Beyond the Spandex?

Last Thursday I went to the MassBike annual fundraising dinner.  I've never been to one, but I think that MassBike is a good organization, worth supporting, so I decided to buy a ticket and check it out.
They sent out an email the day before reminding us that the dress was "semi-formal"  To me that meant  this:

But as I suspected, it was really just a warning to people not to wear their rainpants or bike shorts.

The "Theme" of the night was "Beyond the Spandex"  and the evening's entertainment was to be a "fashion show" supposedly showing off looks other than classic racer kit.  I was skeptical, or as I told Cris during the cocktail hour, if you drew a Venn diagram of what I consider bike fashion and what MassBike considers bike fashion, I suspect the overlap would be very small.

There was a cocktail reception and silent auction first:

 I got a chance to chat with Nick Jackson of Toole design, and Cris introduced me to Pamela Blayley, whose blog I've read, but whom I'd never met before.  She has the most amazing EmmyLou Harris hair- a gorgeous color of white blond.

Then I was seated at a table of random strangers, which turned out to be just fine. Pamela was there, when she wasn't getting ready to be in the fashion show. I met the #2 rider of Hubway last year in terms of miles.  And I got to meet Armando Quiros, a frame builder who specializes in beautifully brazed track frames.

Armando Quiros, on right, and his assistant, Victor.

 He and his assistant, Victor, had brought a van load of bikes to use in the show.  I got some pictures after the show of Armando's personal bike with its liquid looking joints.

We had a nice discussion about tube types, powdercoat vs liquid paint, the collegiality of Boston frame builders, and his adorable 3 month old daughter.

The show was,  as expected, well, not really my thing.
There was Rapha fairly classic kit (not skintight, and probably wool)

 There was hipster cycling clothing- note reinforced shoulders- I guess for a backpack ?!?

And lycra-heavy "athletic dresses"  like something Serena Williams would wear.

These are all fine options for sport cycling, but having them presented as fashionable biking attire would give Mikael Colville-Andersen seizures.
I'm not exactly a fashion plate, but I can do better than that (see top photo above which is what I wore for the six mile ride home at 10PM)
 I think that the emphasis on making special recreational clothing that doesn't look like you just got dropped by the peleton is not really getting "beyond the spandex"   It's just pretty spandex in pastel colors.   If you really are doing a lengthy sport ride, why not just wear bike kit and be done with it?  And if you're riding 5 miles to work, in most cases, you'll look better and it will be easier just to wear what you'd wear to work anyway.  To me riding in your normal clothes is what's truly "beyond the spandex."  I am hopeful that MassBike appreciates that distinction, but I'm not sure that as an organization they're really thinking of cycling as more than something sporty and athletic and sweaty.

I know that the point of a fashion show is to sell stuff, and that it's hard for many people still to use bikes as a way to sell everyday clothes.   It seems like this can be done though, see
this and this example.  I just don't think this was a particularly good example.

33 and Raining

So far the snow has mostly held off, but we're getting a fairly ferocious winter storm today/tomorrow.  It's mostly been my least favorite New England weather- 33 F and raining- blech!

I was all ready to give myself an out.  I was either going to walk to the T, or ride to the T and take my bike on the T home.  But once I got out, it didn't seem so bad after all- just spitting, not really raining hard.
So next thing I knew I was halfway home.

I just wanted to report that this weather is where my new trench coat excels.   It was the perfect warmth,  was absolutely waterproof,  and covered me to the tops of my kneecaps.  The bottom 1/2" of my skirt got damp (although not soaked), and my tights were wet on the tops of my knees, but the rest of me was just fine.
The brim of the Yakkay worked well to keep stuff out of my face as well.
We need a local distributor of Yakkay, because I've had tons of interest in them from people I've met, not just at bike events, but randomly on the street.

