Best cycling pants for commuting to work?
 

I'm looking at cycling tights, but I don't know if they'd be the best for commuting to work. Skin-tight doesn't make me shy: but it might be inconvenient switching in and out of cycling tights before and after work every day, and I doubt cycling tights would be that comfortable wearing underneath my work khakis. I'm not keen on getting chain grease on work khakis during the commute, and besides, wearing khakis with my clipless shoes looks stupid. Right now I wear cargo shorts or gym shorts to work, but it's getting cold. What are the most convenient cycling pants for work commuting (when I get off work, the last thing I want to do is spend much time getting geared up when I want to get the heck home)?

I change each morning and afternoon at work, it is just a few minutes and worth it.

What pants though? Cycling tights are worn without underwear and I don't want to have to stock my locker with a supply of underwear...it might be ugly by the end of the week.

For a short to medium commute you could wear underwear under them. I stock my office with underwear, and it works out for me. The shorts and biking pants vary, given my weather varies quite a bit.

FWIW I just found a pair of the "Commuter" Levi's at Macy's in my size. I typically wear normal pants in the cool weather so I'll report back sooner or later.

I carry my clean undershorts in each morning inside my trunk bag, put them on when I get to work (changing out of cycling shorts), and they go right back in at the end of the day to be swapped for a fresh pair at home for the next day. No need to keep a bunch at work, as long as you remember to bring them each day

Cycling tights are great. I change in and out of cycling specific clothes every commuting day. I bring in clean clothes each day. The upside is my underwear is not sweaty.

I have both bib cycling tights and bib tights (worn over regular cycling bibs) that I wear for training rides. Nothing under either and both work well. I have both Assos and Pearl Izumi and like them both. Not a big fan of Specialized and some other bibs that seem to wear out much faster and aren't as comfortable.

For all transportation riding though, at least up to maybe 25 miles each way, or much more, I wear regular jeans, khaki's, or slacks and ride a Dutch city bike with a fully enclosed chaincase so no problem with grease or anything. Bicycling should be simple and enjoyable. There's no need to complicate it with a gob of unneeded stuff.

Black tights with black shorts over the top. This comes in handy when it is cold on the ride in but warmer on the ride home. Once you get a routine down, you won't forget underwear. I have a small mental packing list that I use each day and as I pack my clothes for the day the underwear is simply the first thing I grab. It gets rolled up inside my undershirt which then gets rolled inside my scrub pants and then scrub shirt. Repeat daily and you will be fine.

When my kids were little, I got into the habit (and got them in the habit) of packing the night before. No deciding what to wear when rushing around in the morning, nothing forgotten. They even had a checklist on their closet door - homework, planner, ... I didn't use a checklist, but always checked my clothes bottom to top - shoes, socks, pants, underwear, ... tie.

Cycling to commute, or commuting by bike, there's a difference, and choices to make.

When one desires to fit their commute to their bike, they're probably going to be stuck doing the cycling specific gear thing. Like Crankyone said, if one wants to keep things simple, one needs to ride a bike that fits their commuting needs, and choice of clothing.

It took me a bit to learn this lesson when I first started commuting to work, but it's a process I live by now. Makes the morning much simpler and generally hassle free :)

I like Jersey Knit fabric pants rather than Woven .. Track Suit bottoms .

Plain Black so chain smunge is not visible..


Long Underwear under them .. now ..

PNW 'grunge' Classics Cargo Shorts for the Pockets, Over sweatpants.

The big question here is what temps you're biking in. I recently bought some bike pants for winter biking myself.

For 45f-25f, I bought REI Novaro Headwind bike pants. They're windproof in the front and not wind proof (which is nice for them not getting clammy from sweating) in the back:
Novara Headwind Bike Pants - Men's - REI.com

For colder temps like below 25f, I'd go with something fully waterproof like Gore (Active) Bike Wear Alp-X 2.0 GT AS Pants Long:
Gore Bike Wear Alp-X 2.0 GT AS Pants Long - Freewheel Bike Shop - Minneapolis - Twin Cities - St. Paul

Showers Pass offers some stuff as well:
https://www.showerspass.com/product-category/pants

Gore Bikewear:
Men's Pants for road cycling and MTB | GORE BIKE WEAR®

I wish I could be because I'd rather not change, but I am not a fan of "biking jeans" if I can help it. They wear out rubbing against the seat while pedalling - and "reinforced" jeans means they take twice as long to wear out but they still wear out. Jean material just doesn't hold up to repetitively rubbing against the seat like other synthetic materials do. Jeans also can tend to have the waistband into into your waist while riding...some people notice some don't, but pants with an elastic waistband have been waaay more comfortable for me.

