Possible to look stylish when riding a bicycle? - YouLookFab Forum

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Possible to look stylish when riding a bicycle?

Laura

After work took me to North America for a while, I am back home in Bremen, near the North Sea. I finally get to ride my new bike! No more taking trains, subways or rental cars to get to and from my destinations, usually a research center, laboratory or university.

For the bike enthusiasts here, I've got a Bianchi Via Nirone 7 with an aluminum frame and 16 speeds / gears. Zipping to work on this bike is just dreamy and I can bring it inside the lab where I am working this week, where I can keep it nice and safe. Wearing spandex to work didn't seem quite right, even if it is a very casual environment in a lab. The weather is 15C in the morning when I was riding last time.

Are there any other cyclists here?
Any suggestions of what to wear when cycling to / from work?

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Dressing

22 replies

Latest reply was from

anne

Veteran

Hi Laura,

Snappy outfit! I have some boots very similar to those.

I enjoy riding to work too, though haven't done it for about 6 months owing to knee problems.It took me about 55-65 minutes, and I changed when I got there (my work has end of trip facilities like showers and towels) so I wore bike shorts and tees.

However in the past, with shorter travelling distances, I've just worn my office clothes. So long as they aren't loose enough to get in the chain (I ruined a pair of office pants that way) or knicker-flashing (tight skirts) they were fine.

I miss riding - have fun!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

Oh yeah... check out this website:
http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/

We have helmet legislation, so not as easy to pull off some of these looks

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I only wear gear for cycling (I don't commute on my bike, just ride it for workouts), so I don't have any useful advice for you, but I do want to congratulate you on your new bike! Sounds great!

Muffin

Veteran

Well, you sure look stylish here! I live in Portland, OR where lots of people bike commute (not me) so I've seen my fair share of everything. Many of the shops here sell specific commuting clothes with articulated knees and such. I want to say Levi's makes commuting clothes too.

JAileen

Veteran

What a nice bike! I went to college in the bicycle capital of the US. I didn't have a car and rode my bike everywhere, rain or shine. I ruined a very nice pair of wools pants, getting them caught in the chain. I'd make sure I had clips, or at least rubber bands to protect pants. Back then, I even wore mini skirts. (I wouldn't now mainly because I wouldn't wear mini skirts now.) You might want to change your shoes, depending on what you wear to work. Otherwise, I think you can wear anything on a bike.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Well, I don't think there is any way to make a bike helmet look like anything other than a giant mushroom cap on your noggin, but besides that it's absolutely possible to look stylish on a bike -- as you have proved with your picture (head conveniently cropped out).

I think it depends on if you're doing some serious hills on your commute. I wouldn't want to bike here in anything other than gear, but Vancouver is mountainous and often damp and chilly, and life is so much easier if you have suitable moisture-wicking clothing and toe clip shoes. But such gear generally looks ridiculous. Now, if I lived in Amsterdam and all the roads were flat, I'd bike to work in my street clothes.

You do see hipsters around here biking in skirts, mary janes and tweed jackets (and they always seem to have a basket on the front of their bikes), but there's no way they are going farther than the downtown flat areas in those kinds of getups.

Sal

Veteran

I do a small amount of bike commuting. As long as it is not a pencil skirt, short full skirt or flared/full trousers you will be fine. I am wary of white pants too as I am clumsy and tend to knock the chain.

Jeans/straight or skinny or cropped
Trousers - straight/cropped
dresses or skirts - fullish and below the knee
shorts or culottes
Flat shoes or wedges

I love it and am trying to do more, as a way of using my car less and exercising more

Your bike and outfit look great. And I have a helmet I like too and think looks okay.

rachylou

Veteran

I've seen ladies in Shanghai wearing pumps and cycling. Admittedly no cross bar and the city is flat, but still!

Gaylene

Veteran

Is it possible to look stylish while bike commuting? YES!

Take a look at this website: http://www.highroadclothing.ca/
The clothes are made of very fine merino wool knit which wicks, washes, drapes, and keeps its shape. The line was designed by Mary Desprez, a local theatre director, who wanted clothes that could transition from bike wear to sponsor meetings, to a theatre construction site, and then onto a gala reception in the evening.

Even if you can't order online, you still might find her ideas inspiring. My High Road black, long-sleeved dress is my go-to travel dress for six months of the year!

DonnaF

Veteran

See the posts of O. (Ornella), especially from the last couple of years after she moved to Germany.

Laura

Thanks for the informative replies everyone!

@Anne - I really hope your knee recovers fast. I love your office with a shower and towel facilities, allowing for environmentally friendly modes of commuting like cycling ..... As for the style of boots we both have, isn't this style just super comfortable and versatile?

@Elizabeth - Copenhagen Cycle Chic is the perfect website for me to see how others try to dress nicely for cycling! Thank you!!! It is great to see that others are able to cycle in style. Some people look sooooooooooooo good on their bikes!

@Jaileen - You said you are from the cycling capital of the United States. I am so curious, which city is that and what bike did you use to ride everywhere? ..... I like to wear dresses as well but when it comes to riding this bike, I'm going to stick to flexible pants, jeggings or shorts for sure.

@Aziraphale - Helmet head must be fixed daily when I get to the office restroom lol ..... I CANNOT have helmet head all day, it would be a total disaster style wise! Angie might kick me out of the group for having the worst style she has ever seen if she saw me with helmet head!

