[Closed] Who commutes in their work clothes?

Yep, no way I could do that. On my commute I only seem to be able to go flat out, couldn't pace myself if I tried. Plus, you know... hills.

I always commute in work clothes, but then I do drive 🙄

Yep, but then I only live a mile from my work place.

Yep. But it's only 4 miles, and I'm a mechanic, so don't need to be too tidy.

APF

Yep. Occasionally, in the warmer times of year, I'll have a cheeky change of shirt and/or a Greek shower when I get to the office, but usually just bimble along in a Dutch commuter stylee wearing whatever I'm wearing to work that day. If it's really wet, then I do carry a change of trews/shirt, however.

As with Shred - I only ride a mile, so wear work clothes.

No chance, my commute always seems to turn into some kind of interval based hell

3 miles, sweat like hell always cycle 'too fast' according to my manager.

I never used to take a change of clothes.

I found if i ride to work in my cycling gear it saves time when i get in. I can swap bikes from road commuter to mtb and go straight out again.

My 5.5k ride to work includes going up a 12% 1km hill in amongst the other hills. Occasionally in the middle of winter I [i]don't[/i] arrive in a red-faced sweaty heap!

'Dutch style' commuter here. 4 miles, but helps that it's (a) pancake flat and (b) cycle path pretty much door to door.

I have no problem at all bimbling along slowly thank you very much! Helps that I ride a very old road bike bodged to singlespeed - it's not geared to go very fast.

no way, commuting is training.
even if it wasn't, one pedal revolution and I start to bead.

Me. I'd look a d*ck changing into riding gear just for a train journey.

I do get so amused with the British attitude to cycling. It's rather like the American attitude to "going for a walk in the country".

Whereas someone in the UK might simply don a stouter pair of shoes, and perhaps a jacket if the weather looked a little inclement, a 'Merican will be clad head to foot in technical clothing, with more pockets than a thing with lots of pockets.

Equally, in the UK, "I'm going for a quick ride" means full lycra, even if it's just nipping to the other side of town. I have people in the office look at me like I'm some sort of loon when I set off home at the end of the day, and the only clothing change I make is to tip my helmet to a jaunty angle (As it were!).

Only a mile for me, at a 5-year old's pace on the way in, so sweat isn't an issue...

I do get so amused with the British attitude to cycling

we're just more committed than you Flash, you don't need to be embarrassed about it.

Nope, I'd look a right numptee wearing a boilersuit all the way to Singapore.

I do get so amused with the British attitude to cycling.

It's not British, it's hardcore Belgian. 'Op Op Op' 😉

5k cycle path and canal commute in work clothes. And (shock horror) no helmet.

Sometimes a little sweaty when I get to the office, but who really cares?

🙂

I'm with CFH on the British attitude to cycling. When we get past that, more people will be encouraged to cycle...

CaptainFlashheart - Member

Equally, in the UK, "I'm going for a quick ride" means full lycra, even if it's just nipping to the other side of town. I have people in the office look at me like I'm some sort of loon when I set off home at the end of the day, and the only clothing change I make is to tip my helmet to a jaunty angle (As it were!).

I hired a bike to go round Groningen on a work trip recently - good fun. Not a helmet to be seen, upright bike with no cross bar, pedaling along the canals like a boss. Red light jumping appears to be as endemic as here, so that's something we've got in common.

If I; drive to work then, yeah, I wear my work clothes. If I cycle, not a chance. 17 miles is more than enough to justify getting the lycra on plus I'm usually a bit of a mess when I arrive. Like lots of other folk I just can't ride slowly enough for that length of time not to get all hot and bothered, especially in a shirt and jeans.

3miles on the Brompton. Very slowly on the way to the lab but still a bit sweaty!

Yep, but it's only six miles.
And I'm a lorriest, so the sweat covers the smell of the dead hookers. 😀

3 miles in my work clothes - with a climb past the Wally Monny.
Nice and slow, taking time to say Hi! to the cows and to check out the hills.

I wouldn't get changed when walking for that distance or time so why do it for riding a bike?

(That said I'll be a stinking mess after my lunchtime ride up Dumyat on the singlespeed, but that's just an excuse to open the window).

