My friends always comment and ask, “You’re the only girl I know who rides a bike in a skirt, how do you do it?” Most of the time, you’ll see San Francisco girls riding through the streets wearing skinny jeans, spandex leggings, tights, yoga pants, or plain old jeans rolled up on the right leg to avoid getting their jeans caught in their chains. I prefer to wear dresses and skirts at all times and there is nothing wrong with wanting to be safe and comfortable on a commute or ride, but some ladies who prefer to ride in style should know how to manage a few things when riding in a skirt or dress.
Some things to keep in mind are that short skirts, tight skirts, or flowing skirts tend to ride up the thighs when pedaling, and when a gust of wind sweeps by it can really be a show stopper. Also, I sometimes have issues getting my skirt caught in my spokes or caught behind my saddle when mounting off so i’ve developed a few techniques from letting that happen. here are some tips to guide you on riding in a skirt…
- As far as safety goes, you can accessorize your bike with a skirt guard to keep it from getting caught in your bike spokes.
- Keep your knees in. This helps especially if you’re not interested in revealing your undergarments or you can simply just use a skirt guarder to keep it from flying over.
- Tights and leggings seriously come in handy but they are not excuses for pants! Tights are my favorite when worn right. I recommend buying a colorful assortment to match your outfits. Wearing bold colors or prints really gets the attention of drivers and makes awareness a key to safe cycling. If you wear a short skirt you could always alter a pair of leggings thigh high to wear underneath the skirt too. I swear by leggings, they are especially great for those cold and windy days too.
- Keep your hand on your lap a la Marilyn Monroe to control rising of the skirt. This helps to manage any thigh rising of the skirt and especially helps when the wind blows it array.
- One secret some of us ladies swear by is wearing a headband or rubber band around your thigh and safety pinning it to the skirt. It works and you don’t need to wear it for long when you’re getting from point A to B.
- When mounting on your bike, slide your hand behind your bottom guiding your hem to keep it from getting caught behind the saddle.
So there you have it, your guide to riding in a skirt. Seems easy but there are small techniques to pedaling your way towards a stylish ride. Spring is here and summer is on its way, so pull out your skirts and dresses ladies and ride on!