Do you find you get more 'aggro' from people, when in Lycra /FPK, than when in 'normal' clothes

[Lemond]

Happy to say I don't get any aggro here in sunny Suffolk.

 

[nickyboy]

No aggro here in the beautiful Peak District

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I get beeped at when I try to follow the Cyclecraft rules: that's because I'm too slow to pull it off

 

[Accy cyclist]

I only wear cycling gear when i'm on a bike so i wouldn't know.

 

[jarlrmai]

Aggro in my opinion is dependent on 2 factors in varying degrees, the road circumstance and the level of nobber in the vehicle who is slightly disadvantaged (usually only a perceived disadvantage, MGIF etc) by those conditions.

When I'm out for a spin on road bike in my lyrca I tend to be choosing routes based on them having light traffic and long sections with no junctions etc. On my commute on my hybrid with my work clothes on I'm in rush hour traffic and just picking the quickest routes to work.

 

[Mo1959]

Sometimes I think drivers are more careful around cyclists in casual gear that they presume may be less experienced and more inclined to wobble so I think there is something in your theory.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I do more miles in ordinary clothes than cycle clothes and It doesn't matter what I wear, I very rarely get any ggro.

 

[Tin Pot]

Never get aggro

 

[bladesman73]

[QU

I'm not a team kit tosser, but lycra emphasises my physique which seems to put people off from having a pop.

o, post: 3766881, member: 22751"]I'm not a team kit tosser, but lycra emphasises my physique which seems to put people off from having a pop.[/QUOTE]
This exactly! Its when they cant see the muscles that i get crap!

 

[Globalti]

What is this aggro that people seem to suffer? Seriously, in thousands of miles riding here in the Ribble Valley and Bowland Fells I can't remember a single instance of aggro from a driver, only patience and courtesy. The only time I've seen aggro has been when I've been in a group and drivers have been blocked and cyclists have been aggressive towards the driver. This is why I don't ride with a club.

It's clear to me: ride with courtesy and keep an eye and an ear open and when a vehicle comes up behind you, single out and let them past, giving them a wave of appreciation if they've waited patiently for more than a few seconds. You'd do the same if you were riding a pony and trap or a tractor and possibly hindering faster-moving traffic, wouldn't you?

 

[jarlrmai]

Your "I look really hard so I don't get crap" spiel is not that helpful to be honest.

It's a genuine problem for a lot of cyclists.

 

[Andrew_P]

Come and ride around Croydon and Surrey Sussex borders in peak rush hour to see some decent amount of aggro, usually unprovoked and usually for just being there.

 

[Globalti]

But why? Is there any truth in the idea that the way you ride and the way you look makes you more or less vulnerable to abuse?

I believe it's possible because drivers evaulate the threat to their road space by the look of their competition; it's why we used to find that when we drove an old Land Rover we seemed to become invisible as other drivers didin't view us as a potential competitor.

 

[martint235]

Rarely wear normal clothes for cycling. SWMBO has in the past commented that my Road Tax jersey and my Bloody Cyclist jersey are deliberately antagonistic but they don't seem to have any effect on the amount of grief I get on the road.

 

[nickyboy]

What is this aggro that people seem to suffer? Seriously, in thousands of miles riding here in the Ribble Valley and Bowland Fells I can't remember a single instance of aggro from a driver, only patience and courtesy. The only time I've seen aggro has been when I've been in a group and drivers have been blocked and cyclists have been aggressive towards the driver. This is why I don't ride with a club.

It's clear to me: ride with courtesy and keep an eye and an ear open and when a vehicle comes up behind you, single out and let them past, giving them a wave of appreciation if they've waited patiently for more than a few seconds. You'd do the same if you were riding a pony and trap or a tractor and possibly hindering faster-moving traffic, wouldn't you?

This is exactly my experience. Never....and I mean never get aggro on my rides. Peak District and Cheshire Plains. But then I also keep an ear out and if I'm holding someone up I'll give them a quick glance to let them know I've seen them, make sure I'm well to the left of the road and if I've held them up at all, give them a wave of thanks when they pass me. I'll also try to put a bit of a sprint on if I'm holding them up (not that my sprint counts for much)

Maybe the issue is I don't ride in towns in rush hour so don't encounter commuters in a rush. Or maybe it's because I don't ride my bike in a confrontational way, I don't know