I haven’t ridden my bike in almost a year, and I’m not ashamed to say that what I wear plays a small part in that. It’s not that I can’t ride in heels—I am so good at riding in heels. (It’s that riding in good shoes can mess up your shoes.) Then there’s the issue of arriving places all sweaty and stinky—not always cool. I’m also not stoked about hauling alternate clothes, shoes, etc. on my back in addition to a laptop and all my other crap.
Shut your face, I’ll get back on soon. I do miss it, even though during my hiatus I’ve come to adore the complete, un-mussed freedom of dress that public transportation afford. Luckily local designers like Caitlin McCall are beginning to address these issues—which, call us prisses if you must, really does deter many women from riding more—from a realistic, practical, and knowledgeable place. In this week’s Bike Issue we featured her new line, Quick Study, which features the kind of cute dresses and up-cycled sweaters that you see girls all over town in, except in subtly tech-y materials and strategic cuts that McCall—using herself as the prototypical client—deemed necessary to a comfortable ride and look.
It’s pretty exciting, and seems like a logical market to expand into as cycling becomes more and more the best option for everyone. Thus: the future of bike clothing. Check it out, complete with technical breakdowns of each garment. Bet you wouldn’t have guessed.
CONSUMER WARNING: Not all women will be able to pull this look off! Burlap bags with hole cut outs are a possible alternative if you are one.
Sorry, MJ. Biking will never be the best option for everyone.
I think the fabric and color choices are terrible, and yes, the sizing seems not very big girl friendly.