Wardrobe Malfunction

I wore a new dress to work the other day,  and as I was rushing out the door, I realized that there was a lot of open space below the last button on a not terribly long skirt.   I looked in vain for a safety pin, and then headed out the door.   It's a good thing that the zipper on my Nau trench goes all the way to the bottom of the coat, because when I unzipped when I was almost at work, I realized that the skirt had ridden so high that I could see the nose of the saddle.  Not a good look, even with opaque tights.

So I pulled over and zipped back up enough for my coat to cover my legs.  Better to be warm than a flasher!

I felt a bit like Angelina Jolie, showing too much leg- my leg being a bit less shapely than hers :) And black tights being more modest!  Speaking of which,  the funniest of the "Angie's right leg" meme's I've seen:

Think I'm going to sew a couple of quick stitches at the bottom of the hem and make it a more closed hem before I ride the bike in it :)

More new bike clothes, and Utilitaire 12.5!

Coincidently, I found out about the Utilitaire just two days after I made an appointment to get my haircut.  I don’t get my hair cut very often, every couple of months, so it’s just luck I happened to be able to complete this one.  (BTW,  I think that the Utilitaire rules are pretty flexible about substitutions,  so if you don’t need your hair cut, you could document going to the dentist, the doctor,  massage, pedicure, whatever).

I wore my favorite score from the Jason Wu for Target collection: a red and navy cotton dress with a lovely full skirt.   It’s even got pockets hidden in the pleats.  I put a long sleeved shirt under it, as it’s not really sleeveless dress weather yet, but it looks a bit schoolgirlish.  It had a tendency to ride up against my tights, but hopefully that will be less of a problem in the summer without tights.

I’ve also been meaning to report on my new long coat, but haven’t gotten around to getting photos of it.  It’s from Nau,  and it really fills a niche that I think is underserved- normal clothing with technical features.  I think that’s Nau’s thing in general- to have normal, or perhaps even a bit fashion forward styling, but true waterproof-ness,  with sealed seams and zippers.   Although it’s interesting- chatter about Nau on the internet  seems to be equally divided between bicyclists and hard core fashionistas.

that's a lot of hair

I ordered the “Shroud of Purrin Trench” in “Hellebore”,  which is a purplish grey that is a lovely color although a tad hard to match with my wardrobe that leans to reds and greens.  The fabric is something "waterproof-breathable" with a laminated barrier,  but unlike most shells, has a lovely wale,  not quite corduroy, maybe more like heavy twill?  You would never know it was a "technical" fabric if you didn't read the specs.

 I ordered the Hellebore because it seemed the lightest (compared to dark brown or black)  but it's fairly dark in person.  I’m scheming about how I could possibly add a tiny bit of  reflectivity.  The best thing would be a tiny bit of piping down the back seam,  but I don’t want to open up the seam, since it's specially sealed for water resistance.   I really like the length, which hits just above my knee when I’m on the bike, which keeps me noticeably warmer (or dryer).    The zipper can be raised from below if you want more air. The hem is asymmetric, with a longer tail than front, which I think is a nice line when you’re off the bike.

 Also asymmetric, the zipper comes into the side of your chin instead of the front. The collar has a buttonhole and button to allow you to fasten the collar up to warm your neck.  I didn’t think I’d use that feature, but it has come in handy a couple of times when I didn’t have a scarf for those first chilly minutes before I warm up.

The trench is very waterproof- I rode home one night in a pretty hard rain, and was completely dry- just shook it off and went to dinner on foot.   The only reservation I have is that it’s a bit too warm.  Although it doesn’t have much of an insulation layer beyond a light fuzzy liner, I find it keeps me much warmer than the weight would indicate.  Part of that may just be the windproof-ness, part of it might be the waterproofing.   If the temperature is higher than the low 30’s I’ve found I end up unzipping completely or  even having to remove the jacket.

 YMMV, as I may have a tendency to run a bit warm.    If we had a winter like last year with lots of cold and icky days, it would probably be perfect.

