Here's my commute... over a bridge, etc. 16-17 miles depending on my route. I rock the 198X univega touring bike. Granted, I put fenders and racks on it, but sometimes if I'm feisty, I'll take the modern roadie with a messenger bag. I have had the luxury of a shower at work for the last three places I've worked. 16-17 miles in 85 degrees and 80% humidity = no way am I riding in my work clothes. I was pouring sweat this morning and it was 65 out.

Khakis and a polo today, granted - a dri-fit golf polo, I just folded up the pants, and put a light roll on them, then rolled the shirt up. Clothes in one bag, shoes in the other. I have a rack from a LBS, and bags from Nashbar. Everything works fine. Is there a gym near your office (or a truck stop lol)? You can always go in extra early, cool down, do a towel wash in the bathroom, and then change into your work clothes.

I think as long as someone mentions a PX10 every once in a while we're fine.

"PX10!"

"Plastic bikes are junk!

Lugged steel makes the world a better place, and is ideal for commuting!" There, that will help keep it safely C and V....

In all serious, I commute on all my bikes. Period.

But, I have secure parking for them, and I don't ride the really nice ones on wet days.

Let us know when you're coming and we'll have a ride and a beer (or two)!

On my commute I need to take a pair of pants, dress shirt, shoes, socks and undies. I bought a Topeak rack from atb panniers from nashbar. I think the load capacity on the panniers is about 2600 cubic inches and the rack can carry up to 55 pounds. I am certainly excited to start commuting by bike. I can't take the 12 mile hour car commute anymore. I think that with a towel, some cologne and deodorant I'll be able to pull through the day. It will definitely be interesting. I'll switch between the specialized vita and the Bianchi Grizzly.

Any of you use rat traps, SPD, SPD SL?

I actually commute in road shoes. Look Deltas. My commutes don't go through too many urban areas with lots of starting and stopping.

I commute on several different bikes. Generally I carry my gear in a Carradice Barley seatbag, which has enough room for a clean shirt, t-shirt, underwear, lunch, wallet, tools, tire-repair gear, etc. I leave a bunch of clothes and supplies at work, such as shoes, slacks, towel, shampoo and extra shirts -- which I replenish on days that I drive. A couple of my bikes have rear racks, and I carry my gear in a Banjo Bros rack top bag when riding those bikes. You can't totally prevent wrinkling when carrying clothes to work, but I've found that rolling my shirts up makes them fit better and they don't seem to wrinkle as bad. Some commuters use panniers to carry their gear, but I don't need that much space since I leave so much clothing at work. I'm also fortunate in that we have a locker room with a shower, and a storage room where I can keep my spare clothes.

This was my initial thought as I have an extra pair of road shoes with SPD SL. I would just need a "cheap set of PD R540 or similar to put them on the bike.

I'd love the idea of taking my clothes to work by car first but the issue is I don't have anywhere to store my clothes in. I'd have to pack a different dress shirt into the pannier every day. I'm afraid they might get wrinkled. I'm assuming there has to be a way to pack clothes without getting them wrinkly and stuff. I bought the panniers below

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...48_-1___202599

I have found these to do a good job of keeping dress shirts in good shape during commutes and for storage at work when you don't have closet space, etc.

http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-folder-15/d/1090

Those are the same panniers I use. No complaints.

SCHWEET! Thank you so much. That is awesome and exactly what I was looking for.

Great to hear this. I think I'll be commuting to work in no time at all.

Hey, I like that! I may pick one up for traveling anyway.

I don't commute to work just from work due to the lack of showers being available. My commute is around 10.6 miles with small elevation change, but hey, I am out of shape so it takes me about 40+ min with traffic and stop lights.

Reference post #23 . I use the MTX system from Topeak. I put my riding gear in on the way and my good clothes in on the way back. I don't use my fold out panniers. The cloths are folded to fit the width and lenght of the trunk section. When I get home, I unload and hange without wrinkle issues. I have done some travel over the years and have found that if you use tissue paper as found in the packaging of some good shirts, the wrinkles don't get severe. This is true for slacks as well. Folded for up to an hour has acceptable results.

If I were to commute to work, I would have fewer folds and use the fold out panniers. Cost of the bag and rack off was < $100, new rack on-line and bag for $65 off CL. I have seen this bag or newer version often on CL and have thought of getting a second one. I recently picked up a used MTX rack for my tandem (designed for disk brakes which fits the wider DO spacing) for $20.

Your very welcome. FWIW, in my experience, I am able to put dress shirt, dress pants, dress socks, undershirt, underpants, belt and a tie (rolled up) in my folder and have them arrive looking pretty good. I keep a pair of dress shoes at work, along with a travel bathroom kit (tooth brush, tooth paste, razor, soap, deodorant) to make commuting easy. Having too many thngs to track down in the morning makes it harder for me.

