Girly girl skorts make you less of a moving target

I just purchased my first Terry skort and have been test-riding it around Utah's valleys. I'm sure everyone thinks this about drivers in their area-but Utah drivers relish making moving targets out of cyclists. This is a non-scientific observation but when I'm wearing my skort, people go out of their way to make room for me on the road. Of course, I also get more catcalls from construction truck drivers that use the same frontage roads I use. On the balance, I'd rather get catcalls than have some motorist decide to test his/her maneuvering skills at my expense. Just wanted to pass the tip on!

Janice

Do you mean that wearing the skort makes it easier for people to tell you are a woman, not a guy, and thus, they are a little more polite to ladies?

That's an interesting observation.

On one hand, I like to think that I don't need special accomodation just because I'm a woman, but on the other hand, anything that makes drivers pay attention and give me the room on the road that I deserve is appealing. Especially if it helps me not get run over!

Oh, how I long for a more bike-friendly driving population.

Let us know how your "science experiment" turns out!

I do think motorists are more polite because they see I am a woman. Especially when I am slogging up one of the mammoth sized hills around here and am up out of my saddle, the skort is extremely visible to motorists. So either they are just more polite to women or they think I am nuts riding a bike in a skirt. Either way, they do give me wide berth! However, I too am longing for the day when we have a more bike aware motoring population. Either that, or bike trails that actually go where I want to go. I'll let you know the end results of my experiment.

Strange, but I, too, have noticed different treatment from motorists when I wear my skort and also when I am on my pannier-loaded touring bike. I think they feel sorry for me then!:D
People wave when they go by. It's really pretty nice!

annie

Isn't that funny? I ride mostly on a trail, but it crosses several major streets. Most of the time the drivers don't stop and let you cross, but when I wore a skort for the first time yesterday I got pleasant waves across every crossing! I did get snorted at by one other cyclist, but who cares? I was going faster than he was anyway....:)

People are nicer when you're on a tandem as well.

And when I wear bright red lipstick. :p

V.

While I don't have a skort, I have noticed that I get treated a whole lot nicer when I'm riding to and from work with the loaded panniers - or when I wear my BTA t-shirt that says One Less Car on the back.

I know the guys I ride with are convinced Women are treated better by drivers ... Traffic almost always gives me a break at crossings and so they put me up front in the heavy areas and let me draft on the long back roads. But at the same time, I always make a point to smile and wave a thank you!! Maybe women aren't special, but just more polite???

I dont know about that if u read my previous post...i just got ran off the road my a truck....and made me fall off my bike....not so nice......grrrrr...now i have gashes and bruses all over my left side of my body! :mad:

Bikechic, soooo sorry to hear that. You got the damage on your left side? That means you fell toward traffic?

Heal up soon, sending virtual chicken soup your way {{{{{{{{{{{ hugs }}}}}}}}}}}.

any chance the driver gets caught? :mad:

B ummmmmer ;(

I feel like I get better treated when I"m on the old cruiser with the beer cans in the basket than when I'm decked out for road riding, but I've not done a standardized study :p People are almost almost always ridiculously nice around here - reckon a cycle is easier to get around than a combine, or people assume I'm a starvi ng student... or more likely they also ride since there's a lot of that around here. And I try to be polite, not make 'em pass me twice, and have that automatic disarming smile I've trained my face to do instead of squinting or grunting :-)

Your right about the whole moving target thing. But at least awareness is being raised here in Utah. And I think the real reason you get better treatment with a skort isn't because it makes it obvious your a woman. It's because your a$$ and tight-muscled legs are more noticed. :D

too bad there was no bike trap nearby

http://radio.ksl.com/index.php?nid=19&sid=205392

:D Of course it is.. It's that double-standard mentally. I try to make sure I ride with a skirt, but it's not always successful since Terry only made THREE skorts in 4X! I do a lot of washing, but since my crash a week ago I have to wait til my knee heals again. It previously opened in six to eight different gashes on one knee. Now it's the size of silver dollar.

Sometimes you have to use that skirt to id yourself or goober will treat you like his brother playing the VW Punch Buggy game.

I think they're just being nice because they're trying to look up my skort...

Hi all! :D

*lol* I could see how a skort would maybe catch the eyes of passing drivers especially when the clothing you're in anyway is huging you like a glove! *giggle giggle* That added bit of "flare" from the skort is just enough that it probably does make you easier to see. But I have to agree with one of the other girls on this thread that of course it would draw attention as the skort is short, so are the shorts underneath, they're tight and show every muscle and curve; especially when off the saddle! *lol* That's a prime time to take a quick look! You know how guys are; they can't resist to stare or drool! :D *lol*

I don't have a skort to ride in at all, but I still seem to get drivers attention anyway (must be the cute braided pig tails I have when I ride *giggles*). Where I'm from, it's bike central (also college kids all over the place on bikes too) and there are about the same number of cyclists on the road here as there are cars! ^^ Most of the serious cyclists here are men that you see, a few women mixed into the bunch every now and then. When I get out on the road, I never seem to have any problem with stupid cars (did once but that's another story) and 98-99% of them are very curtious as there's so many of us cyclists out on the road. The traffic is just used to seeing us.

I still get nurvous every now and then (mostly when riding close to or in rush hour traffic-I know worse time to be out :p *he he*) because I know I weigh nothing in comparison to a car, truck or passing semi! *lol* But at least the traffic is really fairly sensable around here. :) Makes it safer for me and them!

Nice to meet you all! :D


~Liz ;)

Pink makes a diff too. I noted the difference with skirts/colors too. In the winter my bf likes to borrow one of my hot pink coats to ride in the city in. It really does get more distance out of cars. We havent decided in that case if its chick-respect or gay-phobia ;) Either way, it keeps the bike rubberside down and the cars at bay.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sarahfixit

Pink makes a diff too. I noted the difference with skirts/colors too. In the winter my bf likes to borrow one of my hot pink coats to ride in the city in. It really does get more distance out of cars. We havent decided in that case if its chick-respect or gay-phobia ;) Either way, it keeps the bike rubberside down and the cars at bay.

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I don't know if others have noticed this or if this is just me, but I've got I suppose you could say, a theroy that kinda makes sence where the bright colors are concerned. I notice that when I'm in the car either driving or riding on the passenger's side, that when coming upon a cyclist that's wearing a bright neon color, I have an easier time judging depth perception as to where the rider actually is; it really seems to accentuate the actualy distance between you and them because of the bright color. Your eyes just seem to pick up the distance properly, thus being able to give them a better birth when going around them; you can see clearly! :D

Now when I come across a rider that's in maybe pastels or dark colors or earth tones or something that easily blends into the background, I notice that it throws off my sense of depth perception and it's not as clear to see just how close I am to the rider (again, whether driveing or in the passenger's seat [and I always give my fellow riders a wide birth ;)]). Often, it's harder to see just how close I am to a rider and don't realize just how close I am til I'm right next to them. The lack of bright colors seems to relax your eyes as the bland colors just seem to blend into the suroundings of everything and even against the color of the sky.

Now I don't know if I said all that right but I tried and if any of you gals no what I am trying to say, then you're just awesome! ;) But anyway, doesn't it kinda make sense where the bright colors are concerned that they seem to take all question of doubt out of depth perception and leave everything in a "clear" (much easier to see) light? :) It makes sense to me...though then again, I'm just wierd sometimes! *he he* :cool:


~Liz :eek: :D