Commuting - Ever forgotten your clothes?

I was on my way to work today and about 3 blocks away realized my bag felt a little too light. I stopped to check and sure enough, forgot my clothes. Whew, I can't even begin to imagine the hell I would've gotten from the guys in engineering and the machine shop. Can you imagine some guy working on a metal grinder in tight spandex...

the back pockets on your jersey probably come handy around the workshop

I've forgotten my clothes before, but luckily had some clothes in the locker I had worn before. Better than nothing. You could make a system out of that. Don't take your old clothes home until you bring new ones.
Tom

I always used to forget my shoes until I stared leaving a pair under my desk.

The days when I forget my underwear are well, kinda weird.

I always used to forget my shoes until I stared leaving a pair under my desk.

The days when I forget my underwear are well, kinda weird.

You could leave a pair of underwear under your desk :D
Tom

Yeah, I have worried about that..Knowing the people I work with.Would not doubt they would hide my clothes, should they know where they are...
My system is to put my gym bag on the washing machine in front of my car...When coming home, it tells me it is either on the washing machine or at work, within my locker..One of the two...
Guess, best method is to always have third set of clothes at work, and never take the third set home.. In my panniers I alwasy carry a pair of mid legged shorts to cover up with...So always , hope I have something to cover up with.
But that has caused me some concern...I would get major ribbing....Should I have no change at all..
While I find cycling attire extremely comfortable..Not when smelly, and the tightness and shoes would become uncomfortable for 14 hours..
Hope no one gets stuck in this situation with no solutions...
Should I get close to work and find myself in this dilema, I would probably go home..But it is almost a two hour ride. Could always claim car trouble.

So if you wore spandex all day..How was Lunch..McDonalds'..
I have confidence I won't forget my clothes...There are general stores near work, I could buy some duds...If I remembered in time..Since, It could happen, I best remember to to take a permament third set to work and leave them there.

I can wear OR scrubs my lab. The time I forgot my own I just grabbed a clean hospital set. Now I leave a couple of my sets at work along with spare shoes, towel, hairbrush & rotate them as needed.

I stash a pair of shoes and my leather jacket at work. Other than that, I don't stash much else. I like that idea about stashing the clothes from the day before there so I always have a backup.

I've gotten to work only to find my 11 year olds socks and underwear in my bags! That's a shock! I can count the times I've walked around all day in cleats. It used to be embarrasing but everyone who has worked here as long as I have knows me. Of the 300-350 people that work here, I'm the only commuter/cyclist.

Some still have the "are you freaking crazy?" look on their face when I bike in after a good snow! I figure they must be new. :D

This is my worst nightmare. :)

"Why are you wearing lycra tights and a neon yellow jacket to this meeting?"

"um...er...um..."

Fortunately it hasn't happened to me yet.

Almost did this once, so I cleared out a drawer in my desk and now have several shirts, a couple pair of jeans, and a week's worth of underwear in there. I don't carry the clothes with anymore, I replace the stuff in the drawer on one of the days when I drive. I have carried a new set in on the bike as well on weeks when I don't drive at all.

I'm like some of the others here. I've forgotten a couple of times, being the stereotypical professor. So I decided to leave a pair of pants, shoes and just bring a shirt. I have a sweatshirt at work so just in case I forget that, I can throw the sweatshirt (which has the school's logo on it) on and none the wiser. :D

yup, funny this thread turned up today cuz I'm goin commando :D

yup, funny this thread turned up today cuz I'm goin commando :D
Commando at work..How do you define commando..Don't need to worry about a change of clothes...? Pretty open minded employer..Neekid...Some might prefer lycra.

i have forgotten my shirt before. so i just wore my jersey with a cardigan. looked pretty good.

i have forgotten my shirt before. so i just wore my jersey with a cardigan. looked pretty good.
What, maybe a green cardigan and red jersey..? Merry Christmas.

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Cramer's boys are free? Just a thin layer of gaberdine...

You could leave a pair of underwear under your desk :D
Tom

Been there. Done that. Forgot to bring in another pair. Which is worse: Wet spandex or no underwear? You decide. I'm going home to get some underwear.

Stuart Black
Over 25 years of forgetting every article of clothing at least once.

