Tag Archive | girls biking to work
Presto-Chango Bike Outfits
Dressing for bike commuting is a spectrum. On one side, the commuter wears full race-ready apparel on the ride with a full change upon arrival at work. On the other, the dogmatically street-clothes-wearing cyclist wears full jewelry and any shoes that fit her sense of fashion. Every commute distance/weather/work dress-code is different, so go with […]
The Custom Long Haul Trucker is (Basically) Done
Here’s a photo of the custom Surly Long Haul Trucker I’ve been working on. I don’t really consider it to be finished (lacking fenders & a bell and I am probably going to change the stem) but it’s rideable and I have been riding it for several weeks now. I chose a touring bike for […]
Reaching out to New Cyclists: Downplay the Bad-Ass Factor
There are so many reasons why I ride my bike (for my finances, my physical and mental health, the environment, convenience, fun). It also makes me feel like a bad ass. Especially in the winter. Which is great – to a certain extent. Last week I realized that sometimes I play up the difficulty of […]
Touch Up Your Chipped Bike Frame with Nail Polish
Nail polish, like duct tape, is infinitely useful. We’ve all heard that it’s the best way to stop a run in panty hose. It can also protect your bike frame if a bit of paint has chipped off – yet another thing I’ve learned at Grease Rag. My frame is currently rocking a clear top […]
Bicycle Fashion Show at the Living Green Expo
I checked out the Living Green Expo for the first time this past weekend, and the Bicycle Fashion Show was definitely the highlight! It was put together by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and the Minnesota Environmental Partnership and featured more than 25 models and bikes. They did a great job of representing a variety […]
Outfit #1
As I mentioned in my first post, I work in the fine arts industry, which presents unique wardrobe challenges. As far as I can figure out, anything goes as long as it is not basic or expected. Little black dresses are out if not accompanied by wild jewelry or glasses visible from a block away. Since my closet mainly holds staples in neutral colors, every opening I work brings a new “what do I wear” crisis.
Above is one of my successes. I was co-hosting a casual performance art event on a February night. The temperature hovered right around freezing. I threw a drape-y cardigan and long necklace in my panniers and put on skinny jeans, a long sleeved wool undershirt, a black belt, wool socks and black leather boots. For outerwear I had a lightly lined soft shell jacket, lobster gloves, and a fleece balaclava (plus my trusty helmet).
Style Pros/Cons: I got lots of complements that night and have no fashion regrets!
This outfit could easily be dressed up for an office situation. All it would take is to switch out the jeans for dark chinos or dress pants and wear dressier boots. I love the Icebreaker merino wool undershirt I got for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad)! It performs well while I’m biking and serves as a great base layer upon arrival, all without looking like performance clothing.
Biking Pros/Cons: Merino is awesome! A thin wool undershirt and soft shell jacket were the perfect combination for this trip. The outfit was practically perfect, except… Skinny jeans are not appropriate biking attire for Minnesota winters. Since I was only going 3 miles and it wasn’t much below freezing, I braved the resulting cold, wind-chapped thighs, knowing they’d warm up quickly when I got there.
Had the trip been slightly colder or slightly longer, I would’ve put a layer of synthetic long underwear underneath and taken it off once I arrived. Had it been much colder or much longer, I would’ve worn windproof, lined snow-pants and changed into my jeans at the gallery. Again, I have no regrets, but I’d hate to suggest that you should tackle winter biking in jeans in the upper Midwest. You’ll be significantly more comfortable if all of your outer layers are windproof and all of your inner layers are wicking.
Girls Biking to Work 