CUTE commuter gear???

Mosty a creepy spandex wearer here... but if you don't want to wear spandex you don't have to. Rain pants though... I'd just forget them and go with something that is rain resistant, or better yet, just quick to dry, but also cute. Rain pants usually just make you as wet as the rain, from the inside out...

I've seen people make pretty snazzy looking riding pants by altering nice wool dress pants from the thrift shop into capri length, sometime even knicker style (drawstring or other type of closure to keep pants out of drive trains) Of course if your 3 speed has a chain guard, it doesn't even matter. You can get stuff like this at a few places directed towards those who want to look like hipsters, but have cash - it's usually $$$$...

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Originally Posted by Catriona

you can maybe look at the marmot precip rain jackets & pants - I know the jackets come in a lot of fun colors, the pants might not. mountain hardwear has their cohesion line, which I know the rain jackets have a lot of nice colors.
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Well that's a lot better... even though it's not cycling specific it's cuter and it would definately do the job... too bad I can't afford it! Probably the closest thing I've found so far though:rolleyes:

It's a bit more expensive because it's breathable rain gear - it shouldn't give you the clamminess or wetness inside that Eden was talking about.

You can check backcountryoutlet.com or reioutlet.com to see if you see the precip cheaper - REI has their house brand of rain jackets, which are less expensive especially if they're on sale.

You can watch steepandcheap.com, because ocassionally the marmot precip comes up on there for about $40.

Back in the fall (I *think*) Terry had a pair of Gore capri rain pants. They were actually pretty cute, but expensive.

I'm afraid to say, spandex is actually not a bad choice in the rain. It doesn't get heavy like natural fibers, or make you sweat like raingear can if it's not cold out. It dries reasonably fast too (although if I were commuting in heavy rain I'd probably pack a change of clothes no matter what I was wearing).

I have bunches of Shebeest skorts that I commute in when it's warm. Personally I think they're pretty cute, but tastes vary :eek:.

Edit: you should be careful about non-cycling specific rain pants -- the lower legs will be baggier and you will have to do something to keep them from getting caught in the chain.

Another thing to think about for rain gear in the summer - pitzips.

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Originally Posted by gnat23

I use this for inspiration and links! http://ridingpretty.blogspot.com/

-- gnat!

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Thanks for the link! :cool:

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Originally Posted by IvonaDestroi

and aside from the adorable betty bike repair kits, I have found NOTHING in terms of a cute, stylish, low/mid priced bike gear company for girls!
And all I wanted was a cute fitted rain suit to match my vintage 3 speed... but NO!

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A water proof fitted rain suit would be horribly sweaty and stifling, I'd think. I have an expensive nicely fitted gortex lightweight biking rain jacket...and I feel like I'm suffocating when I ride in it. If I wear it just walking around in the rain I'm fine, but when pedaling it gets too suffocating. rain-proof fabrics tend not to breathe, so that's why they tend to be made into looser fitting items.
A lot of rain commuters wear ponchos because they can still breathe and can wear their work clothes underneath- no changing clothes once you get to work. Loose lightweight rain pants are good because you can slip them on over your regular work pants and arrive for work totally dry and ready to work.

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If you wanna look like a girl you apparently have to wear cycling jerseys and spandex and have hundreds of dollars... otherwise, it's 80's leftovers or that awesome rolling trash bag look!!!
Does anyone know of a company that might do cute, stylish, gear for a young, female, day to day commuter? Pink? Leopard Print? Maybe some cute roll up pants that you can button or a jacket that doesn't ride above your butt crack?

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Sounds like you could just wear regular rollup/button cargo pants and regular 'cute' jacket for that.

You don't say what kind or how long your daily work commute is. The big question is: do you need to wear actual 'biking gear' for your commute? (aside from helmet and gloves for safety of course)
Do you intend to have 'cute bike commuting clothes' for your commute and then change into work clothes once you arrive at work?...or do you want to just ride in your work clothes (whatever that might be) and cover them somehow against the rain? It would be helpful if we knew this.

Oh, here's what I was thinking of. Shorts, not capris... and they're actually not particularly cute, not sure why I remembered them being cute... and quite expensive... but I thought you might find the idea interesting anyway.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/gore/de...l?item_no=2655

I second that - for me, even the most expensive breathable fabrics turn into a steam sauna for me in all but the coldest weather. I prefer to either wear things that are warm/wet and quick drying or to carry a change of clothes....

I have a couple of pairs of microfiber exercise capris - of course capri length on me... more like high waters... one has a nice draw string at the bottom, perfect for riding around if I don't want to get into biking duds. My only wish is that they were a little more structured in the butt - little baggier back there than I really prefer.

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Originally Posted by Eden

I second that - for me, even the most expensive breathable fabrics turn into a steam sauna for me in all but the coldest weather. I prefer to either wear things that are warm/wet and quick drying or carrying a change of clothes....

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Yep.

The reason is pure physics. Something designed to 'breathe' can only breathe if it is not actively also trying to repel water. You can't do both at the same time. Goretex (and other brands) are great for when it's not downpouring, but once it is...you are gonna get wet (one way or another!).

That's why pit-zips are so helpful!

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

Yep.

The reason is pure physics. Something designed to 'breathe' can only breathe if it is not actively also trying to repel water. You can't do both at the same time. Goretex (and other brands) are great for when it's not downpouring, but once it is...you are gonna get wet (one way or another!).

That's why pit-zips are so helpful!

