Cycling UK Forum

pwa wrote:Cycling in my work clothes is not an option.

Another way it's tough being a deep sea diver

mjr wrote:

pwa wrote:Cycling in my work clothes is not an option.

Another way it's tough being a deep sea diver

I just can't find pedals suitable for those weighted boots!

I commute by bike I find it quicker between being able to cut through on cycling pathways & avoid traffic, it’s definitely less hassle by bike & far more benefiting to one health, physical & mental. I have a car but that is only used for shopping & travel to visit relatives with my kids.

I do lots of short trips (between 1 &3 Miles, very occasionally up to 5 at start end of rail journeys and between my work sites) and I always travel in my work clothes which even includes a uniform on occasions. I am very conscious of the weather forecast and have a cycle Cape in my bag just in case I really do get caught out - it is a pain to use but actually really works once you get over the wind resistance effect but it is only used very infrequently, perhaps less than once a month. Yes, cycling needs more forethought than the car, but it is simply an attitude of mind in reality. Lycra and speed machine match the longer commute, normal clothes and mudguards the shorter ones. It definitely saves me time, the exercise is very welcome but then I am pretty fit and play team sports every week - but everyone thinks I am mad/eccentric/OCD because I don’t just simply jump in a car. They are lazy, not their fault in reality, the car culture is now an ingrained culture for most people over 25 or so; most are overweight with another diagnosis of type 2 diabetes every few week (Sorry about my stereotype conscious bias thought pattern).

pwa wrote:What you wear when you cycle is your business and nobody else's.
..
.. Cycling in my work clothes is not an option.

May I ask why not, I am wondering if you work in a lab, or have to wear a spotless business suit...?
I would love to wear a (railway) uniform

Cyril Haearn wrote:

pwa wrote:What you wear when you cycle is your business and nobody else's.
..
.. Cycling in my work clothes is not an option.

May I ask why not, I am wondering if you work in a lab, or have to wear a spotless business suit...?
I would love to wear a (railway) uniform

My smart work trousers need to be spotless for work, which they wouldn't be if I cycled in them. Everything I cycle in ends up a bit speckled with mud. Also, I find most clothes not designed for cycling to be less comfortable. I don't ride an upright Dutch style bike, so as I lean forward the shirt and trouser top tend to part company. The trousers need clips to keep them out of the chain, and nothing feels right. Clothing cut for a cycling position is what I use. So work clothes and cycle clothes are separate things.

Don't recommend me a Dutch style bike. The thought of having to ride one of those up the first steep hill on my journey home would be a real incentive to use the car.

pwa wrote: Everything I cycle in ends up a bit speckled with mud. Also, I find most clothes not designed for cycling to be less comfortable. [...]
Don't recommend me a Dutch style bike. The thought of having to ride one of those up the first steep hill on my journey home would be a real incentive to use the car.

But it's the thought, which is almost certainly worse than the reality need be... and I suspect even with your current bike, better mudguards and saddle would deal with most of the problems (and possibly a shirt long enough not to leave a gap when bent over but maybe that's not an option if they're from a work range).

But I agree with your earlier sentiment that it's mostly up to you, but I also agree with others that it's a shame if it gives anyone the impression that getting changed is a necessary part of cycle commuting. Think of it as like if the only motorist you knew drove a Caterham 7 and got changed into a sheepskin coat and goggles every time.

mjr wrote:

pwa wrote: Everything I cycle in ends up a bit speckled with mud. Also, I find most clothes not designed for cycling to be less comfortable. [...]
Don't recommend me a Dutch style bike. The thought of having to ride one of those up the first steep hill on my journey home would be a real incentive to use the car.

But it's the thought, which is almost certainly worse than the reality need be... and I suspect even with your current bike, better mudguards and saddle would deal with most of the problems (and possibly a shirt long enough not to leave a gap when bent over but maybe that's not an option if they're from a work range).

But I agree with your earlier sentiment that it's mostly up to you, but I also agree with others that it's a shame if it gives anyone the impression that getting changed is a necessary part of cycle commuting. Think of it as like if the only motorist you knew drove a Caterham 7 and got changed into a sheepskin coat and goggles every time.

We all see cyclists dressed in lycra, and we see them dressed in jeans and teeshirt. I don't think anyone really has reason to think you have to dress up to cycle. One of my neighbours wears lycra on his bike, another wears tweed! And my own commuting gear includes Humvee trousers that look a bit like black jeans. Okay, I also have a yellow waterprooof with reflectives, but I don't think that would deter many people. That is as easy to put on as any coat. And anyone who think that makes cycling look dangerous will be a nervous person already convinced they are not going to do it by the thought of traffic and stories of cyclists being killed. To me, on the bike on the way home I look pretty much like someone who has just put a cycling helmet and jacket on, with ordinary clothes. Few can tell that the rest of my clothing is also cycling specific.

