Friday, April 11, 2008

Biking in Heels

I've been in a much more positive mood lately. Must be the almost palpable approach of spring. I'm trying to let go of my near-constant cloud of negative energy, because really -- what good is it? I'm going to give myself an ulcer or some such.

Yesterday was at least 70 degrees, and it felt just like Los Angeles. It sounds clichéd, but I have very much missed the feel of the sun on my skin. So I dusted off the ol' bike, and rode to work, in a skirt and heels, no less.

You know, it's funny. I very rarely get catcalled when I'm walking around the city, no matter how fly I look. But the second I get on my bike, guys are hollering at me from every angle. I'm not sure what it is about cute girls on bikes that drives men completely bananas. Is it that I'm straddling something in public? Is it that I'm sweating? Or breathing heavily? Maybe it's all of the above. But especially when I bike in skirts, DC males turn into sailors on leave.

On my way home last night, I was stopped at a red light on E Street, and this group of teenagers was crossing in front of me, one of them singing "Low" by Flo Rida. I laughed at his antics. After they crossed, they turned right to head up the street on which I was stopped. He took a sideways glance at me, then turned to his friends with much fanfare, and shouted "Yo, this girl's ridin' a bike IN HEELS!!" One of his female friends replied "Wow, that takes talent."

Biking in heels isn't as hard as it sounds. Although, it is a much better workout, as it requires a specific subset of leg muscles. The Mad Hipster always told me I should be riding with the balls of my feet on the peddles, but I always get lazy and ride with my arches, which is completely poor bike decorum. But high heels offer such a conservative surface area for the peddles that I am forced to ride correctly.

So here's to sunshine and toned thighs. Here's to cute girls on bikes, peddling in heels. But most importantly, here's to spring.

Bring it on.

6 comments:

Freewheel said...

There's just nothing sexier than a woman riding a bike.

Anonymous said...

In New York, they call them the beautiful godzillas....men do missed connections on them all the time!

southtj said...

In the rest of the world it is normal to ride your bike in your regular clothes. They laugh at us in all our "bike" gear.

http://copenhagengirlsonbikes.blogspot.com/

Lydia said...

Wow, this post seems to have caught some attention! I guess I just underestimated the widespread appeal of the whole cute-girls-on-bikes and biking-in-skirts-and-heels thing.

I stand corrected! ;)

Cycle Jerk said...

Remember gentleman, if you get caught staring by your girl, you were just checking out the bike. :)

Anonymous said...

Seriously. I will do my best to conceal checking you out, but a hot girl with the confidence to move a bike through city traffic? Way hot. The heels are just . . . well, you've already got my attention.