J.C. Koto

Well now you're talkin' I think I would admire that!

Sixty Fiver

You are definitely pulling that number from somewhere.

Watched a lot of commuters going by as I had my morning coffee (I was downtown early)... most were wearing helmets and there was a mix of street clothes and more technical gear among those riders and I assume the folks that came in from farther out opted for better performing gear.

hillyman

I drive an International and don't have a second bunk. A Dahon Matrix full size bike fits well on passenger seat. Sorry pic went sideways!?

intransit1217

@hillyman: That's similar to what I have to do. Take out the seat, and the front wheel. Handlebars first up and into the cab, then wedge the rear under the dash, close passenger door, get in driver's side, position as needed, secure.

BlazingPedals

The more/further/faster you ride, the more you're likely to appreciate cycling-specific clothes. But they're NEVER required. Set up a folding bike with flat pedals and just wear street clothes.

hillyman

Mines a folder. My company would throw a fit if I took out passenger seat.

Machka 

We take it just seriously enough. You wouldn't go swimming in your officewear would you? It's all about the right tools for the job.

caloso

What bears mentioning is that wearing bike clothes saves a great deal of wear and tear on your work clothes. If I only wore my nice wool dress pants to ride, I would fairly quickly wear out the seat of them, which would cost at least as much to replace as a set of bibs. Not to mention the dress pants need to be dry cleaned. I realize that not everyone has the same office dress requirements, but that's what I wear every day, and this is what works for me.

wayniac

I've been looking at riding specific wear that's also appropriate for the office. Nothing like buying one tool that will do two jobs.

This is a great article for people looking to bridge the gap between what you wear to work and what you ride there in. Outfitted & Equipped: Bike Commute | The Art of Manliness

jdon

A while back someone suggested BetaBrand cycling / office pants.

Charcoal Heather Bike to Work Pants | Betabrand

ironwood

Here's another solution, pdxwnbr.org

Route 66

Seriously? Is that why you dress the way you do when you go out for a ride? I can tell you, (and I don't expect you to believe me), but I dress for comfort when I go out for a ride and I couldn't care less what other people think of my attire. I don't expect you to understand this because apparently, you dress to impress others, but we're not all like you.

GP

You read a website called The Art of Manliness?

I don't know what to say.

caloso

Well, you nailed us. Turns out that the pockets, zipper, wicking materials, reflective cuffs, and chamois are all for fashion. We've been lying about their functionality as part of an elaborate prank.

Machka 

This is a common newbie mistake ... thinking that other people see you. You are invisible. Nobody sees you. Nobody looks at you. Nobody notices you. You are insignificant.

You can wear whatever you want and no one will give you a second glance. They probably won't even give you a first glance.

So ... I prefer to wear something suitable to the occasion. Something stretchy, loose around the knees, wicking, and comfortable. And also bright on the off-chance I might attract enough attention to keep from being run over.

wolfchild

I don't ride in street clothes but I also don't use any cycling specific costumes. I use athletic clothing or technical clothing. Most of my athletic clothing and workout clothing which I use is made from polyester and has some spandex or lycra in it. They are very comfortable for cycling, working out, or just casual wear. I like relaxed fit, not too tight and not too loose, not too baggy, but something in between.
I also love my camouflage cargo shorts which are made from cotton.

Still Pedaling

That works for me.

Rowan

One thing I have observed over the years is that people in Europe who ride in street clothes rarely go more than two or three miles each time. People who wear cycling gear in other places (and even, shock horror in the Netherlands) usually go at least 10 miles and more likely 20 or 30.

I've also noted that the climate in the Netherlands often is benign for cycling... cool temperate would be a good description. Line that up with lots of other places where warm to hot temperate and tropical come to mind, and riding in street clothes can become unbearable.

Having said that, I can ride in appropriate underwear and outer shorts or trousers up to 60km/30 miles. Beyond that, I prefer the practicality of cycling-specific clothing.

And caloso makes a very pertinent point about wear points on trousers. It doesn't take long for a pair or woollen trousers, for example, to become almost threadbare around the butt and crotch area if the saddle is anything but a smooth surfaces such as a leather Brooks... just ask me about that one!

