Mangled pant legs - a better way?
 

So I'm fairly new to the commuter biking scene, but I'm loving it. Seattle is, to me, a particularly nasty place to drive, especially for shortish trips to grocery stores, libraries, banks, etc. The bike is really, really handy, and I'm getting some great exercise at the same time (though I'm still getting winded with full panniers with food going up long, persistent hills). However, there's a couple of problems.

First, I quickly caught on that without a chain guard, pant legs tend to get greased up and chewed out by the chain. I tried rolling up my pants, but they tend to fall back down while I'm riding. So I've started tucking the bottom of my pants into the long white socks I tend to wear with long pants, and that works well, but it's a bit sloppy and none-too-stylish. What other techniques do commuters here use to keep the bottoms of their pants from getting geared and greasy?

Second, where do people tend to keep their chain and U-lock while commuting? I park at different places on campus each day, so leaving a U-lock there isn't an option. So far I've been using my bag, but it's a pain packing the locks in with everything else. I have a thin Axiom rack, but no bungee cords yet to pin anything down. Also, the U-lock came with a clip holder that attaches to the bike, but the only place it can sit without interfering with the water bottle cage is on the top bar, hanging down, and I'd have to figure out how to put it on without interfering with the rear break line.

Any tips?

Yeah, your LBS should have some kind of "pant clip" that wraps around your right leg to prevent that problem....or use a gigantic rubber band or something.

As for your lock, I don't know. A lot of trendy types I see just put them in their back pocket, but it looks ridiculously uncomfortable to me. I leave mine attached to the rack at work.

For pants, just get a pant leg wrap -- here's example, they work with any pants. They're probably like 2$ at your LBS, located in a jar next to the cash register.
http://www.safetycentral.com/reflegbancha.html

For locks, I just keep mine in my pannier bags.

Roll up the pant leg carefully and a bit more. Keep a lock at each place you lock your bike on campus - 6 keys are lighter than one lock. Or get a locksmith to set the locks so one key will work on all of them. There are U lock holders that put the lock on the side of the seat tube with the U going back towards the rear hub. You may also be able to slide the U through the rear of the seat rails.

Classy Steel leg band - http://www.amazon.com/Pant-Cuff-Clip...5025053&sr=8-2

Cool light up leg bands - http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Mu...7&sr=8-1-spell

Hebie Chain Gliders are, supposedly, easy to retrofit (full chain case) - http://www.bikefront.com/products/chainguards

For something a little, less orthodox, you can take a page from ultralight backpackers and go with some ultralight gaiters:

Simblissity Levagaiter (needs long laced area but no other attachements) - http://www.simblissity.net/levagaiter.htm

Or, if you REALLY want to look like you've got off the reservation - dirty girl gaiters - http://www.dirtygirlgaiters.com/

I just stuff mine into my sock. It works perfectly, and there is nothing to buy or lose.

I have to go with the leg bands to keep your pants in place. They are available at most bike stores.

For my recumbent, the locks go into my backpack which is slung over the back of my seat while I ride, and my utility bike just has a curly cable routed through the rails of my saddle.

http://www.rsvppost.com/wp-content/u...ct-tape-3m.jpg

Because rubber bands break, and the local LBS's don't seem to stock the strap you all are talking about, I use an elastic bungee from the local auto store. Loop is about 5" across, lose the plastic ball that comes with it and knot it to fit your leg. Have one pair that's two years old.

$2 for a set of 4.

just roll um up like the fixie hipster kids

This.

Every "hip" thing has its roots in something that actually made sense.

For really cheap, use binder clips. Velcro strips work fine too. Jogalite-type reflective bands have the advantage of being visible to drivers, especially at twilight and nighttime.

I stuff my pant leg into my sock. No socks = I'm wearing shorts anyway. Cheapest solution ever.