This is pretty clutch. Deoderant/tooth brush/tooth paste/etc. at work makes it a lot easier. I used to have a job where I could wear sandals or whatever at work, so just stashed a pair of shoes there and left it for 6-8 months. Never worried about bringing shoes with me... once you get it down to JUST clothes, it's a lot easier. Do you have a desk drawer or a file cabinet you can use for some storage? I have an un-used drawer in my filing cabinet I can stash stuff in.. it opens like 2 feet or so but I only have a few files in it.

I have two unused filing cabinets that can fit quite some stuff so those essentials won't probably be an issue. However walking with cleats from the parking lot to the office is a no-no so shoes in the commute will be with me. It's about half a mile from the lot to the office.

On the other hand, I am very surprised more people opted for the panasonic which I believe is my grail bike. It's wonderful and pretty much brand new. I guess the lotus probably has more of a collector value?

Wow, a half mile from the parking lot to the office? Where do you work if you don't mind me asking? Is there no place closer to lock your bike to?

Well I am exaggerating on the half a mile. More like .3 miles. My office is also on the 17th floor of the building... Even the smoking areas (when I used to smoke) were about .3 miles away from the front door.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=354713

Lots of great ideas here.

I love SPD pedals and shoes. I have four pairs of shoes with SPD cleats. One of them is a pair of sandals. There are tons and tons of different style shoes available that work with SPD cleats. I have mountain hiking shoes and running shoes. Sometimes, I wear SPD shoes on days when I'm not even riding! Not everyone can stand the crunching against concrete, but I don't mind it. The cleat is steel, so it doesn't wear out fast. It does not click or crunch on stone, asphalt, or brick. It does not dent wood floors. It makes noise only on concrete. I can't explain that.

I have these pedals on two of my bikes. (Or actually, pedals just like these, but the idea is that they work fine with street shoes.) I prefer having foot retention when I ride, and I like SPD better than toe clips (aka stirrups or cages).

fender1, that clothing folder is freekin' amazing. Why did it take this long to invent? And the price is great, too.

Tom, I am not sure how long they have been around but I have been using one for about 6 years.

To the OP: If the SPD shoes make things harder, consider a set of platform pedals. I use these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VP-001-Downh...b#ht_730wt_896

They can be paired with these if you want foot retention:

http://holdfastordie.com/store/foot-retention-system/

The upside is that they can be used with almost any shoe and easily removed or installed with no tools, in about 10 minutes. As stated above, simplifying the process makes commuting easier and more enjoyable.

I am thinking of getting these from CL. Gonna offer 35. What 'cha think?

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/bik/4176963706.html

Hold Fast looks better than PowerGrips!

Those are nicer than the Nashbar/Wellgo pedals I mentioned. Get the Shimanos if you can.

Got them for $40. She was so nice I didnt want to argue with her for 15 bucks.

Well, I did my first half of a commute. Not on a vintage (YET!) but testing the waters. The Bianchi might see some action soon enough. I posted on the commuting forum so here is a link. There was no C&V involved so I dont want to keep flooding this place :)

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...my-new-commute

Ride the Lotus or whatever C&V bike you like. I ride my C&V, it has over $1,000 in it, I'd be very sad if it were stolen but I make sure the odds of theft are low and that's all you can do.

Remember fenders (I use PDW Full Metal Fenders, they look nice on a C&V road bike, and are solid metal not plastic) and lights (don't be a ninja).

Get two quality and large U-locks, use one on the rear wheel and triangle, the other on the front wheel and downtube. If the bike rack doesn't quite allow that, find some other locking method that will force a thief to cut through both U-locks to take the frame. Mark the U-locks with your name/phone and leave them attached to the bike rack so you don't have to carry them, their weight and bulk now doesn't matter. Unless someone really really wants your bike - and why would they, it is just an "old bike" - they won't bother dealing with that hassle.

Carry a small U-lock (the kind that just fits a frame tube + bike rack) in your backpack for those errands on the way home.

Finally, while I have never heard of anyone actually getting paid on the "guarantees" that some U-lock companies offer, it might be amusing to do the necessary to get paid if your bike is stolen. E.g. the Kryptonite terms and conditinos are here

https://www.kryptonitelock.com/Docum...CONDITIONS.pdf

and include

[I]Requirements in the event of a theft:
1. Report the theft to the police within 72 hours.
2. Mail or email notice of the theft to Kryptonite within seven (7) days of the theft.
3. Immediately report the theft to your insurance company, if covered by insurance.
4. Mail or email the following to Kryptonite within ninety (90) days: broken lock and/or broken links– required as proof of product failure (Note: We recommend that you return the entire lock if available so that we can better understand how the product failed), [ii] at least one (1) key, [iii] a copy of the official police report, [iv] a copy of your itemized lock bill of sale, [v] a copy of your bicycle/powersport bill of sale, not including accessories, or a dated and signed dealer appraisal reflecting the market value of the bicycle/powersport vehicle, not including accessories, and [vi] evidence you have notified your insurance company, if covered by insurance. Failure to forward all materials within ninety (90) days will void your claim and Kryptonite will have no further responsibility under this Offer. Certified mail, return receipt is recommended since Kryptonite is not responsible for non-receipt of mail.