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Cycling clothes for communting

8 replies

wamoh · 07/07/2016 13:08

I'm going bike shopping this weekend and taking my DP, who is crazy into cycling. I'm super excited to get my second hand road bike so I can get to work on and get around the city without walking for hours. DP goes into work in full lycra, but he goes further than me (and definitely faster) and he said I don't need to bother buying a jersey and all that unless we're going miles out of town. But I also don't think I can cycle in floaty tops and my fucked Doc Martins, largely because of wind, rain and lack of visibility to cars.

Is there an in-between? Some relatively cheap over-trousers, like climbing trousers but waterproof? What do you wear if you're only going about five or six miles?

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EricXXGmex · 07/07/2016 13:26

My commute as a student was exactly 5 miles. I used to do it in cut off denim shorts and a t-shirt. I wore Docs with internal steel toe caps (because they were great at gigs and were my most comfortable shoes)

I now commute 3 miles, but I'm less fit and it's hillier, so effort wise it's about the same. If I want to take a longer route in or out, or it's very hot, I wear shorts and a t-shirt still. Sometimes I wear lycra shorts under normal shorts for comfort. On slightly cooler days I wear a cycling jacket from Aldi, which is rain resistant enough for the amount of time I'm on the bike. On really cold days I wear a fleece jumper thing from Decathlon with the jacket on top, and gloves. I just wear normal trousers most of the time, but I have a spare pair in a carrier bag in my pannier (or rucksack) just in case. Obviously if it's definitely raining, I change into whichever pair needs washing the most :) I have never bothered with over trousers - it really doesn't rain that often, and if it starts raining on the way you might as well carry on rather than stop, fish them out and put them on. Just keep spare clothes at work or in your bag, and accept that perhaps once every three weeks you will get soaked! If you work in expensive clothes (I don't) you might be as well leaving those at work, obviously.

I also have deodorant, baby wipes and a towel at work.

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CatherineDeB · 07/07/2016 13:31

I wear this sort of thing over cycling shorts if I don't want to look like a cyclist.

www.craghoppers.com/nosilife-clara-shorts-litchen-green-0-9.html

in varying lengths and weights depending on the time of year.

Just my ordinary Marmot waterproof overtrousers if really wet, you would sweat buckets in something waterproof to wear every day unless you had spent a fortune.

You might think lycra is only for serious cyclists but it is really good for any distance, doesn't feel too wet in the rain, comes in different weights/types for time of year etc., etc..

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CatherineDeB · 07/07/2016 13:33

I also like these sort of things for cycling in top wise when I don't want to look like a cyclist - good as a base layer as well.

www.amazon.co.uk/Berghaus-Womens-Striped-Tech-T-Shirt/dp/B00NVBXGOM?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

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CMOTDibbler · 07/07/2016 13:35

On a road bike, I'd wear a pair of cycling shorts as they are easy to wash quickly and are much more comfortable esp when you are further over than a town bike. Then a tech t shirt or fleece, but you could get a cycling jacket - Aldi have cycling gear this week and its very reasonable and will save your normal clothes. Decathlon is good for v reasonably priced stuff as well
Then a quick change at work with wipes and dry shampoo

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wamoh · 07/07/2016 14:46

It actually didn't occur to me to keep spare clothes at work and cycle in normal clothes, with the added base layer or jacket dependent on the weather...

I love Aldi's sports week things, I'll check it out!

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Kittykatmacbill · 30/11/2016 06:23

I think my old commute was about 4 1/2 miles of more or less total flatness. I used to wear leggings or long shorts with padded liner then depending on the season a combination of tshirt thermal and fleece with. High vis over the top. And for the most cycled in converse or similar. We had a changing room ad work.

However, I think the only pieces of kit it's important to have is alight vis either a cycling jacket or a normal workmanship one and helmet, everything else is up to you....

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5rivers7hills · 18/08/2017 08:47

I made the decision that I would save time biking slower and getting less sweaty and wearing work clothes on the bike, than hating along and having to shower at work.

This works best when it isn't super hot, and hen it is t raining.

Work shoes love under my desk and I bike in trainers.

I have a high vis water proof jacket and als a high vis zip up mesh vest so I can be vis no matter what the weather. These live in my bag so always have hem with me.

I wear a lot of cigarette pants which have enough stretch in them to be fine for biking. Same for a lot of my skirts and dresses.

If I want to wear one of my pencil skirts I'll have a pair of shirts over my tights then just slip those off and my skirt on when I get of my bike.

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Spudlet · 18/08/2017 08:52

I have a couple of pairs of proper cycling pants, which have padding in the vital areas. I sometimes put those on under normal clothes if I'm going a long way (obviously with a pair of spare normal pants in my rucksack to change into when I was commuting!). They weren't expensive and you can't tell you're wearing them, but they do assist with comfort levels!

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