Closest to cycling chic & why I can't get into cycling chic

[indysteel]

I occasionally fail in my "responsibility to contribute visually to a more aesthetically pleasing urban landscape."

LOL. I'm pretty sure I fail at thus as well!

[rubysoho]

LOL. I'm pretty sure I fail at thus as well!

That is me when I do the first and last walk of the day with my dog.

My commute is over 10 miles. I am not sure I could do that in a skirt and cute top. At least not in the summer weather/humidity we have in Northern VA.

I have two "dream places" I want to live:

1. Downtown where everything is within walking/easy biking distance. (I'd own a very chic bike with beautiful accessories just to run errands... but then I'd probably not look as good as my bike. *sigh*)

2. Out in the country where I can have my 40 acres and a dog.

The first would support cyclechic, the second not at all, I think. Take pride in yourself. You don't look like a slob. And if you can still look professional at work, oh well! Good for you for being active and not contributing to pollution.

OR get one of those panniers that doubles as a garment bag and leave a little early so you have time to change.

[shootingstar]

to just cycling in ordinary everyday clothes that you would wear to work?

If you don't wear everyday clothes when cycling (I'm talking about cycling for transportation, commuting), isn't it strange to run around in cycling clothes all day long? Or do you change everytime? What if you just go for a coffee or to the cinema?
It just doesn't sound very practical to me.

I actually have 2 prs. of business wear pants of which 1 pr. I wear.. if I am not wearing a pr. of black jeans or a black, above knee light thin style black skirt.

That is all, for my bottom part of my business wear. I paid about $80.00 for the black dress pants. A light wool gabardine that is also suitable for summer as well winter. It requires dry cleaning if they get dirty. Honest, here in our city it's dry prairie city with sand used by snow crews during winter and just blowing around. I get smudges just from accidentally brushing my panniers against the pants.

I dunno, it means cleaning my bike too often.

When I go shopping on bike, usually I change into cycleable wear which means cheap (no chamois) tights (they're not cycling, just $25.00 lycra tights), etc.

I'm dressed really in my oldest clothing at home. So I'm not presentable to go to a store.. I have to change anyways to leave home.

[missjean]

You can bike in almost any clothing. If I am going out for a ride ride I wear bike clothing - it's just more comfortable. When I have biked to a store, I have worn regular clothes. I'm lucky when it comes to commuting because I work in a bike store during the summer, so it's bike clothes to ride to work in and then I change into reg. clothing and nobody minds if I was sweaty because I'm among like minded people.

A while back I came across a blog by a young man who would go the thrift stores and buy old wool trousers that he would then cut & sew into shorts. He would wear them to both toodle around town in & to mountain bike. They looked really cool.
I also remember seeing another guy who bought old shirts from thrift stores for a couple of bucks that he wore to ride in. Short sleeve for summer & long sleeve for winter.
If I remember correctly, the guy who made the short s just liked the recycling idea, and the guy who wore the shirts was on a tight budget.
Maybe inexpensive clothing to ride to work and then change into the good stuff.

[redrhodie]

I can't ride in anything but bike clothes (except for sweaters and gloves) . It just isn't comfortable to me. It must help to have the right bike for that kind of outfit, with a step through frame for skirts, and chain protector to keep clean.

[Reesha]

Yes, the chain protector is a must unless you regularly ride in skinny jeans or something. I used to ride to school in my pleated uniform skirt, but on windy days it was tricky, so I always donned a pair of soccer shorts underneath.

Truth be told, I would love an around town bike that I can wear regular clothes on.

[lph]

I can't ride in anything but bike clothes (except for sweaters and gloves) . It just isn't comfortable to me. It must help to have the right bike for that kind of outfit, with a step through frame for skirts, and chain protector to keep clean.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I hate riding in regular clothes, but that's largely because all my bikes have bars lower than the saddle and I end up with something digging into my stomach in front and a cold gap in back. But with a more upright bicycle I guess I could do some riding in regular clothes, for short distances. I've done it toodling around on vacation, on rental bikes. I wouldn't wear my office wear though, too expensive.

[Crankin]

I can barely ride in regular clothes or regular shoes. I did a few times when I had my flat bar road bike, but my butt hurt and my feet slipped off of the pedals on just a 3 mile ride to town. I do try to ride in more "commuter type" clothes when I do errands, but I always have a cycling liner under my pants or shorts and cycling sandals or shoes on.
Perhaps if I had an upright bike, no hills, and no propensity for sweating, I would.

[shootingstar]

I've actually had people tell me on my blogs to wear ordinary clothing or whatever.

And I especially resent it ....when they're cycling men. They have no clue about the cost, quality (or lack of) for women's clothing off bike. Unless their SO, sisters, etc. are petite/have unusual sizing, they really don't know the difficulty of finding clothing that fits at right style without paying too much money. (which already some of you have politely told me I am paying too much. You're entitled to have a more informed opinion....you shop around for women's clothing.)

Dearie would never dream of telling me what to wear on bike...except to be comfortable and safe.

When going with someone who hasn't cycled for years, I might suggest politely something more comfortable if I saw clearly the person was going to start off uncomfortable in tight jeans, etc. Fortunately I haven't had to cycle with a newbie in thin rubber beach flip flops, etc. (It makes me wince just to think about it.)

[Tokie]

So cycling chic excludes helmets? I know here when I ride my beach cruiser with a helmet people think I'm crazy. That is, everyone that doesn't work in the ER or the ICU.....

[PamNY]

I have never heard anyone discuss what to wear when cycling except on this forum. I seriously can't fathom why anyone would even think about it.

Having said that, I was especially not cycling chic today. Last night I tossed my softshell jacket into the wash without contemplating the blanket which was also in there...and which I had let the dog sleep on.

The softshell is light grey so I didn't realize until I got outside in bright sun that I was pretty much covered in dog hairs. It was an unseasonably warm and beautiful day, so I decided not to think about it.

[salsabike]

I have never heard anyone discuss what to wear when cycling except on this forum. I seriously can't fathom why anyone would even think about it.

Having said that, I was especially not cycling chic today. Last night I tossed my softshell jacket into the wash without contemplating the blanket which was also in there...and which I had let the dog sleep on.

The softshell is light grey so I didn't realize until I got outside in bright sun that I was pretty much covered in dog hairs. It was an unseasonably warm and beautiful day, so I decided not to think about it.

(like)

[rubysoho]

Too funny, PamNY. I've heard a lot of people discussing what to wear outside the forum. But mainly in two different forms:

1. Cyclists commenting how much better cycling clothes are.
2. Non-cyclists who think it is silly to have specific clothing for cycling.

I get #2 whenever I commute to work. To get an idea of how silly it is... I work in a 130 acre park. By the time I was done changing in my building, where only one coworker saw me in my spandex shorts, and walked across the park in normal clothing to talk to another manager they were commenting one what I rode to work in and making fun of me and wondering why I wouldn't want to commute 20 miles in regular work clothes in the summer heat! (This person, I've discovered, has a bit of a social issue and making fun of a person is their way of trying to have a conversation ) They hadn't even seen me! It was the one coworker (male) who immediately had to go gossip to the other coworker (also male).

I swear, the men I work with comment more on my various shoes and clothing and change of hair style than the ladies (who could not care less!) I work with. But most of the girls are into some sort of sport and as far as I can tell the men are not physically active.

I think athletes in general understand specific gear more so than inactive/non-sporty people.


Edit to add: One last thing... I would bet money that any of those bike commuters on Cycle Chic who do touring or more athletic cycling would be seen in cycling garb. I only wish I were so lucky to live in a place so bike friendly, flat and geographically small.