Later that night, post-chop

Back to the Utilitaire:  I rode home the 6 blocks from the salon without my helmet, although it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference to the "'do", but I hated to spoil a professional blow dry.   Minerva's lighting system has already been described, although I will add that I looked up the specs on the rear generator light- it's a Busch&Muller Topline Plus,  which I've been very impressed with.  I think it's much brighter than the fender mounted 4D fender mounted light I have on Gilbert. 

New bike clothes

It's always fun to have a new outfit for biking in!

I'm not enough of a follower of fashion to be interested in most of the "High-Low" collaborations that are all the rage-certainly not enough to get up early and deal with hysterical crowds.  I shop for clothes based more on what works for me than on a label or what is "in."   But when I saw the proposed Jason Wu for Target designs, I loved the narrow waists and flared skirts, and that's how I found myself at the Watertown Mall on Superbowl Sunday at 7AM.  I was third in line when the doors opened, and managed to get all of the things I was really interested in.  Unfortunately we've had a bout of seasonal (AKA cold) weather, which makes it hard to wear spring dresses,but with a pair of opaque tights and a cardigan, I think I can make this work.

It has a print of small spoked wheels-  they're not exactly bike wheels, but they're close enough:

I've also been wearing my first pair of B.Ella Woolisimo tights, that I ordered from Sock Dreams.  Like the Smartwool tights from last year, they're pretty sweater-like and not super dressy, but they're warm, not itchy and so far seem durable- I've only worn them a couple of times and washed them once.   Unlike the Smartwool tights they don't have a "shaped foot."  I might add a little red embroidery to mark the sole so that they're a bit easier to put on without getting twisted all around.    But so far so good, and I may order a pair in brown as well.

Linus Panniers Review

I received a very nice pair of Linus canvas "market" panniers for Christmas.  Since the first time they leapt out at me, in photos from Interbike a couple of years ago I've coveted them,  and after using them for a couple of weeks, I wanted to post a quick review of my thoughts so far.

The canvas is very heavy duty,  and was disconcertingly stiff at first.  They have limbered up a bit after some use.  The leather trim is nice and heavy, and has a nice feel to it.
The natural canvas "cream" color is very attractive on Gilbert with his cream tires and brown leather trim.

While Gilbert was "down"  and I was riding Minerva every day for transportation, I grew quite fond of using a pair of  "Fast rider" Dutch style double saddlebags.  Those saddlebags hold an enormous amount, but they're too long to fit comfortably on Gilberrt's smaller rack and shorter wheelbase.  The Linus panniers are shorter and more vertical,  and they fit nicely on Gilbert's rack.   I also appreciate the shoulder strap,  which is convenient for taking them into the store to fill with groceries.  I might leave them attached to the bike for a short time, but I'm not comfortable leaving them on for extended periods as the Dutch do.  They come with a small brass padlock which you could use to secure them to the rack if you were going to leave  them on all the time.

I was a bit worried about the carrying capacity at first, but I found them to be surprisingly capacious.  On my first trip with them, I did a fairly comprehensive shopping trip,  and you can see what fit in them:

Sunday NYTimes, cheese, cream cheese, 2 pounds of ground meat, and a package of pork chops, can of chopped clams, vice grips, 2 liter soda, box of pasta, package of mushrooms, bag of red peppers, dryer sheets,  dog food,  two packages of salad mix

Some small details:  there's a set of snaps to close them,  but there's additionally a magnetic closure that will keep them mostly closed without a full load, which is nice when you don't want to deal with the snaps.  Unfortunately there are no pockets for cell phone or keys etc.  That's not what I expect from a "shopper" style pannier like this or the Fastriders.  If I really wanted them, I could sew a cotton pocket inside to hold small things safe, but I don't anticipate doing that.

As I mentioned last week,  I put reflective patches on them for added visibility.  They don't seem to have a "front" or a "back"  so I put the patches on both sides.

