Local label Loeka peddles designs much more stylin’ than the shapeless bike wear on the market. The company’s jersey tops for women come in hot colours with pretty botanical graphics, as well as being breathable, wicking, and antibacterial.

You see them in cafés all the time, especially on sunny Saturday mornings. They’re usually wearing crotch-defining spandex shorts, multicoloured high-tech ankle socks, and shapeless jerseys cinched in with fanny packs. They are cycling gearheads of the highest order and, for some strange reason, many of them insist on wearing their highly functional, somewhat revealing getups on city streets after their ride. It’s no wonder that of all the outdoor sports, cycling has one of the worst reps when it comes to style. But it doesn’t have to be that way—at least not for female riders—thanks to Rory Harmse and Coreena Fletcher.

The two avid bike riders are the masterminds behind Loeka, a line of women’s cycling and outdoor apparel that doesn’t sacrifice fashion for function. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, when they started Loeka five years ago, there was nothing else like it. As former mountainbike racer Fletcher recalls, back then she had a hell of a time finding breathable, durable shorts and tops that fit properly, let alone look good.

“All of the clothing was so baggy and just built for guys like football-style clothing,” says Fletcher, who along with Harmse, recently sat down with the Straight to talk about Loeka at a Kits café. “The jerseys would always get hooked on my seat because even though they were a men’s small, they were just so big.”

Not only is Loeka made to fit women, in terms of style, the line—which is carried at stores including Dunbar Cycles (4219 Dunbar Street), Snow Covers (1701 West 3rd Avenue), and North Shore Bike Shop (134 West 16th Street, North Vancouver)—is more on par with the laid-back snowboarding/surfing culture than the overzealous equipment-keener. For example, the lightweight, breathable brown-and-lime-plaid shell shorts with a built-in adjustable nylon belt ($59.99) would be just as cute worn over a bikini on the beach as they would over spandex shorts on a mountain trail.

If you’re looking for something a little sturdier, the All Mountain shorts ($94.99) are made for light downhill riding, commuting, and cross country. These baggy bad boys, which come in dark and earthy neutrals, are available in both above-the-knee and capri cuts. Pair them with your favourite hoodie and you’ve got yourself a surfer-cute campfire outfit. For spring tops, there is an impressive selection of jerseys ($59.99 to $84.99) that are breathable, wicking, and antibacterial. With feminine touches like pretty botanical graphics on the back and/or front, these, technical T-shirts, which come in hot colours like purple, sky blue, and lime green, are definitely not “football-style”.

Another standout in the Loeka spring collection is the waterproof shell jacket ($149.99), which can double as a spring skiing coat. It comes in several colours, the most striking being the beautiful Hawaiian-blue Hey Ocean. But don’t be fooled by the casual coolness of this jacket. It’s totally functional as well, just not in-your-face functional. Instead of big unsightly reflective stripes crossing every which way, the Loeka shell has subtle reflective piping worked into the back panel and sleeves. The discreet armpit zippers and chest vent make it highly breathable. As well, the sleeves are slightly longer than those on normal jackets, so when you reach for the handlebars, they don’t creep up. And because all these features are built-in on the sly, you can go from the trail to the tavern without looking like a stereotypical West Coast techno-geek.

“Part of why we decided to design it [Loeka] the way we did is, with a lot of cycling clothing, the second you got to your vehicle afterwards or back to your house, you changed before you went to the bar or the restaurant for food afterward,” Fletcher says.

Harmse adds, “But now they can go on their ride and at the end of their ride, they can go to the pub or out for coffee in their shorts. They’re not running around in their spandex with everyone staring at them like, ”˜Oh, look at that crazy biker in their spandex.’ ”