"Practical Skirt" Challenge #2 -- Skirt for bicycling

[Bob]

I've seen the Dutch bikes, but I can't imagine riding them. They must be heavy, right? I need all the speed and acceleration I can muster in traffic, as we rarely have separated bike roads. We also have some nasty hills.

The advent of high-power high effiency LED lights, along with NiMH batteries, has made dynamos more effort than they're worth in more ways than one. I use AA batteries in my light, and when they start to dim, I recharge them.

[sapphire]

Bob,
I know wherefore you ride and have ridden there myself. It is a jungle and you truly need a lightweight bike. You do not ride in an area friendly to cyclists. More important to be able to jump your bike out of the way than to have fenders. More important to be able to see all around and be as nimble as possible, including wearing clothing that allows the quickest response as possible. Urban warfare

Back when I rode where you ride, (millenia ago) I had a Bianchi with a road racing frame and some crazy gearing. Later, when I left the urban environs, I changed the gearing to a strange combo of road racing and mountain gearing. It left people quizzical, but it sure was responsive for where I lived and cycled at the time.

I rented a European style bike when I cycled the England. All I can say is that it was a comfortable ride and that my left knee no longer works properly. But then again, I was trying to ride that bike in the Cotswalds the same way that I rode my Bianchi in the White Mountains.

[Peter v]

Bob,
I know wherefore you ride and have ridden there myself. It is a jungle and you truly need a lightweight bike. You do not ride in an area friendly to cyclists. More important to be able to jump your bike out of the way than to have fenders. More important to be able to see all around and be as nimble as possible, including wearing clothing that allows the quickest response as possible. Urban warfare

Back when I rode where you ride, (millenia ago) I had a Bianchi with a road racing frame and some crazy gearing. Later, when I left the urban environs, I changed the gearing to a strange combo of road racing and mountain gearing. It left people quizzical, but it sure was responsive for where I lived and cycled at the time.

I rented a European style bike when I cycled the England. All I can say is that it was a comfortable ride and that my left knee no longer works properly. But then again, I was trying to ride that bike in the Cotswalds the same way that I rode my Bianchi in the White Mountains.

I have no idea what the bycicle shops sell in the US. Hey, they are very practical, and are actually light weight! Even with compact electric naves, makes riding possible for people who have trouble pushing the pedals. Alu frames, racks, handle bars, cranks. Have nearly all standard telescopic forks. With the nave dynamo's (shimano) the old fashioned dynamo is done away with, and they are soundless and have no resistence at all. The rear lights being battery powered. No broken wires to the rear.

Ideal for commuting. Of course, if open chains, no mudguards is your thing, they cannot compete with full blown competition mountain bikes. But then again, the real thing probably costs four times as much

And the newest dutch bikes do all right on hilly roads. There are also sports models with open gear change racing type gears, of course with open or half open chain case. And that's what the discussion was about, riding in your skirt and not getting it dirty or caught.
Riding a full mountain bike should be only done in a very short mini, be sure you're faster than the police on their bikes, otherwise you'll get a fine for indecent exposure while you stand for over getting speed.

Peter v.

[SkirtDude]

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[crfriend]

White LED's are pretty much the best invention of the last few decades as far as I'm concerned - they enable so many other things like wind up flashlights, flashlights that last a lot longer, bike lights, stronger interior lights in locations that are off-grid and rely on solar etc etc.

Actually, "white" LEDs are quite a bit newer than that -- as far as I know they're not more than about 5 years old. There are at least a couple of types, and both postdate blue LEDs. One actually uses an LED that produces UV light and then has a phosphorescent substance that makes the light that the user sees (like a flourescent lamp which uses a mercury vapour that produces UV when ionised and then is transformed into visible light by the phosphor coating on the inside of the tube); newer ones can actually produce something that looks white, but is in fact a variant of blue.

I think the dynamo he is referring to is one of the front wheel hub ones like this. I've heard that they are very low drag and pretty quiet. If installing one did not require replacing and / or rebuilding the front wheel I would switch to them in a heartbeat so I could stop dealing with dead batteries during the winter months.

Older-style dynamos for bicycle headlamps definitely added extra drag to the cyclist. Watts is, after all, watts, and that translates directly to (human, in this case) the energy exerted to move the bicycle. (One horsepower is roughly equal to 741 watts; do the math, and figure the power needed to drive the incandescent lamp.)

