Different Strokes For Different Yokes

I'm commuting on a Brompton now.

Rather than judging me, however, or showering me with your anti-folder scorn, perhaps you could share some constructive opinions on the issue of bicycle subcategory-specific behaviours.

I'm convinced that some drivers act differently around me when I'm on the Brompton, compared to my old fixed hack mtb. The old bike had a rack at the rear, possibly contributing to a perception of greater width; the Brompton has 16" wheels, possibly contributing to a perception of lesser somethingorother.

Either way, I'm being given less room by aggressive pricks.

My instinct, based on a few weeks' experience, has been to leave less time between signalling and manoeuvring (after the initial look behind). Where before drivers would ease off after my signal e.g. to move around a parked car, now they seem to rush the gap.

Previously my line might have been:

(signal) ______------~~~~~~'''''''''''' (object I'm passing here)

Now I'm doing:

(signal)_____/'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' (object I'm passing here)

Has anyone else noticed overtly different treatment from AggressivePrickDrivers depending on what type of bicycle they're riding?

Are you travelling slower?

Are you travelling slower?

i doubt it.

:)

I'd say I'm travelling a little faster on the whole. My hack bike was geared at 60", whereas the cruising gear on the 2-speed brompton is 68". So I'm generally ambling around at ~18mph rather than ~16mph.

I don't think I have ever heard this discussed before. So, no idea.

I'll link to here from the 'Brompton Rider Outed' thread…

When I saw you on Goswell recently you looked vulnerable,a little smaller and easier to knock off.I was even tempted myself,maybe this has something to do with it?
Ride safe(ly).

hmmm. hard to say. loaded my brompton up heavy tonight (2 bags cat litter on rear rack), and got lot's of room from drivers, including a bus driver who refused a gap I offered!

yesterday on big bike nearly lost my elbow to white van man.

all anecdotal, hard to prove either way without getting Mr Goldacre and co to help out.

I think people (drivers and other cyclists) expect folk on Bromptons to be going slow, and they drive/ride accordingly.

Which seems, for some reason, to mean giving you little room to maneuver (perhaps they fear getting stuck behind you like with a learner driver??). Makes no sense, but them's the breaks.

I shiver when I think what it must be like on a Boris Bike.

At least you can fold your bike up to assault them with it. Every tried inserting a TT bike into someone's head?

I would say you are more likely to be treated like a cunt, and ride like a twat, when on a fixed gear or SS.

Drivers aren't looking at your gear choice.

I would say you are more likely to be treated like a cunt, and ride like a twat, when on a fixed gear or SS.

That's because your having more fun though.

People hate that.

It's all in your mind. If you are little insecure about a different bike, your insecurity causes you to ride less confidently and you get poorer co-operation from drivers. Then your unconfidence affects how you to interpret driver behavior and there you are! To break the spell you just have to ride 15% more assertively.

Maybe because people on a Brompton look like more fashion victim pricks respect to the other riders, which makes them look like more appetible preys to aggressive motorized pricks.

But I'm not sure :/

Maybe also being lower to the ground, the cars appear more menacing or it could be that there's more fuckwits about now the sun's out. Seems that way for me (bikes and cars).

I was on a cycle hire bike the other day and a black cab passed me with >2mm gap.

On a slightly different matter I am sure women get more abuse from drivers generally cause they know they will get away with it and it isn't going to end up in a fully blown road rage punch on.

There was a guy who did a study of how close drivers passed with helmet or without and even wore a wig to look like a chick. Chicks get more room than dudes.

There was a guy who did a study of how close drivers passed with helmet or without and even wore a wig to look like a chick. Chicks get more room than dudes.

granted. but that was a dude dressed as a chick... so maybe that's the take home message.

Im pretty sure drivers are more impatient when im on my BMX as opposed to my polo bike, which is silly as the BMX actually has a much higher gear than my polo bike, but i suppose all they see is someone riding a "toy" on the road and thus they feel they act accordingly. dicks.

When there are dudes dressed as chicks it's best not to take anything home.

I honestly haven't noticed any difference between the space I get on the fixed and the brompton.
However I do find that because the front end is a little twitchier than a regular bike, I don't always signal for the same length of time as I would on the fixed, as I'm more wary of hitting a pothole or something similar that would be potentially more detrimental than if I hit one on the regular bike.

It's true, same shit happens when I use the brompton too. Smaller bike = drivers gauge them not as fast to them. Especially pulling out of Left side roads.

I get that but it's thanks to my awesome power and nonchalant appearance.

Now I'd love to have a ride with a brompton only for the pleasure of testing.