Crinkly problem

"Caher" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

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.

Caher said:

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.

Richard said:

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.

Quoted message said:

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

Caher said:

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 [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Caher said:

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.

Caher said:

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/

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!

Mark Tranchant said:

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

Caher <[email hidden]> 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

Caher said:

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.

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!

Caher <[email hidden]> 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

Caher said:

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

Tony Raven said:

Caher said:

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.

Quoted message said:

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

Another trick, use a hairdryer instead of an iron.

Even if you can't stash a week's worth of clothes at work you could
leave one shirt hanging overnight to let the creases fall out. Take
Tuesday's shirt in on Monday etc.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

In article <[email hidden]>, Jeremy Collins
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Mark Tranchant said:

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?

If you use a steam iron is it not that the shirt is still damp?
--
Peter Grange

in message <[email hidden]>, Caher

(') said:

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.

Can you travel in by alternate transport once a week taking with you
four spare shirts and a pair of trousers? If you can, do you have
locker space at work where you could keep them?

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Woz: 'All the best people in life seem to like LINUX.'
;; <URL:http://www.woz.org/woz/cresponses/response03.html>

In message <[email hidden]>, Caher
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

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.

One of my suits hangs in the office in a suit cover on a coat stand, and
formal shoes are under my desk. I only wear these if I'm seeing a
client. Cufflinks, arm bands and collar stiffeners are in my drawer. For
everyday wear, I keep casual trousers and shoes in a cupboard.

I bring in a fresh shirt (and co-ordinating tie if required) and socks
every day. After shirts are ironed, I fold each one round an A4
magazine, and store then like that in the wardrobe. Then each morning I
wrap a folded shirt in a plastic bag and carry it in my shoulder bag.
It's still nice and smooth at the other end.

I've often wondered if there's a market for a lightweight frame that you
could fold a shirt round and that would hold it securely during
transport.

I also keep a sweater at work to counteract the aggressive air
conditioning. Until a year or so ago, there used to be an 'office
jumper' that anyone could wear if they were feeling a bit chilly.

--
congokid
Good restaurants in London? Number one on Google
http://congokid.com

congokid said:

In message <[email hidden]>, Caher
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I have just begun to seriously commute by bike which is great

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

however
I have to wear formal clothing which means an ironed shirt etc. When

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

gear? I
use a backpack and cannot use panniers.

One of my suits hangs in the office in a suit cover on a coat stand,

and

Quoted message said:

formal shoes are under my desk. I only wear these if I'm seeing a
client. Cufflinks, arm bands and collar stiffeners are in my drawer.

For

Quoted message said:

everyday wear, I keep casual trousers and shoes in a cupboard.

I bring in a fresh shirt (and co-ordinating tie if required) and

socks

Quoted message said:

every day. After shirts are ironed, I fold each one round an A4
magazine, and store then like that in the wardrobe. Then each morning

I

Quoted message said:

wrap a folded shirt in a plastic bag and carry it in my shoulder bag.

Quoted message said:

It's still nice and smooth at the other end.

I've often wondered if there's a market for a lightweight frame that

you

Quoted message said:

could fold a shirt round and that would hold it securely during
transport.

I also keep a sweater at work to counteract the aggressive air
conditioning. Until a year or so ago, there used to be an 'office
jumper' that anyone could wear if they were feeling a bit chilly.

--
congokid
Good restaurants in London? Number one on Google
http://congokid.com

Eagle Creek, and, I guess others, make a folder affair
http://www.rei.com/product/6075265.htm?vcat=REI_SSHP_TRAVEL_TOC
that has a plastic insert you can fold your shirt around and then holds
it securely.Works quite well.
AndyM