Dapper Dandies on Bikes Get Wider Berths from Drivers

What's the attitude toward douchebags with facial piercings, wearing extra-small novelty t-shirts, skinny jean shorts and eastern bloc military hats while riding fixies with anchor chain bike locks and messenger bags over each shoulder?

personally, i only hit the side mirrors off of SUVs and minivans with my u-lock.... i guess it is all about perception!

There also is the possibility that the change is in the observer. It's possible that Bracket rides differently while on different types of bikes. On a Lance bike, she'll be riding faster, and will be more likely to try to keep with traffic. She may be riding a little to the left to stay a greater distance outside the door zone or to give a greater buffer to pedestrians who might step between cars without looking. On a Mary Poppins bike, she'll be riding more liesurely, and will be able to place herself in a different location on the road, farther from moving traffic. A simple change in mood might cause her to see traffic differently, for that matter. I know from personal experience, traffic seems far less threatening when I'm not trying to get someplace in a hurry. 

It probably has a lot to do with people seeing the lycra-clad bikers blaze through four way stop intersections at Mach 5.

Hah! You must be new to this debate. See, anytime anything bad happens to any biker on any street anywhere, it's invariably and entirely the fault of an incompetent driver, and has nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not the biker was riding safely, responsibly or legally. Duh.

Rosemary and Lisa, you realize that this is about perception, rather than reality, right? It isn't necessarily that people wearing "gear" are worse, it is that car drivers apparently give them less room and perceive them as being worse. Of course, this is a classic causation/correlation dilemma. Maybe people who put the resources into full bike attire *are* more likely to ride in way that drivers find reckless. Maybe people really hate seeing a dudes junk hanging around when the guy stands up to peddle. Who knows?

I understand its perception. I kind of think it might have to do with drivers thinking the people wearing the bike gear can handle themselves better so they don't need to give them a wide berth - I really hope its not them intentionally trying to run someone off the road. When I see someone trying to ride their granny bike in cowboy boots, mini skirt and a 4 foot dangling scarf, I give them a wider berth because it looks like a disaster waiting to happen. I think the upright bikes give the perception of inexperience and so people are more careful driving near them.

See, that's where we disagree. When I see someone riding a bike in a miniskirt, cowboy boots and a four foot scarf, I wonder where she's headed. She, right?

Nope, sorry. It's a he. He's very fashion forward.

DOH! Disaster waiting to happen!

Wearing your work clothing on a nice day is great, but it's not really practical when it's rainy, snowy, or insanely hot. I have the wonderful advantage of having access to a shower and locker at my work, so I prefer to commute in more sports-appropriate garb before freshening up when I arrive. I understand that some people don't have access to these facilities and therefore need to bike to in their work attire, but that doesn't somehow mean that they're more respectable than the riders who choose to be more comfortable because they are able.

Why do people wearing lycra while exercising get called "jackasses"? Seems rather rude and silly. I always assume the people in full cycling gear are either riding to or from a long ride on the lakefront or some other bike path - people got to ride on the streets to get around.