Someone’s yanking my chain, but they’ve yanked it well and they deserve air time. All in the same two days, I received these two letters. The first one goes like this,
Dear Peacebang,
I like to bike to work since it saves on carbon. I always change soon after I get to work, but obviously sometimes I run into congregants or staff in the hall on the way to the shower so I don’t want to wear the bike shorts and tank top I wear when I go cycling on the weekends.
Could you suggest a biking outfit that will let me be both environmentally and professionally appropriate? Love your blog!
A (male) reader
As I was thinking about how to answer (we did a big post on women biking a few weeks ago, but I didn’t say anything at the time about guys on bikes – my bad), I received this anonymous comment from a lay person:
Not wearing your skintight bicycling outfit where your congregants can see you and if you must bike to work, wearing something more sedate and saving the body hugging little outfit* for when you’re not at church might seem like an obvious thing, but it’s not an obvious thing to all ministers.
*If you’re riding for exercise, why the body hugging little outfit? Shouldn’t the wind drag produced by a regular t-shirt and shorts just add to the exercise and thus be superior for your purpose? Either way, I really don’t want to know the exact shape of my minister’s [rear end].
And I do.
Sigh.
I don’t think PeaceBang really needs to respond to this, does she? She just needs to let all of her colleagues know that at least one church member out there is disturbed by the sight of her minister’s butt in spandex.
It doesn’t matter how fit you are.
No one, but no one, should arrive at the office in spandex bike shorts.
I am reminded of the conference I attended a few years back, where a male colleague wore a skin-tight shirt of some unnatural fiber. I could see his nipple piercing.
Need I say…!??
Saints preserve us. File this under “TMI.” WAY TMI.*
(Too Much Information)
Where I worked before seminary LOTs of folks biked to work. Know what they wore? Their suits. Jacket folded up in a backpack but suit pants and shirt. If it works for them it’ll work for this minister. If you’re getting THAT hot and sweaty on the way to work maybe a change of plan is in order. Or a pair of khakis and a polo that can stand up to a bit more abuse.
Like the Amish, who are a dominant force where I live, I wear a skirt that is long enough to tuck in when I’m breezing around on my bike. Sure, you go a little slower, but modesty is very possible, and you burn no carbon, and some calories! Or, a pair of roll up pants that don’t get caught in the chain, but they’re not altogether appropriate for the office. Cheers!
I think they make things you can wrap around the ankles to keep your pants from getting into the chain.
That said, I personally don’t give a rat’s behind whether or not I know the exact shape of my minister’s backside. I wouldn’t recommend preaching in your exercise clothes (something that a minister I know did), but exercising in your exercise clothes and having the audacity to be in the church building for a moment while still clothed in those exercise clothes? So not an issue for me.
I agree that it would probably be wise for a minster to not dress like that while going to work, but it would also be wise for parishioners to get over themselves. [PeaceBang is very concerned when she hears any clergyperson advise that parishioners “get over themselves.” That is a very, very unwise place from which to have a healthy ministry. – PB]
Of course there are emergencies. I figure skate and you need to show body lines to skate –no loose clothing allowed. And when it’s warmer I wear those silly little skirts that look fine on the ice but not in public for someone my age. I suppose I should change at the rink before I go home, but I usually don’t because I’m going straight home.
Except when I get a phone call on the way home that someone has died and they really would prefer me there right away, silly little skirt under my coat and all, rather than home changing. [OMG. Um, you could maybe keep a longer skirt in the CAR? I have a long grey velour pull-on skirt in my gym bag at all times in case of such emergencies when I’m at the gym and have driven over in my yoga pants. Because presumably one does have to take off one’s coat. – PB]
I think we need to differentiate between on stage and off stage life. When a priest is off stage and doing life, tighty bikey clothes during a bike ride are just as appropriate as that other lady who wore the hot shoes and one-sleeved dress on a date with her husband.
I wont bore us all with the technical reasons why I wear the bike clothes on a road bike ride (and yes, I would have worn it today if I had been able to ride the fund raising tour), but it boils down to appropriate clothes for the appropriate activity. For the record, I wore dark jeans and a collar to bless the bikes, and a warm sweater over the cast for the hand I broke biking a century last month.
When I’m riding, that is off stage, me time. When I’m on stage for clergy life, I promise to mostly behave.
As a lay person who used to bicycle commute (14 mi on a combintation of streets and bike paths) I think that clergy should be allowed the comfort of spandex (especially padded bike shorts) on the condition that laity and clergy both recognize a boundary between person as commuter and person as clergy. The commuter will transform into the clergy person after a brief interlude in the office or Mens’/Ladies room. The Laity will observe this boundary and not gawk or make snarky comments. After all, you all listen to our confessions.
PS Yes, I used to do such a transformation before Monday night meetings. I found it very helpful to walk purposefully to the designated changing area as soon as possible.
I’m not a clergy person. Just a layperson who is amused by your blog. I didn’t word it well, but I was thinking that I and my fellow parishioners need to cut our clergy folk a little slack at times. Not suggesting that clergy people go around telling us that we need to get over ourselves.
There’s a type of bike shorts with the spandex
inside, and more like regular shorts on the
outside. All the spandex and padding are still
there, but the looser outer shorts camouflage
them. I think REI Co-op had them. The very
bright colored tops are for SAFETY.
I´m not a biker but a runner and horse-rider.
And I´m clergy.
When I go running and horse-riding I wear my sports-gear. Because that´s off time.
If any congregant sees me, they will notice the pastor being on her off time.
If it happens that anyonye bumps into me I wear my sportsgear with ease, being the pastor going/coming from running or horseriding. They can deal with it. (At least I hope so!)
Of course they know that I dress professionally when I´m “on duty”.
P.S: Will go horseriding now. 😉
Peacebang has convinced me – I need to keep a change of clothes in the car for emergencies. I’m pretty sure said family was totally unaware of my attire in the midst of their grief. But I was a little self conscience about it and that distraction from my ability to be there completely for them is reason enough to be better prepared.
[Way to go, babe!! It’s true: it IS all about being able to be completely there. – PB]
shorts over your biker shorts? (Or was that too obvi?)
Just wanted to pipe up with the observation that the spandex is not just about performance for professionals. It also prevents chafing, which in my opinion is essential if you’re biking more than a short, leisurely, occasional ride. My former bike commute was 10 miles each way, every day, most months of the year and all weather, and it wouldn’t have happened if I had to wear work-appropriate street clothes. And since my commute doubled as my exercise time (something busy clergy and parishoners alike can surely appreciate), slowing down and dressing up was not really a great option for me.
There are tons of companies who make relatively modest bike commuting wear as well as cute and modest atheltic wear for women, because “appropriate clothes for the appropriate activity” is the guiding principle for me. Try Swrve (my favorite), Zoic, Terry, Harlot, Athleta, and more, as well as the usual outdoor suppliers. Or, check out the many dedicated bike commuting blogs out there — they review products like backpacks, clothing, panniers, etc. that may be helpful to you as well.
Bike commuting is one of the best lifestyle changes I ever made, so please don’t let clothing stop you! Perhaps you’ll even encourage your parishoners to consider this option by your daring example.