Knickers

[TwoWheelsDC]

@culimerc 83882 wrote:

The little missus and I are looking for bike wear that we can wear to regular social gatherings, out to dinner etc. Showing up looking like a cross between a sausage and an easter egg isnt always the best thing.

Giro has a new road line that is focused on non-bikey looks. It’s fairly spendy, but they make a quality product. I have a pair of the pants, and they are pretty nice, very comfy on the bike, but they look like casual slacks. REI carries it, as does Freshbikes. I also have a couple pairs of Swrve jeans, and a pair of Rapha City Trousers, which all look “normal” off the bike, but are way more comfortable than regular pants, since they have gusseted crotches and are a little stretchy, and also built for the abuse of riding. None of it’s cheap, but I wear all of it quite frequently these days, since I bike to work in my work clothes on casual Fridays, and I go straight from work to class two days a week. If I had unlimited funds, I’d get everything from Rapha’s “City Riding” collection, but so far I’ve been limited to the occasional clearance item.

Endura also has an urban line. I have the merino polo shirt, which is pretty awesome. I’ve also been buying cheaper, non-bike specific polo shirts that are synthetic and/or wool, rather than cotton, and I wear those to class and on Fridays. Really the only bike-specific detail you don’t get is the pockets, which don’t really need anyway when I’m carrying a backpack or messenger back and wearing jeans.

I do prefer to ride clipless, so I picked up a pair of Chrome spd shoes…I wear them to work and class and they look like regular shoes.

The tough part is that the stores in this area stock very little “urban” riding apparel…REI carries the Giro stuff, but their stock is pretty limited. Same with Freshbikes, so I tend to order most of it online.

[Dirt]

Endura 3/4 are awesome and extremely durable. They are not, however, casual clothing. They’ve got Endura logos on them. I wear bib shorts under them. Short rides are around 30-40 miles, longer ones go upward of 150.

I tend to wear casual shorts or pants on the outside and bib shorts underneath. That has worked pretty well. We are all a bit different in the way that we ride and how we do in different short/pant combinations. My rides in casual clothing tend to be 10-20 miles with street clothes and regular underwear, 20-80 miles with casual clothes and bib shorts underneath. The limiting factor for me is dealing with being sweaty. Casual pants and jeans don’t breathe as well as cycling-specific gear.

[Slosurf]

I second the recommendation for Giro’s New Road line. I commute 25 miles to work and the shorts and shirts are performance oriented but presentable walking down the hall at the office after the ride in. Excellent quality.

[vvill]

@TwoWheelsDC 83891 wrote:

Endura also has an urban line. I have the merino polo shirt, which is pretty awesome. I’ve also been buying cheaper, non-bike specific polo shirts that are synthetic and/or wool, rather than cotton, and I wear those to class and on Fridays. Really the only bike-specific detail you don’t get is the pockets, which don’t really need anyway when I’m carrying a backpack or messenger back and wearing jeans.

I do prefer to ride clipless, so I picked up a pair of Chrome spd shoes…I wear them to work and class and they look like regular shoes.

My problem with casual pants/jeans is that the “sit bones” area always seems to wear and pill much faster than other areas. I tried some Rapha trousers for one or two rides, and noticed they started wearing them straight away – ended up exchanging them for a merino layer (I was also between sizes apparently). With jeans it’s not that big a deal since jeans are relatively cheap and no one cares too much about jeans wearing.

I do love merino or synthetic shirts/polos. Anything with a little stretch and blend other than pure cotton works so much better even on a casual ride.

I also love my Chrome 2-bolt shoes, but those things are HEAVY! I was amazed at their weight when I first got them (probably not a big deal when you’re riding fixed though). They also have a lot of padding in the insoles which is comfy for walking but a little much I think. I’ve since swapped those out. (Chrome’s merino socks are also great imo.)

[TwoWheelsDC]

@vvill 83978 wrote:

I also love my Chrome 2-bolt shoes, but those things are HEAVY! I was amazed at their weight when I first got them (probably not a big deal when you’re riding fixed though). They also have a lot of padding in the insoles which is comfy for walking but a little much I think. I’ve since swapped those out. (Chrome’s merino socks are also great imo.)

Oh yeah, and they aren’t stiff at all. Definitely a looks vs. performance compromise, but they do allow me to ride to work without having to change my shoes. I love the look of Giro Republic, but they seemed a little too bike-y, in the sense that the soles don’t look to be as optimized for all-day walking. If they would put the Terraduro sole on the Republic upper, it would be the ultimate commuter shoe.

[culimerc]

I’ve got a pair of the Levi’s jeans, which are ok, but barely fit. Apparently they thought only 150 lb hipsters were going to buy them.
I’ve also got a pair of the endro knickers. I like those much better and they almost look like regular clothes. I should wear them more often.

I dont like riding much over 10-12 miles without some sort of bike designed clothing, I havent developed the appropriate calluses for that. The wool shirt are only so-so in my world, they stretch way too easy.

[Author]

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