Baytree

Huh, I just checked out Rozik and they look cool.... but they don't make any pants for women! Kind of an oversight if you ask me. Then again, I couldn't afford $100 for a pair of shorts anyways.

FenderTL5

hybrid

I have a pair of Levis Commuter pants that I've been wearing most days since getting them for Christmas, particularly if it's wet/raining. Otherwise, it's tee shirts, thermal t's, and a wool sweater. Nothing cycle specific. I wear hiking boots when it's wet, regular running shoes if it's dry. I throw a dress shirt and a pair of dockers into my backpack or into the pannier.

AlmostGreenGuy

I have a long commute (30 miles), and arrive as a sweaty mess. So I wear cycling kit, take a baby wipe bath in the bathroom, and change when I get to work.

caloso

Depends on whether I'm going the direct way in or on a long detour/training ride before work. Dress for your ride.

Commodus

For normal commuting I just wear my regular clothes...but then I only buy clothes that will work on the bike. I do change when I get to work, but I would regardless. I don't shower, I just ride slow.

I do sometimes wear full kit, because I roll my workout into my commute home.

shepherdsflock

I ride in cycling gear. I value the comfort and durability of the cycling clothes (plus not having my office clothes all sweaty and stinky) more than I do the convenience of showing up to work already dressed and ready work. Plus, when it's 95 degrees with 85% humidity in July, riding in office clothes is NOT a pleasant experience. On top of all that, since I am a year-round commuter, I need clothes that will meet my needs in any weather conditions, and my office clothes certainly can't do that.

paul2432

I wear cycling specific clothes on my 8 mile commute. When my commute was only 0.75 mile each way I wore my street clothes.

I have showers at work.

Doohickie

Doh!

Fixed it. Here's a link to Rozik.

Mark Stone

I ride in street clothes when commuting. For me (others are different) I feel no difference in comfort at all up to about 2 hours of riding. If my ride is going to be longer than that, I whip out the bib shorts. For short rides I think the comfort advantage of shorts is overblown. But, again, other rider's experience are different. I ride on a wonderfully broken in B-17, that may be a factor . . .

loky1179

I've got the best of both worlds - I wear my work clothes in the morning. Two mile ride to the bus stop. Throw. my bike on the bus for the ride downtown. Suit up in riding gear for the 22 mile ride home. I'm not a morning person, and there are no showers at work so this is perfect.

lungimsam

Street clothes. Street shoes.
I only wear "cycling clothes" on long rides (more than 20 miles).
I use a Brooks saddle.

blakcloud

Ever since I went to Copenhagen, I completely rethought the way I ride a bike to work. If they can ride in suits and in their nice work clothes, than so can I. The only difference is I wear a helmet.

harshbarj

I just jump on the bike and go. I have even gone in a suite before. The key to leave early and go slow. I normally don't break 15kph outside of downhill runs. It also helps having a bicycle designed for every day use. So a full chaincase, fenders, and a coat guard are all a must for daily use.

I wear nothing I would not for a walk across the street and that's how it should be.

Jim from Boston

Gear up, or just go?

For my winter commute, I have to carefully and deliberately gear up.

Even for my summer commute, I wear Lycra cycling shorts and clipless cycling shoes, though I do wear a surgical scrub shirt top with a bright high visibility vest instead of a cycling jersey.

lyssiria

My ride is 12 miles one way, and I also arrive as a sweaty mess. I do the same as some others and take a baby wipe bath and then change into work-appropriate attire. I do not have a locker or anywhere to store clothes, so I take everything with me on my rear rack.
I don't even try to wear non-cycling specific pants anymore. I've GOT to have the padding in the shorts. But I got a deal at Dick's Sporting Goods on some Nishiki 'liners,' so I can wear those under other pants. I'm not on a comfort bike of any kind. I'm on a road bike with a pretty hard saddle, so the extra padding is very necessary. I never leave without gloves either, just in case of spills, but the little bit of padding in there is nice too.
I got a couple neon yellow shirts at Wal-Mart (never thought that color would be cool again), and I wear those in the summer by themselves. I have a neon-yellow and reflective tape vest like you see on construction workers for lower-visibility days and days where I need to wear something warmer than a tee or tank. I don't bother with jerseys because I've got so much stuff to carry with me anyway, why not use the rack? It is a commute, not a race, so I'm not worried AS much about speed or wind resistance.

