Russ

Hi, folks - first time post.

I've been commuting (18 miles round trip) for about 3 months. When the gas prices spiked I dusted off my mid-80's mountain bike and started riding a few days a week - replacing components as they broke. I've pretty much got the bike up to speed now, and I've worked up to 4 or 5 days per week.

So far, I've been riding with my work pants and shoes, and just changing my shirt upon arrival, but now that the weather is warming up, I know that's not going to work anymore (too sweaty). Luckily, I have a shower at work so I can bring in my work clothes and change.

So here's what I've got for cycling clothes: clipless shoes, cycling gloves, a few synthetic t-shirts, a nylon windshirt, and a set of lightweight waterproof breathable jacket/pants lifted from my backpacking gear. I'm getting ready to buy a pair or two of cycling shorts (probably the mtn bike style).

So here's the question: Is this an adequate setup for Pacific Northwest - 5 day/week commuting? Not that I've got money burning a hole in my pocket, but I like to have the right tools for the job.

Thanks,
Russ

marqueemoon

Congrats on your progress! As far as the clothes go, I think you have it pretty much covered. 9 miles each way might not be enough to warrant padded shorts, but it can't hurt. My commute is 14 miles round trip and I don't bother with padded shorts. My workplace is pretty casual, so I like to do as little changing as possible.

My favorite item of clothing is a light Descente fleece jersey (full zip) I wear it pretty much year-round. It's great an insulating layer in the winter or as a light jacket in the spring and summer. This thing is great. I'm wearing it right now in fact.

I'm also a fan of lightweight full zip sweaters for wearing at work. They look fairly nice and can be thrown on as an extra layer in case the temperature drops for the ride home. They can also be wadded up and thrown in my bag and come out looking pretty decent.

As for the shoes thing, I ride in my clipless shoes and just leave a pair of shoes at work.

Loooty

4 - 5 days a week is awesome. Congratulations.
I've had a job shift and am still working on getting back up there...

Anyway, a few suggestions:

If you are going to wear padded shorts, get enough that you can wear a fresh pair each commute. You do not want to wear the same pair twice as to avoid sores and other saddle/bacteria combo issues.

I, in my modesty, was sure that mountain style shorts were perfect. It turns out that the pair I bought were terribly uncomfortable. I now just throw a pair of actual cycling shorts on under a pair of regular shorts or wear tights when its cold. If you determine that you need/want padded shorts do yourself a favor and spend the money for a nicer pair. They can be found on sale and are worlds better than the binding chaffing combo of built in chamois in the mountain type short. I also often put on pants which have a gusseted crotch (yoga, climbing, martial arts etc) over cycling shorts.

Lastly, on the topic of shorts. Don't buy 7 pairs at once. You will need to ride a pair before you know if they are comfortable. 2 here, one there, and work your way up.

You may look into shoe covers if you don't want to have to put wet shoes on at the end of the day. Some people use plastic bags too. They're free after all.

Many people complain that synthetic shirts retain smells. Depending on what your work environment is like (how quickly you can change, who might smell you before you do etc.) you may wish to have more shirts/jerseys. T-shirts might work for you depending on how much you sweat.

I have a similar wardrobe to yours and try to supplement with layers. I have full-fingered gloves, liner gloves, shoe covers, arm warmers and leg warmers. Between these, a few pairs of tights and a 6 or so pairs of shorts I manage just fine down here in Portland.

Welcome to Bikeforums and keep it up!

banerjek

This is a minor issue presuming you change your underwear. I ride considerably further and rarely miss a day, but I only wash my stuff once per week. In all fairness, it reeks to high heaven by the end of the week, particularly in the warmer months, but I've been doing it for years.

The clothes you suggest are just fine for NW presuming you're in the mild/rainy zone as opposed to the mountains or desert.

Jarery

First, eeewwwwwwwww, thats gross !!!!!!
Second, you dont wear underwear under cycling shorts

To the originial poster, you dont need to buy much for summer in pnw, doesnt get too hot or cold here. What you got sounds fine, maybe a long sleeve jersey for cloudy/cold mornings. I have 3 sets fo cyclign shorts, so i do laundry once mid week and once on weekends.

