Let’s face it: bike fashion could use an upgrade.

We all know that riding a bike is great for the environment and your body. But some days it’s really hard to want to ride your bike to work, or to the store, or anywhere, really. Once you arrive at your destination, you don’t want to appear is if someone poured a pitcher of water over your head, let alone try to pull off wearing biking pants to social functions.

So, how can you avoid becoming a hot mess while riding a bike to work? We’ve got a few tips on how you can still manage to rock some bike fashion while riding on two wheels.

Remember: Most commutes can be done in normal clothing!

If you’re going a short distance, you can probably don just about anything that’s work appropriate (aka, no skinny, mini skirts) without a second thought. If you’re biking a longer distance to work, you may want to consider packing your work clothing in a bag.

If you want to maintain a fresh look, try to cycle at a slow and steady pace. Basically, make sure you leave early enough so you aren’t sprinting to the office. The slower the pace, the less sweaty you will get. But remember, if it’s hot and humid, you’re going to get sweaty. To cut down on sweat interfering with your signature style, invest in a bike pannier that can hold your bag. A bag that’s resting on your body can generate more heat.

A few adorable fashions that are great when riding a bike:

Not all rompers are gross. In fact, you can find some darling jumpsuits, or onesies, they will turn heads in a good way. One particularly great suggestion, courtesy of the ladies at XOVain, is this simple, but stylish, Soho Slip Jumpsuit from Pixie Market.

Also, attractive bike shorts are a great addition to wear under flirty skirts. Bike shorts can help keep everything contained, and will also help you avoid chafing (yuck).

And while you’re accessorizing, you may as well invest in sturdy flats (all the better to peddle with, my dear) and a roomy, fashionable backpack.

Refinery 29 is full of some awesome, adorable fashions that are biker friendly, too. The site suggests that moderate heeled shoes, such as ankle boots, can work for bikers, too. Also: Semi-wide legged pants, as well as skinny fit pants, work well for bikers. Just make sure you aren’t rocking flowing bell bottoms, as those pants could get caught in your bike’s gears. Once fall hits, make sure to pack a light sweater in case you start to get chilly during your commute.

Related on EcoSalon

Plan a Great Biking Vacation: See the World on a Bike

10 Infographics on Biking

Happy Trails to You: A Family Biking Guide

Resources

“How Can I Ride My Bike to Work Without Getting Sweaty?,” Lifehacker

“How to Not Look Like a Sweaty Monster When You’re Traveling By Bike,” XOJane

Image: Jens Rost

The post Bike Fashion: Rock Adorable Clothes While Riding a Bike appeared first on EcoSalon.

For the ladies who want to look cute as they bike to work or out for the evening, keeping a dress or skirt in check can be a real bummer. This bike hack can help.

When bike riding is a part of your daily routine you get a built in work out, you don’t have to park, you don’t have to deal with a car, and you get to feel the breeze blowing through your hair.

Every morning, I ride my vintage sage beach cruiser to the coffee shop. It couldn’t be a more gorgeous ride–the marsh on either side of the path, an elegant bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway. But whenever there’s a breeze, it becomes a strip show–my skirt flies this way and that. Enter penny in yo pants. It’s a #bikehack video that seems almost too simple to work.

All you need is a rubber band and a coin. Put them together and you’re safe from a peep show. Three ladies from Glasgow demonstrate the trick. Push the penny from the back of the skirt to the front of the skirt, gathering both layers of fabric. Form a fabric button and then hold it in place with a rubber band. Your skirt or dress becomes homemade shorts without the frump factor. When you get to your destination, simply remove your handy dandy penny (or whatever coin you use). Biking in a skirt just got way easier.

Here’s How to Wear a Skirt Without Flashing

I couldn’t wait to see if the bike hack worked. Sure enough I gave it a try myself and it was success. Finally, I can steer with both hands again and not need one hand to hold my skirt in place.