If wearing regular clothes is something that works for you and your chain is exposed, there are several options for keeping your pants out of the chain. Use a band or clip, roll them up or worst case tuck them into your socks. My commute used to be multi-modal. A short ride to the station, then 15 to 20 minutes on the train and then another short ride to the office. I wore regular clothes and don't recall keeping my pants clean being much of a problem.

In the winter I'd wear long underwear under the pants and on really cold days I'd wear ski pants over the top. It was fine for short trips.

Now my commute is 6 miles each way and I use it for exercise. I get sweaty so I change. Even if I was just taking my sweet time though, winter is a different beast. It gets very cold here and there are many days that you really need some winter gear if you're going to spend any significant amount of time outdoors. Office clothing is going to cut it, even if it's wool.

PaulRivers mentioned Novara Headwind pants. They're not quite tights but have a snugger fit so no chain worries. I actually use them most of the winter but I wear tights underneath them. A good pair of long underwear might do the job instead of the tights underneath if you wanted.

When it gets below zero I bring out the big guns, - the Pearl Izumi Amfibs. I wear those over tights too.

I didn't get the OP's location so I'm not sure how cold it gets where they live but what I wear during the Fall are running pants. They're not tights but they have a close fit. You can wear regular underwear or long underwear underneath them. Mine are made by Ronhill and are super comfortable. They're fine down into the 40's, maybe mid 30's with something underneath. The wind will go right through them though.

I wear Russel ahtletic pants from Walmart for my commutes. They're lightweight Lycra-type material with zippered pockets. The coldest weather I encounter is low 30s Fahrenheit and with some long johns I'm fine.

For other recreational cycling, I haven't had "tights" in years. I wear what I call "not-so-tights", currently some Nike running pants that I bought nearly 10 years ago. They're snug but not form-fitting and also have zippered pockets.

Have you ever considered a type of bike that negates the need for bike specific clothing?

I'll either wear running pants (like bike tights, but not as tight), or slim fit khakis. I like the Hagar Life Khakis. They are comfy on and off the bike, and they are a nice poly cotton blend. The slim fit means I don't need to strap the pants leg.

Same here as I carry my clothes for the day with me, including underwear and socks.

I use hiking pants to cycle in. They have good articulation, they're tough, and they're not lycra tights. I like my tights but prefer to use something that looks like normal pants when walking in and out of the office. YMMV.

I keep "office" clothes at work and change in my office.

OP, how long is your commute? If it's short, like 30 minutes, I wouldn't bother with the tights. Just regular clothing. Don't want to shower? Don't push too hard so you don't sweat. That's tough to do in the summer, I know, but the rest of the year is quite doable.

If your commute is longer, like an hour or more, then bike specific stuff is best. If you lollygag there it'll take way too long. If you push, you will sweat. You choose the lesser of the evils.

+1 on REI's Headwind pants. I'm on my 2nd pair in 5 years and will likely buy them again. For under 30F I switch to Foxwear Neoshell pants, under about 10 I add a light tight.

I don't understand why folks don't carry clothes every day, seems a no brainer to me. I pack a pannier with work clothes the night before and in the morning just grab it and go.

I wear tights or bib knickers for commuting in cold weather. I keep some pants at the office and replenish with clean ones on days that I drive. I carry a clean t-shirt, shirt and underwear in a seat or rack bag on my bike each day.

I sometimes ride with my khakis when I run errands at lunch, and they are fine for only going a few miles. I use reflective ankle straps to keep the pants from getting greasy or caught in the chain. However, my one-way commute distance is 15-17 miles and takes about an hour or so, and there's no way that I'm gonna ride that far in regular pants. Not only would it be uncomfortable, but the pants would get dirty and sweaty riding that far.

If you're deadset on wearing pants, several cycling suppliers (such as Rivendell) sell pants that are supposedly comfortable for cycling and look like normal pants.

I wear some tapered leg running pants from Target. They're decently thick, so they keep me warm down to about 25F. Below that I supplement with some tights underneath.

I change once at work. No shower needed. If I'm sweaty enough to need a shower, then it's either 80F+ or I overdressed. It's amazing how little you need to wear once you get moving. I've gone down to 9F with nothing more than tights+pants and a base layer + wind breaker (30 minute ride).

I wear those from time to time, especially on days I just don;t want to change clothes.
I have a pair in khaki and a black pair.

Otherwise, I'll wear hiking shorts or 'running pants' and change clothes.

This.
I got a pair of Headwind pants last year. love them. I also have the Headwind jacket.
I carry my clothes with me every day in my pannier and change in the locker room after wiping off or showering.
If you don't have a locker room, and just an office or a bathroom, pack a lightweight camping quickdry towel or some wipes, and change where you can.
When I was riding to school (as a teacher) I changed in my classroom closet, and hung everything up to air out during the day in there too.

