I've never noticed anyone staring at me when I am in my bike clothing inside a store, and I am age 58 and weigh too much. It might be because compared to others I look athletic and fit. I count my blessings that I am not the female in her 20s, weight aroung 600 lbs, in an oversize electric scooter, pulling her mother, weight around 400 lbs, in a wheelchair, the electric scooter pulling the wheel chair because neither of the females has mobility. Or I am not one of many females wearing pajama bottoms and flip flops, with a belly hanging out and over the top of the pj bottoms. Or I am not one of the females with every inch of exposed skin covered in tatoos. With such a medley of in-your-face females, my bike clothing doesn't even merit a brief glance.
I felt a little self conscious at first when I went into stores with my gear on, but now I think it is fun...and if I do get stares, I think of myself as a middle-age advocate for bicycling! I like to imagine that people are thinking, "wow, if that chubby old granny can do it, so can I!"![]()
"Don't go too fast, but I go pretty far"