Originally Posted by
spare_wheel
Oh please. I ride my 19 lb carbon fiber bikes in street clothes. I park them everywhere. I don't particularly worry about them being stolen. And I routinely transport 40 lbs of booze and groceries on flimsy crabon.
The guys at the local bike co-op always laugh at me when I show up pulling a very battered trailer with my well worn Colnago.
My Velo-Cheapo bike for the year was a Litespeed Titanium. It became more expensive than I had originally planned, but it has a hard life ahead of it. And, as part of the official Velo-Cheapo mileage, it has already had about 35 miles of pulling a trailer. And, that is only the beginning. No rack yet, bit is coming.
BUT DEFINITELY NO BASKETS.
I don't own any spandex.
As far as I know, all of my century-plus rides were done wearing jeans. There certainly is no reason not to wear casual clothes while bicycle commuting. I suppose I might want a good chain guard if I was commuting in a suit, but fortunately that hasn't been a requirement.