Bringing your work clothes on your bike

[fuzzy]

I have a theory… Try using space bags. They have them in all different sizes.

[OneEighth]

Honestly, it’s not that complicated and doesn’t require a new wardrobe. Just gently roll your pants, shirt, (vest), undershirt, socks, tie, and shorts (optional if you have a predilection for blue face paint). Turn your suit coat inside out and roll it separately, put the whole schmeer into something water-resistant, and then try not to mash it in your backpack/saddlebag/whatever. Moving to French cuff shirts without pockets does help. After all, you need the cuffs and collar to remain presentable when you’ve got the jacket on.

Shoes, belts, and overcoats stay at work.

Between motorcycling and cycling, I’ve been doing this successfully for close almost 15 years.

[Dirt]

I used to leave my clothes at work and take them to the cleaners every Friday.

[mstone]

@jrenaut 60148 wrote:

I typically take my shirts to the cleaners because ironing sucks. But Mr. Dread suggested Jos A Bank Traveler dress shirts. Can I really machine wash these and not iron them? Do I have to do anything special? Are there other options for dress clothes that I never have to iron? Because that would be cool. I’m a software engineer for the government, so I don’t have to look all that fantastic, but I can’t be a complete slob.

There’s no reason for a software engineer to wear anything other than wrinkle-free button down shirts. (On this coast; on the west coast you don’t even have to wear shoes.) As long as you pull them out of the dryer right away and hang them up (don’t let them sit in a pile) they’re fine for government work.

[TwoWheelsDC]

The “no-iron” cotton dress shirt is a myth.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@TwoWheelsDC 60164 wrote:

The “no-iron” cotton dress shirt is a myth.

Completely disagree. I wear them every day. Straight out of the dryer onto a hanger, and then nicely folded and placed in a bag each morning. No wrinkles.

[KLizotte]

I use one of these to transport my daily clothes:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3422[/ATTACH]

[cyclingfool]

@jrenaut 60148 wrote:

Can I really machine wash these and not iron them?

You iron/get stuff ironed?! You have much higher standards than I do!

The only things I have that ever ever get pressed/ironed are the couple suits I have and wear a few times a year when I get them dry cleaned. Shirts and slacks or khakis just go from dryer to hanger to rolled up in pannier for the bike commute.

[ejwillis62]

I roll my pants and try to wear sweaters and shirts that don’t wrinkle, As a woman I know I could dress fancier but I dress down so that I can ride my bike. I have a suit here in the office in case I get called to an important meeting but otherwise I just do the best I can. What’s a few wrinkles in exchange for seeing the sun come up on the Potomac in the morning and seeing it set in the evening. I think if I had a job where I had to wear suits everyday I would bring them in on the weekend.

[jrenaut]

I’m not necessarily going after a new wardrobe, just looking to replace some shirts that are starting to wear. Definitely looking at wrinkle-free. Ironing should be reserved for weddings and funerals. Maybe job interviews.

[mstone]

@KLizotte 60166 wrote:

I use one of these to transport my daily clothes:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3422[/ATTACH]

I use one of these when I need to wear a starched shirt: [ATTACH=CONFIG]3423[/ATTACH]

edit to add: goes well with a BOB trailer on the commuter bike

[Bill Hole]

You asked about the Joseph A Banks no-iron shirts. I wear them, and they really are no-iron. Pull them from the dryer and hang them up right away and they’ll look fine. Brooks Brothers shirts are also good about not wrinkling, but they’re much more expensive.

For commuting, I roll the shirt and underwear together and the slacks separately, stuff them into a plastic bag for cleanliness and dryness, stuff that plus a bag of toiletries into a small duffel bag, and stuff that into my panier. Works great. Dress shoes stay at work, shower flip-flops are locked to the bike rack with a cable that I also use to secure my front wheel.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@Bill Hole 60173 wrote:

… shower flip-flops are locked to the bike rack with a cable that I also use to secure my front wheel.

I hadn’t thought of this one, though there are probably too many pigeons in our garage to make it work.

[mstone]

@TwoWheelsDC 60164 wrote:

The “no-iron” cotton dress shirt is a myth.

If you’re a lawyer or a politician, sure. For many other professions the formal shirt is simply out of fashion. Yes, some people still wear them, just as some people hung on to powdered wigs into the 19th century and the English can’t seem to stop wearing them in court.

[KayakCyndi]

@ejwillis62 60168 wrote:

What’s a few wrinkles in exchange for seeing the sun come up on the Potomac in the morning and seeing it set in the evening. I think if I had a job where I had to wear suits everyday I would bring them in on the weekend.

Totally agree with this sentiment except the part about “if I had a job where I had to wear suits everyday” …. If I had one of those I’d quit and find a new one!

[Author]

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