Anyone here cycling in a business suit ?

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Contractor

I'm just about to change jobs. For the past two years I've
been lucky enough to be working somewhere that has a casual
dress policy. So it was no problem riding up to the train
station everyday dressed in casual clothes as this was only
a 10 min journey. Sure I got a bit wet in the winter but I
soon dried out on the train.

With this new job I'm going to have to wear a suit, which
means I'm going to need some wet weather gear to keep
clean and dry. The main problem I have on my route is
getting splattered with muddy puddle water. I don't want
to be turning up for work with mud splattered shoes and
trousers. It doesn't seem to be a problem with jeans, it
just brushes off.

What I'm looking for is something I can get in and out of
quickly and can fold away quickly. I carry a rucksack with a
laptop in it, ideally I'd like to get it all in the same bag
without soaking the laptop of course.

Some mornings I turn up at the station and take so long
locking my bike up (looking for a free stand) I miss the
train. I'm wondering if with all the extra hassle of using
wet weather gear it wouldn't be easier to give up cycling
and just walk.

Has anyone got any advice or any recommendations on some wet
weather gear that would suit my needs?

Simon Mason

"Contractor" <fat_biffer@wowmail.com> wrote in message
news:f6676943.0405010537.122a5648@posting.google.com...
> I'm just about to change jobs. For the past two years I've
> been lucky enough to be working somewhere that has a
> casual dress policy. So it was no problem riding up to the
> train station everyday dressed in casual clothes as this
> was only a 10 min journey. Sure I got a bit wet in the
> winter but I soon dried out on the train.
>
> With this new job I'm going to have to wear a suit, which
> means I'm going to need some wet weather gear to keep
> clean and dry. The main problem I have on my route is
> getting splattered with muddy puddle water. I don't want
> to be turning up for work with mud splattered shoes and
> trousers. It doesn't seem to be a problem with jeans, it
> just brushes off.

Can't you leave the suit etc. and a pair of shoes at work
and cycle there in proper cycle clothing? Then you can get
changed at work and only need to rotate socks, pants and
shirts which you can easily carry.

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net (http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/)

Dirtylitterboxo

>Some mornings I turn up at the station and take so long
>locking my bike up (looking for a free stand) I miss
>the train.

Brompton? That way you don't have to find anywhere to store
the bike, you simply fold it up and take it with you (and
Brommies fold *small* in seconds).

See

http://www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk/ http://www.bromptonbicycl- (http://www.bromptonbicycl-/)
e.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=bikerange.bikerange http://www- (http://www-/)
.bromptonbicycle.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=bikerange.ttype
(The T-type has a rear rack fitted)

For clothes... Loads of options of pull-on waterproofs
available from loads of places.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get
correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel
is switched off--

Andy Dingley

On 1 May 2004 06:37:34 -0700, fat_biffer@wowmail.com (Contractor)
wrote:

> Re: Anyone here cycling in a business suit ?

Not me - wears the **** out of the trousers.

It'll do it to jeans too, but I can patch those.

I'd go for two pairs of trousers, and change on arrival.
--
Smert' spamionam

Anonymous

"Contractor" <fat_biffer@wowmail.com> wrote in message
news:f6676943.0405010537.122a5648@posting.google.com...

> With this new job I'm going to have to wear a suit

I wouldn't do it, purely because I don't want to knacker my
nice suit. I'd get changed on arrival.

cheers, clive

Tony Raven

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers wrote:
>> Some mornings I turn up at the station and take so long
>> locking my bike up (looking for a free stand) I miss
>> the train.
>
> Brompton? That way you don't have to find anywhere to
> store the bike, you simply fold it up and take it with you
> (and Brommies fold *small* in seconds).
>

Plus for extras, if I cycle on my Brommie in a suit it only
seems to be my shoes I need to worry about getting dirty.
Something to do with the small wheels and good mudguards.

On the suit front I would recommend though the "leave it at
work" suggestions. I do cycle in a suit occassionally but
I'd be concerned about it wearing through on the seat if I
did it on a regular basis.

