Originally Posted by marqueemoon
My commute is 7 miles each way with a fair bit of climbing. The only time I get really geared up is when it rains. Otherwise, I pretty much ride in the clothes I'm going to work in. I keep extra shoes at work so I can ride clipless though.
I have pretty much the exact same kind of commute, lots of small hills and one big one. I always wear street clothes, but I'm allowed to wear jeans with a nice shirt. I do think it's a bit funny to have to use specialized clothing every time one hops on a bike, although when conditions (rain, snow) dictate I will wear my hiking/mountaineering layers. I do try to bring a shirt to ride in and then change after wiping myself with a wet cloth in the restroom, but nothing cycling specific. Just a few different wool SS and LS shirts that, if I run late and can't change, don't telegraph my scent all around the place
And if the weather is hot, I'll pack a light pair of shorts to change into for the riding. I don't know, I've never felt like wearing bike shorts for riding, even long rides. I do use one of those velcro ankle straps on my right leg.
On my commuting bike I use a Brooks, and I never feel like wearing extra padding. Do some of you bike-short folks use a saddle that is only really comfortable with special shorts? Just a Q, I'm curious.
I suppose if I had to really suit it up, I would have entirely different sets of clothes, although most of my riding clothes comes from hiking outfitters, not bike shops.