Bike commuters dress for work

From the Reading Eagle (PA), 07.21.08:

What to wear when bicycle commuting?
When the weather is good, Terry Plowman can get from home to his downtown Pittsburgh job in about 45 minutes. Not by car or bus, but by bicycle. And after a quick change from his biking gear to business casual, Plowman is ready for another day of work at Verizon.

There are signs that more Americans are commuting to work on bikes, a trend fueled by environmental concerns and the rising cost of gasoline. "It's unbelievable to me the change that has gone on over the past two or three years," said Brad Quartuccio, editor of Urban Velo, a Pittsburgh-based cycling magazine.

Whether rolling along trails, designated lanes or crowded streets, for bike commuters heading to work there's the question of how to dress. Most people who bike to work don't do so every day because of weather or schedules. But when they do, it takes planning because there's usually a need to groom and change clothes when arriving at work.

Plowman, 54, takes a change of clothes with him each day. Others, like John Burgess at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, keep a mini-wardrobe at the office to avoid added weight on the bike. In nearly five years of biking to campus, the professor has discovered that it's best not to wear your work trousers on the 15-minute trip. "You'll get grease on your pants, even when you're being careful," he said. "And on a hot day, you get sweaty."

There's an added dimension for professional women, who may find it more difficult to manage a bike in a skirt or dress. Barbara Brewton of Pittsburgh wears shorts or capris and a T-shirt, and carries a change of business-casual work clothes on her bike. Kim O'Dell of Mount Lebanon, her co-worker at the Heinz Family Foundation, keeps business suits and heels at the office. (Read more.)

Helpful article from Pennsylvania, about the techniques bicycle commuters use to meet their office apparel needs. Many bicycle commuters who must dress for business employ a variety of means. One standard approach is carrying office clothing carefully rolled in panniers or in a bicycling garment bag; perhaps with an iron at the office for quick touch-ups. Other bike commuters leave all office apparel at work, using a nearby dry cleaner as necessary. And some drive to the office on certain days, with a week's worth of clothing, and bicycle commute the other days. And a lucky few are able to make the commute in their suit or dress.

Any other suggestions for handling the office dress code as a bicycle commuter?

Image: Web capture.
Visit: Bicycle clothes explained, Marion Star (OH)
Visit: Biking to work brings wardrobe considerations, Toledo Blade
Visit: Biking to work forces fashion dilemmas, Scripps Howard News Service
Visit: Biking, walking gain in San Francisco, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: No belt, no bra, no pants?, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site

Biking, walking gain in San Francisco

From the San Francisco Chronicle, 06.29.08:

Commuters ditching cars for bikes, foot power
In this era of increasing prices at the pump, bad air quality and general belt-tightening, more people in the Bay Area are opting to commute to work via heart-healthy biking or walking. But the financial and physical benefits aside, that kind of commuting has the potential to wreak havoc on one's professional image--even considering the casual-attire aesthetic that dominates many offices.

Graduate student Lisa Foster refuses to let the peddling keep her from wearing her pumps, as she wrote in an issue of the San Francisco Bike Coalition's Tube Times. "I really think bikes are made for people who wear heels," she said. "You don't have to walk in them. It's so much better."

New bike riders can benefit from the fashion-forward lessons learned by long-time cyclists, many of whom have perfected the little fashion tricks and tips that can ease the transition from congested city streets to cubicle.

Cheryl Brinkman...lives in the lower Haight and commutes 2 miles to her job as a product manager at McKesson Corp., in the Financial District. About her wardrobe, Brinkman said, "I've altered it for the better and only one thing that I don't wear now that I bike so much is long full skirts."

On the days she rides her bike, Brinkman tucks her skirt into a band of elastic that she wraps around one thigh, a homemade garter belt solution, as it were. And, she said, "I always have a small binder clip in my handbag, as well, to keep wrap skirts or dresses closed while pedaling."

She brings her purse but eschews wearing a helmet - not because she fears having dreaded "helmet hair" upon arriving at her destination, but because she believes it gives her an advantage on the road. "I feel safer in the city riding without," she said. "If I ride in Marin, I absolutely wear the helmet, but in the city, when you look more like an average person, I think drivers treat you that way. They give you a little room, treat you nicer." (Read more.)

Great article from San Francisco, with helpful advice for those prospective bike commuters who are concerned about the "dressing-for-the-office" challenge. The article features my friend Cheryl Brinkman, part of the creative team at the Less Car, More Life blog.

As indicated before on this blog, I share Brinkman's attitude on helmets. The anxiety over "helmet hair" is way, way overblown. However, if hair insecurity scares people from bike commuting, then I say "fine, don't wear one." (Helmets mitigate the consequences of a crash; helmets don't prevent a crash.)

Image: San Francisco Chronicle. Bike commuter Cheryl Brinkman of San Francisco
Visit: Facing High Gas Prices And Time Crunch, Commuters Start Biking, Wall Street Journal
Visit: Ride the rails to the river, Less Car, More Life
Visit: No belt, no bra, no pants?, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: Bike Commute Myth Busting, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: Bike commuters save gas, get exercise, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site

No belt, no bra, no pants?

From the Oregonian, 08.07.07:

No belt, no bra, no pants? You're in good company
Stores see bike commuters coping with a common equipment failure: forgotten clothing

Todd Brugger usually forgets his belt on the day he's packed a pair of pants missing a button. But the financial analyst for Northwest Permanente who jogs or bikes to work has a quick fix.

He staples his pants closed.

Most folks take a more obvious approach, darting to department stores, discounters or second-hand shops for socks, underwear, bras, shirts or pants.

Forgetting is a natural part of bike or foot commuting, enthusiasts say. So it stands to reason that Portland--the nation's most bike-commuter-populated city--has its fair share of shoot-I-forgot-it shoppers.

Scott Bricker, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance's executive director, stashes back-up suits in his office, yet occasionally overlooks socks. He doesn't sweat buying a new pair.

"If you're not paying for parking or gas," he said, "spending $10 for some socks isn't the worst thing in the world." (Read more.)

This forgotten garment dilemma is one reason why yours truly--a middle-aged and forgetful bicycle commuter--rides train/bike to work fully dressed for work, and changes into shorts for 17-mile ride home at end of day.

Image: Web capture.
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips