What do you wear to ride a bike?

[SportNovice]

Not bike touring or simply bike riding when you wear bike shorts/trousers and fleeces and all that. What do you wear if e.g. you want to go into town and then walk around town without looking like an idiot? Or you want to cycle into town to meet friends for a coffee or a meal? I can't cycle in jeans as the fabric gets caught over my knees and I can't bend them, so what do you wear? Or are there "nice" bike trousers out there?

I generally go ‘athlesiure’ (is that even how you spell that) so sports leggings, trainers and a top, but nice ones as opposed to the scratty ones I’d wear to go for a run.

eta or jeans with a higher Lycra content than the ones you have? The main issue I had cycling in jeans when I biked everywhere was them getting caught over the pedals and tearing - this is when flares / bootcuts were having a revival.

Absolutely my normal clothes, usually jeans, jumper, jacket.

No need to wear special clothes I don't think for a normal journey any more than I'd wear special walking clothes to go shopping.

I do have an old lady bike Dutch dstyle bike though

I find jeans fine for short distances. Or leggings under a dress. Jeggings might work for you?

My normal clothes. My bike has 2 baskets :)

Hmmm leggings would not be a good look on me 🤣
I suppose I might have to consider a skirt or dress but doesn't that get annoying and blow around?

Maybe it's the style of jeans that's the problem, what type do you wear? I know DH has no issues cycling in jeans, I assumed as mens jeans are probably looser? I did try, I had to keep stopping to pull the trouser legs up so I had enough fabric to bend my knee fully and then as I was going up a steep hill gave up and walked.

My jeans are fine to cycle in. I don't wear anything different to what I would wear for walking somewhere.

Unless I am going out for a fast exercise ride, in which case I will wear sportswear as obviously that's a lot more exertion.

Maybe your jeans are just too tight, I don't know, you could try hiking trousers?

@Esgaroth what cut of jeans do you have?
I don't want to wear hiking trousers either!

Velovixen have some good options for casual bike riding.

I prefer wearing leggings or my normal jeans if I'm just popping to the shop. Lycra for the more serious rides.

Whatever I'm wearing - jeans and top, leggings and a dress, shorts and t shirt.

Um, the ones I'm wearing right now say skinny mid rise on the label. They're from Next. I don't really know a lot about different jeans styles and am not a fashionable person, though.

If I want to look nice, skirt or dress, but not too long in case it gets caught in the chain. Stretchy jeans. If it's a longer ride, lycra and a change of clothes in pannier.

Normal skinny jeans.
wore a maxi skirt once and that was a bit of a disaster

I just wear whatever I'm wearing that day. The only thing I can't cycle in is very long, voluminous skirts - although I do sometimes just do it anyway and tie the skirts up with hair ties. It works well enough to get me the couple of miles into town but I wouldn't go for a long bike ride like that.

All my jeans are quite stretchy so I guess that helps, I don't own any very stiff jeans. I use bike clips if I'm wearing flares (or roll them up and look daft if I forget them).

Have a google of Dutch people cycling, you'll see they just wear normal clothes and go about their everyday business.

Is your saddle adjusted properly for your height? How you describe the issue sounds like the saddle is too low, your knees come up too high.

To answer your question: I just wear what I’d normally wear, and that includes shoes, from flip flops to a bit of a heel.

I've just had a look at Velovixen. £160 for a pair of jeans 😲

@BuddhaAtSea yes, I believe so, they adjusted it in the shop for me. I usually wear bootcut jeans. Maybe I need to find some stretchier ones!

I can cycle in jeans okay for short distances. How about cycling in leggings and getting a small backpack to carry a pair of jeans? Something lightweight with waist straps will be best.

I cycle in whatever I am wearing. If jeans I use a cycle clip to stop them getting caught in pedals.

Sounds like you have super skinny jeans with no movement.

I wear cycling shorts under a skirt or dress.

I cycle in a skirt and leggings usually. Tie the skirt up with a hair tie if it's really long.

I cycled in jeans for the whole of university as well.

My toes can only just touch the ground from my bike so my knees don't bend very much - less than sitting down.

Jeans and a hoodie or jumper. But I wear skinny jeans. Summer I cycle in normal shorts and t-shirt. Always with trainers