biking in style? oxymoron? - YouLookFab Forum

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biking in style? oxymoron?

Alecia

Veteran

So as I posted in a previous post, I am inclined to bike when I can. My husband and I are lucky enough to live in a place where we can bike to many great restaurants, stores, parks, etc. This isn't a case of commuting to work where I would bike in one set of clothes and then change into my work clothes. I bike to the places I'm planning to go and would wear the outfit I intend to be in while biking. I am trying to figure out how to keep the style and the bike. Most of the issue arises in the summer when it's in the 90s or 100s around here. Biking means that you will wilt. But then again, doing anything means you will wilt. But the sistuation is also apparent when the weather cools. So I wanted to ask if anyone bikes and how they change or don't change their style when doing so.

Those of you with skinnies (which I'm considering) do you think you could bike in them? If you added biking to your day, do you think you'd consider knit bottoms? (Is that blasphemy?)

Here are outfits I wore when we biked to breakfast the last two weekends:
http://i508.photobucket.com/al.....0_9049.jpg

http://i508.photobucket.com/al.....0_9036.jpg

Dressing

19 replies

Latest reply was from shiny

marianne

Hi Alecia, I am very impressed with your biking outfits! I am afraid I can't offer any advice but I just wanted to tell you that. My husband bikes to work but he brings a change of clothes in his bag. I don't think I can bike in my skinny jeans - they are a bit too constricting. Maybe when they soften with time. Did you see this site that someone posted here a while back:
http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/

Antje

Veteran

Oh I'm glad you posted this site, Marianne, I immediately thought of that when I saw the title of this post. Inge posted it, I believe.

In Europe, lots of women bike, and their stylish "uniform" is skinnies plus boots. Totally comfy, totally appropriate for biking, totally chic. Go for it! I also see women in skirts and boots on bikes in Europe a lot, though obviously knee length A-line skirts will work much better than pencil skirts

You're lucky that you can bike to a lot of places, Alecia! In Seattle, I rarely bike because my neighborhood is very hilly (and I'm not sporty enough) and there are very few bike paths or otherwise safe streets for biking. WHen I lived in Germany I biked everywhere, loved it.

Anonymous

I'm impressed with how you incorporate biking into you daily activities. I would love to live in a place where I could do that and not fear for my life on the busy street.
As for your choice of clothes to bike out for breakfast, you look fabulous and you are not letting getting a bit wilty be in the way of having some fun and getting some exercise while you go out for breakfast.
More power to you!

Amanda

Alecia, if those are examples of your biking outfits then I think that you have already mastered biking with style -- I think that if you keep it casual and maybe layers that you can take on and off in case too warm or too cool, you'll do great!

Debbie

the Sartorialist blog featured a biker today Oct 15. I could not get link to work here.

Dawn

(website)

Hey Alecia,

I do a lot of cycling daily, both commuting and mountain biking. For mountain biking, I use cycling specific clothing but for commuting into uni/ work/ social events; I wear what I intend on wearing that day- generally a-line knee-length skirts and heels, or jeans and boots. I have, however, discovered that cycling in a skirt that is any length above the knee or lycra (from some road cycling adventures) leads to comments from van drivers.

Debbie

tassajara

you must not have pedals that require your shoes to click in?

My shoes must be bike shoes in order to work.

I know that you can buy pedals though that work with biking shoes or street shoes.

Dawn

(website)

I use flat pedals- they come with 'pins' that dig into rubber soles of shoes. Useful for quick bailouts when mountain biking and for versatility of shoe choice in daily life. However, they will quickly ruin a pair of thin soles by ripping them.

Kyle

Veteran

Love your weekend biking outfits. You look great. I think you can definitely wear skinnies on a bike -- just make sure the fabric stretches, and you'll be good to go.

marianne

The Sartorialist picture is lovely!

Alecia

Veteran

Ok. So nobody touched the knit bottom question. Though I do think it's a worthwhile one in this instance. I looked at the link marianne posted plus some other bike style sites and saw quite a bit of more funky style and I think knit bottoms.

