Cycling in a Skirt

When I lived in France, I watched in awe as both women and men cut charmingly stylish figures on their bikes, riding sans helmet, carrying their nice leather briefcases or the market purchases in a basket on the front. The men wore jackets and ties and the women, defying all laws of aerodynamics, rode comfortably in skirts and heels.

(Am I romanticizing a bit here? Probably. But do you get the picture? Good.)

So while I'm not wheeling a one-speed cruiser (no, I've got a 12-speed men's hybrid as my trusty steed) along the Seine, or the canals of Sète (again, no, but I get to battle four lanes of traffic crossing over Highway 403), nor heading home to a Parisienne flat or maison bourgeoisie (just a little rented house in the west end of the city), and instead of a basket I will have my market purchases in my backpack, and I will definitely be wearing a helmet (did you read that bit about four lanes of traffic?!), I am going to do my damndest to do it in a skirt.

Why a skirt? Great question.

- See this article for the political motivation (and this for the fashion inspiration).

- Less need for those silly pant clips

- It gives me an excuse to shop for tights

- I've been meaning to try it for a few years now

- It is an good chance to really find out what clothing I need, and what I don't. (Anything not road worthy goes into the swap pile.)

Why a bike?

- I'm no longer a student at the local university, so I have to pay for bus fare. But I'm a student elsewhere so I like to save money. I'm keeping those bus tickets (and my money) for a rainy day.

- We are currently a one-car family and I would like to keep it that way.

- Better for the environment, blah, blah, green stuff.

- It cuts down on my shopping/sidewalk collecting: if it doesn't fit on the bike, it's not coming home.

- It's kind of fun.

Honestly? I'm a student in a city that gets more and more pedestrian friendly all of the time. I like wearing skirts (and sometimes pants) and someday I do want to commute to work via two wheels. I like having my own form of (mostly) free transportation. This is my way or normalizing urban cycling and dabbling in the world of style blogging. 

So, why don't you come along for the read/ride? 

The Rider

The Ride