For my chain, I either wear it bandolier-style or wrap it around the seatpost and lock it to the rack. U-locks get hung on the handlebar, hung from the seatpost using their bracket, dropped into a bag or pannier, or on the bars & stem pseudo-aerobar-style with some Twofish Lockblocks:
http://www.twofish.biz/bike.html

I've got a set of bands from my LBS that were $3 each. But sometimes I forget them...I keep a pair of the green pseudo-velcro straps that one can find on produce in the grocery store in my bag. Left leg green leaf, right leg romaine. Works in a pinch.

I wrap my RoadID around my right ankle outside the pants.

I sometimes use a laundry clip... just fold the pants and clip them from below... easy, cheap and quick.

I bought a bike with a chainguard. The old bike now serves as an emergency backup.

Paul

Since I ride at night, I put reflective velcro straps on both pants legs, but oherwise, I do the sock thing. Either way, it pays to do the job carefully and neatly. Roll the socks down, pull the loose part of the trouser cuff forward at the crease, and fold the excess away to the outside, then roll the sock back up.

I have a roll of double sided Velcro used for wrapping computer cables.

It works well, and if you lose a section its pretty easy to cut a new one.

I have a very short bungie that I just wrap around my ankle to hold the pant leg.

I've used a strap around the bottom of my jeans, but I really didn't like it. In additional to the small additional hassle, I found that it made biking less pleasant. It made my leg hotter and sweatier (because you've closed up the opening at the bottom of the leg), and it made that leg on my pants more constricting.

The absolute best solution I know of, if you can get it, is a chainring guard. It's just an additional (slightly wider) plastic ring on outside of your front rings. Here's a picture of one, though usually they're a little more discrete:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HV4s5YnSv4...uardRing_2.jpg

The main issue is that, even though they've been around since the 70's, if your bike didn't come with one they're next to impossible to get added after the fact without paying a bunch of money (a fact I discovered when I asked to add one to my commuter road bike). Many shops said they might be able to do it, but it would require replacing the entire front...gear thingy (sorry, blanking on the term right now).

This is the only one I could find that looked like it might fit on a 50 tooth front chainring:
http://calhouncycle.com/ProductCart/...idproduct=1242

It seemed like it was possible to find one at a reasonable cost for a 48 tooth front chainring, here's some from Salsa:
http://www.salsacycles.com/chainrings.html

Hmm, I guess Velo Orange is now selling one that's supposed to be big enough for a 50 tooth chainring, don't think it was available when I last looked (Sugino Chainring Guard):
http://www.velo-orange.com/suchgu.html

I think the chainring guard is the best solution - it looks like it would quite do it, but I've been riding with mine, commuting to work in jeans, and just haven't had any problems at all. No rips, no snags, haven't noticed any oil on my pant leg - nothin.

Here's a larger chain guard - the SKS chainboard chainguard:
http://blog.thepracticalcyclist.org/...hainguard.html

Last time I checked it only did up to a 48 tooth front ring, but it could have changed, or perhaps it's ok for you.

I have a velcro strap that has reflective material on the outside of it, works well to sinch in the pant leg. But as I'm always misplacing it I tend to just do the sock in pants thing. I have a chain guard on my single speed bike, and my three-speed internal-hub folders, which I love. But chain guards don't work that well with derailleur bikes.

For the lock I have an Evolution Mini which I lock through the bars on the top of the rack. Or stuff it in a pannier/basket/whatnot.

PS Get bungee cords and leave em on the rack. Come in handy for many things! (and if your lock is beefier like the Fahgettaboutit (Sp?) bungeeing to the rack may be the easiest place to store it.

Most locks come with little mounts to put on your bike these days. I generally am quite happy with them.

I should get one of those for my city bike (specifically the Sugino one from Velo Orange). How easy are they to install? Are new chainring bolts necessary, and if so, where can I find some?

I use an old knee band I had lying around. It's basically a stretchy neoprene band with a velcro fastener I got from a sporting goods store. My lock I usually bungee to the top of my rack or use Barracksi idea and use a twofish lockblock. The mount that came with the lock is less secure than the lockblock.