Presentable clothes for cycling?

[Smithagain]

I've just got back into cycling, after a gap of several years. I'm doing the school and nursery run on the bike. But while DD2's at Nursery I'm doing a job which involves meetings and visits to school (am working as a Church Children's Worker, including school assemblies, meetings with the Head etc).

The school has a pretty relaxed dress code - smart casual rather than suits - but I could do with something smarter than sports gear that I can still cycle in. Like stretchy, but smart, trousers.

I'm not as fit as I'd like and I find cycling in restrictive clothes even more tiring. So I'd like something with plenty of give!

Any suggestions? (I should probably put this in style and beauty I guess, but I'm hoping there's a higher proportion of cycling mummies over here!)

How far do you need to cycle? I just cycle in ordinary clothes most of the time, just long skirts and boots are out I find.

I think it is pretty hard to find gear that is comfy and suitable for cycling and can be smart casual.

I would probably go to the style section and post this because they are all obsessed very thorough at searching for such things.... there might be some cycling people who need to be smart for work too.

I will watch this thread to see if you get any good tips, I cycle three times a day for the school/nursery run and my holy grail for cycling gear would be waterproof trousers that look like ordinary trousers and still retain some style.... sigh

LOL - unfortunately the first thing I have to do is go up a very steep hill and with DD2 on the back there's not much chance of doing it without sweating. Or maybe I just sweat a lot. Actually, I do sweat a lot .

I'm probably only doing about three miles in total, so not epic trips. I guess it's a case of looking out for stretchy tops and trousers with a bit of "give" and not too much flapping at the bottom (I've already made a hole in one favourite pair )

Stretchy jeans, thin not tight layers on top.

I just wear normal clothes for journeys of that distance, and so do most of the other parents it seems, at least 80% of the parents at ds's school cycle there.

What you need to do is roll your trouser leg up (it is very flattering) or get one of those clips, to stop your trouser getting cought up in the chair and ripping.

one of the hidden costs of cycling is wearing out your clothes ... NEVER cycle in cords! is a total disaster. And do make sure your saddle is smooth - clothes last a lot longer.

on the sweating, my trick is to always take clothes OFF to go outside in the winter (other than gloves). seems impossibly cold for a couple of minutes, then bearable, then v pleasant.

other trick is that when you're about to get on your bike, in not stretchy trousers, kind of hoick them up a bit before you put on your cycle clips/tuck them into socks - the bloomer look, if you see what I mean. and then when you get on the bike, hitch the fabric up above your knees, so you have some 'give'. sounds a fiddle, is second nature almost immediately.

on finding smart clothes - am clueless; will be watching! report back on what you find out!

A packet of babywipes is handy for a quick wipe down when you get somewhere.

Could you stick a spare t-shirt into your bag to change in to when you get there?

I do wear different clothes for cycling into work (usually gym trousers with cycle clips and a stretchy jumper) and change when I get there, but find that if I go somewhere during the day most clothes work fine on the bike. Skirts (obv not tight fitting ones) and flat shoes, trousers with cycle clips - no problem.

mmmmm - I think I'm seeing the light! Tried it this morning in cords (not ideal, I know but they were the only "normal" trousers that were clean ) Rolled the legs up in a very attractive manner, hitched up the knees and it was fine.

I've had some uncomfortable experiences in jeans, but probably they were too tight around the thigh (not hard in my case ). I guess cropped trousers are probably also good unless it's freezing.

It does help that I've got a new saddle, that fits my bum considerably better than the last one, so I don't feel such a need for special treatment in that area!!

I had a friend who had this problem, she kept clothes at work, and changed after a quick wipe down as mentioned earlier.

I take work clothes in pannier and keep a smart(ish) pair of shoes and a small sponge bag at work for the quick wipe down. Also have a very useful Body Shop mini hairbrush in it. Also means I always have dry clothes to change into.