Sawtooth

I get fully dressed in shorts and jersey for only 8.5 miles. I love the comfort. Even if you only get one pair of shorts (the collection will grow), strongly consider washing them more than banerjek does. If nothing else, it keeps your workplace from smelling like a jockstrap (no offense to our smelly friend ). I find that if I can't do laundry, simply washing them out in the shower with soap works wonders.

marqueemoon

For "real" cycling clothes I prefer knickers - better for this climate and my creaky knees. I like being comfortable and changing wouldn't take all that long I guess, but then I'd have extra clothes to bring with me and I'd have to figure out where to put slightly sweaty shorts here in cubicle land. It's just way less hassle to ride in the pants I'm going to work in. In 7 miles I don't get that stinky.

Russ

Thanks for all the feedback - just what I was hoping for. Just for kicks, I rode today in an old pair of spandex "compression" shorts and a pair of gym shorts. Bad idea - for some reason the compression shorts caused some sort of weird binding and friction in the nether regions. My work pants were more comfortable. I'll be at a conference at REI Seattle on Thursday and Friday, so I'll check their bargain bin (or whatever they call it) for some good cycling shorts.

Thanks again,
Russ

scottmorrison99

Shhhh! You'll bring the Underwear Nazi down on him.

Russ

Well, I got some bike shorts and shoes a few weeks ago, so for the last two weeks, I've been carrying my work clothes and changing at work. I have to say that this is a much better way to go! For example:

*I can ride as hard as I want without worrying about getting too sweaty
*I don't have to wear rain gear everytime it sprinkles just to keep my work clothes dry
*A hot shower and shave after a hard ride is a great way to start the day
*Cycling gear (esp. shoes and clipless pedals) perform a lot better than work clothes
*No more chain marks on my trousers

I had been thinking about purchasing some high end (and high dollar) w/b raingear to keep my work clothes (somewhat) dry, but after the last two weeks, I'm not even sure I need rain gear. Though it rains frequently around here, it rarely rains very hard. I get wet, but my non-cotton clothing dries out pretty well during the day, just in time for the ride home.

All in all, count me squarely in the "carry your work clothes and change" camp.

khuon

I think many have covered the important items. I will have to reiterate the importance of booties/shoe covers. This is especially important during the colder wetter seasons (all three of them ). You can lose a lot of body heat through your feet and head. And wet shoes are not only un-fun (is that a word), uncomfortable and nasty for subsequent rides but also can drain your body heat which can make you more succeptable to an illness.

Since no one has mentioned it already, it's important to note that visibility is very important. As you know, we get long darkness during the deep winter and the skyscape can blend with the landscape into a wall of grey. Also we can get quite a bit of fog. This can sometimes make it difficult for others to distinguish you from the surroundings. While you likely have some form of lighting on your bike, something you might want to investigate is wearable active lighting accessories such as blinkie arm/legbands. These can also be used to help secure the cuffs of your cycling pants to keep them from getting caught in your chainrings. I like this one...

Planet Bike BRT Strap

42x16

I agree w/ marqueemoon kinckers (or knee warmers) are nice in this climate. It is still in the 30's in the mornings and you want to protect those knees. I would also suggest adding a light weight wind vest to your clothing, Pearl Izumi makes a nice one. It will protect your core from wind and light mist without overheating you. Instead of a long sleeve jersey consider arm warmers the are more versatile and you can add them to a short sleeve jersey in the morning when it is 35 and put them in your bag on the afternoon commute home when it is 60.

MillCreek

I am in the same area as the original poster, and if anyone has a good idea on how to transport a full set of business attire: suit, shirt, tie, and dress shoes, I am all ears. I don't really have access to a shower at work. My work environment is business dress only and the commute is ten miles each way, so cycling in a suit is not really an option. I have tried it before and between the sweat and the road grit, it just doesn't work.

khuon

Is there a gym close by which you could join? If so, then join one, see if you can rent a locker there, leave your clothes there and change/shower there. Luckily there is a shower at my workplace so I do the drive twice a week to refresh ny wardrobe at work even though I don't really have to dress up or anything. Also, another place where you can find public showers is near the waterfront usually at a yacht club or marina. Of course this assumes you're lucky enough to work near one.

