As the name of the blog suggests I am a mother and I rather
like using my bike to get about. It is
not without its frustrations, some of which I have documented in previous
posts. They mainly centre around the
barriers put in place to prevent a large amount of people from travelling in
something other than a car.
My latest grumble is of a more everyday matter.
Now, as I said, I am rather partial to using my bike to get
about. I have no problem wrapping myself
up in Lycra like a sporty sausage for the Sunday morning club run.
My problem is I often wish to go to playgroup
or the shops, preferably without resembling Sporticus!
I am never going to be a trend setter, I am never going to
be in cycle chic or have the style of the lovely Lady Velo.
My clothes are functional. Don’t get me wrong, I can do dressed up, but when
you are either on the school run or down a hole in the ground or on a
construction site, functionality is numero uno.
So I am starting my quest for something I can ride in while
looking like a normal person who has decided to cycle rather than using the car
for that 1 km journey (I jest you not, there is a mum at my eldest sons school
who drives 480 m!!!)
Here are some of my favourite things from around the interwebbly
thing…..
My first port of call was to the lovely Minx Girl.
Her suggestion was the jeans that she has been wearing
herself. The Maloja Gerlinde Jeans at£105
Although Minx has other jeans in stock, these are her
personal recommendation as they are properly bike specific.
"If you had bumped into Minx on almost any day over the last ten months, she would have been wearing these jeans. And not because she's a laundry slouch. Inspired by freeride shorts, the cut is slouchy - if you've got sporty thighs you don't need to size up (oh the very joy...) and they give beautifully so that one day in and you're looking casually hip. The back is cut higher than the front and the rear yoke, in the style of the best baggy shorts has a stretch insert so that you get movement forwards on a bike. There are long zipped vents on the legs and the ankle are double-thickness for wear."
One thing I will say is that Minx is one of the few places I have seen the length mentioned. Being short this matters. There is only so many times you can roll the bottom of your jeans up.
For those not wanting jeans there are the Zoic Caprise at £65
For those blessed with ‘proper’ cyclists’ legs, it also
comes in a skirt. I like them and I
think with a nice pair of woolly tights and my big chucky boots they make a
nice change from plain bike wear.
"Minx does love a nice bit of plaid so the chance to wear it on her bike in a stretchy way, without the danger of any tweed-related itch is never going to be passed up. The Caprise is a very long short or slightly shorter than usual capri (great news for all petite types who are fed up with three-quarter length bottoms grazing their ankles). Whatever you want to call these, the crucial detail as far as Minx and her own chubster pair are concerned is that your knees are covered when standing... In action knee-positioned shaping darts mean you get plenty of ease. There's more pockets than you'll ever fill with two front, two back, one leg and one mobile/MP3 velcro closure pocket. Minx does love the curve through the hip on this style (translates as, somewhere to put your thighs....) and the elastic back waist combined with front tie or belt loop option makes the fit versatile and comfy."
They reminded me of these ‘knickers’ from Civa which are $150
"Wool blend suiting fabric
Tailored fit for comfort and fashion on and off the bike
Strap with buttons to adjust size at knee
Left and right side pockets for phone, sunglasses or similar shaped items
Hidden belt pocket for change and other small items
Medium weight fabric on tweed
Lighter weight fabric on plaid and pinstripe patterns"
They come in three different colour ways and if I were made
of money, I'd get some purely to do the Tweed Run in. I love the look of these. They are made of a wool blend. Not too sure
they would hold up well if it were rainy. They are available to buy in the UK, but I couldn't find any mention of them on any of the dealers websites listed.
Back to jeans and Swrve have a mens collection for the more androgynous amongst us.
I asked if they had stopped doing the womens
range I got this response from Chris
“We had a women's line
for two years and it was just too expensive to continue.
The skinny fit jeans
and 3/4 work for some women, and we try and go down to smaller sizes in the
tops (the XXS bamboo is tiny).
if you want any
specific info on the fit of a line please do email again or call,
My best, Chris”
There are some lovely jeans on their site, but for £80 I
would want something made for women.
Always Riding do the Chrome Vanya Its £109.99 but I think the fabric looks like tracksuit
material. I know its not, but it still
has a sportswear look to it even with the jeans style top.