Well, to me it's pretty obvious that not having to change at all is the easiest approach, and it's a viable option for a number of people. It was for me for a few years.

What type of bike would do that?

Bike specific clothing happens for a few reasons:
1. Weather - needing to dress for the weather outside, rather than the controlled temps inside, so you're comfortable / healthy / safe for weather conditions.
2. Physical Flexibility - You're exercising, clothing that doesn't restrict movement.
3. Durability - needing clothing that's durable for riding with the bike. (Jeans tend to wear on the seat and wear out.)

Do you have a kind of bike in mind? One could possibly change their sense of fashion to accommodate #2 and #3 , but #1 seems like it would require an enclosure over the bike, as a well as a gas powered heater and air conditioner lol.

Lol well it's true that there are different kind of "pants". I mentioned the Shower's Pass page because I wasn't sure what level the OP needed exactly. There's:
1. Form fitting "check out my ass tights" lol. I mean hey, they're really comfortable and look fine on the bike. I just don't like walking into work with them.
2. Semi-pants that are looser than tights but still not as wide as pants. This is the category Novara Headwind pants are in. I don't have a problem walking into work in them, but I would want to sit in them at work all day, they would look out of place.
3. Full on pants. Exact same shape as regular pants. Though "wind resistance" isn't a big deal for me, it was difficult for me to find anything like this that was also windproof front, breathable, stretchy, and durable (bike jeans aren't as durable as synthetic bike gear). Not saying it's impossible, just that I was looking around and didn't see it so I bought the Novara Headwind pants instead.

It's hard for me to tell exactly what the OP is looking for, OP says they'd rather not change pants, but also doesn't want to risk chain grease on their pants, so they might need to change pants. I guess rereading it I might have mostly read the title and not read through what the OP was asking for as closely as I should have... :-/

The Showers Pass Rogue pant might be the closest I know of offhand:
https://www.showerspass.com/products/rogue-pant

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9l7GRTbOjuM/maxresdefault.jpg

Lol well it's true that there are different kind of "pants". I mentioned the Shower's Pass page because I wasn't sure what level the OP needed exactly. There's:
1. Form fitting "check out my ass tights" lol. I mean hey, they're really comfortable and look fine on the bike. I just don't like walking into work with them.
2. Semi-pants that are looser than tights but still not as wide as pants. This is the category Novara Headwind pants are in. I don't have a problem walking into work in them, but I would want to sit in them at work all day, they would look out of place.
3. Full on pants. Exact same shape as regular pants. Though "wind resistance" isn't a big deal for me, it was difficult for me to find anything like this that was also windproof front, breathable, stretchy, and durable (bike jeans aren't as durable as synthetic bike gear). Not saying it's impossible, just that I was looking around and didn't see it so I bought the Novara Headwind pants instead.

It's hard for me to tell exactly what the OP is looking for, OP says they'd rather not change pants, but also doesn't want to risk chain grease on their pants, so they might need to change pants. I guess rereading it I might have mostly read the title and not read through what the OP was asking for as closely as I should have... :-/

The Showers Pass Rogue pant might be the closest I know of offhand:
https://www.showerspass.com/products/rogue-pant

P.S. Closer to the OP's request, "Club Ride" makes some normal looking bike pants to:
Men's Pants ? Club Ride Apparel

I'm wearing their jeans, I love them, they're very stretchy but they still look like regular jeans. In the last month I've tried on at least 10 pairs of jeans, and the "Cog" straight jeans have been the more comfortable than everything else while still looking pretty much like regular jeans:
Cog Jean ? Club Ride Apparel

They also make a more tapered jean called the "Shift" jean that I also bought and is good but haven't worn past trying on yet:
Shift Jean ? Club Ride Apparel
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/017...82356413922223

These jeans have a lot of bike-specific features (no-crack back, stretchy water resistant material, reinforced crotch), but ironically I wear them for everything except biking because they're expensive and didn't hold up that well last time I wore them on the bike. 1 ride and they were already showing signs of wear in the crotch (despite the reinforced crotch). It was an older model, so maybe they made improvements, but jean material is just not very durable when rubbing against the side of a bike seat in my experience.

Their Worx Trouser is another suggestion, the material is "denim-like" (the others are actual denim) so maybe it be more durable:
Worx Trouser ? Club Ride Apparel
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/017...98329092399383

They also make a "Fat Jack" pant that's more of a "primary biking, secondary look like regular pants" pant. Made out of polyster which I think is far more durable for biking. But the slightly different colored material across the thigh on it made me think it would look a little weird to wear at work. But who's knows, fashion taste differs from one person to another.
Fat Jack ? Club Ride Apparel
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/017...40214345474760

There's a number of suggestions that are probably closer to what the OP was looking for. Sorry, read the title but not the original post as closely as I should have...