I only have to look at my bike and I start sweating 😕

seriously there is no way I could commute on my bike without there being a shower available when I get there.

Fortunately my commute involves walking across the landing in the morning, downside is 12+ hour days are the norm 🙁

Yep, nearly always in work clothes unless its a bit warm so have a fresh shirt in the office. I use the Brompton at either end of my commute and do about 2.5 miles in London. No need to wash as long as you start clean.

In winter I have a waterproof jacket, troos and overshoes so it has to be biblical rain to not have work kit on. Oh, and I go to meetings on it as well so have to have work clothes on.

Trick is not to go nuts and back off for the last half mile or so to cool off a bit before stopping.

But then I do have to practise what I preach as I am a Transport Planner 😉

been commuting atleast 8miles for the last 13years or so, so yeah change of clothes needed. Even when I only did 3miles it was all uphill on the way in, so I tended to lycra up, may have worn Tshirt and jeans/shorts in mild weather but not my work stuff - too sweaty, but then my skin does seem to be prone to leaking.
A mile or two of flat in dry weather should be doable in work clothes.

2.5 miles each way. Casual dress code helps so I only change from jeans to baggy shorts for the commute. Top half I just wear what I am wearing for the day.

Don't pedal fast enough to get sweaty.

Oh, and I should have said, In summer I probably get to work no more, possibly less sweaty than the folk using the underground!

Yes me, but works 6mins away 😆

2 mile commute here and always wear same clothes, maybe don a shirt on if needed to be smart for the day/meetings. no need to get changed i'd spend longer arsing about changing than actually riding!

Just over 5 miles each way and pretty flat save for the bit near my house. Always have and always will do it in work clothes. I do get a little sweaty but I sit opposite two girls that would instanlty tell me I stink.

Conversely my boss who now cycles in wears sweaty cycle kit and sits in the office for 40 minutes plus cooling down absolutely stinks. And the girls opposite tell him to FO and get in the shower!

Everyone is different and some folk can sweat a bit and not stink and others just stink the minute they start sweating.

Oh and my kids ride to school in the morning in their uniforms

If I'm on the road bike and alone then definitely, can't help but push.

If I'm on the MTB or riding in with others (Friends of the Earth do coffee morning rides) then I could get away with it but not worth the risk.

Always just wear regular clothes for riding round brighton - used to have a hilly 3.5 mile commute, now much less.

Just go a bit slower, don't wear a boil in the bag hi viz waterproof and I stay perfectly fragrant

Getting changed at work is a right faff. Bareable le when I used to do a longer 12 mile commute.

Agree with the comments above - why do we have to make riding a bike so complicated?

Can't go slow, always trying to outrun cars. I remind myself of one of those stupid dogs who run out and try to bite the near side rear wheel...while the car is moving

I ride in jeans and a T-shirt and shove a shirt and a squirt of deodorant on when I get to the orifice. I take great pleasure in flying past the Lycra clad fellows with there shaven legs and yellow glasses in my jeans and a massive rucksack even if it does mean I need to mop myself down with paper towels from the company bogs.

Yes I ride to work in my jeans and t shirt, quick wipe down with paper towels and a squirt of deoderant.

Although I'll use my waterproof shorts for when its pissing down, then change into jeans when i get to work/University.

I always ride in my work clothes. I pootle from Paddington station down hyde park to Mayfair. I dont ride like some over-hormoned MAMIL. I never wear a suit/jacket or tie though. I only where light cotton shirts so I rarely get hot.

Nope. My work attire is casual, but it's an 11 mile / 45 min commute.

Even if I wasn't a sweaty mofo I think it'd be no fun at all to ride in sopping wet jeans and a t-shirt splattered with mud. Especially if I then had to sit in them all day.

If it was only a couple of miles then I might. But then if it was only a couple of miles then I'd probably just walk!

It's an optimization problem, isn't it? Slow speed + no shower/change vs. Fast speed + shower/change. Assume 10 minutes to shower and change, slow is 12 mph, fast is 18 mph. The distance, x, at which equipoise is seen is given by:

slow time + 0 = fast time + 10
60*x/12 + 0 = 60*x/18 + 10
5x = 3.333x + 10
1.667x = 10
x = 6 miles, time = 30 minutes.

