I've always wondered what properties or characteristics the term "technical" implies when used in reference to clothing for bicycling.

In most cases, a combination of breathability and water resistance.

ISO811 is a good place to start.

In that vein...

I recently bought another two pair of Levi's 511 commuter pants. They were at Macy's in a separate display from the regular 511's. Not a bargain rack, and it was well stocked. However they weren't listed as "Commuter" on any label included. They still have the reinforced crotch, black label, reflective cuff, U-lock holster hidden in the waistband.

I have never seen any reference to the term "ISO811" in any consumer catalog or online ad copy for so-called "technical" clothing intended for bicyclists.

Yes ISO811 is a standard for breathability and water resistance, but does the consumer have any assurance that clothing on the market advertised as "technical" meets the ISO811 or any other standard just because the buzz word "technical" is included in the sales pitch?

https://showerspass.co.uk/products/refuge-jacket

The data is located under the Product Compare tab. I intentionally selected a website/product that the American audience will be familiar with.

It's clearly listed under that tab with a simplified star-rating for those not familiar with the particular ISO ratings.

For example, my jacket which is designed for cycling and fashionable wear and bought in a boutique shop in Amsterdam and had 10k/5k labels directly on it.

Where I am located, most outdoor gear directly states the ratings and people wouldn't buy outdoor/cycling clothing without such a label (as it probably hasn't be tested.)

I am glad that you are gaining new insights from BF and I hope you enjoy your stay.

Maybe there is no legal standard for what a technical garment or fabric is, but I take it to mean that it uses something recently developed as opposed to doing things the old way. Like so many buzzwords and standards, if it hasn't been abused yet, it will be, but that doesn't mean it's entirely meaningless.

My wife and mother in law were in an outdoor clothing store, and my mother in law said she wanted to buy stuff for both of us. I tried on some pants made by Prana (or really, they call themselves prAna). I had never heard of them. Mother in law said they looked good on me, so I let her buy them. At $80, I wouldn't have bought them for myself. And wow, I'm impressed. They are stretchy and comfortable, and I can wear them riding in the rain with more comfort than any other pants. They are warm enough in cold weather, yet they are also cool enough in warm weather, so I guess that means we can call them breathable. So I'd say there's some kind of innovation going on. I don't follow the textiles industry, but I'd say they're doing stuff, just as so many industries are not done innovating.

prAna men's pants at REI

I wear my work clothes when I commute in. It's about 10 km each way. My work is casual, so I benefit from that (shorts and t-shirt in the summer). Having said that, I'll usually take transit if I have to wear a suit for a client meeting or something like that.
I did commute to a client for roughly 2 months in business casual attire. Really, the key for all cases is just to not go too fast in the morning.

Never heard of Showerpass. I do see that you haven't "changed" the tone of your commentary on BF a bit, no matter what you posted elsewhere; just the same old, same old acidfast7 being acidfast7 routine.

Look man. I like you and your excellent German bikes.

However, Showerspass is one of the largest purveyors of rain cycling gear and it's an American company. It's discussed here all the time. I honestly don't understand how one could be a commuter and not know about it.

I think that you should learn about outdoor gear and how it's tested via the links I posted and not complain about my posting style for two posts in a row without bringing any valuable information to the discussion.

GORE bike is another brand that you may not have heard of and they're worth checking out as well as their gear is solid.


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It's true, even I know about the Showerspass brand even though there's no way I'm spending 200 - $300 that they want for a rain jacket. I'll just use a $15-$20 "resistant" jacket when it's warm, or $2 rain cape when it's cold.

Now I know about another high priced boutique operation.
FYI, I searched the Showers Pass web site and saw reference to the "technical" clothing and "high-performance "materials , but not one mention of ISO-anything. Buzz words do make good ad copy and may help justify the price tags for those impressed by it. Nice dreamy pictures of good looking Millennials wearing while at play also doesn't hurt the image that is being promoted.

I'm not really sure what else I can do. Are you being obtuse on purpose? I posted a direct link with instructions about how to access categories based on the results from the ISO tests. It's present for everyone to read.

Sorry man, can't really help or directly spell it out any more clearly. Have a good evening.

There is no such thing as 100% breathable and 100% waterproof at the same time, such fabric doesn't exist... Even the most expensive and most technical fabrics which are advertised as waterproof and breathable will loose their breathability when physical exertion reaches a certain point. and overwhelms fabrics breathability..and then you'll end up soaked with sweat inside a so-called waterproof/ breathable fabric.

As I stated above, there are precise scientific measurements in the link I provided about how to measure breathability and waterproofness. This isn't rocket science and every outdoor sporting garment I see in Europe lists these specifications.

As far as percent breathable (as in 100%) like you stated, I don't have an idea what that sentence means as it's not in the commonly used units. If I started reciting power at the crank in Joules people would be scratching their head if if it's technically correct.

