Cycle style

God, it's taking every ounce of restraint to not edit this post title and call it "Cycle Chic!" Instead, I'll get down to brass tacks and talking about two loves of my Portland life: staying clothed, and riding a bicycle.

Now, I'll totally admit to being a pansy anytime I have to ride my bike in A) rain or B) temperatures under 35 degrees. I whine, stomp, talk about how much I love cars, and finally throw myself on a bicycle and into the streets, pouting for the first 3 minutes of riding. Then I start smiling, because if there's anything I love more than cars, it's feeling like I'm a badass for riding a bike in anything less than sunny, warm weather. However, these less-than-ideal rides are made all the better by the proper cycling attire.

1) Long underwear: Oh man. My parents got me two sets of long underwear for Christmas, and they make my bod feel like a microwave. OK, maybe not that warm, but long underwear leggings are FAR superior to regular leggings. More importantly, both of those are better than jeans. Seriously, you may think that pants are a better cold-weather alternative than thick tights and a dress, but you're wrong. Unless you are wearing the world's skinniest jeans (if so, well done), air will sneak up into your pant legs and chill you to the bone. So throw on quality tights, leggings, or long underwears. And thank me all the time.

2) Hooded scarf/neckerchief: I'm a traditional scarf gal and love a good pashmina or crocheted tunnel scarf. In rainy weather though, the last thing that you want is a ton of wet fabric (or worse, wet yarn) hanging around your neck. Enter smaller, more awesome versions of neckwarmers. My friend Amanda - who conveniently just opened an Etsy shop: check it out! -made me a lovely blue fleece hooded scarf to wear under my helmet, and I've been toasty ever since. The neckerchiefs are INCREDIBLE because your face gets really chapped during winter riding, and it's great to have something warm and cute to pull over your mouth and nose. Bonus points if you rob a bank afterwards.

3) Water/windproof gloves: Yeah, I still haven't bought a pair. But let me tell you, as the girl who has had one too many pairs of gloves to dry out, waterproof gloves that keep your mitts warm are essential.

If you don't ride a bike, you can still wear all of this stuff and look cute and prepared should something steal your car and leave you with a bicycle!