Huge bike shop, limited women's cycling apparel

[shootingstar]

Sure, Mountain Equipment Co-op is the place but I think the city is getting pretty big with lots of more people actually...living in the suburbs.

The city is still sprawly, etc. so it is within this bike store's best interests (especially where they are located) to sell some women's cycling apparel that is still good, durable and nice but not as expensive. As mentioned earlier this huge bike store sells not only road and serious racing bikes, but also cruisers, hybrids, mountain bikes.

Yesterday we went to another bike store downtown which didn't sell any apparel (and probably for good reasons) but were focused on recreational bikes and bikes for transportation, touring.

So the choices for women's cycling apparel are down to:
*MEC
*a bike store downtown not as big as the 3-level bike store in suburbs- women's cycling clothing is still expensive and more geared for road and racing. Decent selection if you want to drop some serious $$$.
*another bike store near downtown. Smaller with alot less apparel.


As for skorts....I actually wear chamoisless running lycra skorts and can cycle fine for 50 kms. or more. I tend not to do this distance in skort because they are not cheap. I save them when I get off the bike to visit a place, go to a restaurant, etc.

[Susan Otcenas]

So the choices for women's cycling apparel are down to:
*MEC
*a bike store downtown not as big as the 3-level bike store in suburbs- women's cycling clothing is still expensive and more geared for road and racing. Decent selection if you want to drop some serious $$$.
*another bike store near downtown. Smaller with alot less apparel.

We *do* ship to Canada, ya know.

Seriously, though, your experience is not uncommon. Most bike shops, even in large urban environments do a poor job of stocking women's apparel. Many owners just don't "get it". It's why I know I'll never be run out of business...

[Blueberry]

I'm curious Shootingstar-

Did you take the time to tell the shop what you were looking for/expecting that they didn't have? They can't carry it if they don't know why they're losing sales.

I'll continue to support TE - the customer service is amazing. However, I also think it's important to let the LBS know what they could do to earn more of my business. Of course, they haven't done it, and probably won't.

[shootingstar]

I'm curious Shootingstar-

Did you take the time to tell the shop what you were looking for/expecting that they didn't have? They can't carry it if they don't know why they're losing sales.

I'll continue to support TE - the customer service is amazing. However, I also think it's important to let the LBS know what they could do to earn more of my business. Of course, they haven't done it, and probably won't.

Yesterday I checked on their website..the owners/managers are male. Store has been around for ...last few decades. (They also sell motorcycles at a separate store..) They do have female employees but don't know the pecking order for the firm.

So I will shoot off the suggestion but framed under a much broader trend that's actually happening on cycling ....especially when they are selling cruiser bikes, etc. in addition to all the other types of bikes that range from $500.00 to $7,000CAN. (ie. they sell townie cruisers plus Cervelo road/racing lines).

It wouldn't be surprising unless a woman golfs, jogs, etc., is even aware of skorts or where to even get skorts. But rather than choose a more atypical women's garmet, how about just simply nice, solid coloured cycling jerseys, that doesn't look shout too loudly "athlete"?

I appreciate TE exists and hopes as an online retailer/supplier, you will be there. But from a standpoint of paying customs brokerage fees for US pkgs. bound for international customers, I'm not keen at this time.

Admittedly I am a shopper that buys clothing in person, not online.

[nuliajuk]

...I appreciate TE exists and hopes as an online retailer/supplier, you will be there. But from a standpoint of paying customs brokerage fees for US pkgs. bound for international customers, I'm not keen at this time.

Admittedly I am a shopper that buys clothing in person, not online.

T.E. uses the postal service, not UPS. (Yes, I've been burned by UPS.) I ordered shorts from them and didn't have to pay any customs fees. Unfortunately, they didn't fit, and the postage back was a bit pricey, but if I'd kept them it wouldn't have been much more expensive than buying from a local store. So why don't I buy from local stores? Because they only offer tiny sizes. The assumption is that any woman who rides a lot must be a lean athlete, size 10 or less.

[breeze]

I wear casual skorts to work for much of in the summer. I don't care to ride in a bike skort, though I have seen a lot of women wearing running skorts this year.

There are several of the casual/dressier skorts (for tennis or hiking?) that I like at REI (Royal Robbins, Isis brands) as well as at Lands End and Title Nine. The Royal Robbins discovery skort in particular is one that I've worn while teaching, traveling, and jumping on a trampoline (though not all at the same time!) and it seems that there's more of a selection in the past year or two.

[shootingstar]

I wear small sizes across all types of clothing, cycling and non-cycling. Usually small sizes are either lst gone or they are last sold from a clothing line.

It's become a bigger problem (literally) in the past few decades because even a size 0-2, the top may be too wide: because I've inherited narrow shoulder width, back width, my bone frame is just smaller/petite.

But great: I didn't know there would be regional market differences, availability of clothing styles. Maybe if a woman hasn't actually seen a type of garment on other women in her area, she might not know or who to ask for recommended suppliers/retailers.

I'm just using skort as an example and it's practical, since it allows women jogging and cycling to wear something that they perceive as more flattering, if they feel self-conscious about their thighs/butt.

