Question: how do you dress for riding a bike?
Today I’m going to answer a question I get asked a lot.
Tanya emailed me this:
“I don’t wanna have to cart my office clothes with me on my bike, nor is my body fit for the great outdoors in tight lycra! Help!”
I hear you Tanya. I ride in what I’m wearing for the day. No need to complicate life with changes of clothes…seriously. Here are some tricks I employ:
1. Embrace dressy shorts. I love these ones below from Sass and Bide. I buy them a size or two too big.
2. Yes, you can wear heels. I do all the time. Just buy ones that support your foot in some way – eg boots or ones with straps over the arch of the foot and around the ankle. The heels below are from All Saints – they’re like a laced-up desert boot. When riding with heels you do need to be careful you don’t slip…but this extra psychological pressure actually makes for some nice hyper-aware and aligned riding. What about wedges? They don’t work, really. I’ll scoot down the road in them, but there’s no grip to be found. Save them for walking.
Here’s Lucy from Love at 1st Sight (Lucy builds single speeds in Bondi, if you’re interested) wearing booties:
3. Short dresses with stockings in winter are great. A scarf you can tie to your bag is good too. I rode to this red carpet event in the city back in winter (much to the shock of publicists), wearing this:
Boots are good. When riding in skirts or dresses, I just tuck the fabric under me and try to keep seated. I think this is quite a clever way to deal with skirts:
Photo: Bojun Chiswell / www.melbournecyclechic.com.au as seen in Treadlie magazine
4. Find yourself a great commuter handbag. I’m always on the lookout. Sass and Bide have done a great two-strap satchel. The one I carry in the shot below is a Country Road leather satchel that slings over my shoulder. I can fit my Macbook in it. And my lunch.
Here’s a close up of the bag (as a hipstaprint, of course):
5. Invest in T-back singlets and T-back bras. I find these allow a lot of movement and mean you don’t get fabric build-up under the arms, which collects sweat. Knowwhatimean? I buy simple, cheap T-backs from Target. American Apparel singlets are good.
6. Buy long tops…so they cover things at the back. Bum crack in drivers’ faces ain’t going to help your cause.
7. Over time, gradually, shift your wardrobe to be all about soft, flowy, stretchy layers. I think this girl does it beautifully:
Photo: Martha Williams / www.bikfancy.com as seen in Treadlie magazine
I’ll do a second post with more hot looks and suggestions. Please send me pics of yourself if you’re a rider…let’s inspire each other….
I live 5kms from my office, on a flat, straight road.
I wear these clothes daily most days already.
I own a much loved bike, also much neglected.
Thanks for giving me a reminder to get my arse into gear and organised to ride Sarah
x
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February 9th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Hoorah! Get onya bike!
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I work from home, so thankfully I don’t need to do the rush hour commute on my bike. During the week I’m mostly out during the day running errands.
http://craftyllama.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/frocktober-day-18-2/
Here’s a photo of the outfit that I wear most often when riding – the dress is just short enough that it doesn’t get caught on the bike seat, but long enough to cover me when I’m riding up hills standing. The leggings of course cover all the modesty issues. I almost always wear my converse sneakers riding – they have enough grip on them so my feet don’t go flying off them. I lace them to that the laces end up sitting behind the tongue of the shoe. It’s always worked really nicely for me.
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February 9th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Cute. Can we post it?
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February 9th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Sure, go for it
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Oh, i live a bit too far from work on a rather hilly route to be doing this! In summer it’s sweat central.
cute though! I ride in my workout gear and then get changed at work, or at the gym . Gym to work is a nice flat 10 min route and i have no problems wearing my work clothes then.
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Hi Sarah…I never look like that after a bike ride (even if it’s just down the driveway). With the exception of the Oprah photo, do you have a stylist on hand for a final ‘touch up’ before you hit the red carpet? Maybe that’s the trick.
And really can’t believe you don’t wear a helmet, esp on a bike with no gears! That’s just a death wish.
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February 9th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
oops…meant a bike with no breaks!
