Got your number
 

Anyone know if tabards are still compulsory in Colombia? Ride safe.

If you mean the bibs with the reg number on the back, lots of the locals wear them and often have the reg number on their helmets as well but I've never seen a gringo biker wearing one.

Not required for foreigners, although locals will sometimes pull alongside and try to indicate their concern by motioning that you must've forgotten yours. If you take your panniers and other accoutrements off the bike to go rambling around locally, you're likely to get stopped at road blocks--that makes you look more like a local at first glance.

I figured it was hard to tell whether I had more to gain by standing out like a sore thumb or pretending to look like everyone else, so took the easy way out and didn't bother. That's what most do. Buying the bib and having the numbers painted on your helmet is pretty cheap as I recall--under US$10.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Thanks Guys, looks like it's situation normal, wing it and after the third time that the very helpful traffic police tell you that you need one, get one 'cos as you say Mark, they're very cheap. In fact I have one in my garage which is a bit unfortunate as my garage is in Scotland and I am once again in SA. P.P.P.P.P.P. as they say. Ride safe.

I went through Colombia without one and no one blinked an eyelid.
I also heard the same thing applies in Venezuela. Again the locals wear them but no one said anything to me about not having one.


Suerte