Is it possible to look feminine and to drive a bike?

[spokewench]

I guess it probably depends on what you believe looking "feminine" is. I haven't had really long hair for all of my life, but I believe I'm feminine. Does it mean wearing makeup all the time or part of the time or wearing frilly dresses all of the time or part of the time.

When I ride my bike, I'm dressed for riding. That means what is practical. To me, that is shorts and a jersey and layers and jackets if need be for colder riding. I don't wear makeup cause it tends to run and look weird afterwards. I don't think I look like a guy when I'm riding. The only time I've ever had trouble telling whether a bike rider was female or male was actually a man with a pony tail who was really skinny!

After riding, and after a shower, riding should not change your look or your femininity. You can dress any way you want, style your hair any way you want or wear as much makeup as you want? I guess I'm just confused about what "Femininity" means to you.

[indysteel]

I agree with Spokewrench in that it's not either/or. I wear bangs and my hair is usually somewhere between past my shoulders and my upper back. When I exercise, I wear some form of a handband and a ponytail. It's not a great look, but it works. My skin is really blotchy and it bothers me, so I usually dust on some Bare Minerals powder before going out. I'll admit that's a little vain, but I'm single and their are attractive men at the club rides. My bike wear is nice but not ultra-feminine. I prefer sporty over cute.

Beyond that, I don't give it much thought and what I do exercise-wise doesn't influence how I otherwise look. I'm not too high maintenance, but I wear some makeup, do my hair and wear (I think) cute, feminine clothes. I almost always have my toenails painted red (I like something pretty to look at in yoga class) and my fingernails short but manicured and often painted with a clear polish.

I plan on going on a multi-day tour this summer/fall that will likely involve camping. We'll be able to shower, but I doubt I'll be in a position to fix myself up more than that. Perhaps it's vain, but I'll admit that it will probably bother me a bit to look rather like a drowned rat for a week (my hair only looks nice if it's blown dry). Hopefully, however, the fun of the trip will outweigh feeling slightly unattractive for a week.

What trouble, exactly, do you have with your hair, nails and skin during your bike tours? If your long hair is bothering you, you could always cut some of lenght off to make it easier to manage. I don't think you necessary need to get really short hair to solve that problem. Keep your skin protected from the sun and hydrated and (at least my preference) your nails neat and easy to clean. I'd add, too, that really short hair can be very cute and feminine if it's done right. I think some people, in fact, look better with short hair. I unfortunately am not one of them.

Kate

[Duck on Wheels]

Hi iFKA,
You may be asking this question in the wrong countries. When I was in Croatia (well, Zagreb at any rate) a couple years back I noticed that women put a lot more emphasis on wearing skirts, heels, makeup and so on than women back in Norway or California tend to do. And the styles were different from what I'm used to in other ways as well. Boy was I in trouble giving lectures and going to meetings with my luggage stuck in Vienna!!!! Not only could I not find the styles I was used to, I also had a lot of trouble finding my size.

But even with local fashion expectations in mind, I still agree with the other women here. You might want to wear a "skort" (bike shorts with a short skirt over them) so that you feel that you're dressed right when you stop for lunch at a cafe. You should probably file your nails short for the trip, braid your hair so it stays neat and out of the way, and wear a headband so you don't have sweat running down your face. But those would be the only concessions to urban feminine style that I would think necessary for a bike holiday. The glow from wind and exertion is enough makeup; the bike jersey will highlight your figure ... and so on as said above. Fit, healthy and active is also (dare I say it?) sexy.

[Triskeliongirl]

I never wear makeup, nailpolish, etc., but I do have long hair so I can sympathize with where you are coming from. No, you do not have to cut it off, but you need to experiment to see what beauty products are essential to make it worth toting all over on your self-supported trip. Initially our idea was to just carry a small container of that general purpose camping soap you can use from everything, hair, body, clothes, etc. But that left my hair like straw. So instead, by hairdresser gave me small packets of samples of a great shampoo/conditioner, and then I took a small tube of a leave in conditioner which does wonders for my hair (again I tried not using it and my hair looked like straw). It didn't take a lot of room but was worth its weight in extra cycling effort. I also packed a few skirts for off bike stuff, but then it was much colder than I expected, so at night I would layer everything I brought with me from cyling arm and leg warmers to a couple skirts to stay warm! In retrospect the skirts were silly, just a pair of pants would have served me better, but if the weather is warm where you are going a terry skort is also small and nice. The best thing worth taking though, was a silk double sleeping sack, makes even questionable bedding cozy, and packs up real small and light.

