Wear a long wig?

For all discussions about this "lively" subject. All topics that are substantially about helmet usage will be moved here.
Mike Sales
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Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by Mike Sales »

mikeymo wrote:
Mike Sales wrote:Partly. You omitted the bit about helmets for some reason. Nor did you credit S & G.


I didn't need to "credit" them. It wasn't their observation, it was mine. The fact that, as you point out, Spiegelhalter and Goldacre actually agree with my observation, doesn't mean I have to "credit" them. My link was to the study of overtaking distances, helmet wearing and gender. You know, the one I linked to, carried out by Ian Walker. I didn't mention Spiegelhalter and Goldacre, or their comments on the study. Why should I? You seem to have something of an obsession with Spiegelhalter and Goldacre. I'm always wary of people who reference the same study repeatedly as evidence that supports their "point of view". I think it indicates prejudice, an unwillingness to consider other evidence that doesn't support their point of view, and even possibly, to change one's mind.

I also didn't mention helmets, that's true. Well spotted, again. I didn't mention helmets. At all. Because, strange as it might seem, the subject I was interested in was whether anybody has actually tried the wig thing. And if they had what their experience was. Maybe you could have discerned that from the title and the body of the post. If you weren't so determined to push your own opinion.



I am glad you have lost interest in helmets.

You say you were not led to Walker's study by S & G's mention. Fair enough.

I repeat my quoting of S & G because you seem to have no reply to their authoritative article, and make no attempt to acknowledge this.

Now it seems that my repetition is an excuse to ignore it!

Their work is a comprehensive and cogent refutation of the poor quality studies you prefer. It is well expressed and their academic jobs well qualify them to criticise. I can see why you so dislike it.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
PDQ Mobile
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by PDQ Mobile »

mikeymo wrote:
PDQ Mobile wrote:
Bmblbzzz wrote:Ian Walker of Bath Uni (himself an awesomely strong distance rider) almost ten years ago.

And of course there's an assumption here that the readers of this thread will not be women.

Or not have natural long hair!


Nope. YOU have made that assumption. I made no such assumption, which is why I SPECIFICALLY used the phrase "long haired woman". Because a short haired woman could "pretend" to be a LONG HAIRED woman by wearing a wig. And they might do that in the knowledge that many drivers will also make assumptions about sex based on hair length.

If drivers behind then make the assumption that long hair = a woman they may be right. Or they may be wrong. That assumption isn't the same as any assumption I made in posting originally.

And I meant men with long hair and slim figures.
They do (still) exist. :shock:
And was but lighthearted jest.

Though I think "Cunobelin's" short skirt anecdote just as likely effective.
A Guardian columnist wrote about "cycling in Fishnet Tights" a few years back.
I only remember the pictures though. :wink:
mikeymo
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by mikeymo »

PDQ Mobile wrote:
mikeymo wrote:
PDQ Mobile wrote:Or not have natural long hair!


Nope. YOU have made that assumption. I made no such assumption, which is why I SPECIFICALLY used the phrase "long haired woman". Because a short haired woman could "pretend" to be a LONG HAIRED woman by wearing a wig. And they might do that in the knowledge that many drivers will also make assumptions about sex based on hair length.

If drivers behind then make the assumption that long hair = a woman they may be right. Or they may be wrong. That assumption isn't the same as any assumption I made in posting originally.

And I meant men with long hair and slim figures.
They do (still) exist. :shock:
And was but lighthearted jest.

Though I think "Cunobelin's" short skirt anecdote just as likely effective.
A Guardian columnist wrote about "cycling in Fishnet Tights" a few years back.
I only remember the pictures though. :wink:


Yes, we need more data. Can I volunteer to be the man with a blond wig and short skirt please? Though I suspect the beard will give the game away.
PDQ Mobile
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by PDQ Mobile »

These days anything goes. :shock:

I think riding with a beard and a thong might work.... but then again.

Edit and PS.
Mind you we had the Naked Rambler round here last summer. Just rucksack and walking boots. :shock:
And a splendid full body tan.
People definitely gave him a wide berth!!!
Mike Sales
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Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by Mike Sales »

PDQ Mobile wrote:These days anything goes. :shock:

I think riding with a beard and a thong might work.... but then again.

Edit and PS.
Mind you we had the Naked Rambler round here last summer. Just rucksack and walking boots. :shock:
And a splendid full body tan.
People definitely gave him a wide berth!!!


Look like Conchita Wurst? That might provoke some drivers.
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It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
mikeymo
Posts: 2299
Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by mikeymo »

mikeymo wrote:
PDQ Mobile wrote:
mikeymo wrote:
Nope. YOU have made that assumption. I made no such assumption, which is why I SPECIFICALLY used the phrase "long haired woman". Because a short haired woman could "pretend" to be a LONG HAIRED woman by wearing a wig. And they might do that in the knowledge that many drivers will also make assumptions about sex based on hair length.

If drivers behind then make the assumption that long hair = a woman they may be right. Or they may be wrong. That assumption isn't the same as any assumption I made in posting originally.

And I meant men with long hair and slim figures.
They do (still) exist. :shock:
And was but lighthearted jest.

