Realise I should probably be posting this on bikemagic, but seeing as I actually remember my log on for OM, and the fact that I know quite a few of you lot moonlight and ride bikes, here I am asking:

I wanna commute on my bike, and I wanna get there and not be boiled in my own sweat?!  Does anyone make smart looking, functional clothing that I could get away with wearing in an office?  Just about the only shirt I can think of that might pass for a formal shirt in a (slightly) relaxed office environment, and is breathable and wicking is the P****o Trail shirt?  *meh*

As for 'smart' trousers that could be worn for riding and get away with a business meeting?  I'm at a loss?

Anyone faced a similar predicament and not had to resort to carrying a change of clothes?  Cheers.

P.S I'm not worried about the 'smell' problem - I work in an office full of IT chimps who full on BO it up all day, so it won't matter if I add to the funk. 

Rohan?

Maybe.....good call actually.

Thing is the choices in trousers would be limitless if I could wear cargo style to work, but as for smart flat front trousers....I'm stuck!

> Anyone faced a similar predicament and not had to resort to carrying a change of clothes?  Cheers.

Leave clothes at work?  Okay, they have to go to work, and come back at some point for washing (although maybe not if surrounded by funky IT types...).

That's what I do, but then I also carry a small daysack on my back every day anyway.

I wear LA Houdini trousers at work; flat-fronted, simple trousers.  But gusseted and in an outdoor fabric.  And cheap from TK Maxx... Depends on your definition of 'smart', I guess...

I use LA Houdini as well. I got a job lot when they were black a few years ago.

If you want office shoes with cleats, try the Exustar Stelvio.

rohan could be a good place. the linen suits and some of the travel stuff are "smart" and very comfortable.

IT? smart? oxymoron?

I commute in daily by bike but just far enough to warrant getting into cycling gear and carrying spare clothes.  I bring in enough clothes at the begiining of the week, and the rest of the week travel light. 

It's much more comfortable riding in proper cycling gear and not worrying about building up a sweat.  I don't think there's any trousers I'd find comfortable eough to cycle in & then wear the rest of the day.

For a lot of cycle commutes the problem may be much better addressed by remembering that cycling doesn't have to be treated as a high-exertion sport.  If you look at a town in NL it's entirely normal for folk to commute by bike, but for the most part you'll see them wearing normal, everyday business clothes that would be perfecyly serviceable for a smart meeting, and there's no great thing about needing showers at work there either.  The trick is to just keep at a speed where you're not sweating a lot: if you keep your power output close to that of walking you'll still be going at a fiar speed on a reasonable bike fitted with high pressure road tyres, so you can just what wear what you'd normally wear.

Get a bike with a proper chain guard and you don't even need to tuck your trouser legs away.

And since cycling is, mile for mile, slightly less productive of serious head injuries than being a pedestrian, unless you feel a need to wear a safety helmet as a pedestrian you can avoid  the problems of sweat and hair re-arrnagement of helmets by not wearing one (again, just like the Dutch).

Don't throw money at it, just slow down and don't work up a sweat.

Pete. 

I was going to say that, Pete, but I thought it was so blatantly obvious...  But maybe it needed saying

I used to cycle to school/work in the clothes I would wear during the day.  I can't remember when I stopped, or why...

I understand.  But I can't ride at a sensible pace....I have to burn it.

Stab it and steer is my maxim.

But thanks for some sensible advice.....I think I'm going to have to take a change of clothes with me for the week and change.

And yes...even IT people have to meet with 'normal' business people from time to time!