Commuting - Casual Cycling Clothing

Let's discuss apparel that works well on a bike, but works off it just as well!

I'll start by bringing up my Pearl iZumi Brendle jacket. It's quite a trim fit, but I find it quite comfortable and cozy for cold weather. It blocks wind just fine as well. My only complaint is that it pills fairly easily. Anyone know of such a stylish jacket that has a bit more durability to abrasion? I'd be looking to use this not just on my way to work, but around town on a Friday night for fun at the bar.

Icebreaker and Rapha.

Some of my favorite brands of clothing are: North Face, Under Armour, Mec, Patagonia, Prana ,Addidas....for shoes I like to use Merrel, Salomon, North face, Addidas. I don't use cycling specific clothing/or shoes, there is no need to use special cycling costumes for riding a bike.

I'm really enjoying the cycling jeans from Swrve. They are cut in various trims, and have just a bit of stretch to them. Extra pockets, reflective trim, and very high quality make these my go-to jeans for both on and off the bike.

My favorite brands of technical clothes include Ibex, Kuhl, Patagonia, prAna, Marmot, Outdoor Research, and Rab. (Prana's jeans can be ridden for years without tearing in the crotch!)

I work in outdoor retail, and a few of the brands I've kept away from myself due to personal and customer experiences are: The North Face because they're usually cut so loose, and they're of far less quality than other clothes of the same price. Icebreaker makes nice stuff, but is WAY overpriced for what it is. This is why I usually go towards Ibex, but I wish they'd make a trench-coat like Icebreaker. (Not that it would be a good cycling piece). The last I'd warn of is any brand that started with shoes. This isn't just Nike, New Balance or Puma. It's Merrell and Keen as well. They don't make clothes like their shoes.

I love Duluth Trading Co. jeans and shirts - their pants are made very sturdy and cut high in the back, and their shirts are cut long. I wear my DTC jeans constantly on the bike for over a year and they have no wear or fraying at all on the seat/inner thighs.

In the winter I wear long underwear from CuddlDuds.

My bike commuting clothes are really totally different from my going-on-a-bike-ride clothes. Bike commuting clothes are just my regular clothes, since I bike everywhere.
They're not bike specific, but I swear by black BDU (army) pants, which I order online. They have nice big cargo pockets, and the seat and knee are reinforced. They have a few fabric options to choose from. I like the 100% cotton best, but the cotton/poly twill is also very comfy, dries a little faster, and is very colorfast. The size I get is roomy enough in the thigh to ride in comfortably. Actually, my better half is the same size so we just share. We have a whole pile of identical black pants, and if they start getting holes (which takes awhile, they last a long time) we just get more of the same.
I wear cotton flannel button-down shirts, often with a wool or fleece vest or sweater, and a waterproof/breathable jacket that I made. I wear Chippewa water-resistant insulated work boots all winter.
And I'm always trolling sales looking for good undershirts. I just can't bring myself to pay that much for an undershirt, even though I know they're probably worth it.

Carharrt pants...and whatever pullover (Fleece or hoodie) and light breathable coat I have anymore.

I think I found what I'll be using instead of my Pearl iZumi Brendle jacket that I had noticed with extreme early pilling. (http://www.pearlizumi.com/publish/content/pi_2010/us/en/index/products/men/ride/apparel/12.-productCode-11131111.html)
The prAna Bronson jacket (http://www.prana.com/bronson-jacket.html?___SID=U?color=Black) certainly isn't specific to cycling because the cut is a bit loose on the front, but it's low enough in the back. What I really like is the materials chosen though. The canvas is quite tough, yet has a little stretch to it. It's also lined with a tightly knit poly, and thin layer of a Thermore-like insulation. The collar with a Sherpa lining zips up enough around your neck to not need a neck gaiter as well.
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On my commuting cyclocross bike it's been working fine and I don't get that unwanted draft in the back. But I'll never wear this on my carbon roadie because it's set up with a far more aggressive riding position, and I doubt they would "go together". I don't have my cross bike set up like a touring bike at all though. (The stem is right to the HT, and the saddle has my legs fully extended.)

In the winter I almost always wear technical from the waist up. A high tech long sleeve under shirt --> a regular collar shirt or cashmere sweater --> a light insulated windproof vest (my favorites are arc'teryx, but I also have some mountain hardware, patagonia and marmot) and --> an arc'teryx gore-tex pro or pac-lite hard shell. This 4 layer combination gives me breathability, lightness and warmth. For under the waste I use a good pair of synthetic dress pants.
I really like the look of a technical-formal outfit, I can perfectly go to work and blend, but always with a style edge, of course.

I got poly fleece sweatpants, smooth finished outside, non pilling..
Russell made, black, got a Showers pass portland jacket last summer, close out color,

winter: Carhartt neon lime green ANSI striped parka , for the stick out obvious,
I'm in the roadcrew, look

I get my Merino from Chocholatefish. My outer layer for winter is Paramo, by far the most comfortable weatherproof jacket around and mine is about 10 years old. I used to wear Rohan pants but they are getting too expensive for me to replace so i go to a budget warehouse outdoor place for own-brand hiking pants.

Today with my commute through the Nor'easter, my Marmot Super Gravity jacket served me so well. (http://marmot.com/products/super_gravity_jacket)

Under it all, I like boxer-briefs. On top of those, anything goes pretty good.

Under it all, I like boxer-briefs. On top of those, anything goes pretty good.

:thumb: Good polyester boxer briefs and a dab of bag balm... should reduce your rolling friction too.