Talk:How to ride a bike wearing a suit

I have turned my pedals upside-down when I didn't want to scratch my shoes.

Yeah, I can't do that on my bike because my bottom bracket is too low and my cranks are too long and I just keep getting pedal strikes on every turn. In any case, I've edited the page to include this advice. Thanks for the feedback!

Ah, but how about riding a bike wearing a suit in the rain?

This is much more difficult, because even if, as Mako suggests, you stow your jacket and wear a (water-resistant/proof) windcheater over your shirt, your trousers will still get soaked. This means that the crease you painstakingly ironed into them will get ruined, and the fabric will stretch around your knees, thighs, and calves and when the trousers dry, your legs will look like jelly.

There are various options here. One is to pick a set of trousers made from a fabric that has a good "memory", so that the effect of wetting/drying is minimal, and which is a dark colour so that wetness is not visible (black corduroy suits are great on this front!). Another option is to wear waterproof overtrousers, but these can get so sweaty inside that the trousers get wet anyhow and you might as well have not bothered - although in cold weather, and if you ride at a relaxed pace, this is an effective option. Still, the most reliable option I've found is to wear cycling shorts or leggings that are water-repellent. When you get to the office, it's a matter of seconds to nip to the bathroom, brush off any remaining drops of rain, and slip your trousers (which you have stowed) over the top.

All this is a hassle, though, and it may be less hassle to simply try to avoid situations where you'd need to ride in a suit in the rain. One way to do this, especially if you have a folding bike, is to ride to your nearest bus/train stop and take public transport most of the way instead. Or just don't wear a suit :) Sampablokuper 22:04, 14 April 2009 (UTC)