I do the same. I can get nice quality wool dress/suit pants for next to nothing sew on a button and a lashing strap (so they stay rolled up when I'm riding).

Might be kind of steampunk-ish looking on the bike, but I can unroll them when I get where I am going and throw on a dress shirt and a tie and not look like I've been through pedaling my butt off.

Been wearing old levi jeans in the winter for years with liner shorts (or tights when it is really cold) underneath. Look kinda raggedy but comfortable enough. I shower and change at work and so don't expect them to do double duty as work cloths. Now, if I could find a pair of tweedy knickers, I may change my image.

-G

I ride in jeans or wool slacks. Now when I buy a new pair I bring it straight to my dry cleaner and have him reinforce the crotch area. That used to be my main problem that the seam would go around the crotch.

Old worsted wool dress pants work for me, I've got a pair I wore out at work that are great for riding to work in. They look presentable when I get there, which is more than I can say for the rest of me some days.

Me, too. During warmer weather the above is my standard outfit. During really cold, rainy and/or winter weather I've got cycling weather specific clothing including Lake winter boots and gaiters. My commute's 42.2. miles rt w/2/3ds of it semi-urban. Over the years I've amassed enough clothing to cope w/just about any weather related situation...most of it purchased out of season, therefore at a substantial discount.

Thriftstore, yardsale and flea market finds have helped as well. For example my current set of commuter panniers were found at a flea market. 10.00USD for a set of Jandds w/Hurricane raincovers and a front rack was/is a pretty good deal. Just have to be in the right place and know what you're looking at when you run across something.

Would think going the thriftstore/2nd hand route would be the way to go. 140.00USD is pretty steep.

I like to commute in my work pants when it's cold enough (under 55). Once it gets too cold, I wear a pair of leg warmers underneath (around freezing). I got the leg warmers from my LBS last winter & they work great, I put them on underneath my work pants & when I get to work, I can pull them right off, without taking off my pants. They are windproof, so they work really well for my uses. It's usually much warmer on the ride home, so I don't wear them both ways, but if I did, I imagine, I would need to pull of my pants to put them back on. Once they're off, they roll up really small & I forget about them in my bag.

This is what I use and they are warm and comfortable!

http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/pid1217266

Could you put up pictures of these pants? I love this idea.

I recently went to an outdoor store and bought a pair of Mountain Hardwear hiking pants made out of extremely tough lightweight material for about $50. They are light green in color and have zip off legs so they convert to shorts. When its cold, I wear them over tights. I wish they had velcro straps to cinch around the ankles but they are not bike specific.

I just wear the fleece lined legwarmers and I've never had a problem down to high 20s. If I had to do pants I'd probably just go with tighter fitting jeans on top.

REI "Mistral" pants. http://www.rei.com/product/815993/re...mens-30-inseam
They are not cycling pants, but they have worked very nicely as my cycling pants. Legs are not overly large and billowy and they do have zippers that are about 10" long at the cuffs. They are advertised to be windproof to 25 mph. I would say that they are windproof to about 20 mph. They are water resistant, but definitely not water proof! The stretchy material makes pedaling a whole lot easier than jeans. The black color hides chain tattoes. Good down to a temperature of about 30 degrees (for my 20 minute morning commute). Below that, I'll add a layer of polyester long underwear.

A little pricey at US$90, but they've held up well for the three months or so that I've been wearing them.

Ray

I wouldn't pay $140 for pants even if I was wearing them at my own funeral.....

Dickies type work pants when it's warm from the Goodwill...$3 Cool,dry fast,last for years.

Wool dress pants for winter from Goodwill...$5 Warm,dry fast,last for years.

+1 for 511 commuters. i have two pairs and they really are some of the cheapest, yet well-made, cycling-specific pants.

they come in a "trouser" version now, with slash pockets and the traditional back pockets that make them a bit more dressier than the jean look.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban...sp?id=23690258