got in work ontime but found that there was no place to lock my bike up in the end so had to lock it to some steel stairs behind the building so fingers cross its ok there. No lockers and no changing rooms at all only the disable toliet to change which was clean as its never used so i used that.

Coming back i did the hill ok but again slow but was down hill to home.

Chris

 

[BentMikey]

Nothing wrong with slow up the hill, that's the way I do every hill.