Do you do lycra?
In most developing countries, women dress fairly conservatively--especially in
rural areas. African women rarely show their legs. Most dress in a
traditional long sarong type skirt or wear conservative western-style clothing.
Many Middle Eastern women wear long, figure concealing robes. In villages throughout many Central and South
American countries youo also find very traditional cultures where women tend to
cover up.
Locals will judge you by the way you dress.
Don’t take it for granted that a
Maasai warrior in some far-flung corner of Tanzania is a Tour de France fan and
understands why you’re riding through his village in skin-tight clothing. While cycling through Africa, I rarely wore my
lycra cycling shorts. When I did, I noticed some long stares and a few
snickers and even hoots of laughter when I strode up to the local well to fetch
water. I felt ridiculous.
respect cultural norms
If you’ve got the right saddle, chances are you will feel comfortable without
the added cushion of bike shorts. I
quickly got used to riding without special cycling attire. A cotton skort (shorts with a flap of fabric in front to make it look
like a skirt) was my favorite and most comfortable biking attire. Too bad
it wore out after only 17,000 kilometers. Then I switched to a regular cotton skirt that went just below my knees. Not very
typical cycling gear but it was very comfortable and airy and respected
cultural norms in dress.
Before cycling through Sudan, many people warned me that it was a very
conservative Muslim country and I should cover up accordingly. Well, it
was hot and I continued to ride in loose cotton shorts and no one looked at me twice. Of
course, when we stopped for the evening I quickly slipped on a long skirt
as a matter of respect for the Sudanese culture.
A Western woman can get by with quite a lot when she's on a bicycle. Once she's off the bicycle that's another story, she should cover up more and be sensitive to local norms in dress.
Before setting off on your epic adventure, try out your clothing
and make sure it’s comfortable—even after 6 hours in the saddle. And don't forget to pack stuff that won’t be too conspicuous out in Timbuktu.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with others via Twitter.
What do you wear when biking in developing countries? Any tips on cycling clothing for women?
Please share in the comments section below.
Get World Biking Newsletter |
Email: |
|
If you enjoyed this post, you'll like these posts, too:
bike touring tips: how to finance a world tourtips on finding a safe place to sleep (for free!)
Cycling with a partner: men and women aren’t created equally
check out more photos from our trip
contact us at: worldbiking@gmail.com