Does appearance matter?
 

I just finished a ride similar to one I did about a month ago... there was a surprising difference. Many of the drivers were far friendlier. Even had one driver of a huge jacked up pickup truck give me a nod and a wave. Other cyclists were also more friendlier, I noticed a lot more waves.

The last ride was also on a Saturday, about 2 hours later in the day, and the traffic was just a bit heavier.

So what was the difference... Appearance wise I was riding my drop bar thin tire bike "racing bike" and a new jersey. I was only going about 2-3MPH faster than my other bike.

My other bike, that I used earlier, is a flat bar fat tire touring "truck." When I rode my "truck" I was wearing an orange longsleeve cotton T shirt, and one of those bright yellow vests.

There was one other slight difference... my flat bar bike has a mirror, my drop bar bike does not have a mirror... but certainly most of the motorists I dealt with were not behind me... thus it was not as if in looking back I got these reactions.

Now this is not to say that all motorists were wonderful... some still passed way too close. But the positive reactions far outweighed the negative.

So is it possible that wearing a bright jersey (I have always worn lycra shorts... just so comfortable) and being on a dropbar "racing bike" presents a more "professional" image, one that motorists can more relate to?

The thing might be more "respect" than "relate to." There's no question a guy purposefully riding a racing bike with full kit might be taken for a racer out training for a competition, and that a guy wearing a reflective vest on a street bike could be going from the local homeless shelter to a job interview. Everyone loves a winner. If you look like a winner, you get respect.

Nonetheless, no matter what bike you're on, if you ride respecting the other traffic on the road, generally it will be repaid many times over. This has gotten truer over the years, as cycling grows in popularity and is seen by more and more people, even those who don't ride, as healthful and ecologically responsible.

That's part of the reason I wear an orange safety vest--since so few novices wear one, it inidicates that the rider is experienced and, therefore, predictable. Predictability (and the perception of predictability) is a key factor in riding in traffic. How you dress and the bike you ride affect how drivers perceive you, and therefore how you are treated.

Prior to getting interested in "serious cycling", I as a motorist often delt with wild eyed college kids running x-mart bikes in all directions with a total disregard for traffic laws and road courtesy. I believed that when I saw a cyclist in "colors" on a good bike behaving responsibly I acted better than otherwise.

Anectdotal to be sure but the more professional appearance of the cyclist did up my respect and courtesy quotient.

Anyone who looks like they 'know what they are doing' tends to get treated better by me, just because they are more predictable. I'm more convinced that they understand traffic and are used to what is going on, and aren't going to be making any erratic moves. Full road kit would let me know this, but anyone with the subtle touches of a regular cyclist will clue me in, like a crisply rolled pant leg, dirty messenger bag (clean ones don't count), dirty cycling gloves, clipless pedals, panniers, vests, helmet mirrors, etc.

If someone is wearing 100% street clothing with no slight modifications for cycling, and has a bike that looks way to clean for its own good, I assume that they aren't regular cyclists and are liable to do crazy or dangerous things. A generalization, I know, and not always true, but its all I've got when I have to formulate a plan of action based on a 1/2 second glance.

peace,
sam

I think--dress for your own comfort and sense of style and don't worry about what others think. I don't care if strangers "respect" me--just my friends.

No connection, man. It's just chaos theory at work. It's the way of the universe.

Don't take my word for it. Just look out the window.

Roll with the bad; roll with the good. Just make sure you keep rolling.

[place manic smiley emoticon here]

Well my riding style didn't change at all... still VC and using bike lanes when available and safe.

But the vest is typical of the local road workers here and what I have worn for several years... The "kit" is something new... just happened to like the Primal Wear brand stuff and it does not "advertise" any particular bike brand... so I got one. Not as easy to clean as the long sleeve bright orange cotton T I usually wear... But it does have quite a bit more style.

Funny you mentioned all the dirty stuff... yup, exactly what I had been riding with (past tense). Well worn bike, clipless pedals, mirror, dirty panniers... used gloves etc, lighting systems galore.

What I rode today looks spanking new... it is my road bike from the 80's and I just rebuilt it about 3-4 weeks ago... put on clinchers vice the sew-ups I did have on there, and I cleaned the thing up to look like it just came off the showroom. Even waxed it (makes it go so much faster... :D ). (as an aside, searching for anything about it on the net only brings up "vintage bikes.")

Now of course your "gets treated better by me" is the opinion of a fellow cyclist. The fact that the motorists seemed to "treat me better" surprised me.

