Commuting in regular clothing?

[GLC1968]

Does anyone commute in their regular clothing? I have a question for you.

I've recently started riding to work on a bike that has me fairly upright. I am using a wider saddle than on my road bike just for this purpose. I'm commuting in my work clothes instead of 'cycling' clothes/shorts. Unfortunately, my sit bones are KILLING me. I know the saddle is a pretty good fit as it's only the actual sit bones that hurt...but I've never ridden so much without padded bike shorts.

DH has gotten used to it, but I'm still really, really sore. Will it go away? Or am I just asking too much of my poor sit bones??

[mimitabby]

didn't you just tell us you have like a 2 mile commute? If it's hurting that bad, i wonder what kind of saddle you have.
I ride in my street clothing on my brooks saddle on my commute, it's 4 miles each way. I could easily ride 20 miles without a chamois.

[Voodoo Sally]

I also commute in regular "street" clothes. I really don't notice much of a difference in how my butt feels between wearing jeans and wearing cycling shorts. If your area is very sore, I suspect the saddle, not your clothes.

[GLC1968]

Yep, 2 miles each way X 4 times a day (I go home for lunch)...plus we've done two evening rides to get dinner down the street this week. I'd say I've ridden about 25 - 30 miles this week so far... And this is after 2 months of no biking at all.

BUT, this is my first time EVER not using bike shorts...so I'm sure it'll take more time than usual to adjust. I just want to be sure that I WILL adjust. The only people I know who ride without bike shorts (or liners) are men. It IS possible for a woman to adjust, right?

The saddle is a Terry liberator X. On my road bike, I ride Terry's in the men's version because the ladies's saddles are too wide (I have narrow sit bones). On the upright bike, those saddles were definitely too narrow feeling.

OK, here's another question... it is possible to get used to riding with no bike shorts on any saddle other than a Brooks? (Mimi rides a Brooks, my husband rides a Brooks....maybe there's a trend here?)

[7rider]

Yep, 2 miles each way X 4 times a day (I go home for lunch)...plus we've done two evening rides to get dinner down the street this week. I'd say I've ridden about 25 - 30 miles this week so far... And this is after 2 months of no biking at all.

Maybe you just have to (re)build up the appropriate butt callouses???

[Veronica]

Get a Brooks.

I also commute in my regular clothes, on a Brooks.

V.

[Trek420]

I've commuted in regular clothes (no Brooks ) about 2 miles each way.

I pretty much work in jeans. Seat comfort was fine. I was not comfy with my rolled up cuffs getting caught on the pedal

Now I wear cycling tights or capris but regular shirt on a commute with screaming yellow vest etc.

[KnottedYet]

OK, here's another question... it is possible to get used to riding with no bike shorts on any saddle other than a Brooks? (Mimi rides a Brooks, my husband rides a Brooks....maybe there's a trend here?)

I'm *no* help here, cuz I ride up to 40 miles without bike shorts.... like everyone else: on a Brooks!

[uk elephant]

I don't have a brooks and I ride to work in jeans (or whatever other type of pants or skirt I happen to be wearing). I always take a couple of days to get comfortable if I've been off the bike for a long time, but other than that I'm fine. My commute is 2.5mi each way and this week I've been doing the return trip twice a day for a total of 10mi a day and one day I even had to do the trip three times. The only problem with wearing jeans on the bike....the saddle shaped wear on the bum of my jeans. They all wear out pretty quickly in the crotch area, but I do ride my bike every day so it is only to be expected and a good excuse for buying new jeans every now and again.

[madscot13]

I usually commute in casual clothes- no one at Georgetown would be caught dead wearing their biking clothes, well maybe if it was very expensive and said hincapie on it or Gucci or....

I use the Terry Liberator X also. I feel the sit bone pressure for the first few days of riding and then I either become null to the pain or it actually goes away. Either way I'm not feeling it. Also I avoid taking a load on my back. I'm on a touring bike and so it may be less upright than yours, however.

[shootingstar]

Sometimes I will cycle-commute (16 kms. to 30 kms. each commute ride in different years depending where I lived and location of different employers for past 17 years) and long-distance touring in walking shorts (ie. shorts with a waistband and zipper),....but last time I did any cycling in jeans....was when I was 19 yrs. old!

No way, I could not feel comfortable cycling any distance with the tight binding of jeans /long casual pants on a bike.

I didn't start wearing cycling jerseys until 5 years ago but have been cycling regularily for many more years. I wore T-shirts at that time.

ANd no, I wouldn't want to cycle in an ordinary skirt...unless it was a skort.

As mentioned ages ago, I don't wear padded cycling shorts/tights when I cycle. Yes, I do go on long-distance touring rides and rack up 3,000-6,000 kms. annually in cycling.

Guess everyone is different.. I'm a normal female..

[jayjay]

In all likelyhood, your 'bum' is just not accustomed to the pressure. Time and repetative riding will take care of that, probably with whatever saddle or clothes you ride, if you're only riding 2 miles. I agree with the ealier quote "Maybe you just have to (re)build up the appropriate butt callouses???".... yes, ditto here.

For the longer distances, I have found that narrower saddles, and not too padded, are most comfortable. My favorite saddle is Terry Liberator (for men) and I have two and keep switching those two on the bikes I ride most (have 4 alltogether) . I am too fat right now, but when I am even 20 pounds lighter, I can wear Gramicci pants comfortably, and they have a nice gusset so I'm not sitting on any big knots of seams in the crotch. So, one or both of those tricks, helps me stay comfortable longer.

[SouthernBelle]

I did my first 'official' commute on Baby Blue today, but wore pants. That was mostly because it was chilly. I plan on trying it in a skirt soon though. I'll let you know how that works.

[Jolt]

I did my first 'official' commute on Baby Blue today, but wore pants. That was mostly because it was chilly. I plan on trying it in a skirt soon though. I'll let you know how that works.

Definitely let us know--I've wanted to try riding in a skirt but just haven't been able to get up the guts to do so (afraid I'll do something klutzy!).

[Torrilin]

I look for good fit (so the damn skirt stays in place), a sensible fabric, and a nice active cut. If I need a slit to walk, it's cut too narrow. If it needs a crinoline to hang right, it's too full. Most skirts are too narrow to bike in easily - they're fine if you have a step through frame and are not going far. If you have a diamond frame or are going more than 3-4 miles, you'll really want something you can move in.

Kilt style wrap skirts seem like they'd work best. Good freedom of movement, and they only need to fit properly at the waist. Fixing fit issues is also pretty easy, even if you can't sew very well. I've been having a hard time finding 'em tho