Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
My impression from the responses on this thread is- the negative stereotyping of "blinginess" challenged cyclists is not the product of motorists but rather that of narcissistic cyclists who choose to adapt the "Professional Cyclist Look".
I really doubt that motorists pay all that much attention to the relationship between cyclists' appearance and their social status. Same goes for expections of predictability based on a cyclist's "Professional Cyclist Look." I could be wrong but I'd pay more attention to this speculation if any of this negative stereotyping actually came from motorists rather than from the narrow slice of cyclists who prefer the "Blingy" look.
But the reactions I got were from both motorists and cyclists alike... and while certainly the motorists may not give a hoot as to the connection "between cyclists' appearance and their social status," they certainly seemed to relate to me differently than when I rode my heavy touring bike while clad in a long sleeve T shirt.
I wonder if I would get yet another reaction if I rode my beach cruiser, down the same boulevard lane, past the same parked cars, in the same right tire track, while clad in baggie swim trunks and a Hawaiian shirt.