My wife and daughter assure me that it is impossible to ride a bike in an ankle length dress. I have a two-word answer: Elmira Gulch.
For the benefit of anyone intending to ride in a long dress, what did they have in Kansas in 1939 that we do not have in Pittsburgh in 2010?
obviously the most ideal way to ride in a dress is with a step through frame and skirt guards, however it can be done without those features. for a long dress I'd bring a few spring style clothes pins to use to strategically gather the skirt. keep that sucker out of your spokes, seriously.
My coworker just takes the excess fabric and ties it, rides that way.
Single speed, wrap around chainguard, step through frame and a heart of pure evil.
I wear some sort of shorts/tights underneath and tie the extra fabric
EDIT: what's a skirt guard?
Skirt guards are things that partially enclose the rear wheel, sometimes made out of string or cord stretched across the top half moon of a fender. Kinda like the rear wheels on a classy car. They prevent the skirt from getting entangled with the spokes as the wind blows them back. Total lost art.
I think that the whole reason step through frames were first popularized and labeled as a woman's bike was to allow the rider to wear a dress.
bunch it up and put it on your lap. wear shorts under. when i wore the long wedding dress on the tandem, it got stuck and chewed up.
this one on a mens frame would be for long coat tails
Gaffers, grips, and a whole costume crew.
Skirt guards make me think of old English bikes.
I want a skirt guard. I don't ride in a skirt a lot, but it looks cool.
me too, RF
I used to know a woman who had hair that almost reached the ground that rode. She tucked her hair into ther pockets or waistband when riding.
I'm wearing a floor length skirt today and tied up the front part of it for my ride this morning. I have a mixte / step through and a chain guard.
These tricks will be important to explore and test for those who have long dresses for the BRIDESMAID RIDE next month!
"...what did they have in Kansas in 1939 that we do not have in Pittsburgh in 2010?"
Timed/synchronzed traffic lights.
Smooth roads.
Bike-first culture (see any model-T's on the road in that movie? - It's a biker's paradise).
Flat, flat, flat. (Kansas dirty-dozen = tour of local speed bumps in bank parking lots).
Tornados
In a tornado, getting cloth caught in the spokes would be the least of my problems.
btw, June 2 1998, 5:35 p.m., Mount Washington. Officially confirmed F2. It would have been very interesting if it had passed a half mile north, as there was a Pirates game going on in Three Rivers at the time.
June 2, 1998, 4:13PM, a tree about 18 inches in diameter chased me down 5th avenue near Amberson (I was on foot). I remember exactly the time because I was one of three people who showed up for work at the squirrel hill Eat N' Park that afternoon, which managed to retain electricity the whole day and night (but not acquire any wait staff), so I worked 18 hours straight.
We have weather here, oh yes we do.
Those skirt guards are awesome. I especially like the crocheted one, reminds me of the bicycle cozy someone posted earlier this summer 
Now I know why I like this site better than my CFS support groups........you make me laugh!!
That picture of Elmira was so funny!!
Proper cycling attire obviates the need for skirt guards. Example (Denmark):
Nice cycling boots!
I bet she doesn't ride in the rain.
Bill, that isn't going to fly on the Bridesmaids Dress ride. Many, nay most, of the dresses I've seen at weddings (brides being special cases) are long enough to be problematical.
If you can find a bridesmaids dress that short, I'm sure the ladies on the ride would love to see you wear it. Then again...
EDIT: Lyle, she'd be fine in the rain, with fenders fore and aft. Elmira Gulch would have trouble, though.
Scissors can convert long dresses into short dresses.
My bridesmaid dress is just past my knees!
It is possible to employ rubber bands, binder clips, belts, ropes, scarves, anything to secure a flowly (bridesmaid) dress for riding a bicycle.
My bridesmaid dress is just past my knees!
It is possible to employ rubber bands, binder clips, belts, ropes, scarves, anything to secure a flowy (bridesmaid) dress for riding a bicycle.
But ankle length is a real pain for walking, riding, and doing just about everything but standing around and looking fabulous.
But ankle length is a real pain for walking, riding, and doing just about everything but standing around and looking fabulous.
@stu: no, fenders won't do anything for that hair.
You're right, here's Danish raingear:
Those hanging cords concern me.
I'm digging the Danish footware. Shoes, sigh.
I just realized I Goodwilled the matching heels that go with my dress. I think I'll just wear whatever shoes are comfy. But since it's burgendy, I'm concerned about visibility. I'd be much more comfortable in a reflective
Caution Orange ankle length dress... Maybe a silver dress with bright orange mesh overlay, with relfective silver and fluorescent yellow accents (like my vest, but brighter. This could be worth a sewing project. Think JoAnn's has silver lamee and reflective ribbons in bulk?
Could be a fun pre-Flock competition - brightest unilluminated outfit, as measured by a photographer's light thing (whatever it's called).
I hope you are taking pictures!!
You have got to come up with one better than
what Edmonds put on.......
This is going to be difficult to beat. Tasteful?, not necesarily:
stu, you wouldn't fit into a size 8, would you? i have one that is to the knees.
@edmonds59: Standing in a bikelane concerns me.
stefb - No, I'm OK, thanks. Actually, the reason I started this thread was b/c we found a full-length authentic bridesmaids dress that's been hanging in a closet for 10 years, given to my wife by my sister. It fits (!) but Sarah says it can't possibly work.
The whole idea of me in a dress at all is entirely silly, but I can see where the ladies are coming from of "finding THE right dress" for such-and-such occasion, and pawing through 15 stores to do so. It would be so much easier to already have one, and just wear it, which is I think where Lolly was going with the original idea.
My 17yo daughter has a growing collection of formal wear for some occasion or another, but whenever another occasion presents itself, she's off on another dress hunt. I can hardly wait until she's 23+ and is a bridesmaid 14 times with a $200 dress as a souvenir for each, likely as not that I'll finance.
Nope, I'm just the typical clueless male, but I'll try this, just this once. The dress doesn't fit either Sarah or Amy, so I may as well have some fun with it.
Guys, y'oughta try this. This dress hunt has been the most fun I've had in weeks!
From the sounds of it this whole thing is more of a exploration of self than anything else.
I only dream of going on the rides and I never actually get to go on any of them.
thus is my lot in life
always a bridesmaid and never... oh nevermind
ok, here's a hint for any single straight guys out there who think drag isn't for them...
In high school, my group of friends went through a fad of attending Rocky Horror Picture Shows. The gents quickly figured out that they got MAJOR female attention in half nude states (by all parties) by uttering the words "Can you help me find a dress to wear, I want to go drag?".
Ah, Rocky. The first time I ever knocked my wife-to-be down and thrashed around on her in public was onstage at Rocky up in Dormont, lo these many years ago.
/nostalgic threadjack
"...the first time...." ?!?
They have velcro to convert pants to shorts... Could do the same for dresses.
mmm rocky horror, spent a year as doctor von scott when i was a young'n (I was the only one of my firends with access to a wheelchair.
@tabby: that knitted guard is GEORGEOUS.
I agree, the knitted guards are gorgeous... I wish I could knit
The college in my hometown (which I also attended) had an annual drag ball. Starting in highschool I'd attend; I always did it up, it was fun. What can I say. Unfortunately it was more a spectator than participatory sport on the part of the majority of the attendees... that said I think I can fit an 8 Steph... I'd love to ride in drag, fuck all what the yinzers would say.
Yeah I will let you borrow it since I will be out of town.
All the yinzers are going to be in dresses on bikes too
