Cycling in a shalwar kameez: cuts for Dutch bikes

Why a Dutch bike is kinder to long clothes

A traditional Dutch city bike is almost designed for long garments. A sports or racing bike is not, and most of the trouble people describe comes from that difference rather than from the kameez.

• Step-through frame: with no crossbar you step in rather than swinging a leg over, so a long front panel never has to clear the frame.
• Upright position: you sit straight, so the back of the kameez lies flat on the saddle instead of riding up.
• Closed chain case: the chain is fully covered, so a trouser hem or the edge of a kameez cannot be caught or greased.
• Coat guard over the back wheel: the side guards (a jasbeschermer in Dutch) stop a loose hem from being pulled into the spokes, and mudguards keep road spray off the fabric.
• Sports bikes: a crossbar, a forward lean and an exposed chain mean shorter lengths, narrow trousers and clips matter far more. Many Danish city bikes have a chain guard and mudguards, and a clip-on skirt guard can be added to a bike without one.

Kameez length and slit height

The slits do more work than the length. When you pedal, your knee rises and the front panel has to move with it; a slit that stops low pulls the fabric tight across the thigh, while a slit that reaches the hip lets the front fall forward over your leg. Our page on side slits shows where they can sit.

• Knee length or just above: the easiest length for daily riding on any bike.
• Calf length: fine on a step-through bike with a coat guard, as long as you sit on the back panel rather than letting it hang.
• Cut: a straight kameez with higher slits behaves better than a very full flare, which can billow in a headwind.
• Fabric: a medium-weight cotton or cambric stays down in the wind; chiffon and very light lawn lift and flap.

Trouser hems that clear the chain

Wide hems are the main risk on a bike without a chain case. Straight trousers or cigarette pants stay clear of the chain ring, and a shalwar with a closed cuff works as well. Palazzos and sharara are lovely but better kept for days you are not riding. On our form, the trouser bottom measurement sets the hem width, and asking for a hem that ends at the ankle bone rather than over the shoe keeps fabric away from the pedals.

The dupatta, the rain and the cold

A loose dupatta is the one piece that can be dangerous on a bike, because a trailing end can blow into the spokes or across your face. Cross it at the front and tuck the ends in, knot it, choose a shorter stole for riding days, or carry it in your bag and put it on when you arrive.

For rain, a cycling poncho goes over a kameez more easily than a jacket, and for winter, thermal leggings fit under straight trousers. Autumn layering with kurtas has more ideas.

Telling us you cycle

If you order a made-to-measure outfit, write in the notes that you cycle daily and what kind of bike you ride. We can then suggest a slit height, length and trouser hem to match, and confirm them in the written quote before anything is cut. The Netherlands and Denmark pages cover delivery and currency, and you can ask for a quote at any time.