Kinda wanna know if other people have this experience. I noticed if I’m on my bog-standard boring bike on my commute, people are absolute fucking dicks with overtaking, trying to squeeze in front and such.

If I’m on my singlespeed with a messenger bag, that gets a lot better for some reason and people give me more space.

On the touring bike it’s a mixed bag, allthough it seems that both the area becoming more touristy, like rolling hillsides, or I look absolutely out of place, like in city centers, people also get nicer.

I get the feeling that it’s down to perception. Commute-bike-7bicycles is an elitist rich twat who can afford to live near work and has no obligations and such. Singlespeed-7Bicycles has a U-Lock in reach and doesn’t look afraid to use violence, like all the crazy bike messengers, touring-7bicycles in aforementioned areas is just fulfilling some sort of dream, like we all have.

Is there merit to this? What are other possible explanations?

  • 𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒏English
    10•9 months ago

    I wear athleticwear when cycling - generally the kind of stuff you’d wear for jogging or running. Not lycra-type stuff though, that has its own set of stereotypes lol.

    For me it’s boiled down to the type of bike I’m on… if I’m on an ebike, drivers tend to be "twats” with close passes, impatience, hooks, pulling out carelessly and so on. When I’m on my dutch-style upright bike, drivers are much more considerate with giving way, making wide passes etc.

    Although since 2020 I find people are driving much, much worse IMO. I would not recommend new cyclists to get out on their bike if their area doesn’t have safe and separate cycling infra to use. I’ve nearly been wiped out a few times from drivers passing with millimeters of space between me and them, and others using their phones and swerving away at the last minute. Slowing down helps to avoid some of these situations though

    • Rojo27 [he/him]English
      6•9 months ago

      Although since 2020 I find people are driving much, much worse IMO.

      Same. With the streets emptier than usual I noticed drivers were dicks more often when I was walking. And that behavior has just kind of hing around. I feel like see more people road raging too.