[Dianyla]

I have calf-length hair and find it to be relatively easy to manage while I'm travelling or having an active lifestyle. One important tip is to not wash it every single day with shampoo. If you do that you will end up with straw-like dry hair. When you wash your hair too much, it just dries out the ends and encourages your roots to produce even more oil. As you start getting used to a more extended (every 2-3 days) washing interval, it may take a few weeks but eventually your scalp will adjust and produce less oil.

On the days that you don't wash, you can either keep it dry while you wash your body, or simply rinse it with fresh water can get the sweat and salt out of it. When you do wash it, let the conditioner sit for a while on the ends. I usually slather on the conditioner and let it soak in while I'm busy shaving my legs to be time-efficient.

Also, consider that you probably will not always be able to wear it down and flowing every single day. Sometimes it's more convenient to just braid it back neatly, or coil it up into an elegant bun/twist. Even dirty hair looks great in a bun.

Lastly, make sure that you're getting proper nutrients (especially enough protein, iron, and B vitamins). Heavy exercise can require a lot of resources, and the body considers hair/skin/nails more of a luxury item. So if you are deficient in anything it's likely to affect those areas first.

[Crankin]

I haven't had long hair in a long time. But I did have it when I taught fitness classes in a desert climate, which was very annoying. I always put it up in a pony tail, using those nice covered holders. I bought lots of cheap ones as fashion accessories. I did cut my hair very short to deal with helmet head. I had an intermediate length for awhile and could not deal with looking horrible when i would stop for lunch, etc. My hair is frizzy and wavy and cannot be tamed easily. I would look like Bozo the clown! Now I just pour a little water from my bottle over my head, run my hands through my hair and voila! I have been feeling like my hair is a little too short in the front, so I am going to grow my bangs a bit. We'll see how long that lasts.

Lisa, I always wear lipstick, too. Once in awhile when I am riding, I use clear gloss, but I like the way lipstick feels and looks. When I have gone on bike tours, I don't put make up on in the AM, just sunscreen a bit of under eye concealer for some very bad redness. Sorry, ladies, I don't feel good without it. Sometimes I wear nail polish and sometimes I don't. If I was going on a camping type tour, I definitely would not! My nails aren't long, but usually I have something on them.
As far as clothing, I have cycled in the Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy. I never felt uncomfortable in my bike shorts, but skorts make a lovely option. Yes, it's true women in other countries do themselves up more. I happen to like it. Italian women look so fashionable, even in t shirts and jeans and even if they are poor students. When my son came back from studying for half a year in Siena, he totally had changed the way he dressed. He said most European girls didn't believe he was American because he didn't wear a sweatshirt and a cap! Sorry to digress, but I say when in Rome...

[Duck on Wheels]

Yep, when in Rome ... So when in Zagreb I went shopping and when I finally found some clothes and shoes that fit they have remained among my favorites ever since. The shoes were the ONLY ones in the whole city my size (11, aka 43 in Europe ), so I had little choice, but they are sooooo comfy and stylish I was glad I was forced to find them.

[iFKA]

Now I just pour a little water from my bottle over my head, run my hands through my hair and voila! I have been feeling like my hair is a little too short in the front, so I am going to grow my bangs a bit. We'll see how long that lasts.

That's the feeling I want... I have had a short hair in my high school and the feeling was indescribable. I had no problem with washing, drying or making my hair. But I know long hair looks better cause I have a baby face and everybody thinks I'm 18 when I'm not wearing my make up. And without long hair I look like I'm 14, and that can be quite annoying.

I ALWAYS have a nail polish (cause my nails brakes easily without it) but mainly some neutral color. The problem is that I go in the nature but I behave like I go in 5 stars hotel. We don't sleep in camps, but in tents and I have to bring my hair regenerator, lip balm, nail polisher (or how do you call it... the paper that brushes your nails), suncream +25 for my body and after sun cream cause I have fair skin and it burns easily and "wild holiday" looses its sense. But I can't help it.

BTW I don't have problems with bike shorts but I like to change into my skirt as soon as we come to the beach. Can't help it, I'm a girl and I wanna look girly. And I don't loose my hair or make up when I'm driving. I have veeeeeery dense hair so it's too hot when I do it.

My college friends think I'm some kind of freak cause we shower on the beaches, and my bike friends think I'm over exaggerating with my cosmetics. I know only one female cyclist in Croatia that really drives long rides and she's behaving like a true man. Her hair, walk and talk is totally opposite of feminism so I just needed to hear from you if it's normal that I wanna drive and look nice.
I really needed to get it all out of my head