Tony

-Lsqnot Respond

On 1 May 2004 06:37:34 -0700, fat_biffer@wowmail.com (Contractor)
wrote:

>I'm just about to change jobs. For the past two years I've
>been lucky enough to be working somewhere that has a casual
>dress policy. So it was no problem riding up to the train
>station everyday dressed in casual clothes as this was only
>a 10 min journey. Sure I got a bit wet in the winter but I
>soon dried out on the train.
>
>With this new job I'm going to have to wear a suit, which
>means I'm going to need some wet weather gear to keep
>clean and dry. The main problem I have on my route is
>getting splattered with muddy puddle water. I don't want
>to be turning up for work with mud splattered shoes and
>trousers. It doesn't seem to be a problem with jeans, it
>just brushes off.
>
>What I'm looking for is something I can get in and out of
>quickly and can fold away quickly. I carry a rucksack with
>a laptop in it, ideally I'd like to get it all in the same
>bag without soaking the laptop of course.
>
>Some mornings I turn up at the station and take so long
>locking my bike up (looking for a free stand) I miss the
>train. I'm wondering if with all the extra hassle of using
>wet weather gear it wouldn't be easier to give up cycling
>and just walk.

Leave home earlier and give yourself time to find a
space? If walk it to the station you'll be setting off
earlier still.

>Has anyone got any advice or any recommendations on some
>wet weather gear that would suit my needs?

First, it's important to realise just how infrequently you
actually get rained on during an average 20 mins commute. So
most days it won't be a problem.

On days when it does rain, I wear: Altura goretex
overtrousers (I forget the name but they are about £60), a
mountaineering goretex by Sprayway (with hood), waterproof
gloves and Altura city slicker overshoes. All this is worn
over usual office clobber (inc shoes) and for trips of 4 or
5 miles is not a problem.

With this lot on I arrive at work drier than if I'd done the
200m sprint from the car.

Lugging this lot around needs a pannier. Once rolled up
tight it's not a great deal of volume but in total it's
probably a bit more than you'd like to pack into a rucsac
along with your real (non-cycling) luggage.

--

Transport & Urban Planning Blog

now at http://notonmywatch.blogs.com (http://notonmywatch.blogs.com/)

-Lsqnot Respond

On Sat, 01 May 2004 14:56:38 +0100, Andy Dingley
<dingbat@codesmiths.com> wrote:

>On 1 May 2004 06:37:34 -0700, fat_biffer@wowmail.com
>(Contractor) wrote:
>
>> Re: Anyone here cycling in a business suit ?
>
>Not me - wears the **** out of the trousers.

I've never had this problem.

>It'll do it to jeans too, but I can patch those.

>I'd go for two pairs of trousers, and change on arrival.

--

Transport & Urban Planning Blog

now at http://notonmywatch.blogs.com (http://notonmywatch.blogs.com/)

Mike Gayler

fat_biffer@wowmail.com (Contractor) writed in
news:f6676943.0405010537.122a5648@posting.google.com:

> I'm just about to change jobs. For the past two years I've
> been lucky enough to be working somewhere that has a
> casual dress policy. So it was no problem riding up to the
> train station everyday dressed in casual clothes as this
> was only a 10 min journey. Sure I got a bit wet in the
> winter but I soon dried out on the train.
>
> Has anyone got any advice or any recommendations on some
> wet weather gear that would suit my needs?

Yes, I changed jobs about a year ago into a posh suit job,
which involves me working on three sites. I quite often
'bottle out' and use my motorbike, particularly when I'm
working at the site which is on the other side of the city
to where I
live.I rarely get rained on - the perception of how bad the
weather is, is worse than the actuallity. I use an Aldi
cycling jacket (best bit of cycling gear I've ever
bought) over the suit jacket, and adjst the temperature
by judicious use of short / long sleeve shirts; and
different thickness pullovers under the jacket. I keep
a pair of overtrousers, designed for cycling in my
Carradice breifcase (again another splendid bit of
kit), these overtrousers are also good for *very* cold
weather. All my bikes have mudguards, all the locations
I work at have good cycle- parking facilities. I have
found that the jacket needs cleaning perhaps more than
that of a car-drivers!

Mike - Leicester

Simon Brooke

in message <f6676943.0405010537.122a5648@posting.google.com>, Contractor
('fat_biffer@wowmail.com') wrote:

> I'm just about to change jobs. For the past two years I've
> been lucky enough to be working somewhere that has a
> casual dress policy. So it was no problem riding up to the
> train station everyday dressed in casual clothes as this
> was only a 10 min journey. Sure I got a bit wet in the
> winter but I soon dried out on the train.
>
> With this new job I'm going to have to wear a suit, which
> means I'm going to need some wet weather gear to keep
> clean and dry. The main problem I have on my route is
> getting splattered with muddy puddle water. I don't want
> to be turning up for work with mud splattered shoes and
> trousers. It doesn't seem to be a problem with jeans, it
> just brushes off.

