I was wondering if anyone on here commutes to work in the clothes they are going to wear for the rest of the day. I'm doing a design project that's trying to improve the experience for people who cycle in formal clothing and so was wanting a bit of feedback about peoples experience doing this, i.e. what sort of bike are you riding, what clothes do you wear (including foot wear), how far and any specialized kit you have on your bike. Information about the changing arrangement at your place of work would also be helpful. Basically anything to do with cycling in smart clothes would be very much appreciated. I'd also be interested to here from people who may have done this but found a better solution.
Thanks in advanced for any input given.
I ride a German upright commuter bike with a partially-enclosed chain. It is designed to be ridden in normal clothing, just as a road bike, hybrid, or mountain bike is designed for sports clothing. I wear a suit and if I'm giving a presentation; slacks and sport jacket otherwise. During the summer, I roll the jacket and carry it in the pannier and wear a short sleeve shirt. During the winter, I wear a light, unlined Gortex hooded overcoat, partially unzipped and without the hood if the temperature is above 0 C. Below -10 C or in case of precipitation, I add rain pants and a overshoes. I have ski gloves with liners - wear just liners, gloves, or gloves plus liners depending upon temperature. Always normal dress shoes. Special kit includes studded tires for winter, which work well even when the roads are too slick to drive.
My current commute is 16 km round trip and takes around 40 minutes each way. When I had a different office, my round trip commute was 40 km and about an hour and 15 minutes each way. Clearly, I don't consider this a sport or athletic activity requiring special clothing. If I had the hassle of changing in and out of special clothing, I would never ride a bike at all unless conditions absolutely precluded driving.