So, I’m pretty much convinced that the Icon Team Merc jacket for women wins the prize for “the pinkest jacket ever.” I mean, it even makes my pink helmet look not quite pink enough any more.

When I first saw this jacket it was one of the few pink jackets available. I was tempted, but I thought it was too garish. Who needs a bunch of logos and some big number “5″s all over their jacket?

Plus, I was riding a bright red scooter, and I thought that might be too much to pull off. But now that I’m on a silver scooter most of the time, this is a great way to be as visible as possible. The more I looked at it, the more obsessed I got with it (just ask Lisa). Besides, check out how undeniably tough I look.

“Garish” is good when it comes to riding. You don’t want drivers to have any excuse to say “I didn’t see you.” According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation web site, “One of the easiest and most effective ways for a motorcyclist to be seen by other motorists is by wearing brightly colored, upper-torso clothing and/or retro-reflective material. However, only a minority of motorcyclists choose such brightly colored apparel, whether for fashion or other reasons.”

While pink may not be everyone’s color, there are other garish… er, stylish… ways to get attention. If you prefer wearing street clothes or darker colors, there are lots of safety vests that cyclists and joggers wear that you can pull over your clothes or jacket. For example, there’s the bright orange or lime green Jogalite vest, or one with a built-in LED light. I keep a “slow moving vehicle” triangle under my seat for rides when I might want a bit more visibility in traffic. Stores like Streetglo have all kinds of reflective pinstriping and decals - add contrasting stripes for a dual effect.

P.S. If you do like pink, I found a great price on a very cool mesh jacket for summer: the hot pink Vega Mesh Women’s Jacket which includes an insulated removable liner jacket and armor, only $89.99. It also comes in super bright red and blue.