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Published: September 2, 2008 5:16 a.m.

Save gas by biking - fashionably - to work

Lamont Jones
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Biking to work?
•Wear a helmet, remembering that there are many comfortable styles that won’t give you total helmet hair.

•Make sure your bike is equipped with a small tire-change kit, front and back lights, reflectors, some sort of bell and possibly lightweight fenders to keep your tires from throwing things onto your clothing.

•When possible, travel along less-busy secondary roads rather than busy main streets.

•Wear a brightly colored shirt, jacket or vest or something with reflective material or tape so that you’re more easily seen by motorists.

•If you wear long pants, wrap and tie them against your legs so that they don’t get dirty against the bike or caught in the spokes or chain.

•Wear clothing that’s a little looser so that your body can breathe, even in winter when layering.

•Bike in sneakers or comfortable shoes with grips on the soles, and stow some work-appropriate shoes at the office.

•A messenger bag is a good carryall that drapes across the body and is more comfortable than a backpack.

•Keep toiletries and other grooming supplies at your workstation for sprucing up when you arrive at the office. Baby wipes are a quick, easy and effective essential.

•Wait until you get to work to apply makeup.

•Ask about lockers and showers in your building. You may be unaware of some available facilities, and sometimes you may need more than a simple wash-up.

•If you for whatever reason must ride in what you’ll be wearing at work, choose dark apparel because it tends to camouflage sweat spots and dark stains better. There also are golf shirts and other comfortable, appropriate business-casual clothing made with lightweight wool blends or special-performance fabrics and treatments that wick moisture away from the body and allow it to evaporate.

When the weather is favorable, Terry Plowman can get from home to his downtown Pittsburgh job in about 45 minutes.

Not by car or bus, but by an increasingly popular mode of commuting: the bicycle. And after a quick change from his biking gear to business casual, Plowman is ready for another day of work at Verizon.

There are signs that more Americans are commuting to work on bikes, a trend fueled by warm weather, environmental concerns and the rising cost of gasoline.

“It’s unbelievable to me the change that has gone on over the past two or three years,” said Brad Quartuccio, editor of Urban Velo, a cycling magazine.

Quartuccio has been biking to work for more than a decade – a 15-mile trip in the Pittsburgh area – and has noticed more and fuller bike racks at sites ranging from office buildings to grocery stores.

Sean Brady, assistant executive director of Venture Outdoors, an outdoor recreational outfit based in Pittsburgh, agrees.

“It’s gradually increased in the last seven years, especially the last year or so,” he said. “Gas is probably the biggest inspiration, but the riverfront trails taking shape are part of it. And the culture around here really seems to be responding to outdoor opportunities.”

Whether rolling along special trails, designated lanes or crowded streets, for bike commuters heading to work there’s the added question of how to dress.

Most people who bike to work don’t do so every day because of inclement weather or schedules. But when they do, it takes planning because there’s usually a need to groom and change clothes when arriving at work.

Plowman, 54, takes a change of clothes with him each day.

Others, like John Burgess at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, keep a mini-wardrobe at the office to avoid added weight on the bike. In nearly five years of biking to campus, the professor has discovered that it’s best not to wear your work trousers on the 15-minute trip.

“You’ll get grease on your pants, even when you’re being careful,” he said. “And on a hot day, you get sweaty.”

There’s an added dimension for professional women, who may find it more difficult to manage a bike in a skirt or dress.

Whether one wears casual clothes or high-tech biker gear, some sort of clothing change at work is almost inevitable for everyone who works in an office setting.

Brady, the Venture Outdoors vice president, who bikes from home to his downtown office several times a week year-round, said comfort and being visible are the key factors in dressing for bike commuting to work.

He and other observers expect a continued rise in the number of people biking to work.

“It’s a nationwide trend, and you’re seeing increases all across the country,” said Eric Boerer with Bike Pittsburgh, a non-profit that promotes bike safety and public awareness.

“As a society,” added Quartuccio at Urban Velo, “I don’t think we’re going to have any choice but to rethink our total reliance on cars for short trips.”