LIFE COACH
WITH Boris Johnson’s Paris-style bicycle hire scheme launching on 30 July, Londoners who have hitherto been put off by the hassle of owning a bike will see a brave new world of green, healthy travel opening up before them.
But for the commuter – particularly the female one – cycling to work isn’t always sartorially or logistically straightforward. So we asked Helen Pidd, bicycle blogger, jounalist and author of the indispensable cyclist’s book The Bicycle (Penguin), to tell us how she navigates her commute.
HP: “Unless it’s raining, I almost always cycle to work in whatever I am planning to wear that day and avoid getting sweaty by just pootling along. That includes smart dresses and jackets if I’m covering a court case. If I do have to transport clothes, I swear by rolling, rather than folding (particularly for suit jackets). You can buy suit-carrying panniers (for example at www. highson.com) but I’m not sure I would rely on them. If you need to wear a suit and ironed shirts, I would really recommend bringing in a job lot at the beginning of the week by public transport and then cycling the rest of the week. But to keep things wrinkle free, www.eaglecreek.com has some pretty good packing folders.
“I cycle in a skirt almost every day of my life – my secret weapon is a pair of padded pants that I wear underneath to disappoint perverts at traffic lights (I like the Craft Ladies Pro Cool Boxer with Mesh hotpants from www.wiggle.co.uk) If you want to wear cycling shorts under your dress, the Sheila Moon Lingerie Liner from www.minx-girl.com is a great option.
“The main thing for cycling in skirts is to have a bike with no cross bar. Sometimes these bikes are advertised as having a “step-through” frame – good for preserving modesty. I can cycle in a pencil skirt on my crossbar-less sit-up-and-beg-bike, though the material needs to have a bit of stretch in it. If I’m on my racing bike, which does have a crossbar, I have to wear swooshier skirts which won’t split up the back.
“When it comes to cleavage-flaunting, if you like wearing low-cut tops, either resign yourself to having blokes shout “lucky saddle!” at you all day, or invest in a bike with the most up-right riding position possible. A sit-up-and-beg style “Dutch” bike with swept-back handlebars is best because you will barely have to lean forward at all (www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk have some excellent ones).
“Cycle-friendly fabrics and styles include jersey knit, thick cotton and wool (particularly merino wool, which hardly ever needs washing and never smells bad). Avoid silk and linen – these wrinkle and smell extremely quickly.
“If you need to look smart, never wear a rucksack. You’ll get a sweaty back. Cycle slowly and put everything you need in a pannier. If you want to use panniers, you’ll need to put a rack on the back of your bike. Most bikes can fit one, and they’re not more than about £30.”