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but hmmmmm - whatcha gonna put on pants...... crotch zips :eek:

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Originally Posted by Eden

but hmmmmm - whatcha gonna put on pants...... crotch zips :eek:

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Isn't that just a fly? :p


I personally like my amfib tights for cold rain. They keep me dry enough to stay warm but they don't get clammy. I would really like to try wool, I just can't afford it at the moment. Rain pants definitely suck - tried them once and it was so gross! I think they'd be ok for very short commutes though...if it's chilly enough to avoid sweating.

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

A lot of rain commuters wear ponchos because they can still breathe and can wear their work clothes underneath- no changing clothes once you get to work. Loose lightweight rain pants are good because you can slip them on over your regular work pants and arrive for work totally dry and ready to work.


Sounds like you could just wear regular rollup/button cargo pants and regular 'cute' jacket for that.

You don't say what kind or how long your daily work commute is. The big question is: do you need to wear actual 'biking gear' for your commute? (aside from helmet and gloves for safety of course)
Do you intend to have 'cute bike commuting clothes' for your commute and then change into work clothes once you arrive at work?...or do you want to just ride in your work clothes (whatever that might be) and cover them somehow against the rain? It would be helpful if we knew this.

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ok... um I'm just gonna repeat one of my earlier quotes here:
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i pretty much do wear whatever I want... have been for the past couple years... and it works but that's not the problem... My clothes work but it would just be nice to have something that's really geared towards day to day life riding around everywhere you go.

Sometimes I wish I had a car, but really in the end I'm glad that I don't have one. You know how Timbuk2 makes handy messanger bags made for biking around? Same concept, but clothes wise. and AFFORDABLE would be nice.

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In terms of my commute, I ride my bike everywhere I go in combination with taking the BART subway which allows bikes. I take it to do groceries, go to school, work when I'm working, shop, go to friends houses and parties and shows, pretty much anytime I leave the house I'm on my bike. Which is all the time. So what I'm looking for is something wearable everywhere you go whilst still being bike related... not so much for neccessity, but more for comfort and convenience, and maybe a little girly bike pride.

I mean obviously you can wear normal clothes but I was just looking for something just a little bit more geared towards city life on a bike. The smallest details are so handy sometimes, like button/pocket placement or an extra lock loop here or a roll up button there.

As for the rain gear, thanks for the tip! You're right, it is baggy and not breathable... I didn't realize that even the more expensive clothing had that problem too. I love Eden's idea of altering wool dress pants. I might try making something using that kind of fabric... maybe spray 'em down with that water repellant spray for good measure...hmmmm.....

Mostly what I've been using for rain is: patagonia spraymaster jacket & pants if it's a torrential downpour (but I'm usually more likely just not to bike!) or arc'teryx alpha lt in gore pro shell.

The arc'teryx squamish is always in my pack in case of a rain shower - it's light, it unzips to my navel, which is more than enough breathability. Also works great for kayaking as a lightweight keep the sun off layer.

For a softshell:
Mammut ultimate hoody - hoody, water resistant, and 2 way pitzips - you can basically unzip the side of the jacket up to your elbows.

pants - rei mistral and I can't remember the name of the arc'teryx lightweight softshells I have.

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Originally Posted by IvonaDestroi

i pretty much do wear whatever I want... have been for the past couple years... and it works but that's not the problem... My clothes work but it would just be nice to have something that's really geared towards day to day life riding around everywhere you go.

In terms of my commute, I ride my bike everywhere I go in combination with taking the BART subway which allows bikes. I take it to do groceries, go to school, work when I'm working, shop, go to friends houses and parties and shows, pretty much anytime I leave the house I'm on my bike. Which is all the time. So what I'm looking for is something wearable everywhere you go whilst still being bike related... not so much for neccessity, but more for comfort and convenience, and maybe a little girly bike pride.

I mean obviously you can wear normal clothes but I was just looking for something just a little bit more geared towards city life on a bike. The smallest details are so handy sometimes, like button/pocket placement or an extra lock loop here or a roll up button there.

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Ok, I 'm trying to understand...what you mean is that you are not commuting to work and changing into work clothes, then changing into biking clothes to ride home from work...right?
What you do mean is cute clothes that you can wear while riding your bike everywhere, and that would be comfortable to ride in but still cute and acceptable off the bike, right?
That allows a different type of answer, since we are not really talking about only commuting to work and back now.

To me what works for everyday on/off bike activities is wearing capri leggings or tights (with a lightweight chamois pad if I'm riding longer than 10 miles), with a cute short skirt and then any kind of tops I need for the weather. I tend to like thin merino wool tops- they breathe yet keep me warm and don't get sweaty or stinky. i don't ride in heavy rain if I can avoid it. Wool works well in drizzle however, as it dries quickly and doesn't get cold when wet. You can often find great bargains in quality wool items at the Salvation Army or Goodwill...just read the labels.

As examples (and keep in mind that I'm 54, not as young as you by a long shot), here is a Terry Spinnaker capri with light chamois pad (intended for spin classes, which I don't do) with a Sheila Moon skirt and bolero over a SmartWool base layer top:
example 1
And here is a warmer outfit of short skirt with warm winter biking tights and a merino wool zip top over wool base layer:
example 2
So, for me if I want to look 'cute' i just wear a short skirt over whatever black biking shorts/capris/leggings I want, and I wear whatever tops I want with that. I do often wear screaming yellow vest however, or some bright color in traffic.
It's just my own thing.
In general, if you don't like the look of Lycra biking gear, you should just avoid it! Some people find it uncomfortable to ride on jean seams, however.

One problem is that most of the cheap biking gear is often not the most stylish. Sometimes we can make a stylish outfit just by combining non-stylish things in a cool way though. Try striped knee socks, or a kooky thrift store striped wool vest, for instance...instant stylin' outfit. But you probably know that anyway. ;)

Don't forget your helmet...they don't sell used brains in thrift stores. ;)