Commuting in regular clothing?

[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.

[Geonz]

Don't need a brooks here... but I've always had a bionic butt.

I would think if your bones were aimed just wrong, though, you'd simply need something between them and the seat, or else put on an extra 20 pounds ... think I'd stick to the removable padding myself

[Voodoo Sally]

No Brooks here, either. Just an ancient model of the Terry Liberator (probably the first year they made it). Everyone's different. Jeans are fine for me. You might want to go ahead and try a different saddle. Sometimes I see no rhyme or reason between how one saddle can feel so different than another one.

[tulip]

Since you've been off the bike for a while, and your sit bones are sore (feels like bruising?), I bet you just have to get used to it again. When I was off the bike for a while, it took me a week or two for that bruised sitbone feeling to go away.

You could put on your cycling shorts under your work clothes, but with a 4 times a day commute, all that changing could get old.

[GLC1968]

The only problem with wearing jeans on the bike....the saddle shaped wear on the bum of my jeans.

OMG - I never thought of this!! I only have a few pair of pants that currently fit (I've gained weight), so if this happens, I'm screwed! I do wear different ones each day, so hopefully they'll hold out until I lose enough weight to fit into my other clothes!

You could put on your cycling shorts under your work clothes, but with a 4 times a day commute, all that changing could get old.

This is exactly why I bought the more upright bike and wider saddle. I just didn't want to get all 'dressed up' in cycling clothes for such a short commute, so many times a day.


Thanks all - this helps. I'm going to give it another week and see if I don't just adjust to it. I'm hoping that I do. DH and I have the same sit bone width, so I'm going to borrow one if his brooks saddles for a ride or two this weekend just in case. I've resisted becasue I leave this bike sitting on a bike rack in bad weather and didn't want to ruin a nice saddle. (The Liberator X I have is VERY old...also probably the first model they made. It's been virutally unused and it was gathering dust in the garage...so I figured it was worth a shot)

[tulip]

take a plastic grocery bag (two actually since they get holes in them) and cover your seat when you get to work. Secure it with a rubber band or twistie.

[shootingstar]

Gee, interesting to see the copenhagen cycling chick blog ...fashionistas.. It made me realize how I've forgotten...to be a fashion chick... I'm serious. I'm in cycling gear in personal life or jeans...at work..I'm in casual pants/jeans since it's a construction site.

Come to think of it, in cool weather, I wore a pair of long tights..for several years ...it was jeans spandex material....I know it sounds like something out the 1970's. But it was in the early 1990's I wore this cycling all over town..

I don't cycle in ordinary clothing except for the walking shorts I described earlier, simply because I do want my non-cycling clothing to last.....not interested in sweating up such clothes.

I haven't spent much money on non-cycling clothing for the last few years and tend to restrict my budget to well-constructed/long lasting, non-cycling clothing.

And I do feel freer and easier to cycle in clothing that is or at least close to the cut of cycling clothing.

[madscot13]

I broke my right toe cage while I was wearing high heels and then I broke my left toe cage while I was wearing my going out boots. fashion is rough.

[GuitarRiderGrrl]

Hi guys,

nope, I ride to work in street clothes, usually jeans, unless its raining (I live in Issaquah Wa - outside of Seattle) First place I've ever lived that has 5 names for different types of rain

I have a Terry Cite-X saddle, my ride is short, only about 3 and a half miles, one way, but my fanny is fine, the past few days, my nose has gotten cold enough to fall off, and I get a down hill ice cream headache, but no problem with the fazoo.

Best,
Cindy

[Xrayted]

Kit and I did a nice 24 mi. on Sunday in jeans. My butt felt okay - no brooks. Her butt hurt - brooks saddle. She mostly rides in jeans around town, usually 5mi and under, no problems then. I ride 10mi one way to work on a nonpadded saddle, nonpadded tri shorts - no problem. I personally can't put my behind on a brooks. It kills me. Everyone is very different. Try switching out the saddle or maybe just wearing undies that don't have a seam running across your sit bone area, like boxer briefs.

[KnottedYet]

Try switching out the saddle or maybe just wearing undies that don't have a seam running across your sit bone area, like boxer briefs.

Ibex Roaster Boxers (women's) are absolutely heavenly on the bike. As are UnderArmour women's long inseam compression shorts. Fit great under regular clothes, and no chamois to over-pad or get soggy.

[malloreigh]

I commute 4 - 5km each way and don't have problems, and I do ride in "regular" clothes - you know, jeans.

[badger]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I thought I would chime in.

My cycling consists of 90% commuting and I ride in my street clothes. In fact, i actually do not own any cycling shorts (hate the padding, make me feel like I'm wearing a diaper).

Having said that, my current saddle is a Brooks B-17 women's. I've only had it for about a month now, and I will admit that the first 3 weeks involved some sit bone pain and a fair amount of adjusting. I think I've finally found a happy setting and the saddle's getting more comfortable.

In the winter I'll don waterproof jacket and pants and in the summer I usually just ride in my capris and flip flops.