The Diva’s Guide to Biking, Riding a Bike in Skirts and Heels

[run it, ride it]

That article was hardly comprehensive. I ride to school in a skirt nearly every day, just because I like skirts. No tights, no shorts, no fancy socks. Here are some REAL tips:

When wearing a long flowy skirt that might get caught in your chain or rear wheel, bunch it up at one side about knee-length and secure with a hair elastic. The weight of the skirt will keep it from blowing up.

When wearing a short skirt, safety-pin it together at the hem between your legs. No fly-up. For a short -tight- skirt (i.e. can't sit down with your legs even a little apart), just don't sit in the saddle at all.

To mount a bicycle with a horizontal top bar in a skirt, either make sure you're flashing a wall, or tilt the bicycle down far enough to get your bent knee over the bar, straighten your leg and tilt the bicycle back up.

They got the heels pretty well-documented.

If Mary Kingsley could travel South Africa in the nineteenth century wearing petticoats, I can ride my bicycle in a skirt and heels.

[MomOnBike]

CycleChic -

I've yet to ride to a concert in complete concert blacks, but I have ridden to rehearsal with DH. My viola rides very securely on the under-seat rack on my recumbent, and DH's horn comes along in the Burley trailer.

Of the two, I think my viola has the better deal, I can reach down and touch it - OK, the case - at any time. Sadly, I'm less likely to bomb down hills when the viola's along.

The horn, while child sized, is not child shaped, but it rides well enough.

As for going to the concert, um, we just wimp out. <shrug> I like the idea of gathering the skirt with a hair tie, though, I'm going to experiment with that. My black skirt is pretty full, I wonder how many ties it would need.... <emoticon with steam coming out ears>

I've yet to figure out how to combine my bass and the bike, that's a bit more of a challange. FWIW, on of my buddies in college was driving along with two string basses in the back of his truck and got rear-ended. Cars aren't all that safe for instruments, either.

[Bex]

After having a couple of uncomfortable occasions where members of the opposite sex were eyeing me in my cycling shorts in a not-so-nice way while in a store on my way home, I picked up several tennis skirts and skorts (the tennis ones can be found at much lower prices than the cycling specific ones, and they look about the same except no chamois - but I wear my shorts underneath if I need the padding) off eBay, and I wear my short cycling shorts underneath, or I just wear a skort to ride in, and I've really enjoyed them. Makes those quick little stops at the store much more comfortable ... and they're cute! Of course it's about time to put them away (unless I get some leg warmers!), finally had to pull out my tights (bare legs were quite chilly Monday evening!).

I appreciate the tips for wearing a regular skirt on the bike though ... I'm sure the occasion will come up where I might want to do that (and I also noticed Ali McGraw looking so cute on her bike in her little skirts the last time I watched Love Story )

[Sgritn]

Yeah, so stone me if you have the time.......for digging up an old thread to you--new to this newbie though...I just saw this thread. I have two sport skirts which I love to wear which have shorts beneath them. I love wearing them but they seem to be distracting to male drivers on the other side of the road who seem to be hesitiating their driving to catch a cycling crotch view...really funny but annoying at the same time. Skirts are nice for biking and I'll continue as long as the shorts are attached.

[lph]

hee-hee, this reminded me - I was buying groceries on my way home yesterday and this one elderly customer buying spinach got so kerfluffled at my wearing bike gear that I swear he made a detour behind me just to stare. Go on granddad, get an eyeful.

The one cashier at my local grocery store looked quite surprised when I came in wearing normal stuff, and said "hey, don't you usually wear a helmet?"

I don't mind the bike look, but those skorts do look pretty cute.