CUTE commuter gear???

[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.

[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?

[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.

[Eden]

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 $$$$...

[VeloVT]

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 .

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.

[Cataboo]

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

[VeloVT]

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

[IvonaDestroi]

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.
.

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