Orange vest reduces harrassment

[Kimmyt]

Maybe they just think you're, erm, special?? I agree though, I generally feel like I have less incidents when I wear my fluorescent yellow jacket, but usually it's too dang hot to wear it. I'll have to find a sleeveless atrocity to wear now.

My stepbrother used to take classes in Temple, which is located in a pretty bad part of Philly, and when he had to take the train home at night he would wear one of those propeller hats, thinking that if the attackers thought he was handicapped that they wouldn't mug him. He never got mugged, so guess it worked??

K.

[7rider]

I like to wear bright, attention-getting colors to be better noticed on the roads. LisaSH - when someone in your village says "I saw you from a mile away", do you reply, "Why thank you. That was the intent."??
Last year, Terry had a really obnoxious "Yellow lava" print for their jerseys - I see they still have a mesh tank in their sale section - that I wanted to get (but didn't) for it's shock factor. But then, I worried...would it make drivers sooooo woozy, that they's lose control of their car and swerve into me??

[bikerHen]

I just bought a screaming neon yellow sleeveless jersey at TE. It's Terry's Breakaway Jersey with mesh side panels. Perfect for summer riding! And when the sun hits you drivers would have to be blind to miss you. bikerHen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My very favorite brand of screaming neon yellow stuff is Brooks' "NightLife" line. So bright it hurts the eyes. Terry bikes carries some of them, but one can sometimes find the pieces a bit cheaper or on sale at other online places like Holabird Sports and Footlocker.
In the hot summer, i wear their mesh breezy t's (I actually cut the sleeves off!) and their razor-back tank with built-in bra.
I'm a big NightLife fan.

[Dianyla]

I'm very fond of the PI Whisper Vest. I just throw it over whatever bike clothes I'm already wearing*, it adds very little warmth or weight. The mesh back is very breezy, and when it's really hot out I just wear unzipped most of the way. Today while sweating up a hill I was thinking that I might even dare to wear it over a sportsbra if it was unbearably hot.


*I just hate yellow as a color, personally, so being able to wear whatever I want underneath really makes a difference with me, mentally. I know, silly.

[Trek420]

Non scientific study in random order of things that seem to reduce harassment:

red white and blue anything, I have one red white and blue jersey (rails to trails) and it seems to help.

riding my mountain bike to work as opposed to road bike

I'm told that skorts help. I don't have any skorts

[Eden]

I kind of like the jerseys that say Police in really big letters - and support your local.... in really small ones. You want to bet me that wearers of those jerseys get less harrasment.

My team kit has big easy eye green (that flourescent yellow/green color) stripes on it and though its not the whole shirt or shorts, I know from experience that I can spot my teammates a mile away because of it. I don't find that drivers are any nicer... just gives them a better target to aim at...

traveling somewhat behind a guy the other day I did notice that cars were much more willing to pass me very close than they were him - do they think that I won't leave a very big dent or something (and no I don't ride in the gutter casue I don't like to encourage people to pass that close - I did have the TT bike out and I wonder if that made me look smaller and easier to pass)

[HappyAnika]

red white and blue anything, I have one red white and blue jersey (rails to trails) and it seems to help.

I was wondering about that as I saw a guy this morning wearing a jersey that more or less looked like the American flag.

[anaphase]

I'm very fond of the PI Whisper Vest. I just throw it over whatever bike clothes I'm already wearing*, it adds very little warmth or weight. The mesh back is very breezy, and when it's really hot out I just wear unzipped most of the way. Today while sweating up a hill I was thinking that I might even dare to wear it over a sportsbra if it was unbearably hot.

I have the PI Whisper Jacket (from TE) and it is awesome for being seen... and looking like a huge dork. A huge dork who uses hand signals, no less.

Better dorky than dead, I say.

[Dianyla]

Somewhere there is a picture of me riding a tall bike (six feet tall at the handlebars) in a kilt. Probably with a beer in my hand.

Erm, photo please?

I have the PI Whisper Jacket (from TE) and it is awesome for being seen... and looking like a huge dork. A huge dork who uses hand signals, no less.

Heh, I just finally picked up the Whisper jacket last week. It started getting a little too brisk for the Whisper vest, but not quite wet/cold enough for my rainjacket.

[Velobambina]

...
Last year, Terry had a really obnoxious "Yellow lava" print for their jerseys - I see they still have a mesh tank in their sale section - that I wanted to get (but didn't) for it's shock factor. But then, I worried...would it make drivers sooooo woozy, that they's lose control of their car and swerve into me??

LOL, I got thatyellow/orange one in the sleeveless version (also got the green/blue one--it's a bit more placid but is still bright).

[Melalvai]

Maybe they just think you're, erm, special??

My brother said the road vest + bike helmet made him think "special" too!
Funny how "special" is now a fashion statement and a way to protect ourselves!

[Laterider21958]

A local discount store has some awfully bright yellow or green (can't actually really tell you the colour - need sunnies to look at it) thin polo fleece shapeless jumpers on sale at the moment. I looked at them, noting how dreadful they were, but I may go back and get one. I'm handy on the sewing machine. Perhaps I could tailor it a bit, tweak it a bit, and add a bit of black tape for a contrast (my attempt at making it a bit more stylish) and then, possibly then, wear it on my next ride. You have given me courage. The first ride will be the worst. I'd rather be alive than the alternative.

[Crankin]

I don't know, I haven't found that color makes any difference in the way I am treated. I haven't been yelled at for many years, but I do notice that when I ride my Voodoo (a bright yellow hard tail with lights, a rack, and pannier) around town, I get treated a bit more politely by motorists in that they might stop and let me go first in certain situations. Usually I am wearing slightly different clothing, too; like a skort or terry Spinnakers, mtb shorts instead of regular cycling shorts. I think it's that we look more like "regular" people to motorists when we are not in full roadie gear, but honestly, I don't care what they think. I commuted on my road bike and I didn't notice any difference in the treatment I got during commutes than when i just go out on a "ride."

[KnottedYet]

Yeah, panniers seem to make a difference,too.

Maybe when drivers see you loaded down with a pannier they trust that you will be holding your line and not hopping curbs or splitting traffic. You're haulin' that luggage on your rack, so you won't be likely to do any circus tricks!

When I'm driving and see someone who is clearly a commuter, I feel safer about their potential riding behaviour. Like I can trust them to behave like a vehicle, cuz they look more serious?