Commuting - Best corporate casual commuting wear?

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.




astompa
08-16-04, 01:00 PM
What do people wear to ride to work who wear corporate casual? Anyone have zip-off chinos? What about shoes? Send pictures if possible.


caloso
08-16-04, 02:10 PM
Sorry, no pix. Monday through Thursday I have to wear the "full kit" so I bring in my shirts and ties on Sunday night. I ride in wearing cycling clothes, shower, and change into professional clothes. On Fridays it's usually casual so I'll wear chinos and a polo or guayabera. I've got clipless pedals on my bikes so I still have to change shoes.

Let me know when Sidi comes out with wingtips....

madpogue
08-16-04, 09:23 PM
For me it's black jeans (so long as they're not too faded) and a button-down dress shirt. Since my commute is only 1.5 miles, I can just wear my office clothes in on all but the hottest days. On really hot days I just wear bike shorts and my undershirt (with a reflective vest over it anyway), and put my office clothes on over them in the bathroom when I arrive.

I found a pair of Shimano "mountain" SPD shoes (I'd call 'em commuter shoes, since there isn't a lot of sole, but the cleat is recessed) that look like casual office shoes, except for the hideous "buff" color. So I dyed 'em black. Only problem is, I walked in them too much, flexing the sole right at the point where the cleat slots are, and the left one (the one I snap out of most often, since it's my left foot I put down at stops) cracked, so it no longer holds the cleat. I had a shoe repair place nail in a piece of repair material, but it was too soft to hold the cleat firmly enough to withstand a twist-out. Lesson: keep a pair of office-y shoes under your desk, and switch 'em out if you're gonna be walking around the office during the day. I miss those shoes.


MichaelW
08-17-04, 11:25 AM
I have a 2 mile commute, so if I need to ride in a suit and tie and black shoes its not a problem. Usually I ride in poly-cotton hiking style clothing, which is decent enough to wear in any social situation.

astompa
08-18-04, 08:04 AM
I just got Land's End all weather mocs mainly because they have no laces to get caught in the chain.
http://www.landsend.com/cd/fp/prod/0,,1_2_1931_51718_88775_67222_5:view=-1,00.html?CM_MERCH=PAGE_49&sid=4933033542748197860

latortilla
08-18-04, 11:22 AM
3-4 mi round trip
wicking top + dress bottoms & shoes + velcro reflective bands to keep pants out of cranks
water on the face in the bathroom to cool off
change into undershirt + dress shirt + tie
then i go on with business as usual

"same thing we do every night, pinky
we try to take over the world!"

Zeeko Jr.
09-01-04, 10:46 AM
My commute is 23 miles round-trip, so wearing "work" clothes while riding simply isn't an option. Current approach is to pack all I need into my trunk bag, rolling rather than folding to avoid wrinkles as much as possible. In looking for nice, dress-casual wear, the best I've found so far is Eddie Bauer's nano-tech line of dress chinos and shirts. Everything else in my search results, so far, is bent towards "travel wear", which isn't what I'm after.

Sometimes wonder if there isn't a market opportunity here for some enterprising clothier to come up with dress clothing made of some hi-tech fabric that drapes well, specifically for those who pack-haul clothes to work (e.g., bicyclists, motorcyclists)?

Cro_Moly_Body
09-03-04, 01:02 AM
I like Eddie Bauer cloths, they last long and they wear well. I'll try out those nano-tech. Thanks for the sugguestion.

RainmanP
09-03-04, 06:55 AM
I just saw a blurb on the news day before yesterday about some dress shirts. I am KICKING myself because I can't remember the brand. Sorry. Anyway, the fibers are treated to be water resistant so the fabric never shows sweat. The mfr sent a bunch to both Kerry and Bush to wear at their conventions, which apparently they did. The reporter doing the piece had been wearing one for 4 hours as he roamed around the convention. There was absolutely no sign of sweat even under the pits.

Like a couple of others my commute is too long and it is too hot and humid here in the Big Easy for me to wear real clothes so I take a few changes back and forth every few days. I wear cycling clothes for the ride.