Wouldn't it be easier to take your suit and a pile of
shirts to work on Mondays, and cycle in in lycra the rest
of the week?

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke)
http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ ;; This email may contain
confidential or otherwise privileged ;; information, though,
quite frankly, if you're not the intended ;; recipient and
you've got nothing better to do than read other ;; folks'
emails then I'm glad to have brightened up your sad little
;; life a tiny bit.

Ambrose Nankive

In news:p06dm1-thl.ln1@gododdin.internal.jasmine.org.uk,
Simon Brooke <simon@jasmine.org.uk> typed:
> in message
> <f6676943.0405010537.122a5648@posting.google.com>,
> Contractor ('fat_biffer@wowmail.com') wrote:
>
>> I'm just about to change jobs. For the past two years
>> I've been lucky enough to be working somewhere that has a
>> casual dress policy.
>
> I know I've followed up to this once already, but on
> mature thought I've changed my advice. If they want you to
> wear a suit, it's time to change jobs.

I know *you're* out of the rat race, but aren't you tilting
at windmills here? Maybe the idea of conforming to social
norms isn't as constraining for Contractor as it is for you.
Certainly doesn't sound like mature thought to me, anyway.

Ambrose

Contractor

> Leave home earlier and give yourself time to find a
> space? If walk it to the station you'll be setting off
> earlier still.
It only seems to happen when I'm running late and there's
absolutely no spaces left. I've had to resort to chaining
the bike to the railings. The station staff don't like this,
but what can you do.

> First, it's important to realise just how infrequently you
> actually get rained on during an average 20 mins commute.
> So most days it won't be a problem.
Agreed, another cyclist at work was telling me it only rains
a few times a year at that time in the morning. My problem
is there always seem to be puddles on the road verges which
can't be avoided thanks to car drivers not giving me any
room to move out.

> On days when it does rain, I wear: Altura goretex
> overtrousers (I forget the name but they are about £60), a
> mountaineering goretex by Sprayway (with hood), waterproof
> gloves and Altura city slicker overshoes. All this is worn
> over usual office clobber (inc shoes) and for trips of 4
> or 5 miles is not a problem. Lugging this lot around needs
> a pannier. Once rolled up tight it's not a great deal of
> volume but in total it's probably a bit more than you'd
> like to pack into a rucsac along with your real (non-
> cycling) luggage.

This is what I'm worried about, lugging a load of wet
weather gear to work with my other things.

Contractor

Thanks for all the advice on this. I've never thought about
the Brompton option, I could maybe use that at both ends and
avoid the tube, hmmm.

I'm not sure about getting changed at work, most places I've
worked at wouldn't have anywhere to get changed, besides the
toilets. I'll find out when I start I suppose.

I just had another thought; is anyone here using one of
those metal cycleboxes? South West Trains have installed
them at quite a few of their stations. There must be a
waiting list for them? If I could get hold of one of those,
that would solve a few of my problems at least. I'd have a
guaranteed place to put the bike and somewhere to dump the
weatherproof gear.

Graeme

Simon Brooke <simon@jasmine.org.uk> wrote in news:p06dm1-thl.ln1
@gododdin.internal.jasmine.org.uk:

> I know I've followed up to this once already, but on
> mature thought I've changed my advice. If they want you to
> wear a suit, it's time to change jobs.

I worked in a job where they wanted me to wear a suit. I
don't like wearing suits but they were paying at least 40%
more than my previous job. There's a great many more factors
in deciding whether to take or leave a job than just them
telling you to wear a suit.