"Made exclusively for female cyclists, the Chrome Vanya Knicker is a slim fit 3/4 short that sports articulated knees and a high cut for a great urban ride. Constructed from a water resistant, durable 4-way stretch fabric, the Vanya also includes some handy commuting extras like a secure phone pocket, deep front pockets and reflective logo."
They are similar in design to the ‘knickers’ in the Bontrager new line of Womens Commuting clothing.
They are $89.99. Bontrager do have a UK site but oddly the trousers don't feature on it. Maybe they think we are all like Kelly Brook in our floaty dresses and Pashleys
Anyone sick of black ¾ length trousers yet?
I don’t want cold ankles…..
BUT WAIT…..
WHAT IS THIS…
From Outlier in New York, a full length womens cycling
specific trouser. The Daily Riding Pant!
They come in different colours and they are very ‘now’. But
stone the crows, they are $188. There is
no way I would pay that for a pair of jeans/trousers. I just wouldn’t *repeat
til convinced*
They are nice though…..Very nice. And they ship to the UK.
I love the blurb
"Lean, sleek and made of our core 4Season fabric. Full performance features in an elegant silhouette. The four way stretch and soft inner face of the doubleweave twill fabric ensures you're always moving in both comfort and style. Classy enough to wear out for drinks and tough enough to ride there."
and it carries on, but I have no idea what they are on about. But I do love a bit of corporate speak....
"Truly a do-anything pant cut for women. Lean and sleek with an elegant silhouette. Made with our core 4Season fabric, the four way stretch and a soft inner face of the doubleweave twill fabric ensures you move in both comfort and style. The "self-cleaning" Nanosphere treatment makes it highly resistant to dirt, coffee and beer, so don't worry about your morning cup of joe spilling all over you as you ride. Wear them to work or out for drinks, rain or shine you'll be looking good and feeling better.
Made locally in New York City. Not only does our 4Season fabric shed rain and dirt, dry fast and resist wear and tear, but it also meets the strict bluesign environmental standards. It's a low impact fabric, made with tight emissions standards that ensures it's produced with the absolute minimum amount of waste. A better way of clothing for a better way of life, enjoy them, and let us know what you think."
By chance I stumbled across these bad boys from Velo Vixen. The Union 34 Elements Trousers
Holy mackerel I love these trousers.
I love the level of detail on them.
They really do look like they have been made by someone who
cares. And *sings* they studied at St Martins College....(sorry Union 34, I couldnt help it)
"Union 34's Elements trousers are a brilliant combination. They look undeniably fabulous, and are cut to flatter the female figure - the raised rear waist will ensure your 'seat' will never have looked so good, on or off the bike!
Yet at the same time they work perfectly for cycling: their unique Schoeller fabric is incredibly comfortable to wear. They are remarkably water resistant and offer amazing resistance to dirt and oil, which you can simply rinse off with water. The 2-way stretch material has retains its shape like few other trousers. In fact, nobody would guess that they're 'cycling' trousers! On top of all this, their concealed reflective trims on the rear and hem even help with your safety. The ultimate cycling trousers."
Have a look at the Union 24 Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Union34UK
There is no actual website for them at the moment, but
hopefully as they continue to grow that will change. I hope so, because, not only are their
clothes wonderfully simple and look like they are beautifully made, they have
quite a lot of women's clothing, which at present is something the market is
desperately lacking in compared to the amount of choice there is for men.
Which brings me to……….
H&M are about to bring out a range of cycle specific
clothing.
“H&M is pleased to announce a men's capsule collection with Brick Lane Bikes of East London, combining the function of cycling wear with great city style for both on and off the bike.
The 11 piece collection has been designed by H&M and tested and approved by Brick Lane Bikes, one of the world's leading custom-bike specialists. Inspired by both vintage pieces and today's sports performance, the collection is made from more sustainable materials as part of H&M's Conscious work. The collection will be launched on March 7, 2013 in around 180 stores worldwide, as well as online.”
This is great news for many different reasons. I think firstly, it means cycling is becoming
a lot more mainstream. I read a blog
somewhere (and if you can remind where it is I would love to link to it) that
said only when cycling becomes not only the normal way to travel, but trendy
and something that the fashion conscious mass public wish to participate in,
only then will there be the political will to change things in favour of the
cyclist.
So, although H&M are only doing a men's range at the
moment, I can only hope this is a taste of things to come and I really hope it
is well received and continues to grow.
We aren't all cyclists. We are
mostly, just people who have chosen to use a bike to get where we are going.
