Guest Article: Down with the YJA
Bicycles and automobiles- can’t we all just get along? @Kah writes about this universal (do aliens have this issue also?) problem of us co-existing with humans in cars. We all drive cars too and have cursed the occasional cyclists for some good reason. Cars are our greatest threat. We can crawl away from our own bicycle crashes, thanks very much. We always lose when a car is involved. Thanks for contributing @Kah.
Yours in Cycling, Gianni
High-visibility jackets offend me. I’m not in the position to judge fashion really, and generally don’t care what other people wear, but something that tarnishes an entire mode of transport as unsafe and dorky is not okay. These garments misinform the general public that cycling is an unsafe activity (look, that cyclist looks like a lit up flare and a Christmas tree had a baby!), they make all other cyclists look like dorks.
Now, I’m not picking on genuinely introverted people, but people who are just less comfortable interacting with other vehicles on the road. As someone truly in love with spinning pedals on the road, I don’t see why there is this reticence to spend time on the road. The footpath is by far the worse option: congested with pedestrians, littered with signs, and unpredictable in its ebb and wanes.
There’s a spectrum of how happy you are with sharing the road: going from very uncomfortable to exuding quiet confidence before becoming attention-seeking and finally there is a thin line to obnoxiousness.
Uncomfortable, more introverted cyclists tend to hug the kerb, trying to stay out of everyone’s way. Every potential interaction is exaggerated; every passing car becomes a danger. Confident cyclists who are experienced know when to draw attention to their intentions, when to back off while negotiating between quickly moving cars, and how to tell the difference between a passing maneuvere that is actually dangerous and one that is not even worth commenting on. This comfort around other road users is something you can cultivate, but not one you can fake.
Attention-seeking cyclists and obnoxious cyclists tend to feel more self-entitled. “I’m a vehicle/road user too!” is the common mantra of these cyclists who don’t feel inclined to offer the same courtesy they demand to the other road users. To be fair these rolling douchenozzles tend to be the same regardless of vehicle.
My problem is, the introverts are trying to make up for their meekness with the artificial posturing afforded by the YJA. Their mistaken assumption of course is that this magical garment bestows visibility, and thus invincibility in traffic, leading some to jump to the illogical conclusion that they have automatic right of way in every circumstance by virtue of the highly visible jacket.
Magic jackets are not the answer to safer cyclists. Learning to share the road on a bicycle is the answer. Anticipation, not hindsight.
Fucking cyclists.
god, is that George Bush with his pantlegs rolled up?
Notice how the YJA’s gather together for safety. Even off the bike they congregate lest something terrible happen. Club-kit boys seem to be off to the side.
There is literally nothing I hate more than those stupid high visibility jackets and the undue air of invincibility that it gives people. Just because you are glowing doesnt mean you can blow through every red light and then get mad at cars for honking at you.
Well there it is — good article. One day we should get together in our Black jerseys, Black bibshorts, Black socks and Black helmet and shoes to go ride. Bike is Black too. I do mount a small Black SIGMA light directly on the Nobi number bracket when needed in the evening. Or even might wear a dominantly “white” jersey.
@wiscot
There ought to be a broad Yellow line painted around that designated area — STAND HERE TO BE SEEN.
A timely article and I agree completely with the view that encouraging the wearing of hi viz and up to a point, a helmet, gives the impression that cycling is unsafe. Pedal on Parliament in Edinburgh on Sunday (www.pedalonparliament.org) is encouraging 1000’s of cyclists into the city centre without cycling gear, helmets and hi viz to promote that cycling is safe and you don’t need special clothing to do it alongside seeking to improve cycling infrastructure in general.
Bang on the money with the invincible and holy attitude of the YJA and their car driving bretheren. A dash of orange to complement the black of the V kit is acceptable, no?
Other colours only exist to show just how black black is.
YJAs suck, if for no other reason than it makes you look like a douchenozzle. When I am riding, I want to be like the perfect waiter at a restaurant: never seen, but always appreciated. My sole mission on a bike is to stay the fuck out of everyones way.
Fine, fine article.
@mbarston
Red light jumping certainly isn’t the preserve of the YJA alone. Not a day goes by without me seeing numerous dickheads, ranging from besuited city types on their uprights to club riders doing it. Makes me seeth.
Gotta get me one o those! (Not).