But I can't cycle at 12 mph. Commuting is an interval session and I ride 10 miles.

8 Miles, with hils + 16 stone & hairy = SWEAT!

Bike gear but not the full team sky issue. Shower at work and put trews and shirt on.

I thought commuting was a unofficial race anyway?

Graham- my commute is only a couple of miles, and I was walking it.

Bu, as it comes to a choice between 30 minute walk, or a 15 minute cycle for me, and I know which one I choose.

As for mud and wet clothes, waterproofs and mudguards resolve that issue.

I thought commuting was a unofficial race anyway?

I must admit that I take great pleasure in racing the MAMILs on my ride home along the Etape du Embankment some days. 🙂

3 mile but no. Would be especially tricky in bad wether. Save my shower for work.

Only 5.5 miles but in summer sweat like hell plus in winter I don't want to work in wet clothes 🙂

Plus do interval sprints, great fun

Weren't Aldi and Lidl invented for this sort of riding?

I have to change as I'm a sweaty mess even though it's only 5 miles each way. Though I wear baggies as I'd never hear the end of it if I wore lycra!

6 miles each way, rarely a drop of sweat so my work clothes are the jeans and jersey top I rode in wearing.

TBH I find commuter cyclist racing as anti social as cars speeding. (Their usually embarrassingly crap cyclists too)

I don't wear special clothing for a short walk, so why would I do so for a short bike ride?

TBH I find commuter cyclist racing as anti social as cars speeding.

Weren't Aldi and Lidl invented for this sort of riding?

I have the same difficulty as D0NK.

The commute gives me 60 miles a week, I cycle partly because I like the exercise, so going faster means I get more benefit. And I don't like being in that gaggle of cyclists in front of traffic, slowly stringing out as they decide whether to tuck in behind or go ahead of each other. And once you've stomped away, you really owe it to yourself and others to keep it up.

I wonder if anyone else thinks I'm racing.

Work clothes as it is only 3.5 miles. Im still half asleep so Im not going to rush and sweat. Im sometimes wearing Road shoes though if I am doing a proper ride straight from work.

Couldn't do it, we have showers at work and although its only 5 miles each way, on the cargo bike uphill I do get a bit warm, so I prefer to shower and change when I get there

I wear a skirt for work most days, and as I'd need to shower at some point in the morning anyway it's easy to cycle to work in Lycra and shower when I get here.

12 miles a day every day in normal work clothes, which for me is combat type shorts (endura) or trousers (endura), base layer t shirt, work polo shirt.
I wear these all day everyday on a trade counter. nobody has told me I stink yet.

I guess it all depends how much you sweat, generally, not just your ride.

I'm hoping before too long to plan my week a bit better and have set days in the office, at which point I'll likely commute, but I'll have to have at least a spare shirt and some anti-perspirant at work, I sweat at the drop of a hat, even very mild temperatures, uncontrollably so, there's no way I could sit there all day and subject my colleagues to my post cycle b-o.

assuming it's just commuter racing (putting in some effort and passing other people) and not commuter ****tery (RLJing, weaving in and out oblivious to other road users, etc) then I'm having difficulty seeing the problem

IMO theres a difference between a weekend club run on open country roads and cycling furiously through urban areas shared with loads of other people who just want to get from A to B. It unfortunatly does often include weaving, excesive risk taking etc which can be intimadating to other road users or pedestrians.

Whilst its mostly harm free, I cant help feeling it puts cycling and cyclist in a bad light, its just a bit knobish.

I take a longer 5.5 mile route with hills as fast as I can to get some exercise. I am usually a sweaty mess by the time I hit the office. I get changed and have a sluice to get clean, spray on some deo and I'm good to go. I usually wear jeans or shorts in but change from a cycling top into t-shirt. Thanks to the casual wear office policy.

It unfortunatly does often include weaving, excesive risk taking

I retired from commuter racing a while ago

you never retire. you just lose more often.

🙂
9months ago I switched to an xc commute anyway, I see about 1 rider a week