Girly girl skorts make you less of a moving target

[janicehouston]

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

[cathleen]

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!

[janicehouston]

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.

[annie]

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!
People wave when they go by. It's really pretty nice!

annie

[Kay]

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....

[Veronica]

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

And when I wear bright red lipstick.

V.

[Bike2Work4Me]

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.

[pazerkat]

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???

[Bikechic]

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!

[Trek420]

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?

[Geonz]

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 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 :-)

[ladiebug]

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.

[Trek420]

too bad there was no bike trap nearby

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

[JesTutripup]

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.

[nuthatch]

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