Crinkly problem

Caher

Hi all,
I have just begun to seriously commute by bike which is great however I have to wear formal clothing which means an ironed shirt etc. When I get to work my freshly ironed shirt looks like a dishcloth and my trousers look like a pair of pyjamas.
Has anyone found any devices or novel way of preserving their gear? I use a backpack and cannot use panniers.
Many thanks
Caher

Simon Mason

"Caher" <Caher.1j7lam@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote in message
news:Caher.1j7lam@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com...
>
> Hi all,
> I have just begun to seriously commute by bike which is great however
> I have to wear formal clothing which means an ironed shirt etc. When I
> get to work my freshly ironed shirt looks like a dishcloth and my
> trousers look like a pair of pyjamas.
> Has anyone found any devices or novel way of preserving their gear? I
> use a backpack and cannot use panniers.

Keep your clothes + shoes at work and cycle to work in proper cycling gear.
If you drive sometimes, take some fresh clothes to work and then bring the
old ones back.
--
Simon M.

Richard

Caher wrote:
> Hi all,
> I have just begun to seriously commute by bike which is great however
> I have to wear formal clothing which means an ironed shirt etc. When I
> get to work my freshly ironed shirt looks like a dishcloth and my
> trousers look like a pair of pyjamas.
> Has anyone found any devices or novel way of preserving their gear? I
> use a backpack and cannot use panniers.

Troosers: Fold them in half (ie one leg onto the t'other) and then roll
them up from the top into a cylinder.

Shirts: Iron them, then fold them like they come in the shop (ie, about
A4 size), and put them in a box file or lever arch file to carry them in
the backpack.

Take a week's worth of shirts and hangars on Monday, and when you get to
work hang them up - by Tuesday they'll be fine.

R.

Colin Blackburn

Richard wrote:

> Shirts: Iron them, then fold them like they come in the shop (ie, about
> A4 size), and put them in a box file or lever arch file to carry them in
> the backpack.

Folding them around a chunky magazine can help, though remove the
magazines before transporting.

> Take a week's worth of shirts and hangars on Monday, and when you get to
> work hang them up - by Tuesday they'll be fine.

And hence use a shirt you left hanging on Friday for Monday.

Colin

Peter Clinch

Caher wrote:
> I have just begun to seriously commute by bike which is great however
> I have to wear formal clothing which means an ironed shirt etc. When I
> get to work my freshly ironed shirt looks like a dishcloth and my
> trousers look like a pair of pyjamas.

Aside from Simon's solution, slow down and wear your suit on the bike.
If you're not Going For It there's no particular need to sweat any more
than if you're walking.

Beyond that, look at shirts etc. designed specifically not to suffer in
transit. Rohan are a good place to start, as they have a line of
business clothing designed for travel.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

MSeries

Caher wrote:
> Hi all,
> I have just begun to seriously commute by bike which is great however
> I have to wear formal clothing which means an ironed shirt etc. When I
> get to work my freshly ironed shirt looks like a dishcloth and my
> trousers look like a pair of pyjamas.
> Has anyone found any devices or novel way of preserving their gear? I
> use a backpack and cannot use panniers.
> Many thanks
> Caher
>
>


Whoa, deja vu. This was covered on the C+ forum recently. My fave used
to be lay a towel on the shirt before folding it and fold the two
together. Leave the suit and shoes at work. Make occasional trips by
car/bus to rotate your work cloths for cleaner ones. I make these trips
at weekends when I am passing the office with my car. Parking is free at
weekends here.

Mark Tranchant

Caher wrote:
> Hi all,
> I have just begun to seriously commute by bike which is great however
> I have to wear formal clothing which means an ironed shirt etc. When I
> get to work my freshly ironed shirt looks like a dishcloth and my
> trousers look like a pair of pyjamas.
> Has anyone found any devices or novel way of preserving their gear? I
> use a backpack and cannot use panniers.

Wear cycling clothes on the bike, and pack your formals in the backpack.
If that's what you already do, the most important tip I can give is this:

Iron your stuff the night before.

It seems that cotton's "memory" needs a long time to form after ironing.

--
Mark.
http://tranchant.plus.com/

Caher

Thanks all - not sure the clothes cache idea would work as I have no space here. But I might try the towel idea and perhaps by then non-iron shirts that M&S have in at the moment!

Jeremy Collins

Mark Tranchant wrote:

> If that's what you already do, the most important tip I can give is this:
>
> Iron your stuff the night before.
>
> It seems that cotton's "memory" needs a long time to form after ironing.

I'll second that, only because I thought it was a bit daft when I
was told it. It's true - if you wear or pack a cotton shirt immediately
after ironing it creases much more easily.

Any materials scientists on the group that would care to offer an
explanation?

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

Arthur Clune

Caher <Caher.1j7lam@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:

: Has anyone found any devices or novel way of preserving their gear? I
: use a backpack and cannot use panniers.

How far/long is your commute?

You *sure* you can't use panniers? A seat-post mounted rack pack can
take plenty of stuff (as much as a small rucksack) and will reduce
this problem.

If you commute is only a couple of miles, cycle slower.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt
It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness

Not Responding

Caher wrote:
> Hi all,
> I have just begun to seriously commute by bike which is great however
> I have to wear formal clothing which means an ironed shirt etc. When I
> get to work my freshly ironed shirt looks like a dishcloth and my
> trousers look like a pair of pyjamas.
> Has anyone found any devices or novel way of preserving their gear? I
> use a backpack and cannot use panniers.
> Many thanks
> Caher
>
>

Novel solution used here; I put on my suit in the morning; jacket, tie,
shirt, cuff links and shiny shoes - the works. I then get on my bike and
ride to work.

To save my trousers I use bicycle clips. If it rains I wear Goretex
jacket, overtrousers (a size up on my usual size so as not to crumple
suit) and overshoes.

I have never had a problem with crumpled clothes.

My commute is a flattish 5 miles e/w and only the terminally unfit and
sweaty (motorists, for example) would work up a sweat during a 25 minute
gentle ride.

Caher

Its 8 miles mainly up hill, the raison d'être for my ride in is to raise a sweat. I once read somewhere that you should aim to make the body sweat at least once a day. And it’s not a fitness issue as I have an resting heart rate of 45 bpm!

Arthur Clune

Caher <Caher.1j7vmb@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:

: Its 8 miles mainly up hill, the raison d'être for my ride in is to raise
: a sweat.

Nothing wrong with that, but then you don't want to be wearing your
work clothes!

--
Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt
It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness

Tony Raven

Caher wrote:
> Hi all,
> I have just begun to seriously commute by bike which is great however
> I have to wear formal clothing which means an ironed shirt etc. When I
> get to work my freshly ironed shirt looks like a dishcloth and my
> trousers look like a pair of pyjamas.
> Has anyone found any devices or novel way of preserving their gear? I
> use a backpack and cannot use panniers.
>

Old travellers trick. Hang your shirt up next to a steamy shower and
all the creases will drop out.

Tony