Attaching them to the rack is more challenging than a single sided quick release pannier like my Ortlieb or Klick-Fix hardware bags,  but a bit better than the Fast-rider.   They're designed "specifically"  for the Linus rack  (they actually had a funny little insert that cautioned that using them with any other rack could cause serious accidents).   The bottom sides of the bag have a series of leather straps with nice brass snaps. You're supposed to fit the straps around the top tubes and struts of the rack, and snap them closed.  Unfortunately the top tubes on my rack are too large in diameter to fit the straps around.  I managed to fit them around the "rat trap" bars,  but that's not a great solution.

Fortunately the straps at the struts of the rack are much bigger and fit around fine, although it's a bit fiddly and clumsy to open and close them with gloves on.   The leather and brass is very classy and retro, but perhaps velcro would have been faster.   It wouldn't make much difference if you were going to leave the panniers on all the time though.

The only real problem I have is that the solid top piece interferes with using my rack straps, which is where I normally put my lock.   I can slide the lock under the solid fabric top,  but if I need to use the rack straps, I have to detach them at the axle (simple enough)  and bring them across the top of the rack diagonally, which works OK.  If I were going to leave them on all the time, I'd probably reinforce the top with leather, and make a slit for the straps to fit through on each side.

I don't think that they're waterproof, and I'm a little concerned about how the light color will wear. As you can see in the above photo, they're already showing a bit of black scuff- possibly from (a tiny bit of ) heel strike, or being leaned up against something dirty.  I could Scotch-guard them I suppose.  The other approach would be to wax them or treat them with a rub-on waterproofing somehow- I looked at the Barbour waterproofing stuff, but I don't know how chemical-y it is.   Has anyone out there done any DIY waxing of cotton?   Without treatment, I think that they could be hand-washed,  or even maybe machine washed if you treated the leather immediately after.  In any case, I'm not riding with them in the slush mess that the roads have been in the thaw after last weekend's storm.  That's made a bit of a mess of my leather bag, but at least it can be wiped down and oiled.

In sum:  these seem like a great set of "Saturday errands"  or CSA pickup panniers for Gilbert. They're  not super easy on and off,  or great to carry into a meeting, or for carrying a lot of small stuff like my phone or camera.  But to leave them on the bike, adding stuff at each stop, they'll work very well.  They hold an awful lot, look handsome on the bike, and are easy to carry into a store.  I suppose it's a weakness of mine that I have a bag for every occasion.  On one hand, I have a lot of very useful bike bags.  On the other, I'm constantly realizing that my lipstick or my hand sanitizer is in my "other" bag.  The perils of too much choice!

Wool Tight Fail

Last year I bought two pairs of "Smart Wool"  wool tights- one in black and one in coffee-brown.

I've worn the heck out of them, and have been very pleased with their performance and durability.  They're noticeably warmer than regular opaque tights, and much more durable.  The few snags I've had with them could be simply darned with needle and thread.  Like most wool products, they have the benefit of being stink free, even after a couple of wearings.  I think they're even "machine wash"  although I always hand wash them just in case.

not my actual legs :)

So this year when I saw them on sale in a couple of places, I bought a couple of extra pairs.  My pairs from last year were mediums,  so I ordered a "heather gray" pair in medium.   When they arrived they were shockingly tight- it was almost impossible to pull them up all the way,  and I walked around all day feeling that the crotch was a couple of inches lower than it should be.   I double checked the fit chart, and I was on the "edge' of the med/ large curve,  but it didn't seem like they should be that far off.

So when I ordered two more pair in black, I ordered a large.  Imagine my disappointment when even the larges turned out to be too small.  I'm the same weight as I was last year,  and I'm confident that I haven't gotten any taller,  so what gives?   I'm guessing that Smartwool changed either the pattern or the composition of the fabric.   What's strange, is that the large ones fit almost exactly the same as the mediums.

 In any case, I'm really disappointed,  and am going to see if they will accept them back.  I know REI will take the grey ones back, but I ordered the black ones from EMS, and I'm not sure how good they are about returns of worn stuff.  After wearing the first pair all day in hopes that it would stretch out,  I tried on the 2nd pair to see if somehow the first pair were defective.    I wear a size 8 in most clothes, so I can't imagine what you would do if you needed a size 12, as there doesn't appear to be an XL available.