Cyril Haearn wrote:........I would love to wear a (railway) uniform

We all have our problems

horizon wrote:But what I've wondered is whether the key factor is indeed the relative actual hassle of the two modes or just the familiarity and preparedness of your regular choice. My conclusion at the moment is that it's the latter.

That's what I've found. I've gone through phases. I used to commute by bike about five and a half miles, in cycling gear. So, to use the bike to nip down to town, I'd have to locate cycle clips and stuff, get the bike out of the shed, and so on. I did do that quite a lot, but not always, and often I'd just walk the 1.5 miles, or too often drive it.

Now I'm commuting into London with a folder, a shorter ride at each end, so I wear normal clothes. The folder is always to hand, with a bag packed with the necessaries (wallet, keys etc.) As a result, I ride it into town and all over the place, even though I could get out a normal bike and use that. And at the other end (also a major consideration), instead of locking it I just fold it up and carry it into wherever I'm going - often the church. I now almost never walk into town or take the car, unless someone else is with me.

The margins are very fine. It doesn't take long to find those few bits, unlock a normal bike, lock it at the other end, and so on. But, rational or not, the folder just being there has meant that I ride for utility purposes (even) more than I did before.

Bikes are a long way from the convenience of cars, but there are certain ways this can be improved very easily. This is especially true of the majority of bikes marketed in the UK. There are certain bike parts, marketed as accessories, that can turn the average hybrid into a more useful bike.

But bikes could still be more practical for day to day urban journeys. To this end, there's work to be done by product designers in developing additional retrofit products. These products should solve basic problems of personal organisation, including:

1. How to stow a D-lock so that it's quick to retrieve and use

2. How to carry keys, money and other valuables on the bike in such a way that they can be easily picked up and carried away when the cyclist parks the bike

3. How to carry and protect (removable) bike lights, away from the bike. Ditto the other cycling accessories that's aren't needed when off the bike, such as gloves.

4. How to organise the contents of a bike pannier (or similar large bag) so each item is quickly retrievable.

Zanda wrote:4. How to organise the contents of a bike pannier (or similar large bag) so each item is quickly retrievable.

For small items that rattle around, I'm finding the Cocoon Grid-It series quite good. I've got a large one in a rear pannier and small one in a bar bag.

Zanda wrote:Bikes are a long way from the convenience of cars, but there are certain ways this can be improved very easily. This is especially true of the majority of bikes marketed in the UK. There are certain bike parts, marketed as accessories, that can turn the average hybrid into a more useful bike.

But bikes could still be more practical for day to day urban journeys. To this end, there's work to be done by product designers in developing additional retrofit products. These products should solve basic problems of personal organisation, including:

1. How to stow a D-lock so that it's quick to retrieve and use

2. How to carry keys, money and other valuables on the bike in such a way that they can be easily picked up and carried away when the cyclist parks the bike

3. How to carry and protect (removable) bike lights, away from the bike. Ditto the other cycling accessories that's aren't needed when off the bike, such as gloves.

4. How to organise the contents of a bike pannier (or similar large bag) so each item is quickly retrievable.

1) There are ways of carrying a D lock utilising a rear rack that can work very well. There are also holster like affairs and even wearable locks.

2) plenty of small bags around to do this with, OTOH what's wrong with a pocket?

3) what did I just say? Use a bigger bag if you need to - maybe get a demountable basket! Another solution is a tiny folding bag - I have one I use on tour that when stowed is @ 2" x 1"

4) again there are various travel packing solutions you can use. I have some 'pod' things for smaller items that you tether inside the bag, colour coded cords allow easy selection of the right bag. Not seen them for sale for a while but i've not looked either.

So all your 'problems' are already addressed quite adequately if you want to have solutions rather than barriers.

Over the years i've commuted from a couple of miles each way up to almost 30 mile round trip at all times of day and certainly all year and never had issue with changing / moving work clothes etc.

Barks wrote:I do lots of short trips (between 1 &3 Miles, very occasionally up to 5 at start end of rail journeys and between my work sites) and I always travel in my work clothes which even includes a uniform on occasions. I am very conscious of the weather forecast and have a cycle Cape in my bag just in case I really do get caught out - it is a pain to use but actually really works once you get over the wind resistance effect but it is only used very infrequently, perhaps less than once a month. Yes, cycling needs more forethought than the car, but it is simply an attitude of mind in reality. Lycra and speed machine match the longer commute, normal clothes and mudguards the shorter ones. It definitely saves me time, the exercise is very welcome but then I am pretty fit and play team sports every week - but everyone thinks I am mad/eccentric/OCD because I don’t just simply jump in a car. They are lazy, not their fault in reality, the car culture is now an ingrained culture for most people over 25 or so; most are overweight with another diagnosis of type 2 diabetes every few week (Sorry about my stereotype conscious bias thought pattern).

OCD: Ordre des Cols Durs, cycloclimbing club

I'm going to have to figure out a low-hassle way to take cross country skis on my bike.

I took them on the bus today, and that was definitely a hassle.