Bicycle Skirt Sheild

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I wear skirts most of the time, usually well below the knee, though I do have some rather trashy minis. I feel as if I am gradually finding my moral compass and am perhaps realizing that I should be getting away from such shameless displays of my "astonishingly hot legs!". Attached to them are this body that is very questionably "hot" or NOT HOT, as you wish. And since I have recently divulged my preference for a certain middle eastern religion, perhaps such brief clothing is a bit hypocritical. YA THINK ?

So, I have been searching for a Bicycle Skirt Shield, because I just finished trashing the hem of one of my fave skirts because Mr Back Brakie decided to eat it. Grrrrr. I began searching for such a thing on Google, and lo and behold I found a way to restrain my skirts on the first cast; they had used what appears to be a dozen or so "spokes" from the fender to the area of the axle, and it looks like it should be quite effective. But who should be holding said bike, but a totally, frontally exposed Danish woman. In the caption, it said that nudity is quite common in European coastal towns. How cheeky of these women. I shall never do that, ever! Now, if I had the bod......
http://www.nordicgroup.us/s78/indexn.html

So, before I set off to re-invent something, does anyone here know where I am likely to find a shield to protect my skirts?

Many Blessings

Gwendolyn

Comments

Skirt Guard

Gwendolyn: I found this fix on a search site maybe this will help: Make Your Own

It's fairly easy to make your own fenders, chain guards, etc.
My favorite material is coroplast, ie plastic cardboard, which is most frequently used to make signs, especially campaign signs.

After an election it is usually easy to harvest a couple signs. I found two different 4' x 8' signs recently, one lying in the alley and another in the street. Each had some traffic damage but both had large useable sections. I've made a ton of useful things from this material.

Coroplast is easy to cut with a utility razor knife or heavy duty scissors. You can punch holes in it with a small screw driver. By cutting through only one side, especially along a flute, it is easy to make 90 degree bends. Gentle bends like for fenders can be done by heating with a paint stripping heat gun.

Most clear packing tape sticks well to it, although my preferred methods of joining/attaching is punching holes and using cheap nylon cable ties.

The end result is extremely light and can be very rugged too if you do a good job of it.

by SpeedEBikes at 10:38 AM on 29 May 2008

Hope this helps you out, everywhere I look there were alot of bitching about no such guard available! Richard

Richard

I want something really pretty.

I may use the material for at least a while; it depends upon how nice I can make it look.

Ultimately I may check out the idea of using a formable thermo plastic. I saw a product made in Denmark that appears to be black in color, and about 1/8th inch thick. It has some features molded into it which appear to be for the purpose of making it more stiff and perhaps to make it appear more sturdy. It is $24 but I do not know if that is a set and if is in Eros or what.

I want it to look really nice, but I also have to admit that summer riding will be over in another two months and I have not found rain gear that will cover a skirt in a way that will not wrinkle it.

Thank you so much for the help.

Gwendolyn

I used to have one

Angharad's picture

I bought an old bike about twenty five years ago which had one. If I remember correctly, it was made of nylon and fitted over the rear mudguard. Brakes and mudguards have changed so much since then. Some of the ladies town bikes come with an extended rear mudguard. But as you're an engineer, I'm sure you'll find some way around it.

Angharad

Angharad

bike skirts

I think the Japanese womens bikes have fully enclosed chain guards and I have seen the rear wheel net guards you ar talking about, sort of a membrane that encloses the sides of the rear wheel from the fender to the hub. Asians ride bikes in all weather and the women wear long skirts so it make snse they'd have solved this problem a long time ago?

While on a mission for my church

I found a fairly easy fix for riding a bike while wearing a skirt or dress. I found a pair of suspenders at the goodwill store. I cut the elastic to about 2 to 2 1/2 inches in length. I cut two pieces at that length. Since the suspenders (braces for those of you who live overseas) have 4 clips I could make 2 "dress clips. I sewed one clip to each end of the elastic.

I would then attach one end of the clip to the front of the skirt, and the other to the back end. I found that sometimes one of the "dress clips" would work and sometimes if the material was heavier, then I'd have to use two. If using two clips I would attach each clip near the inside of each leg. What this does is temporarily make "trousers" out of your skirt. Since the clips are used from suspenders, it won't rip or tear your clothing.

Hope this helps

Smooches,
Paula

Paula Young
A life lived in fear is a life half-lived

Brilliant

I love your problem solving, sounds like a true pioneer out there :-)