So as I have gotten older I have become much more safety conscious and now wear a safety vest day or night. The other weekend I went on a Toys for Tots ride. I overheard some “********” comment to his buddy about my ***** equipment. I just wondered who wears a safety vest not living on a military base where they are required. I find it makes me more noticeable than when I don’t wear one.

 

Whadda ya care about what someone else thinks ... How the saying go "If it makes you happy, do it"

 

I would not worry about what others may think or say. If you are happy wearing a safety vest for the reasons you do, then so be it. I wear a helmet, even when traveling through non-helmet states and when riding with a group that does not. It's your life and whatever we can do to protect it is worth it.

 

Actually it didn’t bother me as I considered the source. I guess what I am asking is do any of you wear a safety vest? If you do, do you feel “better seen” than not wearing it.

 

If I know I'll be riding at night, then yes.

I think that the effect of visual conspicuity devices have been minimized due to people's phones though.

 

As others have said "don't worried about what other's think".

As to do I wear a reflective vest; no.
Personally I don't think reflective clothing really increases visibility to the point that it's something I'm concerned about.

That being said, I do put a reflective vest in my saddlebag when on a long ride just in case it's rains.
In the rain my primary concern isn't going down due to the slick roads but going down from being hit from behind so the hope is the reflective vest allows me to be seen by others.

 

Not anymore. I used to, but just got sick of putting it on only to have no measurable effect on the ******** on the road.

 

Personally I don’t have a safety vest when driving my car and the same idiots that don’t see me in my car are the same ones that don’t see me on the bike. Difference is I have a shot of living in the car. I have no issue with anyone trying to have themselves better seen wearing a vest, reflective helmet tape, or simply adding a **** ton of lights to their bike. When you times up it’s up. Enjoy the time we have and live your life without fear. A stroke or cancer could be days, or a just a few years away......

 

 

I don't wear a safety vest but see a lot of riders wearing them. I wear a full face Shoei Helmet, armored gloves and riding jacket. I have gone out a few times without the jacket wearing only a t-shirt, even tucked in those days it was really windy and I hated the way the t-shirt flapped in the wind and had thought about a vest to hold the shirt more snug. The t-shirt flapping around my neck made me itch and was really uncomfortable. I didn't consider a safety vest but now I might. I personally don't care what anyone thinks about it and if I were you wouldn't sweat it too much either.

Riding doesn't scare me. Like you the older I get the thought of getting hurt doing anything concerns me more than it ever did, not just riding. Riding time gives me a chance to get away and think about things. Most of those times the thoughts are reflections of the past, my wife, kids and grand kids and the life I now enjoy. Work never concerns me when I am riding. I have pondered many times out riding, especially pushing the limits what the thoughts of my loved ones would be at my funeral if I was killed on my bike doing something other than just cruising. The thought of any one of them thinking "Pops got killed riding his bike while doing something stupid, I guess that was more important to him than me." All of this tends to slow me down. None of my family have a problem with me owning and riding a bike again, but they do have expectations that I will do it as safely and cautiously as possible. This is the reason I wear as much safety gear as I can, its for them more than it is me.

A safety vest for sure makes us more visible. Any advantage of having an accident avoided by being seen where otherwise we might not have been is worth everything. It makes sense to me.