commuting in a suit/formal clothes.. best solution...

[ajag]

Hello all,

I am need of your infinite wisdom. I want to know what is the most convenient way to commute wearing formal clothes like a suit. The catch however, is that I don’t have a set office to which I commute to so commuting in my normal gear and changing at work is not an option. I either work from home or need to be at customer sites.

Any ideas?
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Street Triple

[Shinigami]

textile armoured jacket and armoured overpants? it's what I wear when riding to work as fits over work clothes no problem

[MattJ]

Just wear textiles over the top. Your clothes are never going to be in perfect condition if you are riding a motorbike but this seems like the best option. I wear black trousers for work and just wear textiles over the top and there are no noticeable creases, although I suspect there would be with a suit jacket and formal shirt.

[Ichy]

Easy care suits. How about getting a top box and carefully folding up the jacket?
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https://www.metacafe.com/watch/1972097/how_to_behave_on_a_forum/

[GrantT]

Exactly as above, armoured textiles over the top.

I wear suit pants and a formal shirt every day under my textiles. If I take a jacket a I carefully fold it into a rucksack where I also have my shoes.

'Easy Care' stuff is very good for not creasing as has been suggested.

[ajag]

Thank you all. I have to go to lidl on Thurday to get me some of those textiles.

Never worn textile so I was not aware you could fit in them with other clothed underneath.
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Street Triple

[iooi]

[Walloper]

[ajag]

[Rogerborg]

Go a size up, there'll be plenty of room underneath.

And yes, it does get stuffy in the summer. You could look into Hood H2 trousers, or black armoured jeans. I wear black Draggin' jeans - they're dark and very close weave and don't look like denims unless someone shoves their face in your crotch.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Alpha-9]

I wear my suit to work each day,

I stick on my armoured buffalo trousers over the suit trousers (from the big give away thread thanks to Joe)

And stick a coat over my blazer/jacket

I don't have proper kit yet but it works for me, I carry a back pack and swap my shoes over when I get there...

but as you say you have no formal office so it would probably be a case of either getting some shoes that work for riding and look smart enough, or changing into shoes when you get there...

If its jsut a coat and textile over-trousers then its easy enough to whip them off, you would only need to ram them into a bag and whip them out again when it's go time

But my fat coat is dumb and wintery and not fit for purpose at all, its chunky and blocks my mirrors and catches the wind like a cunt, if it isnt zipped all the way up it can catch all the wind and pull open like a god damn parachute
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Fzr-600 1999

[Im-STiG]

I would only advise to not wear basic suit attire while riding, because when you crash your skin has no protection at all, I have some scars to prove.

[kawakid]

To be honest you are going to struggle. The car or the bus will be easier.

Textiles are okay, but as soon as summer comes your clothes will be covered in swet and I mean covered.

I always commute in leathers with t-shirt underneath and then change at work, I also keep shoes permanently at work. I do have a wardrobe at work, so I am quite lucky.

I don't know what to recommend. Perhaps large panniers or a side car.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[HD]

I wear kevlar jeans and my jacket. With waterproof overleggings if it is wet and zip in the liner for my jacket. In the summer I take both waterproof and thermal liners out so I don't get sweaty. I stick my shoes in my bad which are slip ons so fold nicely and stick my blazer in there.

I bought a crappy suit cos I knew it was gonna have to stand up to some abuse. Boots go in my locker along with the rest of my gear but if you have a top box then problem solved. When at a customer's site, can't you just stick it in the corner of someones office or waiting room? (not sure of your line of work)
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Rusty '02 Vito Camper + CBR600F3

[multijoy]

Rucksack, top box. Also, store stuff at work. I move my formal gear into work and just stick a shirt in my bag.
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'11 CBF1000A, '99 C90, '98 CB500
silky666: He rode amazingly well considering his bike is the weight of a small van and had slicks on.

[robbieguy2003]

If you're going to client sites and need to be formally dressed you're pretty screwed in my opinion.

Textiles are ok, but on a really wet day, you'll look at bit wet and on a hot day you'll smell and have sweat patches, no nice way around it to be honest, which is a shame.

My work used to be very suit based and I only commuted to an office where we had showers/changing facilities and I had a massive rucksack that would take a suit, towel, shoes and a laptop. I couldn't really turn up at client sites in a decent state on the bike.

My rule of thumb now is if I need to be smart I take the car, but if I can do smart casual i'll take the bike.

Luckily these days I'm at home or at data centres where they've got techy people so I can get away with smart casual and do it on the bike.

I normally take the GSX1250 now, i'll put a rucksack in the topbox with a laptop and bits I need in, then one of my sideboxes will have a pair of jeans, trainers and toiletries (deodorant, gel etc). I'll take the rucksack out, and take the sidebox in, then change in the loo and then leave the bits by a desk while i'm off doing whatever i'm doing.

It's easier if you're at a normal place of work though, do you have a car at all?
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[Pernig]

If you're wearing a suit to work you can probably justify investing in an Aerostich Roadcraftersuit. Made to order and designed to throw on straight over your normal clothes.

I've been putting it off for a long while but in the next few months I might take the plunge and order one.

A textile jacket and a pair of smart bike trousers would be a decent compromise but with your summer jacket you would probably have to put your suit jacket in a top box or something or the bottom of the suit jacket will be sticking out. Others are right in saying that a normal textile jacket over a suit jacket will just be too hot in the summer. If I wear my polyester work jacket under my winter jacket my movement is restricted and I end up sweating, even whilst riding in sub-zero temperatures.
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H100 Breaking for spares