Commuting - Pants? Who needs pants?

I'm writing this sitting at my desk wearing a pair of tri shorts, prominently emblazoned with "Hammerhead Triathlon Club" down the side of 'em, a T-shirt, and a pair of Sidi cycling shoes that I call my clown shoes (they're the tri shoes in silver, blue and red).

I've been commuting for a couple of years and always leave a pair of pants in the locker here at work for days when I don't want to bring the rack trunk. This morning I couldn't find my rack trunk, so I figured no problem, I'll wear the 'stashed pants'.

Only problem is that last month when I was out of the office for several weeks, I cleaned out the locker and forgot to restock when I came back.

I just went down to the water fountain and some guy looked at me funny. At least I remembered the plastic cleat covers for my Speedplay cleats (clop, clop).

Anybody else ever do this?

Rule #1 for me is, Never take anything home from the locker until I've brought the replacement in.

It's Rule #1 because I did exactly what you've described, and spent the day feeling very self-conscious.

Hehehe. Your story makes me think about every sketch comedy that I've seen where the news anchor is sitting at his desk, all proper looking with his suit jacket and tie... "Good evening and welcome News 5 at 5. I'm John Smithers, and I'm not wearing any pants."

:lol:

We have a guy working in our group who lives in Las Vegas. He always calls in for department meetings. One day somebody in the department meeting was talking about pants. Don't remember why. Anyway, the guy on the phone in Las Vegas blurts out, "We're supposed to wear pants to this meeting?"

:D

I couldn't do it. I'd have to turn around and ride back home.

Same here. Actually, I would take a break and head to target and pick up a cheap pair.

Ha--I always remember the pants, I drop off a pair on Sunday evenings allong with my dress shirts, but several times in the last month I forgot my undies. there is just something odd about going commando in a professional type setting... ;)

At least you aren't in your fuscia speedo!

At least you aren't in your fuscia speedo!

It's 'fuchsia'. Get it right. :rolleyes: :p

Always have the spare clothes, always, always. I usually have at least 3 outfits.
Man, that is funny. I would be sent home.

...but several times in the last month I forgot my undies. there is just something odd about going commando in a professional type setting... ;)

Hey, better than remembering the undies and forgetting the pants...

I stopped by work once on a day off, and got called into an emergency meeting. It was summer, I was wearing bike shorts and an alertshirt.
I wouldn't have any problem wearing bike kit around work, really. I'd rather not but I'm not riding an hour and a half home and back again. Actually I'd be more likely to ride 2 miles to a store and buy clothes, if it came down to it.

I also do not ever remove clothes from my stash until the replacement is already there.

Sometimes I don't have pants to change into. On those days, I wear a skirt. :p

I wish I hadn't read this thread!

I don't think my students' parents would appreciate that. Later that day my cellmate might. . .

I'm writing this sitting at my desk wearing a pair of tri shorts, prominently emblazoned with "Hammerhead Triathlon Club" down the side of 'em, a T-shirt, and a pair of Sidi cycling shoes that I call my clown shoes (they're the tri shoes in silver, blue and red).

Just hoping you don't look like these guys in your shorts. ;)

Currently at work - 3 pair of pants, 11 dress shirts, 1 pair of shoes and 1 matching belt. I'm covered - literally. That said, if I could work all day in my bike gear, I probably would!

I just went down to the water fountain and some guy looked at me funny. At least I remembered the plastic cleat covers for my Speedplay cleats (clop, clop).

You should have look at him and said: "Hey, listen. You should feel lucky I am wearing these shorts!" :bday:

I could never forget my sandals.

My work would send me home to get pants.

I don't know what the problem would be, I just sit at my desk all day anyways. But I know that they would send me home. A few years ago one of the guys got sent home to get shoes because he came in wearing sandals.

My work would send me home to get pants.

I don't know what the problem would be, I just sit at my desk all day anyways. But I know that they would send me home. A few years ago one of the guys got sent home to get shoes because he came in wearing sandals.

:(

My boss wears sandals. Where do you work? IBM?

Same here. Actually, I would take a break and head to target and pick up a cheap pair.

That's my Plan B as well. Target is about .5 mi. down the road from us.

You guys are spoiled - Target never has anything in my size. I have to buy pants at the big & tall stores where they cost twice as much. (For the record, I'm more tall than big. :) )

I've never forgotten my clothes, but often when I'm running late I don't change right away. Once last year my boss got on my case about it being 11:00 and I was still in my cycling clothes, and I started changing a little earlier in the day. After a reorg, though, I report to two people, one of whom commutes 40 miles r/t twice a week, and the other of whom I'm going mountain biking with tomorrow. They don't seem to care much about what I'm wearing as long as I'm getting work done, although it's probably best not to push too hard to find out where the limit is. :D

They would send me home for wearing sandals, but that's more about OSHA regs regarding open-toed shoes in production environments than about company dress code. When I started this job seven years ago I wore slacks and a tie; by now I'm down to relatively nice jeans and a shirt with buttons on it, and I'm usually dressed nicer than at least some of the other engineers.