See how they bestow the wearer with God-like strength, the guy in the middle demonstrating this by holding the entire balcony aloft so lesser mortals may take shelter from the elements beneath it…
Those things are horrible. We get them a lot here in Tucson, AZ. The fucking things are blinding when its bright as shit out(as in all the time)
It never crossed my mind to wear one. I hope it never does, cause Ill need a proper beating with mini pumps.
There’s even a few YBPCAs in that photo…
@brett
Yellow Back Pack Cover Atrocities?
…because there’s nothing worse than your YJA being obscured by something not Y.
This just in.
A man in a brown jumper stole a power bar and electrolyte drink from the feed station during today’s Critical Mass event. Witnesses say he attempted a cunning disguise by pulling his trousers up to the knee and pointing his knees outwards. Security cameras recorded this image of the guilty man.
“So, like, my Mom’s picking me up in five minutes. What time does your Mom pick you up?”
@unversio
Off topic , Is that the same NOBI number bracket you installed a while back for your GO-PRO? How is it holding up, Ive been looking for a different option rather than the bars .
On passing a group slightly more elderly yjas a few years back, my sensei told me ” if you ever get one of those jackets, you can never ride with me again”
@Russ
Nobi works well, especially during a sprint and moving up in the field to the front with a rear facing camera that has a FLASHING RED LIGHT. It locks down directly with a CroMoly stem bolt that matches the GoPro cap-nut thread and a spacer.
I never understood the love for hi-viz yellow, even prior to knowledge of The Rules when I was wearing athletic shorts, mountain shoes and had hairy legs.
@brett
thats a lot of tough talk coming from a guy wearing a lantern.
Okay, I have to admit to wearing a fluoro jersey in my dark (commuter) past. Ironically, I was wearing one when I was taken out by a car whose driver swore (and testified!) she didn’t see me. Result: fractured C1 and busted up knee. Were it not for my (ugh, yellow) helmet, it would have been my last ride. Thankfully the helmet was smashed and the jersey had to be cut off in the ER.
And here’s a question for the keepers: will the Farnese Vini/Vini Fantini kit ever be acceptable attire?
@frank
And someone currently wearing mtb shoes his his road bike.
I was just riding the very beautiful bays ride in Wellington and rounding the last corner I came across three roadies all in YJA’s. From the looks of it one was Dad taking his fledglings out for their first ride hence the over zealous concern for their safety. The effect on the beautiful coastal view was jarring – fluoro yellow not being a colour that appears in nature so I floored it past them without a backwards glance. The guy was training his kids to fear the road right from the start, and that dork gear is part of the sport. Lead by example I say
@ten B
One of my favorite jerseys is a yellow/black Vini Caldirola. Unfortunately, I was wearing it when I got off the bike at speed resulting in a broken collarbone during the STP a few years ago.
It was only scuffed slightly but I’m superstitious and will not wear it again until I can wear it and successfully complete the STP.
The meek shall inherit the earth……
or was it the Greek!
@ten B
Hell yes. If you are a pro and you are Italian. I think it kills.
@Adrian
blessed are the cheese makers.
I love articles like these as they express a problem seen all over the world. How did the YJA become ubiquitous? And why embraced by the same people? What does the lowly Wall Street Journal have to say about that, FFS?
I don’t mind the loud kit. If it makes us more visible to drivers and looks fantastic, it’s good. And the YJA does not look good. The Farnese Vini/Vini Fantini kit does, go cipher that!
I bought a YJA before being introduced to the Rules. Thankfully it still has the label on it and has never seen my back and will soon appear on ebay. The great part of this article is the notion of riding intelligently. I always ride as if the driver hasn’t seen me and pull out into the middle of my lane (first position) when it narrows or there are bollards. I use my road position to say to the driver behind, “You’re not overtaking me HERE” and then pull over to second position when the dangerous area is cleared and wave him/her through. I also hope my white helmet makes me more visible but there’s nothing you can do about drivers who aren’t looking or paying attention at all.
So totally spot on I want to find the author and shake their hand – hell I’d give them a reach-around if they asked nicely.
We have a group here which calls itself Cycle Safe and basically makes people totally afraid of cycling. In their heads it is something that can only be done on a separated bike path, with protective gear and preferably with a vehicle for support (I kid you not). You should see the angst if they ever plan an excursion onto open roads.
And yet every few weeks there are stories of bad crashes and near-accidents – because they are inexperienced and not confident riders in groups of 20-30 on a cycle path.