It's OK for people to wear whatever they want. What puzzles me is that some want to sneer at how others go about their business. We are all doing the same thing... riding bicycles... why try to drive a wedge between us by belittling those who do it differently?

wayniac

Hahahaha. Yeah, I thought the same thing when my buddy started posting their articles of Fb. They have some really good stuff in there every fairly often, and most of the time it's a hell of a lot better than reading some men's fitness magazine etc.

LuckySailor

I don't feel right about cycling in street clothes. Haven't done that in 30+ years. I'm used to sitting on the padding in my cycling shorts and anything less just won't do. I love my Brooks B17 saddle too. Cargo type shorts, not the nylon spandex type. I'm not a racer, just an average joe. I ride what I'm comfortable in-and it ain't cotton!

bikinyurop

I guess everyone finds his gear best. Just saying how it is in Denmark and the Netherlands. Street clothes are used by the majority in these countries. Infrastructure is perfect, cars hardly ever speed, cycle paths everywhere, ...

"5 minutes on the saddle and you are sweatling."
Depends on changes in altitude, speed, sweatglands, distance, and so much more. Everyone I know that cycles (basically everyone) has casual clothing because we just ride a bike. We don't go 20kmh uphill and we never sprint. It's a means of transportation like any other (for some). We use a bicycle on a very regular basis and hardly ever sweat while cycling.

You're on a forum so your opinion is the best opinion. "Fact!"

For the other people quoting me: Since when do I have to explicitly say that I am stating an opinion?
"In my opinion, Anyone wearing a helmet and wearing special clothes is taking it too serious."
Maybe I can add that it is too serious for casual cycling.

Machka 

Nor is it warm enough to sweat on your short commutes in that part of the world.

Still Pedaling

Let's just say that there are some differences between Denmark and the Netherlands that you mention and the US where I'm from. You are probably right when you say that you hardly ever sweat when you cycle. Bring your bike to Florida, as an example, in the summer. You might sweat more standing at a red light than you would the whole year where you ride. The humidity in Florida is miserable (I know I've been there in the summer visiting my daughters). In Arizona where I live, the humidity is very low and the summer temps climb to the three figure digits. Yes, I would perspire if active, but it wouldn't run down my face like Niagara Falls as it might in Florida or some of the other southern states. Like I said, it would run down MY face like Niagara Falls, just in case some of our friends here are from Florida and would dispute what I said.

I do agree that the infrastructure where you come from is truly ideal. Many of the streets in the city where I live have speed limits of 45mph (72.4205km/hr), and most push the limits. Now you can understand why people wear helmets, and for the most part take their cycling seriously. You get hit from a car driving at that speed and you become a projectile. If you don't have a helmet on, your head might end up looking like a watermelon dropped from a three story building. I remember you mentioning that you know how to fall on a bike. In the scenario I just mentioned, I doubt very much that your skills in falling would do you any good at all.

We live in two different parts of the world where cyclists here, for the most part, ride for pleasure. Where you live cyclists, for the most part, ride to get from A to B. We here have to share the roads with traffic on Mickey Mouse bike paths which do very little in protecting us from motorized traffic, and where I live in particular, riding on some of the streets where cars, trucks and buses are flying by at 45mph+ makes one very vulnerable as a commuter. I ride the side streets in my neighborhood or I take my bike to some very nicely laid out paths, designated for cycling, in parts of the city that meander through parks. I live in a populated area that is spread out far and wide. For a commuter, a ride to the city limits would take up a great part of the morning, and to combine the ride with our public transportation which is as useless as a chocolate teapot would not improve things. So, like I mentioned, most of us ride for pleasure.

Yes, we live in two different parts of the world and to make comparisons on how, why and what we wear while riding our bikes is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both fruits, but taste very different.

Cheers
Wayne

rydabent

It still remains that anyone can wear anything they like when they ride a bike. There is a small percentage that think that the only way you can ride a bike is in full kit. They seem to be worried about what people will think about them if they are not in full kit. The fact is almost no one with notice or think anything about what they are wearing. Bottom line dont worry about what other people think, most dont think anyway!!!

wphamilton

No but I sometimes ride to the office in my swimming wear. Heavy rain. Well, it made sense at the time.