spivonious

I don't wear special cycling gear, but I do wear a different outfit. I change once I get to work. My standard cold weather outfit is a thermal shirt and warm-up pants with some gloves and a facemask. Warm weather is just a normal t-shirt and shorts. 8 miles each way means I'm too sweaty to wear my work clothes.

Mark Stone

Well today I tested this. My only riding today was over to a little strip shopping area to buy some stuff, and so the total ride was only about 6 miles max. Usually I just ride it in street clothes, but today I put on some baggy cycling shorts I got at Gnashbar to see if there was any difference in comfort. The comfort level was virtually the same as if I rode in my jeans. I have about 8 or 9 pairs of shorts, some expensive high-zoot items and some cheapos but I suspect the same result with any of them. But like I said, if a ride looks like it's gonna be a couple of hours or longer, I'll use the shorts because the jeans get old after a while

JPprivate

Regular street clothes, slacks and shirt. In winter I add a merino base and something wind proof. If it gets really hot in the summer I wear shorts/t-shirt and switch to pants in the office. If I get off my bike, I am always dressed like anybody else (except of the stupid helmet). My commute is 7.5-11 miles depending on route.
Looking normal once I get off the bike is really important to me, because I will run errands on the way sometimes.

Baytree

"Bicycles for everyday use" do differ quite a bit depending on your situation. I often have a 10-15k commute (each way!) over steep hills in the rain. So for me, a zippy road bike with fenders is the best everyday option. A euro-style city bike would be great for someone with a shorter/flatter commute, but is just too heavy for my needs.

That said, I can wear anything on my road bike that I'd want to wear walking down the street. I've biked in everything from pantsuits to cocktail dresses... just have to not mind flashing a little leg

lasauge 

I have a different sort of situation, I work in a grocery store and spend the majority of my day in 30-40 degree temperatures, so I have to layer clothing at work to stay warm regardless of the temperature outside. I ride to work wearing running shorts and an athletic shirt under an outer layer (shorts/pants, jacket) that varies depending on the weather, and when I arrive, I swap shoes and trade my outer layer of riding clothes for working attire.

Artkansas 

I ride in street clothes. Just what depends on the weather, temperature, time of day and road conditions. It keeps changing.

acidfast7

In winter, I wear technical clothing to block wind. In summer, I wear street clothes. At work, I have an office, a full locker room, a locker and full-shower/cleaning/sleeping facilities.

RGNY

bike gear for my commute (mix of road, gravel and some grass/mud depending on conditions). change in a bathroom stall at work.

i keep my work shoes in my office and just bring socks w/ my work clothes. i don't typically get too sweaty on the way in and everything hangs on a coat tree until i leave.

shell and thermal tights for winter, jersey (or wicking tshirt) with cycle shorts under nylon zip-off cargo shorts in summer. zip offs because i work in a prison and i can't wear shorts inside the fence, getting to my building.

hyhuu

Bike specific clothing - the only way it's going to work for me.

harshbarj

Not true at all. I ride a dutch style 3 speed and I have a VERY hilly commute. My total climb is around 150 feet going to work and over 200 going home. The hills are mostly small but steep. One is around 2km long and accounts for nearly 200 feet of climb going home (it's fun going down though while going to work). My commute is around 8-9 km, so not that much less than yours. My city bike tips the scales at around 50lbs (just the bike), sometimes close to 100 depending on what I am carrying.

One can make a dutch style bike work nearly anywhere if they want to. Even fat, out of shape me has no problem with climbing hills on one.