Women motorcyclists - riding to work

[KATWYN]

I'm a bit confused as to why this thread is aimed at women. Many of us blokes take a pride in our apearance too y'know!

Yes sorry McJim that is true. Anyones comments are appreciated.


Cheers

[KATWYN]

Cheers people
Some great ideas.

Sometimes at work I can slop around in jeans and tee shirt and no make up and look like shit but then
sometimes I need to dress in business suits... (and still look like shit )

I think I will do what someone suggested, and leave spare business suits
and shoes (and fluffy accessories- hairspray, clips etc) at work - cos theres no way I can crumple up my work clothes into a pack and I definitely won't fit bulky clothes under my bike suit.

The spare set of socks was a good idea too.

I might get a shoulder pack thingy instead of using the pack (cos it will
be pretty empty and will catch the wind when riding)

It will be about 10-12km's of country road to ride also so.....who knows, on lovely sunny mornings I may just be late for work at times!!!

[Panther]

hey there,
i ride into aucks CBD, its about 6kms to work, and i find if i wear my work clothes under my bike gear they get all crumpled, same with leaving them in my back pack, so its a no win situation!
So when i get to work i have to spend that extra time getting into my flash gears and fancy shoes and doing my hair and makeup, because its frowned upon if you don't look professional.
By the time im ready to start work i might as well have taken the bus!
But i love my bike so i put up with it taking me 10mins to get to work and 15mins to get ready once im there!!

[Joni]

I was in a strange situation once - I used to ride to work with my back pack with all the "corporate stuff" inside... get to work, go straight to the toilets, change and make myself presentable and off I go in my company car to visit clients... I thought it worked well for me and all concerned.

I was pulled aside by the owner of business and told I cant ride to work as its not a "look" they want for someone in their management team... huh! not the "look"? he said yes we try and come across as a classy organisation and you arriving on that thing is contra to that.

Pffft go figure...

[Panther]

So what happened Joni?

[Joni]

Simple Sallo, told him its not exactly fair however its his business and he can run it as he sees fit - that night I started looking for another position, when I resigned, he asked why, I said so I can be free to ride my thing when I want to....

edit - I laughed when I read this now, I think you can see I dont take well to be "told" with no discussion option attached.

[buellbabe]

Ride everyday...fluff the hair when I get there... wear jeans so worries, my Harley Boots are fine to wear all day but I keep a pair of girly boots at work just in case.
Not an issue for me at all. :-)

[McJim]

edit - I laughed when I read this now, I think you can see I dont take well to be "told" with no discussion option attached.

Well sorry for this but I can't resist 'telling' you that you did the right bloody thing.

I go and meet clients on my bike...in leathers - it becomes a talking point and makes you more memorable than all the suits they see.

[vifferman]

I'm not really sure why this "riding a bike to work and what do I do about clothes 'n' hair" is such a big deal. I've been commuting by m/bike for a total of about 9 years now, and all I do is take a backpack for whatever clothes won't fit under my bike gear, and get changed when I arrive and change back before I leave. I guess if you work somewhere with poor facilities for getting changed it might be difficult. Getting changed takes me all of a minute, and about 12 minutes to remember how to tie my shoelaces (which is why I now wear slip-on shoes.)

The people I used to work with that rode bikes (none in my new job!) either wore bike gear over their clothes, or did the same as me. Except they knew how to tie shoelaces.

[Pwalo]

I'm not really sure why this "riding a bike to work and what do I do about clothes 'n' hair" is such a big deal. I've been commuting by m/bike for a total of about 9 years now, and all I do is take a backpack for whatever clothes won't fit under my bike gear, and get changed when I arrive and change back before I leave.

Yep that's my routine. I can wear chino's/jeans and casual shirt under my gear. Leave a pair of shoes, jumper and jacket at work and it's all done.

It's a few minutes beginning and end of the day. Might help having shorter hair perhaps? Definitely a bonus if you've got a bit of room to stash your gear, especially when it's wet, but otherwise I've never found it a problem.

[_Gina_]

I was in a strange situation once - I used to ride to work with my back pack with all the "corporate stuff" inside... get to work, go straight to the toilets, change and make myself presentable and off I go in my company car to visit clients... I thought it worked well for me and all concerned.

I was pulled aside by the owner of business and told I cant ride to work as its not a "look" they want for someone in their management team... huh! not the "look"? he said yes we try and come across as a classy organisation and you arriving on that thing is contra to that.

Pffft go figure...

Classy organisation my arse!!!
HA! That's what they think.

[Ixion]

For all but the most formal of occasions I just wear dress tousers with over tousers over them, boots (Oxtars, with trousers over them they look "smart casual") , and a black leather jacket. A "non MotoGP style" one.

Shirt and tie, all I do when I get to work is slip the overtrou off, and I'm good to go. Jacket looks smart enough for business wear. Y'don't normally wear a jacket IN the office anyway. Just goes over the back of the chair. Several other people wear leather jackets who aren't bikers, mine just looks a bit heavier.

Gloves and overtrou wadded up and into the helmet, only sign is a helmet in the corner. My hair is short enough that i don't get helmet hair

For the next stage up I keep a pair of dress shoes at work.

I have successfully worn a suit with an over jacket.

[placidfemme]

Hi
I'm curious to know how many of us ride our bikes to work
everyday?

And how do you find it? i.e., getting into gear getting outa gear x 2
everyday (possibly 3 x)

I will be riding the R6 to work everyday soon and i'm also
wondering how im going to get on with hair and clothes (for work)
under the suit (bit like Clarke Kent getting into a phone box to
completely change)

I have to admit i'm looking forward to starting the mornings off
this way tho!!

Well I can't really talk at the moment cause my bike is off the road. But when it was working I used to ride it to work every morning... certainly starts the day with a buzz, it was a pain in the butt having to change at work into work clothes and then back into bike gear when leaving, but really, you get used to it very quickly

[Str8 Jacket]

Well I can't really talk at the moment cause my bike is off the road. But when it was working I used to ride it to work every morning... certainly starts the day with a buzz, it was a pain in the butt having to change at work into work clothes and then back into bike gear when leaving, but really, you get used to it very quickly

I just take my codura pantys of at my desk. I have my work pants underneath but not everyone know's that!
Then I just put everything on over my work clothes when I leave. You do get used to it, can be a pain but when your filtering through the lines of traffic you know its soooo worth it!

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

Used to take the bike to work and was in a very corporate environment. Bought clothes that weren't too crushable, straight to the toilets at work and change. You learn to be inventive with the hair! The bonus of riding in and free parking far outweighed taking a bus. It was always amusing how the bigwigs reacted - it was positive in my case.