Why, when cycling garb is already awash with gaiety, do some people feel that cyclists should further embellish themselves with High Visibility vests?

What was the reasoning behind that one – they’ve already made us wear hard-hats so obviously Hi Vis gear is the next step..?

Interesting logic, but have we considered the practicality of such a move? High Visibility vests are clumsy, awkward, stiff and horrible. Traditional bike clothing is sleek, smooth, fitting and as previously mentioned, it’s already frightfully convivial.

It doesn’t require a great deal of perspicacity to identify the group behind this Hi Vis craze either, and you can be damn sure they’ve never ridden a bicycle for more than a few hundred metres at a time.

In fact, I’m seriously querying the prospect that this is a visibility issue at all. Seems to me it’s just another example of anti-cyclist propaganda – another way for the ignorant motorists of the nation to throw an additional handful of spite our way. Reminiscent of homophobia, you only hate so much because you want to join us so bad…

Come on, leave it alone, you know we look good as is – perhaps you’re just bitter because you can’t find a cycling shirt big enough to stretch over that beer gut..?

Article by Tim Walker

Edited by B Gotti

Photography by Fleur O Vust