Mind you, this is the same place that, without warning,
changed to a "business casual" dress standard the day after
I'd bought a new suit to replace the shiney arsed one I'd
worn for years. :-/

Graeme

Tony Raven

Contractor wrote:

> Agreed, another cyclist at work was telling me it only
> rains a few times a year at that time in the morning. My
> problem is there always seem to be puddles on the road
> verges which can't be avoided thanks to car drivers not
> giving me any room to move out.
>

Two tips. Get some decent mudguards and fit some of those
flexible spray flaps to the end of them. Most of the water
is thrown up by the tyres and good guards and flaps stop
most of it. Unfortunately flaps seem to be rare these days
but you can fabricate your own. Second, if the cars don't
give you "room to move out" you are cycling wrongly. You
should probably be riding further out anyway but you should
be able to move over slowly and assert you space whatever
the cars are doing. Confidence to do it is a big factor. Get
a copy of the much mentioned Cyclecraft by John Franklin
which gives excellent advice on such matters.

Tony

Geoff Pearson

"Contractor" <fat_biffer@wowmail.com> wrote in message
news:f6676943.0405010537.122a5648@posting.google.com...
> I'm just about to change jobs. For the past two years I've
> been lucky enough to be working somewhere that has a
> casual dress policy. So it was no problem riding up to the
> train station everyday dressed in casual clothes as this
> was only a 10 min journey. Sure I got a bit wet in the
> winter but I soon dried out on the train.
>
> With this new job I'm going to have to wear a suit, which
> means I'm going to need some wet weather gear to keep
> clean and dry. The main problem I have on my route is
> getting splattered with muddy puddle water. I don't want
> to be turning up for work with mud splattered shoes and
> trousers. It doesn't seem to be a problem with jeans, it
> just brushes off.
>
> What I'm looking for is something I can get in and out of
> quickly and can fold away quickly. I carry a rucksack with
> a laptop in it, ideally I'd like to get it all in the same
> bag without soaking the laptop of course.
>
> Some mornings I turn up at the station and take so long
> locking my bike up (looking for a free stand) I miss the
> train. I'm wondering if with all the extra hassle of using
> wet weather gear it wouldn't be easier to give up cycling
> and just walk.
>
> Has anyone got any advice or any recommendations on some
> wet weather gear that would suit my needs?

I keep office jacket at the office and take trousers, shirt,
tie, socks, underwear, shoes and towel in a pannier - shower
and change at the office. That means I can cycle in lycra
freedom and don't give fig for the weather.

Richard Corfiel

On 2004-05-02, Geoff Pearson <gspearson1647@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I keep office jacket at the office and take trousers,
> shirt, tie, socks, underwear, shoes and towel in a pannier
> - shower and change at the office. That means I can cycle
> in lycra freedom and don't give fig for the weather.

I used to do this, then realised that leaving shoes and
trousers at work reduced the weight in the paniers -
especially the shoes! Its a fair amount of weight to
lug backwards and forwards every day. Also things
aren't so likely to get creased with all the "folding"
into the panniers.

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot
com _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ Time is a one way street, _/
_/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twilight Zone.

Charles.Rvee

Mike Gayler wrote:
> fat_biffer@wowmail.com (Contractor) writed in
> news:f6676943.0405010537.122a5648@posting.google.com:
SNIP
> I use an Aldi cycling jacket (best bit of cycling
> gear I've ever bought) over the suit jacket, and
> adjst the temperature by judicious use of short /
> long sleeve shirts; and different thickness pullovers
> under the jacket.
SNIp

>
> Mike - Leicester

Is this jacket the one made by crane sports, and supplied by
Aldi, as I have one but it has so far not been tested in the
wet, But is very light and cool to wear. how would you
classify it?
--
Charles Harvey

Geoff Pearson

"Richard Corfield" <rcnews2@littondale.dyndns.org> wrote in message
news:slrnc9apas.vui.rcnews2@cobalt.internal.littondale.dyndns.org...
> On 2004-05-02, Geoff Pearson
> <gspearson1647@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > I keep office jacket at the office and take trousers,
> > shirt, tie,
socks,
> > underwear, shoes and towel in a pannier - shower and
> > change at the office. That means I can cycle in lycra
> > freedom and don't give fig
for
> > the weather.
>
> I used to do this, then realised that leaving shoes and
> trousers at
work
> reduced the weight in the paniers - especially the shoes!
> Its a fair amount of weight to lug backwards and forwards
> every day. Also things aren't so likely to get creased
> with all the "folding" into the
panniers.
>
> - Richard
>
> --
> _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at
> ntlworld dot
com
> _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ Time is a one way street, _/ _/
> _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twilight Zone.

I roll rather than fold the clothes which reduces
creasing - and, odd today perhaps, I like a different
pair of shoes each day.