Related on EcoSalon

Plan a Biking Vacation: See the World on Bike

In Celebration of Bike to Work Day

17 Reasons We Should All Be Riding Bicycles

Imagine: Comrade Foot

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The MindRider Helmet can read your mind as you bike to work. That’s right–with the help of an EEG sensor that displays your stress levels, it tells you how your mind is reacting to your commute.

A sensor translates your mind’s engagement but lighting up from green to red and the results are linked up with your smartphone so you can see them on your MindRider app after you bike to work.

The app shows you red hotspots, where you’re most focused and when you’re the most relaxed via green “sweet spots” when you bike to work. It can give you all sorts of insights like where you need better bike lanes and where pot holes, tractor trailers, and road construction stressed you out in your morning commute.

“It indicates your mental state by flashing a visual vocabulary of traffic lights,” says MindRider inventor Arlene Ducao, reported in Wired. “Green is low stress, red is high stress and blinking lights indicate panic.”

The first MindRider was invented at MIT and since then the inventors have been working to come up with cool lightweight helmets that show how your mind reacts to your favorite activities. Their Kickstarter campaign is going on right now.

But the helmet isn’t just for your morning commute. You can use it in all sorts of other activities like rock climbing or skateboarding to see at which points you’re the most engaged. It can also be used to share your routes with friends to show the best bike routes in your city. The helmet uses Neurosky Mindset biosensor innovation in wearable technology to pick up ten types of brain waves. Ducao hopes the next step will be expanding the mental states that the helmet tracks.

Related on EcoSalon

Plan a Biking Vacation, See the World By Bike

10 Infographics on Bikes and Biking

In Celebration of Bike to Work Day

Images: Ben Tudhope

The post Bike to Work Stress? The MindRider Helmet Knows Your Mood Before You Do appeared first on EcoSalon.

A test for your bike IQ.

You know it. You love it. The bicycle is a clean machine in a carbon-fueled world. Here is a quiz to test your transportation IQ.

Q: On average, the annual operating cost of a car is $8,220. How much does it cost per year to maintain a bike?

A) $308

B) $3,020

C) $20

Answer: According to a 2009 report published by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the annual maintenance cost of a bike is $308. Cyclists can lower that amount by joining a bike co-op and learning to repair their own machines.

Test more of your bike IQ:

Pedals vs. Pumps

Bikeways vs. Highways

Federal Transportation Funding

Read more: Japhy Dhungana rode his bike from Los Angeles to the tip of South America. Can you guess why he named his bicycle Bucephalus?

Sierra is the magazine of the Sierra Club. Our motto: Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the Planet. Follow Sierra magazine on Twitter.

Image: moriza

The post How Much Does a Cycle Centric Lifestyle Cost? appeared first on EcoSalon.

10 reasons why you should be living life on two wheels.

We believe in the power of two wheels, which is why we’re celebrating National Bike to Work Day. Even for those working at home, it’s an excuse to get out and ride. Fresh air, low carbon footprint, velo couture – what’s not to love about a lifestyle that involves cycling? The bike is a vehicle for social change, and the more people we have in our army of riders, the more power we have to continue to build an infrastructure in all cities that promotes a two-wheeled lifestyle.

Looking for some reasons that biking is good for our communities and the planet? We pulled together 10 good reasons to get on a bike.

1. Women who bike 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer.
2. Bike commuters report lower stress and greater feelings of freedom, relaxation, and excitement than car commuters.
3. 47% of Americans say they would like more bike facilities in their communities.
4. Traffic congestion wastes nearly 3 billion gallons of gas per year in the U.S.
5. For every 1 mile pedaled rather than driven, about 1 pound of CO² is saved.
6. On a round-trip commute of 10 miles, bicyclists save around $10 daily.
7. Adolescents who bicycle are 48% less likely to be overweight as adults.
8. According to a recent study, if people switched to bikes for half of their short trips, they’d create a net societal health benefit of $3.5 billion per year from the increase in air quality.
9. Of the 10 most common causes of death in the U.S., seven are affected by transportation.
10. After analyzing national statistics from between 1985 and 2007, researchers found that vehicle use correlated approximately 99% with annual obesity rates.

Statistics from Bikes Belong.

Image: People for Bikes

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