How to look stylish on a bicycle?

[Jungla_Juana]

I don't ride my bike anymore to uni (I now drive to work... it's too far to bike there!) but I'm always on the lookout for bicycle-friendly outfits. I see a lot of girls here freely wearing short frilly skirts but I'm always afraid of malfunctions...

ilikeiwishiheart.blogspot.com

denmarkemb.org

Catherine Baba busts out some of the best cycling getups...

jessicajanuary.com

vintagebikesmelbourne.wordpress.com

 

[dauphine]

I had never seen Catherine Baba before, but now I have a full on life-crush. And shoe-crush. Daaang.

 

[softgrey]

what i'd like to find more than anything is a stylish alternative to the sporty helmet...
they just aren't cute...
and i don't think it's wise to go out on a bike without a helmet...

those regular safety sports ones just aren't stylish or cute though...
..

i keep seeing people with different types of helmets, trying to look better, i guess...
i even saw one guy with a riding helmet in the city...
unfortunately, it still didn't look cool...
...

 

[US27]

My traditional geometry work horse:

Tough entry level road setup with fittings to take on paniers and rack for heavy touring or commuting. It also has clearances for tires as large as 30 mm. Reliable daily all weather. Definitely not for sale...

 

[US27]

what i'd like to find more than anything is a stylish alternative to the sporty helmet...
they just aren't cute...
and i don't think it's wise to go out on a bike without a helmet...

those regular safety sports ones just aren't stylish or cute though...
..

i keep seeing people with different types of helmets, trying to look better, i guess...
i even saw one guy with a riding helmet in the city...
unfortunately, it still didn't look cool...
...

None of them look cool and they never will. Road helmets like the ones I wear with many large vents are the worst. Functionally they are well designed as I live in warm Florida and ride in heavy traffic. Stylishly they are awful. I take the helmet off as soon as I'm off the bike unlike other poor souls I have seen wearing them into supermarkets, bars, restaurants, convenience stores, and so on--and they are always men my age or older--creeps...

 

[dauphine]

The one thing I love about my helmet is that I can use it as a little shopping basket at the market. But, mine is hella bulky, there is no getting around that it's true, but I seriously think something is wrong with my helmet. It protrudes way too far out from my head, unless I take the padding out, in which case its uncomfortable. I don't like the way it looks. Meh. I am shopping around for a new one. I think I may have to size down to a childs helmet. Mine is a men's XS. I want this one, but I think it is too showy:

pronto.com

Will it make my head look like a Golden Goose Egg? My current helmet is a Pryme orange thing. I have gotten compliments on it before, ranging from the positive to the sarcastic. I feel like bright colors are the way to go - they might make me more visible to cars. Nothing is wrong with my helmet though, so I should probably just suck it up and wear it till it gets too worse for wear. Right?

 

[ultramarine]

what i'd like to find more than anything is a stylish alternative to the sporty helmet...
they just aren't cute...
and i don't think it's wise to go out on a bike without a helmet...

those regular safety sports ones just aren't stylish or cute though...
..

i keep seeing people with different types of helmets, trying to look better, i guess...
i even saw one guy with a riding helmet in the city...
unfortunately, it still didn't look cool...
...

Didnt someone do some fuzzy helmets for menswear recently? Was it something like Prada or Burberry ...????

And what about the YSL ones with the ears?

 

[Petit Lucille]

Prada did, they were all-over fur. And then Karl Lagerfeld re-did them...

showstudio.com
I love this ones, even though they are for bikes, I'd ride my bycicle with those (given my bycicle lookes like a motorcycle...it would be right

mundoanuncio.com.ar

 

[quimby]

This is a fun thread. I am enjoying the reports and pics about what you have been wearing on all your bike rides.

Once, I went on an extended bike ride with a guy I had a crush on. I wore corduroy cut-offs. Groan. What a mistake. The ribbing was not for her pleasure.

I also felt pretty out of place since everyone was wearing spandex outfits. I guess the route was pretty intense, since it follows a highway across the water and then there's an island you can circle around. It was a good thing I didn't know beforehand how long and hilly that ride would be, or else I might not have thought I could do it, but it did leave me pretty unprepared.

 

[The_Ida]

I just ride my bike to uni and back It's not even exercise for me any more, just a way of transportation that is considerably cheaper than taking the bus.

 

[dauphine]

It's not even really good exercise unless it's very long distance, two hours on a bike for me probably burns about 500 calories, but imagine doing two hours on an elliptical, or jogging - I'd probably faint. It is the fine line between inactive and active, which I can definitely appreciate.

 

[dreamss]

It's really good exercise when ur riding it on rough or sandy surfaces. The road is smooth so it makes it not feel like working out
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[purplethistle]

This thread makes me wish I still had a bike. Unfortunately the route from uni back is an inclined plain the whole way and I don't think I'd have the stamina/discipline to justify getting one, for sometime at least.

 

[dauphine]

Get one! haha. Just ride it in a low gear.

 

[dauphine]

If Vanessa Paradis can do it, then why not?

ridesabike.tumblr.com

 

[Petit Lucille]

... in a feathered top, by the way..

 

[daniellat]

Wow at Catherine Baba, that is serious commitment to the bike.

 

[dauphine]

Today I had to pick up a few samples from showrooms, and I had the genius idea of doing it by bicycle, I was able to leave my house way later than if I'd taken the train - which I love. Plus I got everything done in about two hours. Pretty amazing. I was definitely dressed too hot though, jeans, loafers, and a vintage tee shirt. It's wicked humid here right now. The best part was being able to pick up a sample, and get it crosstown in 20 minutes. It would have required a 45 minute train ride and a transfer to get that done without my 'steed'.

 

[educo]

Today I had to pick up a few samples from showrooms, and I had the genius idea of doing it by bicycle, I was able to leave my house way later than if I'd taken the train - which I love. Plus I got everything done in about two hours. Pretty amazing. I was definitely dressed too hot though, jeans, loafers, and a vintage tee shirt. It's wicked humid here right now. The best part was being able to pick up a sample, and get it crosstown in 20 minutes. It would have required a 45 minute train ride and a transfer to get that done without my 'steed'.

God I LOVE that. I'm always surprised how quickly your body warms up when you start riding. I'm addicted to doing everything on the bike, especially now that we actually have good weather!

 

[dauphine]

It rocked. My boss was really impressed with me, I could tell, then at the shoot today, another assistant was like 'I walked over the bridge last night omg.' I was like 'oh, that bridge, I go over it all the time on my bike.