Kinda wanna know if other people have this experience. I noticed if I'm on my bog-standard boring bike on my commute, people are absolute fucking dicks with overtaking, trying to squeeze in front and such.

If I'm on my singlespeed with a messenger bag, that gets a lot better for some reason and people give me more space.

On the touring bike it's a mixed bag, allthough it seems that both the area becoming more touristy, like rolling hillsides, or I look absolutely out of place, like in city centers, people also get nicer.

I get the feeling that it's down to perception. Commute-bike-7bicycles is an elitist rich twat who can afford to live near work and has no obligations and such. Singlespeed-7Bicycles has a U-Lock in reach and doesn't look afraid to use violence, like all the crazy bike messengers, touring-7bicycles in aforementioned areas is just fulfilling some sort of dream, like we all have.

Is there merit to this? What are other possible explanations?

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[–] john_browns_beard@hexbear.net 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I only have one eMTB (DIY with a cargo rack and big pannier bags), but I think generally the larger your bike appears, the more carefully people will drive around you and it's entirely subconscious. They associate the bike being larger with it being less maneuverable and also more damaging if they get in an accident with you.