@Rachy - I have been to Shanghai, the cylists there are amazing. They can get away looking super chic when commuting to work. As for cycling in heels, I haven't tried it before, is it that hard? ...... The pair of riding boots I have for cycling is ok to pedal in

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

You've got lots of great suggestions and inspiration, and I'm reading with interest. I ride my bike to work in fair weather, and on days that I can bring the bike into the back of the store where I work (i.e., non-delivery days). I have a cruiser style bike with 24 speeds (Felt, Cafe model), so it's easy to ride up the hills, slowly, without sweating profusely. I wear pretty much anything straight-legged or close-fitting on the legs, washable, and a waist-length jacket (a moto jacket is perfect). If I'm wearing a dress, I wear leggings with it. I've found that for riding I can pretty much wear any shoes that I'd want to wear to work all day.

JAileen

Veteran

I went to college in Davis, California. It's completely flat. I had a Raleigh 3 speed. It was perfect because we actually stopped at stop signs, and with a 3 speed you can change gears while stopped. The cops were on bikes too, and gave tickets to those who didn't! Davis was said to have more bikes than people. I still have the Raleigh but ride a mountain bike now because the town I live in is hilly.

rachylou

Veteran

I think low heels and a generally flat landscape are easy enough. I can't imagine stilettos, tho, lol. But I have to say in my town, even tho there are a lot of cyclists and bike avenues and everything, I'm too chicken to ride period. Every intersection is a power play between cyclists, pedestrians and cars. It's actually a weird political thing why everyone does it. I certainly wouldn't want to ride in shoes that could fall off. Altho maybe that's emotional - because my fear level would not be as high with slipon ballet flats.

I sold my bike actually. It was an awful sweet collapsible Dahon, with a low dress friendly bar. But I never rode it after moving here. In addition to my fear of traffic, I was afraid it would get stolen. Man, one of my coworker's beat up bike got stolen by some druggies he gave his lunch to. They waved to him riding by on his bike. Not malicious- just too out of it to know. It was a little bit funny...he was all, 'I'm gonna steal your stolen shopping cart, see how you like *them apples!*' Here, you have to humour like that to bike.

Ok...sorry. Digression!

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Love this look and those boots. I have not ridden i a very long time. Maybe about 20 years plus

rachylou

Veteran

Found this bike wear collection: https://www.betabrand.com/coll.....-work.html

Girl in heels (!!)

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Laura

@Firecracker - Having a workplace where you can bring your bike into the back is a HUGE bonus to us cyclists. We know our bike will be there when we get off work. So glad to hear you have that too. Cruiser bikes are super comfortable and it is great to hear you can actually wear a dress on that bike! If I need to wear a dress and go somewhere, now I can still consider trying to commute by bike. In fact, I'm going to give riding my bike with a dress soon, I'm so curious how that works out!

@Ledona - Thanks! It is so much fun to be able to have fun on a bike without having to carry a full change of clothes to work, since I don't have to have spandex on when I ride

@Rachy - ROFL .... that does sound like a rather funny / shocking situation when the person stealing your bike waves at you because they don't know they stole your bike. Great photo of a person riding in heels .... I actually gave it a try and find that it isn't hard at all, since the heel goes behind the pedal as you ride with your forefoot. The most important thing is flexible pants - jeggings for example, super skinny, tight jeans would make my ride slow to a crawl, kids would be passing me on their tricycles LOL ..... Sorry to hear you had to give up your bike, I hope you can get a chance to ride again one day!

Anonymous

Not when I'm riding a bike, lol.

Beth Ann

Veteran

I'm a cyclist, but I use my bike for exercise, travel and recreation, and am definitely always cycling in gear! I sweat too freely to ride to work without a clean up and a change, but I do wear a simple black skirt over my cycling shorts when I'm cycling in the city, along with a top made of technical fabric, but not quite as form fitting as a cycling jersey.
A lot of commuters swear by fenders on the tires -- to keep the dirt and mud of their clothes!

Anonymous

I'm a mountain biking fan - but don't have to ride it from the garage into the house for work I have a Jamis mountain bike "we " treated me to for my 50th bday . I ride in hardcore biking gear though and for exercise and thrill only . Commuters here in Manitoba wear gear to ride to work in , from what I see , and change when they get there . True cyclists aren't concerned with looking stylish , as riding on busy streets in rush hour traffic is not for the faint of heart. As JAileen mentioned , the hipster girls ride to work but on old-school bikes with baskets . And not exactly working through traffic , if you what I mean I like your road bike - very nice !

Laura

@BethAnn - That's cute how you add a skirt to spice up your cycling attire

@Lisap - That must be fun to have a mountain bike for exercise and thrill only I am a split between the two, stylish but functional. When I ride to work or to social events, I like to dress up, which means not cycling spandex. But when I am hammering out long rides, either by myself or with a cycling group, I' wearing skin tight clothes to be as aerodynamic as possible. I saved up for the Bianchi road bike for speed on weekends but decided against getting a lesser bike to ride to work since I have a safe place to put my Bianchi when I reach my office

Great to see other cyclists and how they dress for cycling in their respective cities

Anonymous

I used to commute about 15km each way along a river (flat) and wore khakis and a shirt and would spot clean myself upon arrival at work. It was an early morning commute so I wasn't too sweaty.

My dad would cycle to work in his suit!

My mother (who is Dutch) would cycle in whatever she had on, which was usually a skirt and espadrilles.

I think that if you don't mind a little sweat, and don't smell when you sweat, that commuting in your regular clothes is so much less hassle.

Your bike is so cool, and so is your outfit!