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would be good if I could spell…BRAKES
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Sarah, I love those heels you wearing in the top photo… Where are they from??
Really looking into getting a bike. Just don’t know how I’m going to get up the hill between me and bondi junction. Ugh. Tired just thinking about it.
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February 9th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Whoops. Allsaints. Right. Sorry!
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bikes are awesome. i need to find a cool old style bike that doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars!
p.s you are so beautiful sarah!
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Sorry to hijack this tread but I saw an old Home & Away episode on the weekend and thought Sarah looks just like Rachel Armstrong.
Back to bikes…
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February 9th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Amy Mathews is the actress, Rachel is the character!
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Loving this post! More people should ride, it is so fantastic.
It really creates such a great sense of community.
My route to work is a bit hilly so I tend to take my work clothes in my back pack and wear my work out gear to ride. I often leave my shoes at work so I only have to cart clothes.
But on non work days heading to town I find leggings and skirts/dresses are great, harem pants are fab and comfy, and a cute scarf always looks cool.
I completely agree with long tops.
I also have a few ‘Icebreaker’ merino tops which are great for a thermal layer but wick away the sweat. I live in Tassie and it gets a bit cold down here.
I love http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com. Those Copenhagen girls are so cool and show us all how it can be done.
Love your blog Sarah!
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Don’t forget the dapper chaps. My cycle wear is no different to the clothes I wear on a daily basis. This image of a father on a bike would resemble me in winter if he had hair, his little kid was a boy and he wasn’t yapping on a mobile:
http://www.cyclechic.be/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/20100508-IMG_8865.jpg
By the way Sarah, much respect for tackling that steep climb on a fixie!
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I would love to ride a bike, if only on the weekends (Im moving about 30 km away from my work, a bit of a morning commute for work!) Unfortunately I am petrified of cars, Perth is probably the least bike-friendly city in the world. I love your fashion tips though, and living vicariously through all you cyclists!
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August 2nd, 2012 at 10:19 pm
Trust me, my city is way less bike friendly, despite bike/pedestrian trails and paths. Ours has the second most cars per capita after L.A.
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August 2nd, 2012 at 10:21 pm
in the U.S anyway ^
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I ride my bike to work almost everyday, and wear the clothes that I wear to work. My workplace isn’t super formal, so I guess I’m lucky that way. Don’t know how I’d go wearing a suit on a bike
Have to say that a step-through bike is a definite boon if you like to wear skirts. I can wear even quite long skirts on my bike with no problems. Just clip or knot the skirt up to keep it out of the way of the wheels.
Heels are actually really easy to ride in because the pedal fits between the ball of the foot and the heel of the shoe, and wedges in their quite firmly. I can wear heels to work riding the bike that I wouldn’t wear if I was catching the tram, because it’s easier to ride than walk in them!
The most I would alter my outfit for the bike is to wear layered tops. On hot days I make sure I can strip down to a singlet top for the ride home.
And, like the others, loving your blog, Sarah!
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Does anybody know where I could invest in a second-hand single-speed bike? I really enjoy bike-riding (I find it easier and more beneficial than walking or jogging) but the bike I use currently is my dad’s zillion-speed mountain bike, which is too big and slightly rusted. Any ideas?
And any tips for explaining to a policeman why you’re not wearing a helment, Sarah?
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What a great pic of you on your bike! Makes me want to charge up a hill right now!
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I’d run to work if I could, bit hard on the F3 though! Love that first photo Sarah, great shot, cool bike and you look very sexy indeed.
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Great tips Sarah!
I find heels are fine to ride in and are especially good when you’re biking up a hill out of the saddle – you are forced to use the ball of your foot to press down (instead of your arch) to keep your foot on the pedals. Thongs or backless shoes like clogs are no good.
Since I started riding I’ve pretty much moved away from wearing jeans to skirts/tights. I find jeans too tight and uncomfortable for freedom of movement and a hip-slung cut often reveals undies – not very cycle chic!
