Commuting in regular clothing?

[obie]

Another street-clothes commuter here, although I often wear a cycling top so my shirt doesn't get sweaty.
I occasionally have butt pain - I think it's because I'm always switching between bikes and my butt gets confused at the slight differences in saddles and position.

[lph]

I can't stand even sitting a bike in anything but bike clothes. I'll make an exception to run down to the store 500 yds away... (Hey, it's WAY too far to WALK!)

But I'm real fussy. And it may have something to do with the fact that I've never really gotten myself a good saddle, just the stock ones. Good luck

[fatbottomedgurl]

I will probably be commuting this summer when the whole kids/ carpool nonsense ends...

Four mile commute- not worth dressing in Lycra. But not quite sure I would go as far as this ultra chic chick from Switzerland:

For more great photos of European girls on bikes see:

http://copenhagengirlsonbikes.blogspot.com/

and for a California girl's blog:

http://ridingpretty.blogspot.com/

Cheers to all us girls on bikes!

[VeloVT]

My commute is only about 2 miles right now, but I can't do normal clothes. I think it's because I'm completely incapable of taking it easy when I'm riding in traffic -- I get on my bike and ride all out for those two miles. (And in one direction, half of it is uphill, a hill that is probably 8-10% grade at the steepest). I do get sweaty, plus normal clothes would be much too restrictive, I think. (I don't need a chamois for this distance, I will wear regular tights in winter and skorts, with and without chamois, when it's warm). I wish I could just wear jeans, because I end up sitting in class wearing full on bike gear, and I feel a little like I must look as though I'm looking for attention. But I'm really comfy on the bike .

[KnottedYet]

Bike (and motorcycle) friendly gusset jeans, and made in the USA.
http://www.gussetjeans.com/madenusa.htm

and around $43. (around $55 for the stretch denim)

[Eden]

I don't think shorts have much to do with sore sit bones - they relieve chafing, but were never really meant to be heavily padded (that's a recent innovation and most people find very padded shorts to be more uncomfortable than lightly padded ones anyway) Your sit bones are probably sore because they aren't used to the position and/or the saddle.

I'll do short rides in street clothes, though I tend to avoid jeans because of the big seam (I don't know how we did it, but my mom and I used to tour in regular clothes... the idea gives me the heebie jeebies and brings up images of pain these days ). I commute in my kit, even though its fairly short, the commute that is, - I think 5 or 6 miles each way. We have a locker room and showers, so I just do all that when I get there, so I don't have to be concerned about being sweaty/dirty.

[GLC1968]

I will probably be commuting this summer when the whole kids/ carpool nonsense ends...

Four mile commute- not worth dressing in Lycra. But not quite sure I would go as far as this ultra chic chick from Switzerland:

For more great photos of European girls on bikes see:

http://copenhagengirlsonbikes.blogspot.com/

and for a California girl's blog:

http://ridingpretty.blogspot.com/

Cheers to all us girls on bikes!

Wow, some great photos! Thanks for posting this FBG - makes me feel like less of a weirdo for riding to work in dress pants and a sweater. Of course, it's much easier to look ultra hip in your regular clothing if you aren't wearing a helmet (something I won't do). I guess looking half hip is at least something, right?

Report: my butt is already getting better. It was just my need to adjust! Thanks all!

[indigoiis]

My commute is between 5 and 15 miles depending on which bus I choose to chase (I am always late for the bus.)

I can't wear my work clothes. Too sweaty. But I do not wear bike shorts, either. I wear sweat pants or athletic pants with the ankle cuffed with a reflecting velcro strap. I have an ancient brooks saddle which is torn, and so it is covered with one of those padded seat covers. It is comfortable to 15 miles - after that it's very uncomfortable.

[BeeLady]

I bought a pair of very lightly padded cycling "underwear" from REI. They are for cycling but not for public display. I usually wear a knee length skirt with either some short cycling shorts or my REI underwear. I'm in and out of the grocery store, bank, library, LBS, etc. and feel more comfortable being "dressed."

The REI thing is an actual chamious but not very thick so I can wear it under pants, skirt, etc. My in-town riding is usually between 5 to 12 miles a day. Sometimes I wear a lycra scort that I bought from Terry this is not padded (dumb me -- I bought it for cycling) so I can go without a chamious but don't think I'd like to try jeans.

[cyclokitty]

Occasionally I'll wear my regular clothes on my bike, but I like to wear a pair of cycling shorts as well as a quick dry shortsleeve shirt under whatever top I'll wear. This way if I'm going someplace where I can't change my clothes I'll be comfy on my ride and hopefully not too sweaty. A fast trip to the washroom and I can mop up excessive sweat and reapply deodorant.

[shootingstar]

Though I don't wear street clothing anymore on bike and haven't for eons, it's still interesting to read this thread.

I'm still trying to figure out how some women can cycle in longish swirly skirts. I guess it must the chainguard protectors...and something to cover spokes partially. However one doesn't see such bikes hardly here even in cycling-intensive North American cities.

[shootingstar]

Just now, my partner reported to me that while he and his cycling buddy were cycling Paris for past 2 days, he did notice several different women all in wonderful long leather boots with a significant heel and dressed decently, in some cases looking model-like.


To him, seeing this several times, he wonders if it's a in-vogue thing for some cycling ladies in Paris.

Reminds me just last week, I saw a cycling woman wearing a beautiful set of tall leather boots, matching thigh-length coat, and she had a very large gorgeous matching leather large zippered and expensive-looking tote on her one shoulder... she was in this gear, mounting a 10% grade hill.

I wouldn't wear such an outfit, for fearing of sweating up the outfit quickly.

[shootingstar]

This is what he saw in paris when he was cycling around yesterday in the heart of the city.

Now I know it's not black boots that turn him on, it's mini-skirt and tall black boots on bike...and knowing him he would be totally impresssed if I did hills in this outfit..