I wonder how many other folks on this forum commute to work on a bike? I have been a fair weather bike commuter for around 2 years now.

I'd love to be able to, but as my current commute is about 30 miles each way, it's not likely to happen soon.

[Sarongman]

By a strange coincidence, a programme on our National Broadcast television (ABC) called "The new Inventors" which showcases the products of our native genius, came up with a bicycle which works without a seat and uses a system like a stepper exerciser, although using ordinary gearing. By standing, you have a better view over cars and can be seen more easily by other road users. The lack of a seat is, according to the inventor, not a problem as the action is akin to a gentle walk but, to me, the biggest bonus was it's eminent suitability to being ridden in a skirt. It didn't win, but only because there would be (like men in skirts) a strong, entrenched, traditional resistance from most cyclists.

[Milfmog]

Interestingly the "Lever cycle" won the peoples choice vote.

Details and a picture here. I'd like to see a video of it in use but could not get it to play.

Have fun,


Ian.

[knickerless]

That bit sticking up looks painful if you were to forget there is no saddle and try and sit down.

Nick

[SkirtDude]

deleted

[Departed Member]

Interestingly the "Lever cycle" won the peoples choice vote.
Details and a picture here. I'd like to see a video of it in use but could not get it to play.

Have fun, Ian.

We saw something similar being demonstrated in Maastricht last year! Not keen, myself, as you're going to get 'muddied up' in adverse weather (and there's no saddlebag to keep your 'bits & pieces' in!).

[DavidsSkirts]

Interestingly the "Lever cycle" won the peoples choice vote.
Details and a picture here. I'd like to see a video of it in use but could not get it to play.

Have fun, Ian.

We saw something similar being demonstrated in Maastricht last year! Not keen, myself, as you're going to get 'muddied up' in adverse weather (and there's no saddlebag to keep your 'bits & pieces' in!).

Mudguards and Panniers could be fitted to that bike.
The riding stance would be similar to riding a scooter..

Could have obvious advantages in commuting around town -
* you could see further over other traffic;
* you would be noticed earlier by that same traffic...



Don't know if it would carry those same advantages out into the bush - might prove to be a wee bit slower than regular mountain-biking ??

[Raakone]

With riding a bike like a scooter...as in kinda "standing up".....I have a female friend who assumes that position, when riding, in a skirt. It works for her!
~Ra'akone

[AMM]

Update:

I'm still bicycling in a skirt, but it's getting pretty cold (under 40 F -- 5 C)

I've been trying to figure out ways to stay warm on the bike while retaining the skirt advantages -- mainly not having all that fabric rubbing in sensitive places around where the seat is, and not feeling restricted in my movements.

One thing I've tried is wearing microfiber tights, knee socks, and a nylon or polyester slip under a 24" long skirt. (The main point of the slip is to reduce friction.) But my thighs get chilled. My calves get cold, too, after a while. And the "sensitive places" still get chafed.

I've also tried a slip with a ruffled hem, in the hopes that it would reduce the draft, but that didn't help, either.

Basically, whatever I try, everything from the top of the thighs on down and from the neck up is chilled, and what's in between is sweaty.

Any ideas (besides staying inside in the winter)?

[crfriend]

Basically, whatever I try, everything from the top of the thighs on down and from the neck up is chilled, and what's in between is sweaty.

For the "above the neck" bits, hats are great. I used to avoid them as I believed that they'd pull my hair and cause it to fall out, but in recent years (as it's been falling out anyway, hats or no) I've found knit hats a positive boon.

As far as the thighs and down, all I can offer is to up the weight of the skirt and tights. I routinely shovel snow wearing fairly heavy cotton jersey skirts with moderately heavy tights and a slip and, so long as I stay dry, deal with the temperature pretty well. This, however, is "standing-on-the-feet" action, not riding around where the (bl**dy cold) breeze can get up underneath. Once, however, any part of me gets wet, the game's up and I have to go inside to finish shivering.

Any ideas (besides staying inside in the winter)?

Aye, now that's the answer!

[JRMILLER]

Guys,
Shoveling snow and riding a bike in cold weather may qualify for (dare I say) pants! There is a time and a place for everything!