I wear my work clothes on the bike, but I have a set of dry, clean things for if it rains in a desk drawer. I was just thinking this morning that what is in the drawer is lycra, and if I got wet, I would look silly working in shorts until the dryer processed my clothes.

Sounds like old age :D .

I haven't forgotten clothing yet, but I have a locker with a few days worth. But I have forgotten more important things, like last week I forgot my lock and then the next day I forgot my battery for my lights. Its no fun riding home in the dark with the backup 2.4watt light in the rain. :(

Yes! Mostly commonly underwear. Just "go commando"!

I'm lucky enough to work in casual wear environment at the office. I ride and wear at the office hiking pants (Kakki color), I only carry a dress shirt plus a t-shirt to wear under it in my pannier. I wear the same MTB bike shoes (made sure when I bought them they'd be black to blend with everything elese), Shimano MO71.
Corsaire

I would forget my brain, but I haven't got any. Luckily, in the winter I ride with street clothes. I change into nicer clothes at work, that are with me or waiting for me, but can get away with wearing what's on my back. In the summer I change out of a T and shorts. Twice I've stopped at Goodwill on the way to work. Each time, I got far more compliments on my attire than usual. Hmmm.

I always kept a couple sets of cloths at work, because I had this dream once……

I arrived a couple of times without underware. Once I quickly grabbed my jeans and when I arrived at work I realized I had grabbed my shorts not the pants and this was in February so I looked rather weird for the day but oh well.

First day of a weeklong commute to a farther site where I'd have to shower after the ride I forgot underwear. Just laughed and went commando. Now I leave spares at work. Shoes, socks and a shirt. Now that I've got my new bike, I've been thinking of taking the week's clothes in on monday and riding sans panniers/rack trunk the rest of the week. But the rack trunk doesn't slow me down too much....i don't think.

I keep 3 or 4 fresh sets of clothing in my office that I supply on days I drive.

This is what happens when you commute long enough:

Just checked the back of my office door and found a suit, a blazer, a pair of pants, a wrinkled dress shirt, and 11 ties. There's two pairs of dress shoes in my credenza. No underwear, though!

One morning after laundry day we had a mix-up and I accidentally packed my wife's jeans instead of mine. Upon showering at work I suddenly faced the choice of putting my bike shorts back on or wearing my wife's jeans. Well, she's six feet tall and I'm pretty skinny, so I was able wear them. I hid in my office all day and nobody noticed that the cut and brand were all wrong....

Now I keep a spare set of clothes (or two) at work in a filing cabinet. The worst to happen since then was to wear SPD shoes all day....

I ride to work everyday and have forgotten: shoes, underwear, socks, and undershirts. Have yet to forget pants, but I'm sure it's just a question of when, not if!

boog

Only the one item that no one else knows I've forgotten.

But I do have the worry of having to go inside work in spandex - on some days this would be very very bad. I often think of bringing shirt and pants to sacrifice (that is they need to be nice enough for work, but all my nice stuff I don't want to never wear because its in a drawer at work)

But I also think I'd notice if my bag didn't have any clothes in it as I was leaving.

Al

I forgot my shoes once and spent my workday in SPD compatible footwear. Never forgot my clothes, though.

This is a great thread. :rofl:

To answer the question, I have to confess that I once forgot my pants. (!)

Luckily, at the time my wife and I worked in the same building and I was able to call her at home before she left. I only had to spend half an hour sitting behind my desk in Pearl Izumis.

Is it possible to find out who voted for that last answer, I think that will be interesting :)

I keep multiple sets of clothes, towels, sox, shoes, etc. at work. I never take anything home unless I have already brought in a replacement.

Serge

I voted for the last one. Yesterday I forgot to bring a pair of pants, so I was in my bike pants all day. No big deal, they are baggy ones, not really biking pants just some cheap ones from walmart, so it was no big deal.

Yes, but I keep shirt, pants & underwear in my locker at work & usually ride in work clothes anyway (that seems to be why I manage to forget when I wear cycle garb). More troubling have been the few times I rode in helmetless, just wearing a cycle cap & unaware until some co-worker scolded me. Some of the other bike commuters have also showed up without a helmet a few times. Don

I've forgotten underwear and had to go all day in my mountain bike shoes. The worst was the day I took baggy jeans to wear and forgot my belt. Had a coworker drive me by the house on my lunch hour. Luckily (and surprisingly, considering how sleepy I am when I wake up) I've never packed my S.O.'s clothes in my bag. Which is a good thing, she's about 6 1/2" less tall than me.

