Help remembering, please - "width" - Page 2 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

06-20-2004, 07:52 AM

Found it!

Article:
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Discussion:
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"Denver C. Fox" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com...
> Sometime back there was discussion regarding the perception of automobile
> drivers of objects in the roadway, with some research indicating that
motorists
> subconsciouly are looking for width as an identifier, meaning that
bicycles,
> which are narrow and tall are at a disadvantage, no matter how many rear
> flashers or bright clothes worn.
>
> Does anyone remember this? I have searched the archives through the
Google
> groups search engine, to no avail. Don't even know the proper search
terms -
> have tried "width," "perception," etc., with no luck. I would like to
read the
> research.
>
> Thanks
>
>
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
> (Colorado rental condo)
>
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
> (Family Web Page)
>

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06-20-2004, 09:35 AM

"Denver C. Fox" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com...
> Sometime back there was discussion regarding the perception of
automobile
> drivers of objects in the roadway,

Well, I don't have research of my own, but my theory is that if you
look like an object necessary to take account of as part of the
driving task, then you are taken account of. It's best, therefore,
to look like an-object-possibly-in-the-driver's-way.

In the cited article, basketball passes were relevant, gorillas were
irrelevant. Thus the watchers noticed basketballs, not gorillas,
even though gorillas are a lot wider than a basketball. If anything,
the article proves that width does not matter at all.

Folk wisdom among cyclists seems to agree with me. The usual rules
are that drivers will give you an amount of room equal to the room
that you give the curb, or else they say ride in the left (in the
USA)
tire track of the general traffic.

Worst, I think, is to get yourself defined as an object that can be
ignored. That's why I hate bike lanes.

Jeremy Parker

06-20-2004, 09:35 AM

"Denver C. Fox" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com...
> Sometime back there was discussion regarding the perception of
automobile
> drivers of objects in the roadway,

Well, I don't have research of my own, but my theory is that if you
look like an object necessary to take account of as part of the
driving task, then you are taken account of. It's best, therefore,
to look like an-object-possibly-in-the-driver's-way.

In the cited article, basketball passes were relevant, gorillas were
irrelevant. Thus the watchers noticed basketballs, not gorillas,
even though gorillas are a lot wider than a basketball. If anything,
the article proves that width does not matter at all.

Folk wisdom among cyclists seems to agree with me. The usual rules
are that drivers will give you an amount of room equal to the room
that you give the curb, or else they say ride in the left (in the
USA)
tire track of the general traffic.

Worst, I think, is to get yourself defined as an object that can be
ignored. That's why I hate bike lanes.

Jeremy Parker

06-20-2004, 09:35 AM

"Denver C. Fox" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com...
> Sometime back there was discussion regarding the perception of
automobile
> drivers of objects in the roadway,

Well, I don't have research of my own, but my theory is that if you
look like an object necessary to take account of as part of the
driving task, then you are taken account of. It's best, therefore,
to look like an-object-possibly-in-the-driver's-way.

In the cited article, basketball passes were relevant, gorillas were
irrelevant. Thus the watchers noticed basketballs, not gorillas,
even though gorillas are a lot wider than a basketball. If anything,
the article proves that width does not matter at all.

Folk wisdom among cyclists seems to agree with me. The usual rules
are that drivers will give you an amount of room equal to the room
that you give the curb, or else they say ride in the left (in the
USA)
tire track of the general traffic.

Worst, I think, is to get yourself defined as an object that can be
ignored. That's why I hate bike lanes.

Jeremy Parker

06-20-2004, 09:35 AM

"Denver C. Fox" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com...
> Sometime back there was discussion regarding the perception of
automobile
> drivers of objects in the roadway,

Well, I don't have research of my own, but my theory is that if you
look like an object necessary to take account of as part of the
driving task, then you are taken account of. It's best, therefore,
to look like an-object-possibly-in-the-driver's-way.

In the cited article, basketball passes were relevant, gorillas were
irrelevant. Thus the watchers noticed basketballs, not gorillas,
even though gorillas are a lot wider than a basketball. If anything,
the article proves that width does not matter at all.

Folk wisdom among cyclists seems to agree with me. The usual rules
are that drivers will give you an amount of room equal to the room
that you give the curb, or else they say ride in the left (in the
USA)
tire track of the general traffic.

Worst, I think, is to get yourself defined as an object that can be
ignored. That's why I hate bike lanes.

Jeremy Parker

06-20-2004, 09:35 AM

"Denver C. Fox" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com...
> Sometime back there was discussion regarding the perception of
automobile
> drivers of objects in the roadway,

Well, I don't have research of my own, but my theory is that if you
look like an object necessary to take account of as part of the
driving task, then you are taken account of. It's best, therefore,
to look like an-object-possibly-in-the-driver's-way.

In the cited article, basketball passes were relevant, gorillas were
irrelevant. Thus the watchers noticed basketballs, not gorillas,
even though gorillas are a lot wider than a basketball. If anything,
the article proves that width does not matter at all.

Folk wisdom among cyclists seems to agree with me. The usual rules
are that drivers will give you an amount of room equal to the room
that you give the curb, or else they say ride in the left (in the
USA)
tire track of the general traffic.

Worst, I think, is to get yourself defined as an object that can be
ignored. That's why I hate bike lanes.

Jeremy Parker

06-20-2004, 02:11 PM

>Found it!
>
>Article:
>
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
F0000&pageNumber=1
>
>Discussion:
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

Thanks - that is the one!

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
(Colorado rental condo)

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
(Family Web Page)

06-20-2004, 02:11 PM

>Found it!
>
>Article:
>
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
F0000&pageNumber=1
>
>Discussion:
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

Thanks - that is the one!

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
(Colorado rental condo)

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
(Family Web Page)

06-20-2004, 02:11 PM

>Found it!
>
>Article:
>
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
F0000&pageNumber=1
>
>Discussion:
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

Thanks - that is the one!

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
(Colorado rental condo)

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
(Family Web Page)

06-20-2004, 02:11 PM

>Found it!
>
>Article:
>
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
F0000&pageNumber=1
>
>Discussion:
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

Thanks - that is the one!

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
(Colorado rental condo)

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
(Family Web Page)