If you commute to the office because your boss doesn’t buy into the “work from home” movement, not only must you set an alarm clock but figure out how to bike to work looking professional, not disheveled.
Every dilemma has a solution, and we’ve got a couple of them designed to get you and your suit to the office, so you don’t arrive looking like you just got out of bed.
1.Leave a suite at work
Does your office have a closet and a loo that’s big enough to accommodate a clothing change? Why not just leave your suit at work and change into it once you arrive?
Corporette.com is a font of wisdom when it comes to corporate attire, and editors recommend always leaving a suit at the office, even if you don’t bike to work.
“When a VIP I was working with unexpectedly called to see if I wanted to talk over lunch,” one office worker recalls feeling euphoric because she had stowed a suit within the confines of her office closet.
What’s the downside of this clever move?
You could gain a reputation for being the company’s worst dresser by relying on the same suit day-after-day. You can try switching out ties, shirts, and jewelry – but that still leaves you with the burden of carrying these items on your bike.
Think twice before making this your solution — unless you’re wealthy enough to keep an entire wardrobe at the office, which begs the question: Why aren’t you the boss?
2.Invest in a dedicated suit bag
If you already own a suit bag that you use for travel, you can try to work with it, but you need a product that is designed exclusively for bike commuters because not every cargo bag will keep office clothing in pristine condition.
One of the companies specializing in this bag type is Henty. This manufacturer’s bags pass every test a cyclist requires. Their bags are waterproof, so rain and snow can’t get to garments and fittings within these bags keep wardrobe items fresh and in good shape.
Henty marketers remind brand fans that these bags are so artfully engineered, owners can use them as portable lockers, stashing any number of items within bag confines.
Every size under the sun is included in this library of traveling garment bags that can hold an entire wardrobe if that’s what you hope to transport to your place of business.
Style? You bet. And despite the fact that every carrier in this collection is of the highest quality and construction, you won’t have to sell your bike to afford one!
3.Wear your suit on your bike
If you count on the evergreen articles published by “Gentleman’s Quarterly” magazine, you know that editors can be counted on for great advice on all types of subjects, from achieving a better sex life to biking to work without looking as though you had been tossed about in a clothes dryer during your journey.
Editors deal directly with the biggest problem commuters face most often: Sweat. GQ’s solutions include the aforementioned “get to work early and change into the suit left at the office” to mastering the art of folding so whatever carrier you have at your disposal treats your clothing with TLC.
If your only solution is biking to work in your suit, choose suits offering the most amount of flexibility in textiles that are season-appropriate. Double down on antiperspirants and leave home early. If you’re not in a rush, you won’t sweat as much, dude.
4.Acquire a pannier suit bag
Just in case you’re a bike newbie and think that the word pannier refers to the French word for bread, we introduce you to a gear essential: any basket, bag, box, or container attached to a bicycle or beast of burden that carries cargo.
The pannier market has exploded, say editors at BicycleTouringGuide.com – and specialty panniers are trending. Purchase the wrong pannier style for your commute, and you defeat the purpose of your expenditure.
“The most important considerations for commuting panniers include ease-of-use, organization, and protection from those rainy days,” say website writers who refer to bags designed to transport clothing to work “in a class of their own.”
A great example of a product that won’t cost you an arm and a leg but will suit your objective is the Two Wheel Gear brand commuter pannier that does everything but chooses your wardrobe components.
It’s functional, gets you and your garments to your job without wrinkles, and includes enough space to bring up to five other clothing items plus shoes, toiletries, work files, and a 17-inch laptop.
This bag even comes with a 5L Wet Sack Pouch that holds wet shoes and dirty items, so they don’t touch your clean items, and the price isn’t heart-stopping, either.
Whether you decide to invest in a dedicated suit bag or a pannier designed to get your garments to the office – or you decide to ride to work in your suit – your dedication to your job is going to impress your employer big time.
And if you get a raise after being praised for your dedication, you know how to spend that money, right?
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