Defensive Riding

I'm not sure about bikes being the more modern form of transport. Cars are radically different to carriages, whereas bicycles are pretty much the same as they were 100 years ago. Still it made me laugh.

I was talking about the basic concept of an enclosed vehicle compared to an open one.

I rode the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on the 2nd November. It was really fascinating that despite the fact that the old vehicles were all open to the elements, it was actually much harder to interact with the people in them than with the guys on motorcycle-like contraptions, even if it was a non-enclosed motorised quadricycle (and this was on a run where everyone was very friendly and there was a great atmosphere). The difference was made by the carriage body. In this respect, contemporary cars are even worse.

I'll leave it to the techies to contest your point that 'bicycles are pretty much the same as they were 100 years ago'.

We do sometimes need vehicles enclosed with a carriage body (e.g. for carrying large loads), but not most of the time.

I don't see what is wrong with calling it defensive riding. Assertiveness is a part of it, but we all know the best defence is a good offence.

Talk of 'defensive riding' comes from Cyclists' Inferiority Syndrome [(c) London School of Cycling]. Act as if you're on the defensive all the time and you're much more likely to be victimised.

Why would anyone want to be offensive while riding?