who here cycles to work in a suit?

[e-rider]

So just changed my job roll and for the first time in my life my uniform is a suit, cycled for the first time today and felt stupid on the bike, left my suit jacket at work and just wore my jacket.

My commute is only a mile and a bit so don't want to use the car.

Anyone else commute in a suit?

never had a job that needed a suit - McDs uniform is fine for cycling!

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I run warm generally and sweat quite readily, so try to avoid work clothes on the bike but we have a couple of sites only a flat mile and a half apart & I'll often do that journey in work clobber just with the tie off and pocketed.

Weekends are a more relaxed dress code so I'll usually wear what I ride in - downhill mainly in so not as bad as lugging my lardy a**e home again.

 

[Tim Hall]

Yes, at my last place. Only 6km between station and work. And I was riding a Brompton. Somehow a suit suits a Brommie, if you see what I mean.

@User did an FNRTTC to Brighton on his clown bike Brompton in a suit once. And a splendid hat, IIRC but sadly I can't find any pictures of the event. There was a degree of coarse language at Ditchling Beacon.

 

[Tin Pot]

I only have to look at the bike and start sweating and my heart rate goes up.

You can end up in court for that if your not careful, these days...

 

[fimm]

I cycle a Brompton in a suit all the time (but I am female so I don't were a tie and I suspect that I don't really get how sweaty some men can get (or feel they get, which is the same thing)). My biggest issue is my shoes get a bit battered...

 

[fimm]

@User did an FNRTTC to Brighton on his clown bike Brompton in a suit once. And a splendid hat, IIRC but sadly I can't find any pictures of the event. There was a degree of coarse language at Ditchling Beacon.

Splendid, and far be it for me to criticise another's cycling choices, but why would you put clip pedals on a Brompton? I assume you'd lose the ability to fold the pedal? (Or was this a special change for the occasion?)

 

[pclay]

I used to ride 2 miles from home to the train station. My normal attire was work trousers, shoes, shirt, but no tie or jacket. When it was summer I just wore my shirt & trousers. When it was colder I wore a jumper or waterproof.


The problem I found was that the trousers wore out quickly in between my thighs. I found that the commute was OK, even though I sweated a bit, 5 minutes after getting to the station it had dried off. Just don't carry a rucksack!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I cycle a Brompton in a suit all the time (but I am female so I don't were a tie and I suspect that I don't really get how sweaty some men can get (or feel they get, which is the same thing)). My biggest issue is my shoes get a bit battered...

Same here. Toe of right shoe is all scuffed up from flicking the pedal up.

 

[Tim Hall]

Same here. Toe of right shoe is all scuffed up from flicking the pedal up.

Kerning and/or bad eyesight made me wonder exactly what you've been doing to your pedal, inna Philip Larkin stylee.

 

[mjr]

Same here. Toe of right shoe is all scuffed up from flicking the pedal up.

Well, dragging the pedal up with your toe is a bad habit anyway. Better to stop with the pedals in the right place, kick it back instead of dragging it up (neither is possible with coaster brakes), or learn to push off with either foot.

Also, pedals for use with ordinary shoes are best if they have rubber grips, so don't scuff shoes or destroy soles so easily. Vavert Commuters, Wellgo LU868s or there's a Union one whose model I forget. Raleigh make one that's OK. Oxford's current lookalike is crap: hard plastic that's slippy and metal bits that stick out and dig in.

 

[mjr]

If it's just a mile and a bit, then walk. I wouldn't be faffing getting on my bike and locking it up and stuff at the other end for a mile.

The unlocking/locking is worth the ten minute time saving IMO. It's no faff just to throw one's leg over the bike and start pedalling. Clips/snaps are in the bottom of my messenger bag anyway, the keys are in my pocket anyway... Main faff is if I decide to switch the camera and ride tracking app on - although I sometimes switch the app on after I start riding... I know, operating a phone while riding, ain't I evil?

Oh and I do sometimes forget where I parked and if I've not tracked the ride, the phone's no help

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well, dragging the pedal up with your toe is a bad habit anyway. Better to stop with the pedals in the right place, kick it back instead of dragging it up (neither is possible with coaster brakes), or learn to push off with either foot.

Also, pedals for use with ordinary shoes are best if they have rubber grips, so don't scuff shoes or destroy soles so easily. Vavert Commuters, Wellgo LU868s or there's a Union one whose model I forget. Raleigh make one that's OK. Oxford's current lookalike is crap: hard plastic that's slippy and metal bits that stick out and dig in.

It's too late for me to reprogram my feet. They've been doing whatever it is they do with pedals since I was about 7. I don't get involved, I just let them get on with it.

Pedals are standard Brommie pedals (one folding)

 

[jonny jeez]

I only have to look at the bike and start sweating and my heart rate goes up.

Do you hear 1970's porn music in your head...or have I got the wrong end of the stick

 

[mjr]

It's too late for me to reprogram my feet. They've been doing whatever it is they do with pedals since I was about 7. I don't get involved, I just let them get on with it.

It could end in tears if you switch bike type I relearned successfully fairly late on.

Pedals are standard Brommie pedals (one folding)

Like this?

I've always thought that those awful pedals let down the standard Brompton. They're worse than they need to be to ride and far too many people scratch their frames with them (hence the Bromfoot covers). If they're standard fitting, I'd replace them with nicer ones and keep the originals for if I ever sold the bike.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I have no problems at all with the standard Brommie pedals, and I've never scratched the frame with them, so no plans to change them.

Back on topic, I did find that that the front thighs of my suit trousers have mysteriously been worn, I think from cycling. Possibly from rubbing on the velcro or zip of my waterproof coat. It could be from doing that Vic Reeves thigh-rubbing thing, but I don't consciously do that.