As for the Sartorialist picture, I wish I looked that good off a bike, let alone on one. Wow!

Nicole

Veteran

Hi Alecia...do the wide pants get in the way of the chain, crank, gear or bottom bracket?

What about a pair of knit leggings, with a tunic style top and riding boots?? I could ride in an outfit like that much easier than jeans. I find the seams in the crotch of jeans are NOT condusive to a bicycle seat.

In the summer you could wear a biking skort. I've seen some of the hard core bikers at the bike shop my husband rides with, wear them on less demanding bike rides.

Dawn

(website)

skorts from teamestrogen.com

http://teamestrogen.com/produc.....ctAge-desc

Personally I would recommend sugoi cycling gear through personal experience of using their shorts and cycling tights.

Alecia

Veteran

Nicole, I have those dorky velcro straps for my pant legs. They're a life (pant) saver. I do like the idea of the leggings, tunic, and boots. A lot of folks on the bike sites are wearing that uniform. It's very euro. It'd be the perfect look for a chilly autumn bike to brunch or the farmers market. I don't know how it works with my body type. Will have to check it out.

I'm not sure about the bike skorts. Those are pretty gear looking. I don't think I'd feel fabulous in one out and about.

Ultimately, I think its a mindset. We just don't think about biking the same way other people do in other places. But I'm going to work on changing that in my own mind's eye.

Dani

Veteran

Alecia, I think the outfits you chose were great and I agree that jeans tucked into boots would work well as would a tunic, leggings, boots combo. I, too, wish I lived in a community where biking was an option. I don't live too far from the grocery store, but I would fear for my life while going there on a bike

Debbie

I live in a really easy to bike in town. I have a mental block about doing my errands on a bike for some reason though.

I think it is figuring out the clothes but I definitely could see doing errands in skinnies, boots.

I would need to change my pedals so they work with street shoes and get over helmet hair. I have a bag on the back of my bike that would hold a little stuff from my errands.

In this small conservative town, a woman in a skirt on a bike would get some looks.

My daughter looks cute on her cruiser with a basket on the front. I would be using my mountain bike for errands.

Anonymous

I also bike in the town I live in, Alecia, and I have found skinnies to be perfect! If it is hot, the denim is thick enough it won't get sweat-stained or wrinkled, and you don't have to worry about your velcro straps (which are classier options than rubber bands that I use!). In the wetter winter I am very careful to go slowly, or I get water up my butt and back from the rear tire. In summer I wear a cami with a looser blouse or light cardi over it - the cami will absorb any moisture or heat from your body and keep the cardi or blouse from wrinkling. I have also taken any outerwear off and put it in a messenger bag until I reach my desitination - then ~voila~ my outerwear is still neat and covers my 'wilting'!

I wouldn't consider knit bottoms, personally. If they happen to catch on the bicycle's many protruding parts it snags and rips much more easily. Denim, a stiffer cotton trouser, or cotton bermudas are what I stick to.

Your outfits look great! I love the scarf, it seems perfect to keep air from letting the shirt billow away from the body as you ride and it looks very sharp!

Alecia

Veteran

Oh, these are great tips, LE! Thanks.

shiny

Veteran

I'm so glad Nicole mentioned the crotch issue. Is it just us? Does nobody else have this problem? Very curious....

I also find bike seats - in general, even with gear on - awfully uncomfortable.

Boston is bikeable and you see bikes everywhere, although I am petrified of the idea of biking on the city streets with traffic, people driving while on cell phones, SUVs that don't belong on a city street, and people unthinkingly opening their parked car doors without checking first for bikers. My DH has nearly gotten himself killed on numerous occasions. We do have "bike lanes" here but they are a total joke, because they aren't on every street. And, you are not allowed to carry your bike on the public transpo during certain hours (most hours, actually). And, there aren't enough places to safely lock up bikes and bikes are constantly stolen....

End of rant...

Whatever you do, and I doubt you'd do this Alecia, please PLEASE have someone do a "rear-view" check. I can't tell you how many crack-a-toa's we've seen, women wearing low-rise jeans while biking.

(which is enough to make you swerve and get into an accident!)