I would have a real problem if I forgot certain items of clothing..
My job requires I have chemical resistant shoes, and protective clothing..And steel toed shoes...
Lycra day at work...Pretty open environment...Everyone really gets to know one another...Any work environment allow this...
Even in bike shops, I thought employees biked to work in bike clothes, but put on long shorts during the working hours..
Even in environments where biking attire is sort of normal, and as comfortable as I find bike gear while on the bike...
Don't think I would find it comfortable after 11 hours..
One thing about lycra jerseys...Wicking properties...Like while touring , I have rinsed it out in fresh water put it out in the sun and it was pretty much dry enough & ready to go in 30-40 minutes..

Forgot my clothes?

Never happened. However it is a recurring nightmare I have. :)

Try forgetting a change of shoes and socks, then getting drenched in the rain.

I'm impressed at how organized everyone is. I forget something at least every other day.

Things I've forgotten:

- Socks - forget these all the time. Just go to work w/o them, my pants are usually long enough to hide this.
- Underwear - forget all the time. Go the day without.
- Shoes - took the bus back home to get them.
- Bra - wore my sport bra (that I rode in) instead. Ick.
- Pants! Not so much that I forgot them but I mistakenly thought I had a pair in my locker. Luckily I had some gym pants in my locker. It was an awkward day at the office. I tried to stay at my desk as much as possible.

I also routinely forget my security pass.

Wow, I really suck at this commuting thing, don't I?

I voted that I improvised with newspaper, etc., but I've had 2 experiences that I recall. One time, my paniers fell off half-way to work and I didn't realize it till I got off my bike. I had no idea where they'd fallen off (was listening to music). So, I retraced my route and found the bags hanging on a cyclone fence near some construction. Evidently, the construction workers picked it up and hung them there expecting the owner to realize the loss and return. It was great, everything was still there, clothes, wallet, etc.. Rode back to work, showered, then asked a friend to drive me back to the construction site so that I could provide donuts for the crew's morning break.

My other experience could have been worse I guess. Rode to work, showered, then dressed, only to find out the socks were my wife's. Smaller, sheer, etc.. Did I say I wear glasses? I wore them anyway, noone noticed!

I've forgotten to bring a belt a few times. My belt is actually functional on a lot of the khakis I wear at work so the first time, I ended up going to a store near my work to get a belt. Now I just keep the extra one in my desk at work.

I keep my main clothes at work (e.g. trousers, shoes, jumpers) and just carry in the shirt, socks + undies on a daily basis. Saves weight, crumpling etc.

Mind you I have forgotten a shirt before now and ended up wearing smelly lycra under my jumper.

I ride in a suit and tie, plus whatever outer garments required due to cold or precipitation. Consequently, I never forget my clothes. However, I have forgotton my keys several times.

Paul

To UKMTK problem of forgetting his shirt..Smelly jersey...I find friends after a ride put on a regular shirt and go into stores...
A side issue here...When I smell that bad, I think it wise to show some sigh of being a cyclists...Imagine standing in a line and smelling like that with clothes covering up your cycling gear...
I just put shorts over my bike shorts to have some indication of having been on the bike...Gaul, the smell sometimes..Makes my wife sick...when i get home.

Um, let me think a minute...yes.

I did get to work one day and discover the parking garage locked. Turns out it was a holiday.

So, I didn't forget my clothes. I still felt like I was naked.

Um, let me think a minute...yes.

I did get to work one day and discover the parking garage locked. Turns out it was a holiday.

So, I didn't forget my clothes. I still felt like I was naked.
So you had to work on a holiday..Seems like your clothes must be locked within the garage..At least, maybe you had your work site to yourself...As long as I am on the bike, I feel clothed...When, I get off the bike depends where I am located..As to how self conscious I feel..

plenty of times, while in the shower I realise that I forgot my underwear. So I have to keep my lycra shorts on as underwear. lycra does not work as well on the bike with walking. Also I forget my towel and it is also too late because I am in the shower all wet when I realise this, so I dry my self with sweaty jersey and wait for the rest to evaporate, and let my regular clothes do some soakage.