CUTE commuter gear???

[IvonaDestroi]

I have searched the internet high and low....

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!

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?

Sorry... I'm starting to vent here....

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[shootingstar]

Gurrrlll/woman who are you?? You sound hysterically in need of a long bike ride.

Seriously introduce yourself. You did already about your cat under a different topic.

Let this site inspire you on many faces of commuting styles:
http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/

Ever heard of capris as part of the pant solution?

[IvonaDestroi]

Hey...

Sorry! I'm Ivona. I'm a fashion design student in SF graduating next month... I'm just irritated because it's something that I would just EXPECT to be out there... all I wanted was a freakin' fitted blue or pink or NON yellow/clear/80's addidas rainsuit so I don't get drenched all the time! For all the time I spend sewing I sort of just expect things like this to already exist...

Well I guess I now have a new inspiration...

I don't have a car, just a crappy old vintage bike (that I love anyway) but it pretty much IS my car. I'm too poor to afford anything better at the moment, I mean I'm lucky if I make rent every month. That's why I don't have a fancy bike like all of you!

Both my roomates are avid cyclists and I've learned tons from both of them, I'm really getting into learning to fix things up and restore them, though I don't have as much time to devote to it as I'd like to with school and all. They mock my classic step through frames and upright handlebars... But I think they're beautiful. They're Classic. Not that I'd be opposed to getting something nicer if I could afford it...

My typical clothing style normally includes things like pegged skinny jeans, so commuting clothing isn't so much of an issue as it would be a convenience... you know, a little loop for my U lock or the button on the side instead of the front, a butt crack covering lenth or just something cute that makes it feminine and bike related without being so serious... I mean I ride the damn thing everywhere. At the moment affordable fitted female rain gear that doesn't look like hell would be nice...

[lph]

Hey...

Sorry! I'm Ivona. I'm a fashion design student in SF graduating next month... I'm just irritated because it's something that I would just EXPECT to be out there... all I wanted was a freakin' fitted blue or pink or NON yellow/clear/80's addidas rainsuit so I don't get drenched all the time! For all the time I spend sewing I sort of just expect things like this to already exist...

We-ell - do you ever have your future occupation mapped out for you!

I mean it! Send this to some of the big cycling clothing manufacturers and see if anybody bites. I think TE (i.e. here, click on the chicky at the top of the page) has the best range of cycling clothing for women - if you can't find it here, it might not exist. Or send a note to Susan Otcenas (site admin), she'll know.

[tulip]

You can wear whatever you want! If you want bike-specific comfort, wear cycling shorts under your regular clothes. Bike commuters wear a whole range of clothes, not just cycling gear. We also ride a whole range of bikes.

And not everyone here rides super expensive bikes. Some of us do, some of us don't, and a whole lot of us have more than one bike--I had a beautiful 1950s JC Higgins 3-speed that I was planning to restore. Man, I miss that bike!

Your bike sounds lovely. The roomies obviously don't know much about bikes (new poseurs, perhaps?), or they would appreciate your classic one!

[uforgot]

Tulip - MY first bike was a JC Higgins. From the 60s. I sort of look at craigslist hoping to find one like it once in a while.

And you can look as girly as you want as you commute.

[tulip]

Yeah, I was in Paris last year and there were people riding bikes everywhere. Of course, they all looked FABULOUS!

[jobob]

Momentum Magazine might be of interest to you as well. You can view it online here:

http://issuu.com/momentumplanet/docs...c9&layout=grey

Coincidentally, the latest issue has an article about the creators of the Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog.

[fidlfreek]

Um, ladies, I think she is just getting wet and wants to not get wet + not have to wear men's rain gear...not just looking fabulous.

Ivona - check p 20 of the link above in jobob's post. Its a white poncho/cape (?) with a hood adorned w/ "quilted" cream lambswool and it looks like it has little twinkly lights...
WOW

[jobob]

Um, I think this is what she's asking ...

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?

[sundial]

I hear the hum of a sewing machine. Looks like our Ivona might design just the thing for those commutes.

[gnat23]

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

-- gnat!

[IvonaDestroi]

You can wear whatever you want! If you want bike-specific comfort, wear cycling shorts under your regular clothes. Bike commuters wear a whole range of clothes, not just cycling gear. We also ride a whole range of bikes.

...

The roomies obviously don't know much about bikes (new poseurs, perhaps?), or they would appreciate your classic one!

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. Esspecially in the rain!!! Have you SEEN those god awful biking rain pants???? You might as well wrap trash bags around your legs!

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. RAIN PROOF would also be nice.

In terms of my roomates, they're just poking fun. One works at a bike shop and the other is one of those creepy spandex wearers... I mock their fixed gears and ridiculously expensive mountain bikes just the same. Can't mock that carbon frame though...

They have taught me everything from changing out gears to building and tuning and trueing, they're awesome, so I don't think they mean any harm by it. Tons of bike tools and free lessons? They totally rule!!!

[Cataboo]

You don't have to get dedicated bike rain pants. You pretty much just want waterproof pants, something breathable. Fullzip helps if you want to wear your regular pants underneath.

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.


Something else to consider - depending on what sort of rain you're riding in, you could just get a pair of softshell pants - they're not fully waterproof, but are waterresistant and most water will just roll off them. I'm not recommending them for a full on downpour, but if it's just drizzling or a soft rain, they're fine.

[IvonaDestroi]

Momentum Magazine might be of interest to you as well. You can view it online here:

http://issuu.com/momentumplanet/docs...c9&layout=grey

Coincidentally, the latest issue has an article about the creators of the Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog.

Wow that's a great mag! Do you know where I can find it?