Is Betabrand the Brooks Brothers of Bike Clothes?

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

San Francisco streets have become bike-friendlier over the years, and with the increased number of bikes on the road comes a greater demand for bike-to-work apparel. Enter Betabrand, the SF-based online clothing community. Though the company makes plenty of non-bike clothing, the New York Times recently observed, "There are so many products that its Bike to Work web store looks like a Brooks Brothers catalog held under a black light: its meeting-friendly navy blazers, charcoal trousers and plaid shirts feature accents that blossom into radiant glow in nighttime traffic."

Betabrand's current selection skews more practical than fashion-forward, but the company is always looking for new ideas. (As the Times notes, Betabrand releases new bike clothing about every six weeks.) Do you think you could design better a better bike ensemble? Then submit a design to the company's Think Tank. Garner enough votes, and your look could ascend to the rarefied ranks of Suitsy status, with a shot at actual production. Because if San Francisco is going to be a leader among cycling cities, we should also be a leader among stylish cycling cities, right?
· Cyclists Go Glam Into the Night [New York Times]
· Mapping the Story of San Francisco's Bike Lanes [Streets Blog]