My own group has been giving me a hard time recently about my non-helmet preference. I said to them only yesterday that part of my reason for not wearing one was to challenge the automatic assumption that cycling needs special gear and special places to avoid danger. They were at more risk in their cars, especially in Dubai.
And the other really good observation here is about those self-entitled cyclists. Especially he ones who wear helmet cams on their commutes and post videos on You Tube about all the dangerous things that happen to them. It’s funny that most of us can go through many kilometres of cycling in relative tranquility yet these people seem to be involved in life-threatening, road-raging incidents on a weekly basis.
Fnally, on the subject of introverts, one of the few cycling jokes I know, which will make more sense if you’ve ever been with a bunch of audax, long-distance cyclists.
“How do you tell an extroverted audaxer ?”
“When he talks to you, he looks at YOUR shoes.”
What makes the wearing of a YJA even more ridiculous is when there is a decent kit on underneath. If you are going to wear a YJA teeming it with good kit does not make it a forgivable offence.
@Gianni
Whats so special about the cheese makers?
Beach Rd, Melbourne, Australia. YJA, MTB shoes, business socks, unshaven legs, non invited drafting, quick-ties looped through helmet to ward off magpies, non-cycling sunglasses, Shimano Tiagro group set on a budget priced Giant. Chapeau to you for getting out and riding but for fuck’s sake I’m not your brother in arms so don’t talk to me about it being a great morning for a ride.
@Adrian
Well, obviously, this is not meant to be taken literally. It refers to any manufacturers of dairy products.
@HeinrichHausslersHairstyle
WTF ?
@ChrisO http://www.cyclingmaven.com/bunnings-is-not-a-bike-shop/
We do have some pretty aggressive magpies here. The real solution is Rule V of course..
@snoov
I could be out of line here, but it seems to me that Rule #2 and Rule #3 don’t allow you to pawn that YJA off on someone else. I suppose you could include a note in the listing noting that it may not, under any circumstances, be used for cycling. On the other hand, you could always use it to make a kick-ass scarecrow!
@The Grande Fondue
You are fucking kidding me. There are people riding around like that – seriously ?
I’m equally gobsmacked by the idea that people have a helmet which they think is going to protect them in a crash, but they need additional countermeasures against a bird.
@ChrisO the example provided by @The Grande Fondue is a little extreme but from late winter to early summer you’ll see many a Fred with them atop their heads to try to avoid nesting magpies swooping & pecking at them as they pass. Safe to say they sit high on the Nod Snob list.
@ChrisO if you ignore the idiot on the bike & his commentary here’s an example
3rd time lucky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv4F3W1th1U
Try this
@Mikael Liddy
Weeping baby Merckx… there’s been enough posted in the last hour to justofy a UN mandate for armed intervention in Australia, known as Operation HTFU.
Starting with the vegans…
@ped
I think its something to do with that well known Levantine dairy company Cheeses of Nazareth
@the Engine
A-Merckx
Lately, I’ve been trying to be more of a “hey, at least they’re out riding” kind of guy. That is until I receive unsolicited advice on my choice of kit/ bike/ position relative to the fog line. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it always comes from someone dressed like this:
@ChrisO
I’m sending you one of these:
Coming back along the road today I passed probably 20 something folk in ones and twos, each and everyone in the YJA, but I think they were on some sort of charity ride and probably had to wear them, I guess. I hope.
@Mike_P
I ran a red light yesterday because I wasn’t heavy enough to trigger the sensor. Sat there for two light cycles and lost my patience. Other than that, its a horrible habit. Same with stop signs, though I’m inclined to not come to a complete stop but slow down a lot, look at other drivers, and continue at my turn in order to slow traffic less.
@DerHoggz
Its right up there with mirrors; a plea to control the uncontrollable – to make yourself feel safer, which is not in itself offensive. The fact that it comes at the price of all aesthetic integrity is what makes it such an unforgivable offense.
As has been mentioned, flasher lights are much more effective.
And ride defensively aggressive. Anticipate bad situations, be assertive when necessary, passive when obligatory, and fucking take the lane anytime you’re in doubt.
@frank
Plus One there. I find it strangely satisfying to follow the rules of the highway, although I am not often in towns or built up areas with lights and such, but I am aware that running lights and other ‘offenses’ can give cycling a bad name. I know of some folk who will stop at nothing in order to try nail a strava record, eejits.