Originally Posted by
RoadHolland
Why are bicyclists being told they need to ride these clothes when motorcyclists have been enjoying their denim and leather for decades?
The argument doesn't stack up. There is a vast disparity in the speeds of a bicycle and a motor vehicle on open highways (less so in some urban setting). Therefore motor vehicles, including motor cycles, will be overtaking bicycles in almost every encounter.
Motorcycles generally can travel as fast as cars and trucks. Therefore, they are able to position themselves on the road differently, and overtaking motorcycles by cars and trucks is less.
The issue for motorcyclists is the very fact they can position themselves on the road differently, as well as their comparable speed -- they can appear within a split second in a rear vision mirror, or can be between vehicles and cannot be seen until a passing vehicle draws level.
There was an essay written a decade or more ago about bicyclists riding BIG -- using devices such as panniers -- so the presence of the bike was increased in the eyes of drivers. For those interested, it might be worth using a search engine to see if it still exists.