I've heard good things about the B.ella Merino ones, will have to give them a try.

Conspicuity

I spent some time this weekend doing some little projects that have been on the "to do" list for way too long,  most of which involved adding visibility to my daily riding gear.

Something that I liked about my Bern helmet was the rear  plastic clip (designed for goggle retention on the ski slopes).  Most days I slipped a Planet Bike Superflash into the clip (sideways) to add an extra 3' of height to my bike light assembly.

In order to mount it on the Yakkay, I needed a loop of some sort.  I originally thought I'd put a shock cord sort of loop, and mount the light vertically instead of horizontally.  But A) I didn't have any shock cord,  B) I didn't want to make big holes in the cover for a shock cord,  and C)  the stripes on the cover are vertical, and I thought maybe the loop might look better vertical when the light isn't on.

I did have some reflective grosgrain ribbon,  and I used it to make a vertical loop that blends in nicely with the stripes on the helmet when the light is off, but holds the light clip reasonably securely (I might close the loop down a smidge if the light starts falling off.

It's surprisingly hard to take a picture of the back of one's head

I also ironed on some reflective tape on my "ugly but warm" gloves across the back of the hand.   The gloves aren't much to look at anyway, and I only wear them riding, so I didn't spend a lot of time following the contours of the seams- just put a big bar across the back.  Not subtle, but hopefully will help when signaling a turn. I will need to remember not just to put my hand out, but to turn it slightly so that the stripe is facing backward.

I have a lemon yellow "water resistant" trenchcoat, which has an inverted pleat all up the back, which I had been thinking would be a convenient place for a strip of silver that adds reflection without really changing the look of the coat.

I may do the same thing to my favorite red wool coat,  but I'm more hesitant to alter it permanently- may add a sew-on strip instead of an iron on one.

I also had some reflective adhesive strip (basically tape),  and I put a stripe of it up one panel of my leather bag.  I didn't get it in between the seams quite as neatly as it could have gone, and the effect of reflective tape on a leather bag is a bit unusual, but I think it will be relatively unobtrusive,  mostly because it's captured between two seams, so seems a bit more like it fits.

Put a tiny bit of extra tape on the Shogun,  hiding the orange VO sticker on the fenders.  I don't plan on riding the Shogun out after dark a lot (at least until I live the dream of touring)  but I think this adds a bit of reflectivity, without being noticeable.

Next, I put larger patches of 2" wide tape both front and back on the new Linus panniers.  There's a bike almost always parked along my route, with silver reflective patches on the panniers that are left on it 24/7,  and I can see them from a block away in my bike headlight.

 So I thought it would be a good addition that's not terribly incongruous with the look of the panniers.  I just cut  four 4" long pieces of tape, rounding the edges slightly to make them look a bit more finished,  and ironed them onto the heavy cotton canvas.

Finally I watched a movie and sewed a little strip of reflective grosgrain ribbon on my black softshell which is a good weight for biking, but which I don't wear much because a) it's all black and b) it's an odd length to wear with skirts.

A very busy weekend of conspicuity projects- I should be very visible these nights!  I had a recent brief conversation recently about the reflective "vests"  made by Vespertine in NYC.  Admittedly they look very fetching on models, when worn over a tank top (or less)  but I'm not sure how they'd look thrown over a coat.  For colder weather clothing, I think that adding reflective material, either sewn on, or iron on, in such a way that it follows the natural seams of the garment is more effective because it's not something extra I have to remember.  If done well it doesn't have to look like a bike specific costume, but instead can be an "inconspicuous" part of an everyday piece of clothing or luggage.

Snippets

A bunch of little stuff going on:

I've complained in the past about the Greenway not having bike lanes.   They're not completely in (and the old lines are not completely gone) but they're starting to put them in.   So far only on the water side (Atlantic Ave)  and I didn't explore to see how far they go.   Too much of the length is dashed,  and I'd really like to see a bike box at Seaport, because a lot of cars are turning right, and a lot of cars are gunning for the on-ramp to 93, and it would be great to have a head start through there.  Will try to get photos in the daylight.