Damn... thought I was on to something there... Guess the only true test is to try again on the other bike in a cotton T shirt. Keep running the experiment and take data... then normalize and compile... Naaaaa too much work. :D

Perhaps you would get less positive generalizations about the "professional appearance" about those cyclists who wear the Enthusiast uniform and use "racy look" equipment to get around town if you received answers from motorists and/or cyclists that don't dress that way.

You might also get less positive expectations and generalizations about "predictability" of the cyclists who endorse/adapt the so-called professional "look" of the racer.

In fact I wouldn't be surprised if you received a hint of far less positive stereotyping (and maybe even a little hostility) from those who draw instant conclusions from the sight of spandex, shaved legs, bent over racing positions, and the other idiosyncrasies of the "professional cyclist" look.

I do think there's a huge social-class component to all of this. The scruffy biker could indeed be a guy who lost his license and is on his way to a job interview at the local homeless outreach. The guy (or gal) wearing all the "team kit" on a spiffy bike implies a much higher rung on our class ladder - a house oops I mean a "home", with a Volvo or SUV parked in the driveway, perhaps the rider is a doctor or a lawyer, etc. So they get treated better, except perhaps by the guy who is driving a beater car/truck, and who just lost his job due to some %$ "yuppie" lawyer! Class conflict on the roadways!

Here in Si valley we have everything, from recent immigrants on bikes because they have nothing else, other poor folks getting around on bikes for the same reason, folks out up to no good skanking around on bikes at night, good qulet way to cover a lot of miles and "case" places, to the racer boys/girls, the affluent (and no so affluent) tourers, etc. there are all social classes out on bikes. I'd say out here one is probably better off looking at least respectable, in some other areas wearing "team kit" may get you more hassles.

When driving I try to be nice to all cyclists, other drivers too, it's bad enough out there with all the "aggro" going around.

I'm waiting for Nashbar to come back out with the "Sponsored By Nobody" jersey. ;)

[QUOTE=lilHinault].....folks out up to no good skanking around on bikes at night,........QUOTE]


It is impossible to skank on a bike--i have tried many times and failed--unless you can invent some gyroscope to mount on a bike--dont try to skank on a bike.

I've noticed this too.
Even before I get up to speed, when I used to commute on a mtb with a pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt, cars would just buzz by me.
Then I started wearing a jersey and bike shorts and I got slightly more room but they still honk at me when I got in the middle of the lane, not to take the lane but just to go faster and work less in the draft.
But when I started riding my road bike with disc brakes, wearing shorts and a jersey, cars started having a lot more confidence. I didn't even have to go fast, just looking like I'll go fast was good enough for them to let me into that opening in traffic.

seriously, i experienced teh same thing although i refuse to sepnd $80 for a jersey----the shinny nike work out shirts at kohls works just as well

I saw some guys on a charity ride last year with jerseys that said "Old Guys Who Get Fat In The Winter Racing Team" Made me chuckle, especially the guy with the cigar.

I think it's the social class thing at work. Dress with a little bit of "blinginess", and people give you more respect.

The people who usually ride bikes around are zoned-out suicide teenagers, poor illegal immigrants (sorry, it's the truth), or people who have no license due to DUI.

If you dress to differentiate yourself from them, you get more respect.

Funny thing is that is what got me to buying a jersey... It wasn't even a Nike workout shirt... it was the store brand. I realized how nicely they felt in all kinds of weather and while working out... I was running in one and rode my bike in it too. So I thought I would do the jersey thing... just to see what I was missing. Bought one on sale... $40. The feel of of it is pretty cool. Cotton holds in heat and sweat (and yes, I love cotton... ) but the jersey breaths and wicks... (just like everyone always told me).

I started biking back when wool was all the rage and frankly just never could "cotton" to it. The new stuff feels great. Look for a sale.

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.

I agree. I don't think that most motorists know enough about the culture of cycling--let alone the several subcultures--to recognize the difference between the "professional" [hah!] and the schlub.

I agree, they're ignorant of the details of cycling... but human beings make assessments about gender, race, class and social standing in the blink of an eye, in milliseconds... it's just innate... and I think that if you "dress-up" like the one cycling athlete they've ever seen on TV (Lance Armstrong), then you differentiate yourself from those who are wearing street clothes.

I don't think that's RIGHT, I think all cyclists deserve to be treated with respect as vehicle operators, but there is a psychological game to be played on the road, and I think full team kit helps.

Plus, you get hooted and hollered at by pretty young females (if you're a guy and you have the kind of body that looks good in tight clothing), which is a HUGE perk as far as I'm concerned !!!

Why should motorists treat us with equal respect? Evidently there are cyclists (including some in this forum) who look down on others because of what they wear.

I suspect you may get different reactions from different motorists, regardless of your appearance. Whether you get different reactions from the same motorist based on your "appearance" is doubtful, IMO.