Bike Commuter Fashion for women? Helmet Hair?

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hollysmithtalton
hollysmithtalton Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys- I just started bike commuting in a urban downtown area and want to talk about bike-friendly fashion for work. I ordered some things from Betabrand to try. Any other brands you know of I should check out?

Also- any women have tips on dealing with helmet hair? I'm new to this biking thing...loving it, but gotta get the look right LOL.

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  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
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    I used to use dry shampoo and keep a extra set of hairxtyling stuff at work. i always allowed to get there with enough time to stule my hair there. I used sented baby wipes to clean up the sweat and carried a backback with my change of clothes.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Someone has invented the 'invisible' helmet which works as an airbag and only deploys in a crash situation. I don't know that it will catch on.... ;)

    hovding-cyling-inflatable-helmet.jpg

  • hollysmithtalton
    hollysmithtalton Posts: 8 Member
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    wow that airbag thing is crazy!!!!
  • panchango
    panchango Posts: 76 Member
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    My commute is about 50 minutes on a bike and I get some horrible helmet hair. I broke down and cut it very short. The only thing that saved me was a shower at work. Other than that, keeping it short or pulled back can minimize helmet hair. You could always not wear a helmet, but that is generally a bad idea.

  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Hair:
    Do you hair in the bathroom at work. Low maintenance haircuts are a wonderful thing. Headbands are your friend--they can disguise many a helmet-shaped Bundt cake.

    Clothing:
    I commute year round. When it's cold as peas, I wear Gore-Tex (waterproof breathable) hiking pants and a high-vis bike jacket. The pants are baggy enough that I can hike up my skirt/skort around my waist and kind of shove it into one leg. In better weather I'm gonna sweat, so I wear shorts/tights and bring my skirt with me. Blazer and sweater live in my office so I don't have to worry about hauling the bulk around. They get rotated for cleaning on a weekly basis.

    Hygiene:
    Wet wipes were invented by the angels.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,203 Member
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    When I commuted to work by bicycle (I did that regularly for a lot of years) ...

    -- I dressed like a cyclist in cycling shorts and jersey. Then I carried my office wear with me. I did that for a couple reasons: a) I often went for a longer ride after work, so the cycling shorts and jersey came in handy then + b) it was good to change clothes after cycling.

    -- my hair was then and still is very long. I wear it in a single braid when I cycle. When I arrive where I'm going, it's a quick fluff and comb and I'm good to go.
  • madeleadele
    madeleadele Posts: 64 Member
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    Try french braiding it! This may make it wavy, but a few minutes with a hair tool (straightener, curler, whatever you fancy) is better than dealing with uneven volume.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,013 Member
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    When I commuted my bike (just a few miles) I would wear my hair in a braid and wear slacks and use one of those reflective bands to keep them from getting in the gears.
  • jmtp
    jmtp Posts: 26 Member
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    My bike helmet has a ponytail hole in the back, which has been great for preventing helmet hair. I put my hair in a braid or a loose pony through the hole, and I can just take it out at work and be good to go. I also carry my work clothes in a trunk bag. I do keep a couple pairs of heels at the office so I don't have to shlep them around on my bike.
  • florabuerger
    florabuerger Posts: 2 Member
    edited October 2015
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    I usually french braid my hair to avoid the helmet hair or wear a fleece headband. However, during colder times, the headband doesn't suffice much. While I was shopping for my motorcycle riding gear, I found this hood made up of balaclava material on the online store clandesmotards.net. The balaclava is an excellent option to avoid helmet hair and comes in very handy during cold.

    cagoule-moto-d.jpg
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    It depends on your budget really. Always Riding, Vulpine, Osloh & Rapha all have stylish cycle specific "urban" clothing but it is pricey.

    Otherwise just change at work if you can from the usual cycling kit.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    A low maintenance hair style and a pair of straighteners kept at work are my saviour.

    In terms of clothing I have cycling shoes for riding and keep a couple of pairs of shoes at work and I change into work clothes when I get in. I do have access to a shower which is helpful during warmer weather.

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