Rode Minerva into work today.  I got replacement axle nuts for the 13/32 ones that were sent by mistake.  I put them on on Saturday, rode a couple of errands (including the paint store at which I picked up a gallon of paint)  and dodged some turkeys.  Bike rode great,  kool stop rear shoes are still awesome and grabby,  front drum brake is OK, still needs some adjustment.
This morning when I was hopping on Gilbert, I whacked the pie plate with my foot, and knocked it off somehow.  It didn't want to just snap back in,  so I wheeled G back into the shed, and hopped on Minerva. It's nice having a backup bike.  She looks so dignified in the corner of my office!

Unfortunately I neglected to grab a lock,  so when I got to WF to pick up breakfast, I took a chance and just brought Minerva in with me.  She's not much bigger than a cart,  they're pretty empty at that hour, and what the hey!   No one commented or even looked at me funny.

Got a new pair of old boots!   I had a pair of boots that I loved, but after two hard winters of almost daily wear they were coming apart at the soles.   I took them to my cobbler, and he said that it would be a lot of money and it wouldn't be a permanent solution to fix them.   Unlike 99% of the time when it seems that I discover I can't live without something only after it has been permanently discontinued, I found these online, ordered them Monday before work, and they arrived on Tuesday.  WOW.  They fit just like the old ones, and it's great to have them "back."  I'm looking forward to many miles ahead of them.  Oh, and I'm loving my dramatic print skirts I got from Boden.

Photo assisted by the small brown dog

Dueling meetings tomorrow night- I'm going to try to make at least one of them.
Brookline town hall, meeting about rebuilding the intersection of Rte 9 and the Emerald Necklace.  A notoriously poor connection for bikes and pedestrians,  They're rebuilding this area, and they need incentive to make the hard choices necessary to make it less of a highway and more of a neighborhood.  7pm,  Brookline City hall, info here.

Also a meeting about connecting the Fenway to the rest of the Emerald necklace at the Muddy River.  This is the kind of crazy rotary at the Landmark Center (the old Sears building).  The main project is to open the river, which is currently underground in a culvert, to the air.  There are some traffic changes though, and the Army Corps of Engineers, who is handling most of the project, isn't as progressive about non- motorized transportation as this busy urban district deserves.  Two meetings to handle shift change at the hospital.  Info here.

Finally, and I know this is a long, text heavy post.
New legislation just proposed by State Representative Will Brownsberger (Belmont/ Cambridge)  would mainly provide the same protections to bicyclists riding in a crosswalk as are provided to pedestrians (motorists must yield, $200 fine).   More importantly it hints at a protection for vulnerable users, that seems to declare that in any collision with a bicyclist, the driver may not use right of way as a defense in a civil suit.  Basically it's saying that cars always need to yield to bikes and peds no matte what.
I'm conflicted a bit about how it's stated in the law,  and suspect it's not going to make it through the process, but I firmly believe that stronger legal liability for drivers is a critical part of making cycling safer and more accepted here.  Velouria at Lovely Bicycle had an interesting post about cycling here vs in Vienna,  and a lot of it came down to the legal ramifications that drivers face if they hit a cyclist there make them much more polite and careful around cyclists.  We can build infrastructure all we like, but I think that the underlying liability issues, which I hope will come into focus as more people start to cycle, are critical to getting everyone who might enjoy biking to feel comfortable doing it.

Awesome DIY gloves

This morning was the first really chilly ride of the fall- complete with thin crusts of ice on a couple of puddles, and a tiny bit of snow on a couple of cars.   I've been wearing gloves all week, but my leather and thinsulate gloves aren't going to cut it much longer- my fingers were pretty chilly today.

Looking for "urban cycling gloves"  I found these amazing gloves which light up in a chevron when you close your hand into a loose fist. Check out the video of her making a right turn!

I think I'm going to go order some LEDs and some conductive thread right now!

