killie42

Does anyone know of a way to commute with a suit? Wearing it while riding isn't an option, and I'm not interested in bringing a bunch of suits one day via car to plan ahead for the rest of the week. Is there some sort of bag that can carry a suit pannier style without wrinkling it?

Allen

There are several; how much are you looking to spend?
Ortlieb makes a very nice hardshell suit case.

bragi

I don't have panniers that are specially designed for suits; I just roll the suit up very loosely and put it gently into a regular pannier; so far, it's always looked totally unwrinkled when I put it on at work.

BTW, I have tried riding while actually wearing a suit, and, yes, it's not a very good idea. I thought I would just ride slowly, not work up a sweat, roll up the pant leg, etc., but the fact is, when I'm on a bike, even in a suit, I can't resist hammering up hills with way more effort than necessary.

tsl

As I recall, Performance has a garment bag pannier that could work.

krater

+1. No problems for me either.

BA Commuter

I wear my suit on my ride and it doesn't shows the wrinkles!

Roll it gently and maybe keep a travel iron at work in case you need to steam out any creases.

killie42

not sure how much I want to spend. I looked at the Ortlieb site - but didn't see a suit pannier. Which ones did you see?

Roody

8660 hits on Google. Search took 0.17 seconds.

Allen

https://www.ortliebusa.com/cartgenie/prodList.asp?scat=7
^^^
Several on that page

DallasSoxFan

I tried the nashbar one. It was too much work prepping in the morning, but it worked great and was cheap to boot.

I don't know what your work situation is, but I have kind of an alternate strategy that works because my company has a wholly owned underground garage.

I drive in on monday morning with my bike and my wardrobe. I leave the car there and bike back and forth. On friday I put the bike back on the car, drive to the cleaners. Rinse, repeat.

It has the aded bonus of giving me a car at work to go out for lunch with. At home during the week my wife and I share her car in the evenings.

Roody

If you have a short commute, and the weather is nice, you can just wear your suit. There are limitations, obviously, but I see a lot of people doing this on nice days. They look cool with their neckties streaming behind them in the wind.

rankinesoccer

remember that your slacks may catch on the crankset. When my dad commuted 32 miles/day on his road bike, he wore riding clothes and put his nice clothes in panniers. When he got to work he showered (his school had the facilities). or he drove one day with the bike, and rode home that day, and rode the next to work then drove home. You could do that and put the suit in the car.

Roody

That's why they have chainguards and rubber bands. Or, as my stepson says, "Just cuff 'em up and go!"

dohfoh

I've been happy with the garment bag from Two Wheel Gear:

https://twowheelgear.com

BUT, I live in an area where it rarely rains. I'm not sure how much I'd trust it in wet weather.

nashcommguy

Nashbar and Peformance suit panniers are the exact same bag from the exact same manufacturer. The Nashbar one is 80.00+ shipping w/addtional 15% off if ordered by Sunday, 1/18/09. Performance has theirs 'on sale' for 120.00+ shipping. No brainer. 68.00+ vs. 120.00+

Coat the bag w/a water repellant/proof coating. Wal-Mart has one called 'Camp Dry'(which is REALLY good) or one can use Thompson's Water Sealer(get a quart and a 3" oil brush) and brush it on...it weighs more than the spray types, but is much more effective. Pay particular attention to the seams and areas near the zippers. If done correctly the sealer doesn't look like it's been brushed on as the material soaks up alot of the liquid. Repeat the process on the INSIDE of the bag, too. Do as many coats as you want or until the sealer runs out.

In addition, obtain a plastic, zippered, travel suit bag to place the suit in BEFORE placing it in the pannier as an added barrier. Place shoes, socks, belt, tie, etc. in plastic shopping bags. Double them.

It may seem like alot of trouble, but if one wants a waterproof garment bag or pannier this is about the most inexpensive and effective ways to do it. But, know that a 'truly waterproof' bag doesn't exist in cloth based systems. The Ortleibs come as close as any, but at about twice the money as you'll invest here. And a truly waterproof system will involve some sort of plastic/extruded shell attached to a rack and then we're talking about much more weight or expense.

closetbiker

Some people in this part of the world are starting to see doing this can work out well.



and that it's been done all over the world for quite some time

nashcommguy

Like I said: https://www.sailgb.com/p/ortlieb_office_bag_2/ Weighs over 6 lbs and costs more than 150.00. There doesn't seem to be any consideration for shoes either. Says in the ad that it's 'Spraywater proof'. So's the bag from Nashbar w/the sealant and internal bag.

Allen

The Ortlieb bags are all but submersible.

Fantasminha

This one may be overkill:
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=2312

I use this one to carry a laptop, lunch, change of clothes, makeup bag, and sometimes pair of shoes:
https://www.rei.com/product/710472

The only thing I would criticize or change on this setup is actually not the trunk/pannier but the buckle where the rack attaches to the seatpost. If I wear my shortest shorts, it rubs on the inside of my left leg. If i wear my "regular" shorts or long pants, though, I don't notice. So I just don't wear my shortest shorts on my commuter.

MrCjolsen

Here's what I've done.

Put your folded shirt in one pannier. Put your pants in another. Put your jacket in a large messenger bag or backpack.

As long as nothing is too tightly packed, wrinkling should be minimal.

infecto

Personally would not wear a suit on a bike. No matter how cheap the suit is it will just ruin the suit faster especially the pants.

tballx

I live in much rain. I applied this liberally. It works well.

nashcommguy

Nice product. Looks liike it has plenty of size and built in compartment for a laptop. The price is 150.00+ shipping. Compared to the Nashbar this one has thinner material. The nylon cordova used in the construction of the Nashbar/Performance Garment bags is sturdier and soaks up the sealant, so that once it's been coated to the user's satisfaction, it requires a minimum amount of maintenance. My panniers are coated with the sealant and I'm 100% satisfied. As a precaution I use plastic grocery bags, too because water has a way of exploiting the smallest of openings. Hope to be able to post pics soon.

InfiniteRegress

Roll it (don't fold it) and put it into a large, plastic bag. Suck all the air out of the bag and seal it tightly. You can also buy vacuum packing devices that can help with getting out the air. I know this sounds crazy, but it works.

Also, if you're a woman (guessing you're not) The Limited makes a GREAT wrinkle-free suit line that will stay wrinkle-free no matter what you do to it. I have a couple of these and they are excellent for bike commuting.

NorthCap

I commute in shirt/tie/slacks, but no jacket. I find that it's easy when the weather is 0-75 w/ no precipitation. If heat or damp weather force me to pack my things, this works great: https://www.eaglecreek.com/accessorie...lder-20-40155/