I am a big fan of layers and I find Metalicus does a good range of stretchy fashionable gear. Like Erin I also have a large collection of Icebreaker merino wool tops so if I think I’m going to get a bit sweaty I might pop my nice top into my panniers and change out of my Icebreaker at the other end, or in winter wear the Icebreaker as the skin layer so it wicks away sweat. I used to ride 45mins in winter in London wearing Icebreakers and my work clothes, they are a great investment.
I like your red-carpet look too
I have made the mistake of wearing flowy chiffon dresses on my bike before and had the hems chewed up by the wheels 
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great post! i know that CycleStyle sell skirt garters for those who want to cycle in skirts that can’t be easily tucked to avoid flashing passersby.
I’m a workwear streetstyle blogger and have photographed a number of stylish folks on their way to/from work – you’ve inspired me to create a new category so visitors can see all the workwear cyclechic in the one place- thanks Sarah!
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I ride everyday, just in whatever I a feel like wearing in the office, but I have learnt that dead straight business skirts don’t “ride” quite as elegantly as A-line when I am on the bike, but I do have a skirt guard and a back pedal brake, so that one hand can hold my skirt in place when necessary on more windy days.
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Hmm, I’m not sure this works. I’m not convinced my corporate look can be done riding. so i dont ride to work. i can’t pack it all and pull out a crumpled suit. and i’m also safe – and legal, and wear a helmet so working out the helmet hair aint quite there yet! you certainly paint a pretty lifestyle though, but not one most of us live!
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I ride to work every day. People often comment on how ‘good’ I am but it almost feels like cheating. It takes half an hour to either walk or go by tram whereas its only 13 minutes on the bike. It’s such a fun and alive 13 minutes that there’s no question of doing anything else.
I’ve got a skirt guard on my bike so clothes aren’t a problem. I do keep suits and a pair of shoes in the office so I often wear a top that will match any of them then choose what to wear when I get there. It means I’m often wearing the same clothes but I prefer an easy life.
I’ve been doing this for 3 years and am still very pleased with myself every day. I must get the skirt garter though. Saw it on the StyleCycle website.
Thanks for the blog. It’s the first blog I’ve ever read.
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I just wear what I would usually wear. I don’t work now, as I have an autoimmune disease too, but when I was working I’d wear business pants, or a skirt with stockings. I have a slightly above the knee and stretchy skirt which suits bikeriding without showing too much leg and gives me plenty of movement for pedalling. Loose tops in black hide sweat marks well I find and I also like long singlet tops after seeing yours for riding. On my feet I just wear thongs or flat shoes or boots, I haven’t ridden in heels (yet!)
I love your blog Sarah, especially posts about riding bikes, I am passionate about bikeriding too and am going to start a blog about riding bikes in Newcastle, I believe it is the way of the future. I love riding and not having to worry about parking and it’s great to be able to talk to other bike riders at the lights instead of being trapped in a car.
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At the height of summer I carry my work clothes in my baskets so that I don’t arrive as a total sweat monster. Yet, I do ride home in them. My work clothes are usually skirts and dresses – medium length to long… all fine as long as I hitch them up. Short bike pants are great for those sudden gusts of wind.
I’ve also been known to ride my pushie wearing a tutu. Tutus are great for riding in – they don’t get caught in anything! I once rode in a full length tulle-covered hoop skirt. It did get caught, but once I pulled the hoop up to my waist all was fine again.
Thank you for posting this. It reminded me of what first inspired me to get back on the saddle nearly 10 years ago: A woman riding through Newtown in a long skirt. May we all inspire others to jump on the saddle as well with our various dress quirks!
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I just love these suggestions. But for me, I live very remote and what’s appropriate for our area is a real dinger loud kind of a bell attached to my basket and bear spray! I take my dog and we are confronted with bears frequently so you can see what we need!
Thanks for great ideas, I’ll pass your blog on my urban friends. Organic cotton is safe, natural and completely organic, seeds, ground, processing and dyes are all organic through Global Organic Trade Standards. Many organic cotton prints are now on the market and lovely to work with!
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Appreciate you sharing, great article.Really looking forward to read more. Fantastic.
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Incredible points. Great arguments. Keep up the great
spirit.
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