Here is a better description (please click on this link unlike that other one that people don't seem to be clicking on.)

https://www.evo.com/guides/outerwear-waterproof-ratings-and-breathability

If you read that quick article, you soon see that 100% breathable doesn't mean anything as it's nonsensical and not comparable between fabrics. The data should have absolute units (as they do.)

I usually cycle in sport clothes, but not in that special for cycling. Lol, I had a really funny situation related to clothes and my bike. Last year when I was riding to the school party, I was wearing tulle skirt from LilyLulu, my favorite one, by the way. I thought it would be ok as the skirt wasn't so long, however you know, these skirts have very tiny fabric which often gets wrinkled or even ripped. So, I think it's pretty obvious what happened next. Anyway, I did buy one more from there and still happy with it!

I've cycled in all sorts of things - three piece suit to work, even morning coat when going to a wedding. Neither was a long journey nor regular and - obviously - looking peculiar is not a big worry (while cycling or otherwise). Only once has my boss asked me to do him a favour and never wear the shirt I was wearing again. Even so, I do sometimes wonder whether the wisdom "other people's opinion of you is their problem" isn't one I over-rely on.
For myself, I prefer dark "ordinary clothes" - dark because it hides the stains and ordinary clothes because people who aren't cyclists seem to react better to them. Like others, I get the theory of panniers but still find a messenger bag is what actually works.
I also seem to curse clothes by liking them - Levis commuters and Wolsey grip top socks are pretty much my standard wear.

I always wear my regular clothes. The touring bike has full coverage fenders so no issue even on the dirt roads. I also use the dry lube wax type stuff on my chain to that's not too much of a problem and just pace myself and use antiperspirant to avoid sweat in the warmer months.

The Dutch solution to drivetrains is also a nice one, lot of the bikes sold in Netherlands are of fully enclosed drivetrain and with geared hubs it's not too much of an issue anymore. Not my style personally but a pretty good implementation none-the-less.

I always get sweaty when biking to work so there's no way I can bike in my work clothes. There's a gym in my office building so I take a quick shower after getting there and then slip into my work clothes feeling refreshed and ready for the day

And two nice reflectors pull out from under the back pockets. They also have a decently water repellent, although not for a downpour. They are stretchy and super breathable the only pants I can really bike in with out sweating to much, as they wick away moisture very well. Love these pants ---a2b is the official name.

My current commute is about 6km, with a few hills. In the middle of winter the temperature at 6.45am can get down to 3˚C (37˚F), whilst in the middle of a bad summer the temp at 6.45am could be as high as 30˚C, (86˚F) with high humidity.

I would love to be able to wear work clothes, but as someone who sweats at the drop of a hat, I wear a lycra cycling jersey and cycling shorts throughout the year. I hang them up at work and have a wash and get changed into clean clothes that I store at work. At the end of the day the cycling gear is dry and fresh enough for me to ride home. Often I will dump the backpack when I get home and do another 20 to 30km for funsies.

All my jersies are treated with anti-stink, so I get 2-3-4 (! in winter) wears out of them before washing. Fresh shorts every day.

I do this even though the before- and after-ride cleaning and dressing takes as long as the commute to work itself. Doesn't phase me. This is the most convenient way for me to do things. I remain sane because I get to ride every day, and I feel fresh at work.

And I get to annoy the type of people who want to judge me for wearing lycra on a 6km commute.

I don't think I could

I don't think I could

In the fall/winter, I'd wear my work pants (dressy looking tech pants, like Outlier Slim Dungarees) and merino wool socks, but have a merino wool shirt on and cycling jacket. I change into one of about five button-downs that I keep folded up at my desk. Some of those button downs are merino wool as well, because not only are they nice shirts, they really do stay fresher than my cotton shirts. I always commute in sneakers, and change into work shoes at my desk.

In the summer, it's always shorts and some kind of loose, non-cotton, active shirt. I use a full-body, no-rinse wipe to freshen up in the bathroom and change into pants/shirt. I'd like to switch to something more sustainable than the wipes though. There's another guy in the office that just uses a hand towel and brings in liquid soap.

I once had a stupidly short commute of just 1 mile each way so cycled to and from work (on a hybrid) in work clothes including collar and tie plus heavy steel toe-capped shoes!

After semi-retiring (I'm now working a 3-day week) I've cycled to and from work (on a road bike) wearing cycling kit on the following each way distances; 10 miles, 3 miles and my current 12 miles. As a former company car driver, I spent about 35 years being very envious of cycle commuters and I'm loving every minute of cycle commuting - apart from the punctures of course.

I've ridden to work many times wearing my office clothes. This in Georgia; hot, humid, rolling hills. It all depends on the route, your level of fitness, and planning.

Top of the "planning" part is to always store a full change of clothes at work, even if you always carry a change anyway.​​​​​