Though I think "Cunobelin's" short skirt anecdote just as likely effective.
A Guardian columnist wrote about "cycling in Fishnet Tights" a few years back.
I only remember the pictures though. :wink:


Yes, we need more data. Can I volunteer to be the man with a blond wig and short skirt please? Though I suspect the beard will give the game away.


Hang on, I've just found out it was a brunette wig Ian Walker had. That changes everything, I look terrible with brown hair, it just doesn't go with my skin tone. I'll have to be the bearded man in Fishnet Tights, for research purposes.
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The utility cyclist
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by The utility cyclist »

Strapping a cycle to your rear pannier in my personal experience gets you a huge differential in average distance of overtake and motorists waiting until there was a safe space. I've found it to have the greatest effect over anything.
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fastpedaller
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by fastpedaller »

Whatever happened to the lollipops? seemed a good idea to me.
mikeymo
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by mikeymo »

Mike Sales wrote:
mikeymo wrote:
Mike Sales wrote:Partly. You omitted the bit about helmets for some reason. Nor did you credit S & G.


I didn't need to "credit" them. It wasn't their observation, it was mine. The fact that, as you point out, Spiegelhalter and Goldacre actually agree with my observation, doesn't mean I have to "credit" them. My link was to the study of overtaking distances, helmet wearing and gender. You know, the one I linked to, carried out by Ian Walker. I didn't mention Spiegelhalter and Goldacre, or their comments on the study. Why should I? You seem to have something of an obsession with Spiegelhalter and Goldacre. I'm always wary of people who reference the same study repeatedly as evidence that supports their "point of view". I think it indicates prejudice, an unwillingness to consider other evidence that doesn't support their point of view, and even possibly, to change one's mind.

I also didn't mention helmets, that's true. Well spotted, again. I didn't mention helmets. At all. Because, strange as it might seem, the subject I was interested in was whether anybody has actually tried the wig thing. And if they had what their experience was. Maybe you could have discerned that from the title and the body of the post. If you weren't so determined to push your own opinion.



I am glad you have lost interest in helmets.

You say you were not led to Walker's study by S & G's mention. Fair enough.

I repeat my quoting of S & G because you seem to have no reply to their authoritative article, and make no attempt to acknowledge this.

Now it seems that my repetition is an excuse to ignore it!

Their work is a comprehensive and cogent refutation of the poor quality studies you prefer. It is well expressed and their academic jobs well qualify them to criticise. I can see why you so dislike it.


You seem to have a problem with comprehension. Is English perhaps not your first language?

The question I posed, when I started the thread, was perfectly serious. I'll explain, in numbered paragraphs. I'll try to keep the words short:

1. Ian Walker did a study. He found that if he put on a wig, drivers gave him more room when they passed.

2. He inferred that was because drivers thought he was a woman.

3. This might make cycling in traffic safer.

4. I asked whether anybody had actually tried it. In order to increase their safety?

Things I didn't mention were "G&S" (though Iolanthe is my own favourite), whether Oscar Peterson was the world's best jazz pianist, if black or green olives are best, or who will win the FA cup this year.

It looks like nobody's tried 4. I think we need some studies on wig wearing, and many more data.
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foxyrider
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by foxyrider »

Cunobelin wrote:Totally anecdotal...

One of the students used to swear by a short skirt... far more vehicles slowed down and gave more room than when she wore cycling gear!


I thought you were going to say 'he' :lol:

being of the male gender and having long hair i might be getting more consideration (no idea as i've nothing to compare to) so maybe i should try the skirt to see if that really works :D apparently i have the legs for it but how short is short? Do you gain cm by cm? and would colour make a difference? :?:
Convention? what's that then?
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Cunobelin
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by Cunobelin »

Actually a 60 year old bearded gentleman on a recumbent trike, wearing a short skirt could be more effective than HiViz
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The utility cyclist
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by The utility cyclist »

fastpedaller wrote:Whatever happened to the lollipops? seemed a good idea to me.

I just don't think motorists see it as a threat to their vehicle in terms of damage and if I'm riding my flat bar as I do most of the time, even with a measly 56cm my elbows are not much inward of a sticky out flag/lollipop thing.
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Cunobelin
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by Cunobelin »

fastpedaller wrote:Whatever happened to the lollipops? seemed a good idea to me.


Recruitment problems mainly

Verbal abuse , physical abuse and being injured by motorist for whom a few seconds delay to BBC allow children to cross a road is an unacceptable delay
Bmblbzzz
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by Bmblbzzz »

The utility cyclist wrote:Strapping a cycle to your rear pannier in my personal experience gets you a huge differential in average distance of overtake and motorists waiting until there was a safe space. I've found it to have the greatest effect over anything.

:D I've heard that a garden fork, tines to the right, also works remarkably well.
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The utility cyclist
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Re: Wear a long wig?

Post by The utility cyclist »

Bmblbzzz wrote:
The utility cyclist wrote:Strapping a cycle to your rear pannier in my personal experience gets you a huge differential in average distance of overtake and motorists waiting until there was a safe space. I've found it to have the greatest effect over anything.

:D I've heard that a garden fork, tines to the right, also works remarkably well.

Aye, that would work, problem is plod would say that was 'dangerous', only dangerous if you ride through a crowd of people with it that way, on the road it presents no danger except to the paintwork of criminal drivers that get too close :lol: 8)
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