If PPE deters people from cycling then this could negatively affect population health through two pathways; lost physical activity benefits alongside increased injury risk as per the ‘safety in numbers’ thesis (Elvik 2010, Jacobsen 2003). Evidence on the impact of pro- PPE campaigns and legislation on cycling uptake is limited and contested (Carroll et al 2014, Fishman et al 2012). We seek to use people's perceptions and experiences of PPE to re-frame debates around cycle safety, foregrounding how it feels to use PPE (or not). This evidence can assist in understanding the why and how of the longitudinal evidence on uptake.