Cycling on busy city streets can be a bit dangerous. We’ve all had occasions where motorists have come too close or completely cut us off. To combat these issues we all take precautions from adjusting our routes and using blinky lights to wearing our trademark loud lycra. Well it seems as though some enterprising folks from the other side of the pond have taken a page out of nature, using mimicry to enhance their high-visibility clothing to resemble, of all things, a police uniform, causing motorists to be a “wee bit more careful” when passing. It’s a frickin’ awesome idea…now if they only one made one to resemble a Florida Sheriff!
From the London Evening Standard
Cyclists in London are buying high-visibility clothing that looks similar to a police uniform to get motorists to give them more space and time.
The luminous yellow bibs have a blue-and-white reflective “hatched” border and are embossed with a message “POLITE notice THINK BIKE”.
But the makers admit that the word “POLITE” looks similar to “POLICE”.
Nicky Fletcher, managing director of Equisafety, said: “People who buy them are not stupid. They do look very similar. That is why they are buying them. The cyclist is not breaking the law. He is not trying to impersonate a police officer. It’s a trick of the eye but it slows the driver down.” Ms Fletcher came across the design by accident as she created safety jackets for horse riders.
She is dyslexic and wrote “polite slow down” rather than “please slow down” as she jotted down ideas on a notepad.
Now her firm, based in Wirral, Merseyside, has won a contract to supply bike firm Raleigh with its POLITE range this winter. It sells the bibs online.
Word spread among cyclists after reviews in cycling magazines and blogs, including London Cyclist.
Equisafety pressed ahead with the design after being assured by Met commander Bob Broadhurst that it was not illegal.
Ms Fletcher said: “One cyclist told us it was like a ‘force field’ around him.”
Luckily we were not in need of any “Polite” jerseys on today’s ride. Just an easy 40 miler with some good friends to stretch out some tired legs…funny, it seems as though we are all getting caught up in running.
Thursday, April 11
Route: Coconut-40
Ride Time: 2:18:45
Stopped Time: 1:32:43
Distance: 39.16 miles
Average: 16.93 mph
Fastest Speed: 24.87 mph
Calories: 1971
Cycle This Month: 98.08 miles
Cycle This Year: 1804.69 miles
The Rubber Side Down 
like!
Can I just say that the designs that are being supplied to Raleigh are new, and not the design shown here.
What do those look like?
Still very edgy but are tailored more to cyclists needs. Raleigh have played a huge part in their design and as soon as the photo shoot has taken place the images will be out there. So watch this space as they say.
Plus the company can design products for any company – so bear us in mind!!
That’s great! We will be watching.