***********But really, the topic is much more broader on practical women's cycling clothing who want mid-priced range stuff and just want to cycle comfortably without wanting to look too "athletic"....just to get to work or go grocery shopping by bike.

[Susan Otcenas]

I appreciate TE exists and hopes as an online retailer/supplier, you will be there. But from a standpoint of paying customs brokerage fees for US pkgs. bound for international customers, I'm not keen at this time.

It's OK, shootingstar. I was just kinda teasing (hence the " " icon.) I participate on the forums because I want to, not because I want to try to sell forum members stuff with my presence.

(BTW, your point is well taken about shipping fees, duties and customs. I think, though, that you wouldn't pay customs on small value packages, or on items made in North America re: NAFTA. We publish the country of origin on every product. You'd need to check with your postal service to be sure, though.)

But, I digress. Irulan makes a good point about the "chicken and egg" issue. Shops that haven't done well with women's apparel in the past stop stocking it...women figure out the shops don't have it any more...they stop coming in and/or stop asking.... shop owner doesn't hear demand....shop owner doesn't carry any more...round and round we go.

At TE, we often see trends that our vendors say they don't hear from shops. And I think that's because we aggregate such a broad market that we can say with authority that YES, women want cycling skirts, or YES, plus size women ride bicycles, or YES, print jerseys always far outsell solid color jerseys. And so on. But the average shop, being in a relatively narrow market compared to us, simply doesn't see the same trends. It costs a lot of money to invest in apparel inventory, and for the smaller shop, that can be a huge risk

[PamNY]

I've never seen anyone wear a skort, and I wouldn't dream of wearing one. I wonder if it's an age thing -- I'm old enough to remember when women/girls weren't "supposed" to wear pants in many situations. So to me a skort would be symbolic of an oppressive era.

I looked at some cycling skirts online, and I can't figure out how they differ from a regular skirt over bike shorts.

Most of the bike shops I visit are small, and I wouldn't expect them to offer much in the way of clothing. It just wouldn't be practical for them to maintain the inventory.

[sookiesue]

I love biking in skorts! Some of them are not designed for long distance riding so you have to check the label/description to make sure it has an appropriate chamois for what you intend to to.

I've found two that I've used for longer distances. One from REI - their Novara brand - which is ok but the chamois is a little bulky, I've biked up to 65 miles on that one. I have one from Castelli (used it for an 85 mile ride plus lots of 30-60 milers) that I got last year which I LOVE. I just received another one but am sad to discover they changed the chamois, even though they still call it the Elle Skort. The chamois is much wider and therefore doesn't work for me. Such a drag when companies change their product from year to year and you just want to get the one that works for you!

I've seen non-chamois skorts at L.L. Bean. I love their fitness skort for wearing both dressed up with tights and boots or dressed down with t-shirt and flip flops or if I'm just biking down to the store for something. Athleta also has quite a few although I haven't tried theirs.

[shootingstar]

Pam, I'm on the edge of a generation that does remember wearing jeans was a big deal in senior public school (which is middle school in the U.S.). (am 53)

Interesting that wearing even a skort could ever been seen as 'oppressive' in a feminist way. Not exactly in the same league as near bikini wear for competitive beach women's volleyball.

Biggest difference /convenience of wearing shorts built into skirt is just....1 waistband, not 2 layers of waistband and pulling up/down 1 garment vs. 2 garments.

But yea, a wrap skirt over lycra shorts would do with some extra layers in certain areas. I agree, skorts not for distance riding but for cycling and get off and on to do stuff. It's great when travelling overseas on a cycling trip. Plus a regular pair of shorts or tights also packed away. There are times a woman doesn't want to look so cycling sports oriented among a bunch of many other women cycling in their streetwear or when cycling is a more rare activity.

My comments are pertaining to a bigger bike store that already is offering cycling apparel for both men and women. I saw women's cycling jerseys at this shop that were beyond my price range. Lovely but willing to settle with equally flattering, practical results in 1 solid colour/with a 2nd solid colour as an accent.

[Tillybug]

Just an FYI- I was at a Marshall's store a few weeks ago in Ohio and in the athletic department they had Sugoi Skorts for $29.99.

I know all Marshall's are different but sometimes I have lucked out and got really good cycling stuff on the cheap

[ny biker]

I don't recall ever seeing skorts in an LBS, or REI for that matter. And the bike shops near me generally have as much variety in women's clothing as they do in men's.

[goldfinch]

I just saw skorts in the REI in Minneapolis. But no tights that I liked. They did have those odd skirted tights that I don't quite understand.

So instead of using my 20% off coupon on bike stuff I bought a pair of those Vibram five finger shoes. Comfy!

[Kiwi Stoker]

Ummm skorts are a very niche product. I mean not to disrepect anyone here but most women (and pro racers) don't wear them. In fact some women might find them offensive ("like you want to ride in a skirt!?").

I woulnd't expect any LBS to carry these as the market for skorts would be very small.

For items like this I would expect TE to be the place to purchase these.