Wait!

But all my clothes are already cycling clothes!  I'm so confused......

Know when to flash'em

As I've said before, it's fairly easy to ride in most skirts,  with the occasional pencil skirt exception.
I do have a couple of skirts that are not decent without opaque tights.  They're mostly shirt dresses where the last button is higher than the hem.  In the summer when opaque tights are both hot and odd looking, I do resort to wearing shorts under those few skirts.

I have a couple of pair of just above the knee mostly cotton "workout shorts"  that I bought a couple of years ago at a big box sports store.   I should go back and see if  I can pick up a few more pair, because I also end up using them as painting clothes, and they're getting a lot of "character".

These do have a gusset,  but are unpadded, and mostly cotton with just enough stretch to stay put, not enough to feel sausage-like  I have tried riding with shorter, less form fitting shorts under skirts, but they tend to ride up too,  and even though I am not technically flashing anyone anything other than my shorts,  it doesn't look that way to the casual viewer,  and I don't care to think about the intent viewer!

A toasty tip

As the weather cools, I've been looking for wool tights,  and have found that it's hard to find ones that are more than 40% wool.
While I understand the need for some nylon and spandex to keep them from bagging and ending up in a puddle around my ankles,  most I've seen have a lot of acrylic "filler".
A hot tip I saw in a comment on a LGRAB post, that I'll pass along:  Smartwool tights are on sale at Orvis (yes the fishing place).  They're 70% wool, nylon and spandex, without any acrylic.
I was cold in the office this afternoon, so I put them on under my pants,  and they're nice and cozy and so far itch free!  I bought a dark chocolate colored pair at the store, then bought a black pair online.  They seem true to size (I got a medium) and have a nice stretchy weave.  Given Smartwool's record, I am optimistic about their durabilty.

Edited- I'm nice and toasty warm after wearing them in the office for 2 hours-  even got to unzip the down vest I was wearing (yes it's cold in our office)  no itchies yet!

Time for Tights

It was lovely this morning- the radio proclaimed 61 while I was getting dressed. After a trip and a couple of bouts with insomnia, I finally slept well in my own bed- it  was perfect "sleeping weather" with the windows flung open- just cool enough to be tucked in under a light blanket.

I decided to break out a pair of harlequin tights that I bought what seems like months ago, and which have been waiting for it to be cool enough.  The nice thing about opaque tights is that it no longer matters how high your skirt hitches up, you're still covered!   Tights of various weights are a real fall and winter staple for for me, because they still breathe when I get warm, but  are just enough warmer than bare legs when I venture out into the chill of the morning.

Yes, they're a bit wild,  but paired with a simple black dress (and probably better with a pair of non- T strap shoes)  they were the perfect shot of color to catapult me through one of those busy post-vacation day days.  I got lots of comments on them, ranging from "rawr" from the office manager to "nice stockings" from another rider.

The wind beneath my wheels

It was a lovely breezy day today.  Not too hot, perfect for sailing.

But I was not in the mood for too much flapping in the breeze! I wore a very full, calf length dress this morning. With gores around the base that make it even fuller.

I did stop on the way out the door to take a pair of cotton workout shorts with me, just in case it was too much,  but it was fine.  My worst moment actually was walking down the block at lunch, when I nearly pulled a Marilyn.

I think that there are two keys to riding with a really full skirt.
First and most importantly,  you have to really consciously think to yourself about what would happen if an untoward gust hit when you were in the middle of a maneuver that required both hands.  You have to commit to your safety being more important than modesty if it really comes down to it.   It's never happened to me, but the consequences of losing control because somebody might get an eyeful are not worth it.  If you're worried, wear shorter slimmer skirts, or shorts underneath.

All seriousness aside, the wind is actually your friend when riding with full skirts,  you want to trap a lapful of wind- which you can assist by the occasional hand pushing down at your knees.  This holds the skirt down where it's supposed to be,  and your forward momentum will keep it there.

Another citizen cyclist enjoying the sailboats