The Color of Your Jacket

[101stpathfinder]

On a recent ride I had been riding from Key West and refueled at a truck stop near St. Louis.

I was in the mens room taking a bladder break when I was approached by a man who started

muttering some nonsense about me wearing "Blue". I overheard him say "We can change that

to red" He kept stammering some bull about "Blue" and "Who was I" and "Changing Red". I passed

him off as a crazy punk who posed no threat. But I kept noticing He kept using the word "We". So

I finished up and walked out to my BLUE '05. I rode away without any further problems.

Now down the road I reached my "Pull over and rest stage" and so I kept looking for a rest stop.

I ended up settling on a weigh station. As I laid there resting, the truck stop sceene played through

my mind.

On my rides I often sleep "Iron Butt Motels". Picnic tables at rest stops are my preferred method.

Sometimes however, I make due with parking lots, churches... In Toronto last year on another ride

it was a parking lot and I was involved in a little more serious threat. The problem... My BLUE riding

coat. Sounds stupid right? Well stupid or not, St. Louis (My second incident) has made me aware of

"Colors".

My next riding jacket will be Gray or silver or high vis... but not RED or BLUE. :angry:

 

[beemerdons]

Tony Bro', my riding jacket is Black just like my Women!

 

[Fred W]

That's pretty weird. :huh:

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I was going to go silver/grey when I bought my Cycleport gear to match my silver '04. Wayne suggested I go with black and the high-vis strip (which I was already planning on adding to the silver jacket). The problem is that if you go with the same color jacket as the bike you tend to "fade out" in daylight in a drivers vision. The black with yellow stripe makes you a high contrast object.

See how I "pop out" compared to my riding buddies?

 

[Fred W]

You'd stand out in any crowd, Scott!

I have a HiViz Fieldsheer Quattro that has the opposite color pattern from your Cycleport. It's mostly HiViz with some black stripes in it to make the contrast. Here I am a few weeks ago, somewhere along the Puppy Dog Route in Vermont (I'm on the right without my helmet on):

I've been wearing it (in cooler weather) for the past few of years. I like it a lot because it is so bright and makes me more visible. I also like that it is a lighter color and so doesn't absorb as much heat from the sun on the warmer days. The down side is, it is a PITA to keep that color looking clean. I've washed it on two different occasions now, and each time the ground in grime in the lower front part of the jacket, that will not come out in the wash, is getting more.

The jacket is still as bright as ever when viewed from behind though...

So, which ones are the HiViz states? :blink:

 

[beemerdons]

Oh Boy, I feel a PhotoShop moment coming on! What say ye, red or blue cocktail dress for Freddie Bear? Naturally, with color coordinated accessories and hat! Jewelry will also be fashionable!

 

[Fred W]

Don, What ? You didn't know that I am the model for all of the Olympia Gear catalogs? :huh:

 

[beemerdons]

Don, What ? You didn't know that I am the model for all of the Olympia Gear catalogs? :huh:

Damn Fred, you are so right! I just did not recognize you with your beard trimmed up. Good Show!

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Don't change the color of your jacket, learn to accessorize properly. Get a CCW, place the useful firearm of your choice in the pocket of the jacket and keep riding. Of all the stupid damn things to be mad about the color of someone elses jacket is ridiculous. And this type of idiot is allowed to pollute the gene pool.

My mesh jacket is blue to match the color of my ST, if I were confronted with such a situation I would be sorely tempted to ventilate the front of the offending idiot's jacket. I for sure would not be shopping for another color jacket. Of course, you can go to jail for doing the right thing.

 

[Geezer]

My guess is that you showed up at a time when there was some heated rivalry of a sporting event going on and the guy was either high or mentally unstable. Regarding the 'we', he must have had a mouse in his pocket.

My riding jacket is Hi-Viz yellow, my FJR is blue, and my helmet is red. I believe in making myself visible rather than fashionable. Of course when I'm off the bike I wear nothing but the latest fashionable attire. :lol:

 

[PhilJet09]

Yep, that's pretty stupid. Unfortunately a large portion of the population is too.

 

[beemerdons]

Yep, that's pretty stupid. Unfortunately a large portion of the population is too.

Yo Phil, more stupid than RadioHowie?

 

[Fred W]

Of all the stupid damn things to be mad about the color of someone elses jacket is ridiculous. And this type of idiot is allowed to pollute the gene pool.

You don't know that! He could have been a eunuch.

Actually, we will let any type of idiot pollute the gene pool.

 

[squeezer]

Sounds like you met one of the local nut jobs. Might have been a sports thing, might have been a political thing, but it doesn't really matter since it's stupid either way. But you know, if that's the only whack head you've met on the road, you're kinda running behind. So don't dwell on it. :lol:

I have a thing for black jackets, which is probably the dumbest color to ride in, but I don't care. You shouldn't either.

 

[Bokerfork]

You mention that you were in a truck stop restroom.

I suspect the color "conflict" was code for the width of your stance.-beemerdons-

Mark

 

[airboss]

My guess is that you showed up at a time when there was some heated rivalry of a sporting event going on and the guy was either high or mentally unstable. Regarding the 'we', he must have had a mouse in his pocket.

My riding jacket is Hi-Viz yellow, my FJR is blue, and my helmet is red. I believe in making myself visible rather than fashionable. Of course when I'm off the bike I wear nothing but the latest fashionable attire. :lol:

Winner!

Cubs/Cardinal thing. Cubs Blue, Cardinals Red

Doesn't make the guy any less weird.

 

[Bungie]

My guess the red and the blue correlate to Bloods and Cryp's.

See how I "pop out" compared to my riding buddies?

I've got the EXACT same gear (and even ride an 04!) and I've had a bunch of guys tell me that it really pops. I usually only wear the Motoport when I'm travelling though. Around town I wear some pewter a Pewter Scorpion Commander jacket and some matching Teiz pants.

 

[PhilJet09]

Yep, that's pretty stupid. Unfortunately a large portion of the population is too.

Yo Phil, more stupid than RadioHowie?

Oh no, I'm not going there. That guy scares me.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

I think they were making a political statement, Blue Vs Red, Blue states vs Red states!

"Be Red or be Dead" B)