Basics of Bike Fashion: Pedaling through the Puddles

With parking next to campus getting more expensive every year, bikes have never been more popular and useful to UO students. The constantly full bike racks on 13th Street attest to this popularity. The added benefit of using renewable green energy, a classic Eugene value, brings bikers out again and again.

If you need transportation but just spent all your spending money on textbooks, have no fear. The UO Bike Program loans out bikes for a $65 deposit and a $12 per term use fee. Also, if you aren’t sure why your chain keeps falls off, or your brakes aren’t working, come by the Outdoor Program Barn located on 18th and University for free bike service.
 
But owning a bike is only the first step. To fully belong to the Eugene bike culture, you must personalize. The most popular bike accessories at UO include:
 
1. Lights and helmets: The city of Eugene actually requires all after-dark bikers to have lights. Aside from the dangers of running over an unluckily placed pothole or squirrel, using a bike light also allows cars to see you before they hit you. Helmets are not required for any person over 16, but are highly recommended.
 
2. Baskets and milk crates: Suitable for carrying groceries, books, or anything else that you don’t want swinging from the handlebars, bike baskets are the equivalent of a purse for your bike. Of course, for the collegiette™ on a budget, the $20 to $30 specialized carrying cases might be a little too expensive. Enter the milk crate found by dumpsters everywhere or in the Duck Store. Add some zip ties, attach it to your back fender, and that bag of groceries is ready to go.
 
3. Fenders: As you may have noticed, it rains in Eugene – constantly. Fenders exist to protect your body from the spray of mud puddles, and are made for both the back and front of the bike. The back fenders also provide a wonderful place to attach your accessory of choice.
 
On a side note, when it comes to waterproofing your biking wardrobe, raincoats are your friend. Also, keep in mind that your thighs will get the brunt of the raindrops. So, grab a raincoat and water-resistant bottoms, and hit the streets!
 
However, bike culture goes beyond the question of bike accessories. Biking also has its own fashion-based difficulties. First, bike chains are annoyingly apt to catch your pants, rip holes in them, and tangle the chain in the process and possibly throw you face-first onto the bumpy Eugene streets. So what does a biking collegiette™ do? Wear skinny jeans, tuck your pants into your boots, or, if all else fails, roll your pant leg up.
 
When it comes to skirts, a few simple rules will save you from frustrating accidents: tight skirts are impossible to bike in, ankle-length hippie skirts will fly everywhere, including into the spokes and chain, and everything else is actually very easy. And if you’re worried about accidentally flashing passerby, invest in some opaque tights!