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| What's a girl to do with all these choices? |
For a long while I've preferred multifunctional garments over bicycle-specific clothing. But that wasn't always the case. I've tried to like padded shorts, however I wilt in heat and humidity, therefore wearing the least amount of clothing possible has been my preferred choice. I've had saddle discomfort for years, but I didn't know what to do about, short of taking periodic breaks from riding, and trying various saddles.
I eventually settled on thin t-shirts, rayon button-down tops, or Hawaiian shirts - loose garments that allowed airflow, were quick drying, and virtually odorless when worn multiple times. For bottoms, I preferred stretchy cotton, yoga-style shorts. When the bottoms became threadbare and not easily replaced, I added cute Terry skirts for better coverage. It was a wonderful solution, whether shopping or riding to work - a presentable option for strolling inside until changing into business casual attire.
Enter the pandemic, and unemployment.
I eventually found a new opportunity - of all places - at Terry Bicycles! Georgena Terry sold the saddle and clothing business 10+ years ago. Since then the office/warehouse has been in Burlington, Vermont. In a home office for the time being, I'm having fun trying various padded shorts, knickers, skorts, and breathable synthetic tops on evening rides. It's equally a personal experiment and professionally the best way to understand products. I suspect that riding in chamois-lined shorts during the summer heat will be the ultimate test. Couple that will testing saddles and I just may be the best dressed commuter rider out there!
I don't know where this journey will take me - I'm a creative soul - but I'm willing to go along for a short ride.
In the meantime, let's all get on our bikes. :)
I think your choice of clothing depends on how far you go and your riding style. Commuting to work, 5 miles each way, I cycled in ordinary clothes with no problem, apart from very hot days. With retirement and cycling more and further I find padded lycra type cycling shorts and tops suit me best and if you get wet they soon dry out as you ride. The women in our club seem to favour Castelli kit coupled with a female specific saddle.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new employment.
ReplyDeleteThanks Randy! It'll do for now. With a full house, both my husband and I are working from our basement. After work rides are soooo important.
DeleteSweet, that's nice clothing for sure, for us it's whatever we can find CHEAP or on sale for specific "bicycle clothes"! I do like padded lycra shorts and I like the racer type and not the MTB type shorts and tights, LOL, at 65 and strictly a rec/utility type rider I might look a bit silly with the "un-matching KIT" but it works for ME!! Just as soon as this snow melts I will RIDE!! ;)
ReplyDeleteVery nice clothing and quite the new job, kudos! :) Alas for my wife and I we prefer bicycle specific clothes but have to buy the CHEAP stuff or find the good stuff on SALE! LOL, although we are strictly rec/utility riders and we might like FUNNY in our "un-matching" KITS, it just works for us! :) Once the snow melts, we will be out for a RIDE! :)
ReplyDeleteI find the winter much more difficult than the summer. Like you I don't particularly like cycling specific clothing, except perhaps for jackets, and even then my most used one is a Rab windproof but it's not a cycling one. I have got some cycling tights which are on the loose side, and some 95% cotton very plain jodhpurs which actually are excellent but I'd still prefer some bottoms that look more ordinary. I tried adapting some tracksuit bottoms last year but they didn't work well. Tops in the summer are easy - linen or cotton shirts which are loose and cool and are readily available in charity shops! I like your idea of a skirt over shorts. Looking forward to reading about how you get on with all the clothes you get to try out!
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