Pants are just the mans way of bringing you down. I say from now on, you should just banana hammock it.

FIGHT THE POWER!

Sometimes I don't have pants to change into. On those days, I wear a skirt. :p
If I know I don't have any work to do back in the labs, I'll wear my Utilikilt.
However, OSHA, ISO, and 21-CFR 820 are pretty strict about long pants and no open-toe shoes in a biological production lab.

If I wore my lycra and cleats all day I still wouldn't be the worst, or most oddly dressed professor on campus. I think that's a good thing.

:(

My boss wears sandals. Where do you work? IBM?
Nope.. A tool and die shop :rolleyes:

Hehehe. Your story makes me think about every sketch comedy that I've seen where the news anchor is sitting at his desk, all proper looking with his suit jacket and tie... "Good evening and welcome News 5 at 5. I'm John Smithers, and I'm not wearing any pants."
When I was shooting images of a shuttle launch the heat was unbearable, 101º on the lawn, who knows what it was in the parking lot. The national guys brought in huge air conditioning trucks and had miles of collapsable, plastic, ducting to keep their broadcasters from sweating in their equally elaborate sets.
There was a local guy who had to set up on the edge of the parking lot under a small tent, and behind a fold-out table for a desk. He was wearing some soccer shorts and a tee shirt. Right before his broadcast an intern would bring him a fresh shirt, jacket, and clip-on tie and he sat with his feet in a bucket of ice water. Looking good from the waist up is all that matters.

Rule #1 for me is, Never take anything home from the locker until I've brought the replacement in.

It's Rule #1 because I did exactly what you've described, and spent the day feeling very self-conscious.

+1 Ha ha....I have a grubby towel...keep forgetting to bring in a fresh one...every time I need it, I think...oh good-show....if I had brought this thing home...it would be game-over~!

Looking good from the waist up is all that matters.

I think this is the motto of some guys who work out at my gym. :D

Like some others who posted here, I'm an engineer and dress pretty casually. Also, we have an alternate work schedule that allows us to take every other Friday off. This translates into 'ghost town Friday'. I left after lunch and stopped in the hall for a couple of people to admire my shoes.

I'm sort of scared to ask but I guess I want to know: what's a 'Utili-kilt'? :eek:

This:
http://www.utilikilts.com/

I first encountered them on a now deceased channel named tech tv. One of the hosts of The Screensavers like to wear them.
None for me thanks. I would look scary in one.

Wow, those utilikilts are... I dunno. Anyone have one? Can you ride in 'em?

Wow, those utilikilts are... I dunno. Anyone have one? Can you ride in 'em?
I have 5 of them, plus one knockoff, plus two Macabi skirts. Its what I wear. At home, at work, out shopping; and yes, riding my bike. That's one reason of several why I bought the Biria with its low, step-through frame.

You know, this scenario never really occurred to me, because I tend to accumulate clothes at work.

If I somehow ended up at work in lycra with no street clothes, well... I work kitty-corner from a big mall, so I'd probably just do some short-distance "credit card touring".

I forgot my undies once when I rode to work, and once when I rode to church.

It just feels wrong to be at church with no underwear.

I forgot a work shirt the other day and spent an hour and a half in a long-sleeved cycling jersey. Luckily it was 60% merino (so no stink), loose, and a nice tan color.

My boss was not amused. Something about wanting people at the front desk at the doctor's office to look "professional".

I finally started remembering socks every day, but now I never use them, I just tend to stay in cycling socks all day. No one has commented yet.

By the way, anyone else just wear cycling shoes all day? I just got some Diadora Bike Patrols that I think will work great once I get cleats for them.

If I know I don't have any work to do back in the labs, I'll wear my Utilikilt.
:beer:


However, OSHA, ISO, and 21-CFR 820 are pretty strict about long pants and no open-toe shoes in a biological production lab.
Absolutely.

Wow, those utilikilts are... I dunno. Anyone have one? Can you ride in 'em?
If I can ride in dresses and skirts, you can ride in a Utilikilt.

If I can ride in dresses and skirts, you can ride in a Utilikilt.

You're not a guy (I assume).

