Does anyone have any tips for how to cycle in a skirt/dress?
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Does anyone have any tips for how to cycle in a skirt/dress? I normally wear leggings anyway so modesty isn’t the issue, it’s more what to do to stop fabric flapping.
I also haven’t ridden a bike in ages so this could be interesting 🫣
@helenclayton I've found knee-length skirts and dresses easiest when biking. I think one of my summer faves is mid-calf and haven't had trouble with that one either, but haven't really even tried with long flowy ones. I've admired one of my friends' steampunk-dress that has straps for adjusting skirt length, so it's easy to shorten the skirt for biking and lengthen it again later.
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@helenclayton I've found knee-length skirts and dresses easiest when biking. I think one of my summer faves is mid-calf and haven't had trouble with that one either, but haven't really even tried with long flowy ones. I've admired one of my friends' steampunk-dress that has straps for adjusting skirt length, so it's easy to shorten the skirt for biking and lengthen it again later.
@lepaggoth yes I was admiring a design for a Victorian dress that could be looped up at the sides. Most of my skirts and dresses are mid length or longer though I may have one that’s knee length. Will experiment.
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Does anyone have any tips for how to cycle in a skirt/dress? I normally wear leggings anyway so modesty isn’t the issue, it’s more what to do to stop fabric flapping.
I also haven’t ridden a bike in ages so this could be interesting 🫣
@helenclayton I think @forth uses both a chain guard and spoke guards (is that the term for them?), to safely ride in skirts. Though hers are homemade maybe?
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Does anyone have any tips for how to cycle in a skirt/dress? I normally wear leggings anyway so modesty isn’t the issue, it’s more what to do to stop fabric flapping.
I also haven’t ridden a bike in ages so this could be interesting 🫣
@helenclayton How long is the skirt? I default to 1) leggings or bike shorts underneath 2) using a binder clip to clip my skirt together between my legs (only works with loose/voluminous skirts but those are the ones likely to flap up anyway 3) sewing a button and loop into the skirt interior if I’m going to ride in it often.
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Does anyone have any tips for how to cycle in a skirt/dress? I normally wear leggings anyway so modesty isn’t the issue, it’s more what to do to stop fabric flapping.
I also haven’t ridden a bike in ages so this could be interesting 🫣
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@helenclayton How long is the skirt? I default to 1) leggings or bike shorts underneath 2) using a binder clip to clip my skirt together between my legs (only works with loose/voluminous skirts but those are the ones likely to flap up anyway 3) sewing a button and loop into the skirt interior if I’m going to ride in it often.
@swachter thank you. I don’t know yet, only that I’ll have to wear a skirt or dress as I don’t have suitable trousers. Most are mid length or longer. I think I have one that’s knee length. I’ll experiment.
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@helenclayton depends on the skirt length, volume, and if I care how I look while riding. I find knee length skirts or shorter, I don't need to do anything, maybe a weight in front to keep the skirt down. For a long skirt, I like to ponytail it, literally just tie a it up to one side. However, if I care how i look while I'm riding, I might "gird" it: pull as much fabric forward as you can, then pull it between your legs, and sit on it, works best with long, voluminous skirts.
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@helenclayton depends on the skirt length, volume, and if I care how I look while riding. I find knee length skirts or shorter, I don't need to do anything, maybe a weight in front to keep the skirt down. For a long skirt, I like to ponytail it, literally just tie a it up to one side. However, if I care how i look while I'm riding, I might "gird" it: pull as much fabric forward as you can, then pull it between your legs, and sit on it, works best with long, voluminous skirts.
@Kellyshenanigans @justip brilliant, thanks
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@helenclayton depends on the skirt length, volume, and if I care how I look while riding. I find knee length skirts or shorter, I don't need to do anything, maybe a weight in front to keep the skirt down. For a long skirt, I like to ponytail it, literally just tie a it up to one side. However, if I care how i look while I'm riding, I might "gird" it: pull as much fabric forward as you can, then pull it between your legs, and sit on it, works best with long, voluminous skirts.
@helenclayton @justip i also have made a sewn solution, invented in the 1800s, involving a series of hidden cords and weights, and detailed in the book Bikes and Bloomers, but I'm guessing you won't want to sew modifications to your skirt(s)
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Does anyone have any tips for how to cycle in a skirt/dress? I normally wear leggings anyway so modesty isn’t the issue, it’s more what to do to stop fabric flapping.
I also haven’t ridden a bike in ages so this could be interesting 🫣
@helenclayton
In the early 1980's I used to ride a bike to work. I worked in a bookstore and frequently wore skirts. They were mostly A-line style or slightly flared, not really full, so less prone to flapping around. Also helped that I rode upright on what we jokingly called the Miss Gulch model bike. On particularly windy days, I used safety pins to take up the slack in the skirt. Lots of safety pins. -
@Fizzfizzpopop @Greenseer ok maybe I won’t try that
@helenclayton @Fizzfizzpopop @Greenseer definitely don't want anything tangling your steering, that's a way to cause a crash
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@helenclayton @justip i also have made a sewn solution, invented in the 1800s, involving a series of hidden cords and weights, and detailed in the book Bikes and Bloomers, but I'm guessing you won't want to sew modifications to your skirt(s)
@Kellyshenanigans @justip I’ve been looking at these designs. Definitely not wanting to modify existing frocks but I’d love to have one. That’s fabulous.
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Does anyone have any tips for how to cycle in a skirt/dress? I normally wear leggings anyway so modesty isn’t the issue, it’s more what to do to stop fabric flapping.
I also haven’t ridden a bike in ages so this could be interesting 🫣
@helenclayton
Side saddle on an electric …
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Is there also kind of a built in jockstrap function?
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Imagine Donald Trump trying to gird up his loins in the traditional fashion. Guffaw.
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Is there also kind of a built in jockstrap function?
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Certainly that straight sided to make shown in the picture doesn't have that much fabric! But I'm sure people modified it in other ways
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Does anyone have any tips for how to cycle in a skirt/dress? I normally wear leggings anyway so modesty isn’t the issue, it’s more what to do to stop fabric flapping.
I also haven’t ridden a bike in ages so this could be interesting 🫣
This would be another great question for # BikeNite! You can send Bike Nite Potential Questions #BikeNitePQ to Phil @ascentale who relays them on Friday nights (depending on your timezone), and then Fedizen across the globe answer with the # BikeNite hashtag. The answers trickle in all week long, so Bike "Nite" isn't entirely accurate.
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Does anyone have any tips for how to cycle in a skirt/dress? I normally wear leggings anyway so modesty isn’t the issue, it’s more what to do to stop fabric flapping.
I also haven’t ridden a bike in ages so this could be interesting 🫣
@helenclayton if you pin the skirt front middle to back middle, it turns it a bit into bloomers. A safety pin does the trick for me usually. If the skirt has a lot of volume or is long, this knotting approach has also worked for me in the past: https://bikepretty.com/blogs/blog/how-to-bike-in-a-long-dress
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@helenclayton I think @forth uses both a chain guard and spoke guards (is that the term for them?), to safely ride in skirts. Though hers are homemade maybe?
@SRLevine @helenclayton Lots of good answers here already that I'll have to read in more detail later, but yes - I made fenders with integrated skirt guards this winter out of old plastic campaign signs.
Between those and the low frame of my bike, I can ride with no problem in skirts and dresses that fall to mid-calf, even if they have a lot of fullness to them. I rarely wear anything longer than that, but when I do I'll usually tie a knot in the fabric or gather it up with a hair scrunchie to ensure that it doesn't get into the chain.
I don't have a photo handy at the moment; sorry!
