Bringing you tips on bike commuting from one dedicated rider in Portland.

The teeth on your bike’s chainrings are aptly named. They’re so eager to chew on pant legs.

I used to just roll up the right cuff to keep it out of the way, but found out the hard way that:  1) pant legs refuse to stay rolled up, especially if the fabric is light weight or the cuff is at all flared, 2) road dirt and water will have an easier time getting into your shoe, and 3) if you are as forgetful as me, you will go around the office all day with one pant leg rolled up.

Humankind solved this problem long ago with the invention of the chain guard, but for some reason, hardly any bikes come so equipped.

Straps that wrap cuffs tight are the quickest fix.  I really like Exposed Seam’s Commuter Cuff because it does a bit more then just protect pants. It’s made of a band of Cordura wide enough to cover the ankle and top of your shoe, shedding water and dirt, and also keeping your shoe laces out of the chainrings. It looks great, like a 19^th Century gentlemen’s spatterdashes.

I’d show you a picture but I can’t find my Commuter Cuff.  And that’s the problem with pant leg straps. I constantly misplace them.

That’s why the solution I’ve ended up using most of the time is a plain old binder clip:

They’re readily at hand in just about every office. And they work brilliantly. Only, now I walk around all day at work with a binder clip on my pant leg.