The one time I rode in boxers I really regretted it. There's a lot of stuff to flop around and get in the way and be generally uncomfortable. My understanding (Zorba correct me if I'm wrong) is that kilts are worn commando. However maybe the kilt is open enough that you're stuff isn't rubbing on the fabric? Just hanging out in the breeze?

Aaaaaanyway... I'm not sure I'm man enough to wear a kilt, but I was kinda curious.

I have several dress kilt outfits and a few casual kilts. They are worn commando. I have never tried riding in one of my kilts, though.

I have seen guys riding in their Utilikilts here. I doubt they wear them in the traditional fashion.

:(

My boss wears sandals. Where do you work? IBM?

Ugh. I did chair massage for IBM a couple times. They run that place tighter than a seal's butthole!

This:
http://www.utilikilts.com/

I first encountered them on a now deceased channel named tech tv. One of the hosts of The Screensavers like to wear them.
None for me thanks. I would look scary in one.

I guess you'd need a girls bike.:D

I guess you'd need a girls bike.:D
Or a near sighted police force.

My understanding (Zorba correct me if I'm wrong) is that kilts are worn commando.
Well - I tell people that I come to male skirt wearing from the Greek tradition - you know, the cradle of western civilization? So I don't wear my skirts like a barbarian Scot! Then I leave it for them to figure out...

I was getting dressed at my locker one AM when the pants ripped wide open at the crotch. My boss let me ride home on company time to get a new pair.

This:
http://www.utilikilts.com/

I first encountered them on a now deceased channel named tech tv. One of the hosts of The Screensavers like to wear them.
None for me thanks. I would look scary in one.


Holy Crap, talk about expensive, 160 for the cheap one? I can go get at least 4 pairs of pants for that price.

Holy Crap, talk about expensive, 160 for the cheap one? I can go get at least 4 pairs of pants for that price.

$105 for the Spartan (the least expensive one they make) and $130 for the Original, which is actually a great deal for what you're getting.
I've had mine for 6 years and completely beat the snot out of it. Camping, climbing, construction, landscaping, Scottish heavy games, the list goes on and on. I finally popped some stitching at one of the pockets after trying to cram too many beers in there. I can't think of any pair of pants I've owned that would stand up to the abuse I've put my UK through.

I haven't tried cycling in it, and I probably won't. It just doens't look comfortable to me.

Holy Crap, talk about expensive, 160 for the cheap one? I can go get at least 4 pairs of pants for that price.
They're made in the USA by a small operation. They're also custom fitted from your measurements, so will fit you far better than those 4 pairs of pants. Look sharper, too.

Personally, I think a kilt over bike shorts is quite attractive. :)

$105 for the Spartan (the least expensive one they make) and $130 for the Original, which is actually a great deal for what you're getting.
I've had mine for 6 years and completely beat the snot out of it. Camping, climbing, construction, landscaping, Scottish heavy games, the list goes on and on. I finally popped some stitching at one of the pockets after trying to cram too many beers in there. I can't think of any pair of pants I've owned that would stand up to the abuse I've put my UK through.

I haven't tried cycling in it, and I probably won't. It just doens't look comfortable to me.


Rock Climbing? Or just hiking? I would think there might be issues with the kilt catching edges of rocks.

Yah, I guess 100 isn't horrible, but they are also apparently out of stock in nearly everything that's in my size, and the remaining color choices....ewww. I'll check again in a week or two, maybe then they'll have something and I'll still feel like splurging.

Rock Climbing? Or just hiking? I would think there might be issues with the kilt catching edges of rocks.
Mixed alpine climbing. Little bit of rock, little bit of ice and snow. I've also done a bunch of Class 3 and 4 scrambling in it. Nothing that I'd need to rope up for, since, how am I gonna wear a harness with it? I also wouldn't subject my belaying buddy to that view. :eek:


Yah, I guess 100 isn't horrible, but they are also apparently out of stock in nearly everything that's in my size, and the remaining color choices....ewww. I'll check again in a week or two, maybe then they'll have something and I'll still feel like splurging.
Measure yourself up according to their instructions, and order it specific. That way you get the fit and colour that you want. I think I waited 7 weeks to get mine. They were a much smaller operation back then, but they still handcraft everything right here in at their main shop in Seattle. Check their touring schedule, because they might be heading out to NY on their summer tour of RenFaires and Highland Olympics.


Personally, I think a kilt over bike shorts is quite attractive.
It would make things more comfortable than going regimental, but I'd still worry (without a skirt-guard) about getting my kilt caught up in the rear wheel.

I should clearly not have mentioned that my clothes tend to stack up at work instead of at home.

In case anyone from Valve reads this thread - yeah, I'm going commando today. And the reason I don't have shoes on is that I want my socks to air out.

Looks like I'll be going to the mall over lunchtime!