You must be frothing about the thought of my situation. We have bike lockers outside, indoor climate controlled and secure parking, a full service bike shop with mechanics on staff from 7am to 8pm with a coffe shop attatched, and showers. Best of all you go down get your bike out of storage, walk out of the back door at work and your on a bike highway that goes about 4 miles each direction and connects to all the major trails in the Twin Cities.

If you listen to his NPR broadcast pretty much his first recommendation for commuters is to wear what they'd wear to work, but it's quickly qualified by "or dress for the weather". So he seems to acknowledge that office attire doesn't always work well if the weather is too warm or too cold.

His biggest pet peeve is spandex.

The person interviewing him specifically asked about a suit and Grant said that suits are little more difficult but still workable. I didn't quite catch his entire response regarding that. It sounded like he suggested throwing the sports coat into rear basket. Maybe he said you could pack the whole suit but I don't think so.

If one is going to change who cares what they change into for the ride?

I can see the argument against changing at all, just hop on and go - which is what many people who don't ride for recreation/fitness/sport do anyway for short errands, etc.

However once people are dressing for the weather and changing clothes anyway, suggesting or telling people what they need to change into is ridiculous.

I agree but what I think he's saying is that if the weather is warm throw on a pair of shorts and maybe a light shirt so that you don't overheat and get sweaty. Sure, you then have to change at work but you can skip the shower. Or maybe it's just a matter of leaving the tie off until you arrive.

There's a guy at work who commutes primarily in his work clothes but substitutes a t-shirt for a dress shirt on warmer days.

To me all of these are valid approaches. For Grant they're apparently valid too, - until you start putting on the spandex.

Me: You should wear what is comfortable while riding, and if necessary, change at work into whatever attire is appropriate. Do I get an interview on NPR? Nope, nothing new there.

GP: You should ride to work in your work clothes. Do I get an interview on NPR? Yes, that's totally new and hip, man.

My commute is 5 - 6 ish miles and relatively flat, but with a lot of stopping and starting. It's really rare that I get to just cruise along on my way in, even if it is slightly downhill. Wearing baggy nylon shorts and a wicking tee shirt while taking it easy on the way in works for me, because otherwise I end up sweating either while riding or after I get to work. I push harder on the way home for the extra exercise, and this way I get a good balance of exercise and sweat.

I'm starting to see a pattern. The comparison between Apple and Rivendell has already been brought up. There's spandex vs non-spandex. Then there's the Prius.

What does the Prius have to do with this? Some people are turned off by the Prius because it looks like a Prius and not like a regular car. They might want a hybrid but don't want to be a rolling advertisement for environmental advocacy.

Other people love the fact that the Prius looks different and are happy to make a statement by driving a car like that.

I'm not saying that the motivation is the same for people who choose to wear spandex is the same as wanting a Prius. My point is that we often get frustrated when whatever motivates us doesn't seem to have the same effect on somebody else, - even when we have what we consider very practical reasons for why it should.

To take an example from my work, I could blather on and on about why investing in insulation and installing efficient heating or a/c makes far more sense than putting solar panels on your roof. Yet many folks would much rather do the latter. The goal might appear to be the same for both of us, - reduced use of fossil fuels, but it's not, at least not entirely.

Same with a Rivendell. Someone might look at a Rivendell Atlantis and decide that it's an LHT with fancy lugs. What a waste of money. To other people a Riv is more than just nice lugs.

To Grant riding a bike should be a low energy and easygoing way to commute. If there's any additional work or inconvenience involved over driving, you shouldn't be doing it, or you're doing it wrong. To me if the only difference between driving and riding is that I'm slowly pedaling, well you've just taken half the advantages and most of the fun out of it.

Here's a situation: five or six years ago I was doing job interviews, mid-90's humid weather, 5-15 mile distances. Suit and tie stuff. You don't want to show up soaked, in workout clothes because the first impression is so critical. I wore the interview dress clothes on the bike except for jacket, tie and shirt, changed my shirt around the corner and put on tie and coat walking up.

For some time subsequently after getting hired, I did the same except changing shirts in the men's room. Image can be important, especially if being outrageous as the new guy isn't your style. Later on, after getting access to the company gym and a side door I now might walk up wearing anything, but traipsing through the front lobby and professional offices dripping sweat from workout clothes is not something to make a habit of. It's one of the basic questions everyone has about commuting, what to wear how to deal with perspiration and straightening up. It doesn't hurt to be reassured that you can do it the way I did.

I don't get how some folks can be outside in summer without sweating. I go to my 95F garage at 6am and pump up one tire and I am already breaking into a sweat. I would need a motor and A/C to avoid sweating on the way to work.

Yea, but look @ where you live.

It's the same thing here in Houston.

I can guarantee you that you can be outdoors in mid-summer in Upstate NY and not sweat. Maybe not every day, but many days.

The perspiration amounts vary. What's worth pointing out though is that most of our employees that drive walk 4 or 5 blocks from the ramp where we have subsidized parking. On a hot day that's more than enough time for some people to start sweating. Yet none of them change when they get to the office. So a little sweat is OK. Somewhere a line gets crossed between a little and a lot. That's different for everybody.

Also note that those who are heat adapted will start sweating response sooner and in greater quantity than those who are not.

150 posts and I am done for this round. Getting close.

Yes, I grew up in Northern MN and it gets very cold up there, typically 5-10 degrees cooler than the souther end of the state in the winter and probably 5 or so cooler on average during the summer. Not a huge deal but when it gets into mid to upper 80's or hotter here I sweat buckets. I can be two miles down the road and already get pretty sweaty.

I couldn't bike to work in the summer if I didn't have access to showers, baby wipes and the like just don't get it done for me.

i dress up as ronald mcdonald when i ride my bike.I feel it helps me go faster plus its fun to go thru drive thrus in this way.It is also what i wear on a date

Part spandex, so no good per GP, unless that is your work attire.

nah dont work there it just makes me feel sexy

Grant Petersen: "blah, blah, blah..... spandex..... blah, blah, blah..... racing..... blah, blah, blah..... clipless pedals..... blah, blah, blah..... RUINATION!"



must. get. to. 150.

In all fairness I came up with the deep sea diver suit comment pages before the Ronald McDonald one.

...145!

Difference being the deep sea diver suit comment was actually funny...

What do you want? An award? Here ya go:

Surrealdeal, official winner of the award for the first DEEP SEA DIVER SUIT COMMENT.

Will this ever end?

Unless we get another on-topic post, this thread ended at post 140.

LOL i dont care to be honest.Today im more worried about if the clouds will clear up so i can see if my telescope is fixed

#150 ftw!

P.S. - Apparently I also win the "Irritated Alan S." award. As far as I'm concerned there never was a topic to get off of. Telling other people how to be non-conformists is absurd.

I would like to thank everyone for their contribution to this topic of interest...

Thank you!

Now Moderators Do Your Thing, Please!