Russ

I don't wear a suit at work - only slacks (i.e Dockers) and a decent shirt (no tie), so I've been able to just iron my clothes in the AM and then roll everything up (with my towel) and then put it into my pannier.

If I had to wear a suit, I think I would leave the jacket, shoes, some ties, and perhaps the trousers at work and just bring in a clean shirt and underwear each day. Less to carry, and less to get wrinkled.

There are also some companies that sell garment bag-type panniers that drape over your rack, in which you can carry a suit. Here's a link to one: https://www.twowheelgear.com/

Russ

vrkelley

Welcome Russ! To ride that kind of mileage every day, you'll need to vary your intensity otherwise after awhile, it's difficult for your legs to recover from each ride (esp if your ride includes alot of hills). When legs don't recover, they're more prone to injury and you won't be able to ride as fast.

Also with your mileage, weather can be tricky. Keep an eye on that radar!

Russ

VR,

It's funny you mention that - I've definitely noticed that I'm dragging by the end of the week, but then feeling good again on Monday. When I first started commuting, I didn't have the routine down, and I was also reluctant to ride in the rain, so I would end up driving once or twice a week, and didn't have this trouble. Now that I'm riding pretty much every day, I am going to have to do something different. Maybe take it easy on Wednesdays or something along those lines. I also wonder if there is a nutrition aspect - like maybe I should be eating more carbs. (Although, that wouldn't help me lose those 20 lbs I'm carrying every where I go).

Ah, well, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it, right?

vrkelley

Ha ha! Well it depends on who you talk to! Some of us think it's pretty easy to commute via bike

Some say that this short of a distance doesn't require refueling/water. But I find that just 200 calories carb/protien after the a 10-15mi ride (one way) makes a big difference...at the end of the work day, my legs have recovered and there's no soreness.

Russ

This nutrition/rest thread is a little off topic here, so I've reposted under "Do you run out of gas at the end of the week"

Russ

Man, it was raining buckets this morning! I wore my regular outfit (bike shoes and shorts, nylon jacket) and added my J&G rain cape. I was pretty happy with the performance of the cape, except the thumb loops (too much flapping in the rain) - I think I'll do a little surgury at home. But with the exception of my feet, I don't think I was any wetter than from sweat after a hard ride.

But like Khuon suggested, I think I'll be investing in some shoe covers. My shoes and socks are totally soaked, and they certainly won't be dried out by this afternoon. What kind of shoe covers do you folks recommend? Neoprene? Gore-tex type? other? I don't really need insulation - it doesn't get that cold here and I'm pretty "warm blooded" anyway.

Russ

vrkelley

Yes you can cheap out and go with a sneaker but good luck drying them out.

I recommend a waterproof mt bike shoe/boot and long pants that cover the top of the shoe because moisture/mildew and athlete's foot is a constant issue when the inside of shoes get/stay wet every day.

Jarery

I use sandals, with wool socks and goretex socks over them. The sandals dry in like 10 minutes at work.

When the weather is colder I wear a thin bootie over all of it to block wind and reduce the water the goretex sock needs to deal with.

The advantage is I can wear the same sandal all year round, from no socks in summer, to 2 wool socks + goretex in winter, they adjust enough. Its a little less convenient than a winter boot on its own, but works ok.

vrkelley

That's a pretty cool idea. What's the coldest temp and speed that you ride @ in with those sandels?

Bekologist

I just picked up some Ibex wool knee warmers to suit a cool spring - very nice, wind resistant climawool fronts.....


And to Mill Creek's query about transporting a suit - Jannd makes a very sweet commuter suit bag that clips onto a back rack like a pannier, I was just checking one out the other week down at Elliot Bay Cycles just north of the Pike Place Market. I thought- 'boy, if i ever get a job i need a suit for...'

Jarery

Lowest temp, well what was lowest we got to this winter here in pac nw? -5c + windchill I think was as cold as we got. So low 20's F? Im just north of ya in Vancouver BC and used sandals every day this winter.

Toes were a bit cold in our frosty week, but i shoulda used 2 smartwool socks instead of one thin defeet and 1 smartwool. They also wernt 'that' cold, just not toasty.

As I said the biggest problem is it takes time to add all the layers on your feet compared to winter boots.