San Pedro

I'm doing 13km to work and am thinking about getting some compression shorts to wear instead of bike shorts. I figure I can wear them under my normal clothes at work, and maybe their easier to throw a normal pair of gym shorts over to be modest when I get to work. Also, I don't think I want to put back on a pair of sweaty bike pants at the end of the day. Anyone have luck with compression shorts/pants?

And does anyone wear the cheap Chinese jerseys and shorts they sell on amazon or aliexpress? My wife totally doesn't want me spending a couple hundred bucks on clothing of any kind.

Greenfieldja

So instead of putting on a sweaty pair of shorts at the end of the day you want to wear your sweaty shorts throughout the day under your work clothes? The compression shorts/pants will be lacking the chamois pad that makes cycling shorts what they are. You can pack an extra pair of cycling shorts to wear home. And once folks get used to the idea of the fact that you commute by bike they will soon get over you walking into work in cycling shorts/tights....wearing running shorts ontop would only draw attention to your otherwise tight fitting clothing. From a modesty standpoint nobody will really care after a day or two and if they did why would you waste your time thinking about it. I used to work at a US embassy in a north african Islamic country and commuted by bike nearly every day due to the traffic crossing the city. We had plenty of local muslim men and women working at the embassy. Nobody had any issues (locals or Americans) with me walking across the building with my cycling gear in the mornings and evenings...it did not affect my ability to interact with anyone for work or otherwise. I think that if I had thrown running shorts on top it would have drawn people to ask why I was doing that.

This compression clothing fad is also very interesting...I have a colleague who is runner who chatted me up about compression clothing and when I look at his different running tights they each have a different pattern of compression features. Apparently its not about squeezing into a tight garment but more about having strategically placed "supportive" compression....well if one pair of tights/shorts "supports" in one area and another in a different area then how do you know which is providing the proper support. While there may be science that supports using compressive garments to aid/enhance performance its really one of those things that "works well on paper" but not in execution, because the manufacturers of the garments just seem to be capitalizing on the fashion fad aspect. But spend your money however you want.

Regarding the chinese clothing you mentioned...some folks have reported they work well and some have reported the quality was not the same of the "real" items they were meant to replicate. I think it boils down to how you plan to use them...a handful of kilometers commute or a double century...the design/comfort (fabric type, thickness, weave, seams, etc) becomes more relative depending on intended use.

-j

happyscientist

Unless it is really hot, I wouldn't worry about what to wear for a 13 km ride. That should only take about half an hour, and you shouldn't get too sweaty. If you are worried about feeling clean, just take an extra pair of underwear and change at work. If you are getting sweaty enough that you need a change of clothes, take baby wipes or find something else to clean up with so your coworkers don't have to smell you all day.

12strings

As I tell my wife: Once I hang up my sweaty clothes for few hours, they aren't sweaty anymore!!! :-) (yeah, she doesn't buy it either)..

...But seriously. I ride 40 minutes (7.5 miles, slowly) to work...hang up all my stuff in a bathroom that I know nobody uses... by the time I leave work to go home, sure it's not "clean", but it's dry, and good enough for a 30 minute ride home (where I'll take a shower). That's much better than keeping on my sweaty crotch clothes for the work-day.

Drew Eckhardt 

Compression shorts don't have chamois to prevent chafing.

They'll dry out by the end of the day.

You can new get prior year Louis Garneau custom program sizing samples off e-bay for $20-$30 with free shipping. Other new last season, ride, club, and team left overs are also available for as little as $15.

There's no reason to buy clothing with unknown fit and chamois when you can do that.

rumrunn6

my 2 cents, wear the bike shorts, bring your "other" shorts to walk in the office, washup and change into work clothes. work out the problem of where to washup and change. that's your dilemma. for riding home just bring a 2nd pair of bike shorts every day. wash them both when you get home - sink wash w mild soap is fine and they will air dry by morning.

any wet clothes from your ride in, goes in a plastic bag, then in a duffle bag out of sight. bring that plastic bag home every day

SpeshulEd 

Wearing sweaty compression shorts all day will most likely lead to germ issues around your gooch, that will most likely lead to sores, blisters, puss and other gross looking things. If you want that growing under your balls, then go for it. Personally, I'd change out of the sweaty clothes as soon as you could. As long as you're working an 8 hour day, you should be fine. I commute 20 miles each way to work, so I tend to go with full kit and mine is always dry by the end of the day.

Also, the ladies all seem to enjoy the spandex when I walk in.

motorthings

only saddle sore I ever got was from not changing out of my cycling shorts when i got to work (first time commuting). never again.

use cycling shorts, and change when you get to work.

milkbaby

My commute is about 8 to 10 miles (13 to 16 km), and I usually just wear athletic boxer briefs made of wicking material under jeans, mountain bike shorts, or board shorts. Even if I get sweaty, it usually dries out quickly once I'm inside the air conditioning at work. If I think I'll get super sweaty, I might bring a change of clothes and let the clothes I rode in on dry out over the course of the day, but otherwise I just use some wet wipes to clean off before starting work (we wear casual dress where I work).

For this short of a commute, I don't bother with cycling shorts or jerseys.

I have three cheap jerseys from Chinese vendors and while they aren't as nice as the best jerseys from name brands, they are okay. If saving money is a priority, then they can work okay. The one caveat is that sizing, as for all cycling clothing, can be variable. So it's best if you can get the exact measurements of the jersey and compare them to one that you already have and fits you well. I've never bought the Chinese shorts as chamois pad comfort is much more important, and I don't trust them to have good quality chamois pads. Whether that's true or not, I'll probably never find out but I'm happy not to.

San Pedro

This is likely close to what I'll do. I haven't had any issues with a sore ass yet for the commute. Maybe an extra pair of underwear. In the summer it gets really hot, so even if I took the train and walked I would be sweating like crazy. On the plus side, I work with kids and the can dress casually, and I might be able to jump in the water all July and August.