Just Spend The Money And Get The Real Thing
Maybe you can make out where the black edging splits to form that loop that I’ve got a safety pin there to reduce the size of the armhole.
I’ve mentioned that some of the guys in the RMMRC, particularly Roy, have been putting peer pressure on me to raise my visibility level by use of lights or high-vis clothing. And that I finally gave in to that pressure by buying a safety vest.
Well, that hasn’t worked out quite as I planned. There is an Ace Hardware close to us that I shop at frequently so when I was in there a few weeks ago I picked up an orange vest they had for about $8. No big deal. What do you need? It’s fluorescent orange.
It turns out you need more than just something like this. This vest is presumably intended for outdoor construction workers who don’t want to add weight or warmth. It drapes loosely around you–one size fits all–is airy, and attaches in front by just one bit of Velcro. And if you wear it while riding a motorcycle it wants to climb right up you and would wrap itself around your head if your arms through the armholes didn’t keep it down at least a bit.
OK, let’s see if we can make some modifications. Simple first step: use a safety pin to close it in front a second time down low.
That’s what I did that day recently when I rode over Guanella Pass and you’ll see in that photo that I had it on. It helped, but not nearly enough. The thing still wanted to climb up me, like you’ve seen I’m sure with guys riding with no jacket and a loose T-shirt and the shirt is whipping out behind them and climbing up their back. Plus, the fabric rode right up under my chin so that the somewhat rough fabric was rubbing at my neck in a pretty irritating manner. OK, more is needed.
So now I added a couple more safety pins, this time on the sides. The two side are connected about mid-way down by a cord and I pulled them together and put on a safety pin just a bit above the cords. Maybe while I’m at it I ought to put on a couple more down low. I haven’t tried this out yet so I don’t know just how much good this is going to do.
The point is, why bother? I already have this thing so I’m trying to make it work but if you haven’t already bought something avoid my error. Just get something better right from the start. That will probably mean going to a motorcycle supply shop or ordering online. A quick search showed me a wide selection ranging in price from $19 up to $45. None of these is going to break the bank.
I’ll give this thing I have one more shot, maybe with a couple more pins, but if it’s just not going to do the job I’ll get something that will.
Biker Quote for Today
The road listens. It believes in you.
Tags: safety vest
