What to wear - commuting only 3 miles
Discussion
Once the weather improves a bit I plan on cycling to and from work now that I'm based closer to home. However I'm interested in what other people would wear for such a short trip?
Most of the trip is uphill and it's on one of my favourite strava segments so I like to hammer it up and therefore get a it of a sweat on. I wear trousers and a short for work and there is no shower.
Would u bother putting all bib shorts and jerseys etc on for a 15min ride?
Most of the trip is uphill and it's on one of my favourite strava segments so I like to hammer it up and therefore get a it of a sweat on. I wear trousers and a short for work and there is no shower.
Would u bother putting all bib shorts and jerseys etc on for a 15min ride?
My commute isn't much longer that that (only 5 miles), but I tend to treat it like a sprint most days (and often take a detour on the way in). I just wear running shorts or baggy mountain bike shorts and a merino t shirt. I do have a shower at work, but if I didn't I would probably wear the same thing and just take it a bit easier so I didn't sweat as much. IMO, a Merino top is essential - they don't get nearly as smelly as synthetics and do a good job wicking away moisture.
Jimboka said:
Brogues / trousers / shirt. Like 99% of the worlds population would for a short ride to work!
Yeah but usually u flick a load of dirt all over yourself especially if its wet / damp, and it's up a steep hill so will be sweating. Lastly I've got spd's so will need cycling shoes on.I see ur point tho - I think ill go steady and wet wipes after like somebody said.
Other option is leave work clothes at work and get changed if its going to be wet
My previous place had no showers and was 5 miles each way. I had a shower before I left for work and then would just fill a sink and have a wes bath when I got to work. You'll be fine with baby wipes as new sweat doesn't smell like old sweat. I also heard that witch hazel wipes are really great for a post ride sweaty wipe down but I never tried them.
Nobody ever complained that I had B.O. but, I am a web developer and we don't have great track records in that department.
Nobody ever complained that I had B.O. but, I am a web developer and we don't have great track records in that department.
j00pY said:
My previous place had no showers and was 5 miles each way. I had a shower before I left for work and then would just fill a sink and have a wes bath when I got to work. You'll be fine with baby wipes as new sweat doesn't smell like old sweat. I also heard that witch hazel wipes are really great for a post ride sweaty wipe down but I never tried them.
Nobody ever complained that I had B.O. but, I am a web developer and we don't have great track records in that department.
What did u wear? Did u have something lightweight to put on to cover ur trousers and shirt?Nobody ever complained that I had B.O. but, I am a web developer and we don't have great track records in that department.
I used a full entry level Decathlon Lycra get up (shorts in summer, tights in winter) with a cheap base-layer (£8 from Primark - but I like it almost as much as my £30 base-layer) and a thin wind-proof jacket for when it is very cold. I keep my clothes and shoes in a backpack. That is still what I do now, but I have a shower when I get to work rather than at home.
I'll have a much better answer for you next spring, once the business has launched, but in the meantime I'd echo what's been written above. 3 miles is a short ride that would be a warm up distance for a training ride, so you wouldn't want to be going too hard anyway. Regular clothes with the addition of a merino base/T-shirt would be my call. And full, permanent mudguards. Probably some shorts, trainers and a backpack for rainy days.
uncinqsix said:
IMO, a Merino top is essential - they don't get nearly as smelly as synthetics and do a good job wicking away moisture.
I once followed someone's recommendation on that. The bd didn't tell me that fking Merino is a type of fking wool!!!! Therefore, to amend uncinqsix's statement, "a Merino top is essential so long as you're not allergic to bloody wool!!!".
If you are allergic to wool, then even getting remotely in the same ballpark as breaking into a sweat will make you feel as though you're wearing a top made of knitted brillo pads soaked in salted Tabasco.
Synthetics, however, don't have to be smelly. After years of binning them after a year or less because of the stale sweat build up, and having tried every laundry product known to man to try and remedy the situation, I found on google the suggestion to put a decent glug of vinegar into the fabric conditioner compartment in the washing machine, and then just washing them on a normal wash. The results are amazing! The tops come out smelling like new, and I can happily commute in (15 miles in my case) and put the thing back on for the ride home without it stinking.
Given that you can buy spirit vinegar for 50p a litre, and that's enough for at least 20 washes, it's one of the cheapest miracle products I've ever come across!
Usget said:
Keen to try the vinegar trick as most of my kit smells like a tramp's undercrackers. But doesn't it make your washing machine smell like a chippy?
I think the trick is to use white / clear / spirit / glacial vinegar. Avoid the brown malt vinegar, or the stuff you have left after a jar of pickled onions. (Pickled onion vinegar is the best on fish and chips!)Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff