Re: cycling clothes

Radey Shouman <shouman@comcast.net> wrote:

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> writes:
 

On 6/9/2025 11:53 AM, Radey Shouman wrote:

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> writes:
 

On 6/7/2025 9:26 AM, Roger Merriman wrote:

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Sure, as I've explained. Remember, I used to commute to work by
bike.
Getting ready meant strapping my briefcase on the bike's rear rack,
clipping on an eyeglass mirror (optional but handy in traffic), putting
on an appropriate jacket, and using a safety pin to tighten my right
pants cuff so it stayed away from the chain.
 
Tom, you probably do more to prepare for your recreational rides. I'll
bet you change into a riding costume. I commuted in ordinary business
casual clothes.
 

Depends on the distance I found for 3 ish miles then as long as
one’s
trousers where’s flappy just jump on and go.

 
My commute was about 15 miles round trip. The only time I bothered
with a change of clothing was when teaching evening classes in summer,
which meant riding in during the heat of the day.
 
After retirement, I took classes myself for quite a few years. I then
extended my ride home, through the big metropark system. As I recall,
that was about 20 miles per day, but still in normal street clothes.
 
Different choices for different folks.

Remarkable that you never got rained on during your trip to work.
One
of the reasons I take a change of clothes is that I don't fancy sitting
about the office all day in damp, muddy clothing.

 
I did get rained on occasionally, but it was uncommon. I always had
(and still have) a rain cape in that bike's saddlebag, as well as full
fenders. If the threat of rain was significant (over 30%) I usually
drove in instead. For a while I was more dedicated, saying if it
wasn't raining when I left, I'd ride in.
 
I preferred the rain cape to, say, rain jacket and pants. My main
gripe with it was this: My normal riding position is gripping the
hoods. As I did that, a puddle would form between my arms, right over
my handlebar bag. Sometimes it would empty and splash me.

 
If it's reasonably warm, say 20C/68F and above, I would much prefer
getting wet to flailing around in a rain cape.  As it gets cooler rain
is much more of a problem.  Near freezing weather I try pretty hard to
stay out of it.
 
I'm on my second showers pass commuter style rain jacket, which is good
in cooler weather but hot in warm weather.  I have found that packing it
seems to wear it out at least as fast as actually wearing it, and it
takes up quite a bit of space.  I have a pair of rain bibs, but hardly
ever have found it worth wearing them on a bike, much less packing them.

My winter jacket isn’t that packable, ie but I tend not to take clothes
on/off only at most unzipping etc.

On the commute if the weather is sufficiently warm at the end of days vs
start I can stick the jacket in a bag so no problem.

On the Gravel/MTB I have few soft shell jackets and puffer jacket for the
MTB for very cold wet conditions, ie not just temperatures below freezing.

 
One thing that is worth packing on a longer ride is a pair of dry socks.
In a heavy rain I find the shoes always get wet, even with fenders and
rain flaps.
 

Can’t say that’s my experience with admittedly MTB flat shoes, and with
either no mudguards or only one front to catch face bound chunks of mud!

But the Five Ten impacts unless you flood the shoes aka deep puddle that
you pedal though or need to hike and bike through, it’s fine.

I also have the Five Ten winter boot that unless get water flooding over
the top of the boot, socks and feet are warm and dry, I’ve yet to flood
them though clearly if one waded or pedalled though sufficiently deep water
is possible.

Roger Merriman