I'm a local historian. Many people I've interviewed who grew up during the Great Depression talk about how they used to get one fresh pair of corduroys to wear to school each September. That pair would have to last all year. On the first day of school, the hallways would reverberate with a loud, distinctive "vroop, vroop," the sound of newly corduroyed thighs rubbing together as the children walked to class.

After a few weeks, the sound would mellow out a bit, and by Christmas time, most children's corduroys were so worn down that there was no longer any sound in the hallways during recess. For the holidays, children were often given the choice of receiving a toy for a present, or a new pair of pants. Most chose the toy and eventually wore holes all the way through the thighs of their cords, which their Moms would then patch with a swatch from the previous year's pair.

Don't wear corduroys to ride. Carry a pair, or leave a pair at work so you can ride in denim or some tougher material.