diff --git a/lib/webmachine/decision/flow.rb b/lib/webmachine/decision/flow.rb
index 6354dd79..cfd3b9b3 100644
--- a/lib/webmachine/decision/flow.rb
+++ b/lib/webmachine/decision/flow.rb
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def b4
 
       # OPTIONS?
       def b3
-        if request.method == "OPTIONS"
+        if request.options?
           response.headers.merge!(resource.options)
           200
         else
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ def i4
 
       # PUT?
       def i7
-        request.method == "PUT" ? :i4 : :k7
+        request.put? ? :i4 : :k7
       end
 
       # If-none-match exists?
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ def i13
 
       # GET or HEAD?
       def j18
-        %w{GET HEAD}.include?(request.method) ? 304 : 412
+        (request.get? || request.head?) ? 304 : 412
       end
 
       # Moved permanently?
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ def l5
 
       # POST?
       def l7
-        request.method == "POST" ? :m7 : 404
+        request.post? ? :m7 : 404
       end
 
       # If-Modified-Since exists?
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ def l17
 
       # POST?
       def m5
-        request.method == "POST" ? :n5 : 410
+        request.post? ? :n5 : 410
       end
 
       # Server allows POST to missing resource?
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ def m7
 
       # DELETE?
       def m16
-        request.method == "DELETE" ? :m20 : :n16
+        request.delete? ? :m20 : :n16
       end
 
       # DELETE enacted immediately? (Also where DELETE is forced.)
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ def n11
 
       # POST?
       def n16
-        request.method == "POST" ? :n11 : :o16
+        request.post? ? :n11 : :o16
       end
 
       # Conflict?
@@ -450,13 +450,13 @@ def o14
 
       # PUT?
       def o16
-        request.method == "PUT" ? :o14 : :o18
+        request.put? ? :o14 : :o18
       end
 
       # Multiple representations?
       # Also where body generation for GET and HEAD is done.
       def o18
-        if request.method =~ /^(GET|HEAD)$/
+        if request.get? || request.head?
           add_caching_headers
           content_type = metadata['Content-Type']
           handler = resource.content_types_provided.find {|ct, _| content_type.type_matches?(MediaType.parse(ct)) }.last
diff --git a/lib/webmachine/request.rb b/lib/webmachine/request.rb
index 0c96e1fd..dd3b39fe 100644
--- a/lib/webmachine/request.rb
+++ b/lib/webmachine/request.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ class Request
     attr_reader :method, :uri, :headers, :body
     attr_accessor :disp_path, :path_info, :path_tokens
 
+    STANDARD_HTTP_METHODS = %w[GET HEAD POST PUT DELETE TRACE CONNECT OPTIONS]
+
     # @param [String] method the HTTP request method
     # @param [URI] uri the requested URI, including host, scheme and
     #   port
@@ -62,5 +64,78 @@ def query
       end
       @query
     end
+
+    # Is this an HTTPS request?
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    #   true if this request was made via HTTPS
+    def https?
+      uri.scheme == "https"
+    end
+
+    # Is this a GET request?
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    #   true if this request was made with the GET method
+    def get?
+      method == "GET"
+    end
+
+    # Is this a HEAD request?
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    #   true if this request was made with the HEAD method
+    def head?
+      method == "HEAD"
+    end
+
+    # Is this a POST request?
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    #   true if this request was made with the GET method
+    def post?
+      method == "POST"
+    end
+
+    # Is this a PUT request?
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    #   true if this request was made with the PUT method
+    def put?
+      method == "PUT"
+    end
+
+    # Is this a DELETE request?
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    #   true if this request was made with the DELETE method
+    def delete?
+      method == "DELETE"
+    end
+
+    # Is this a TRACE request?
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    #   true if this request was made with the TRACE method
+    def trace?
+      method == "TRACE"
+    end
+
+    # Is this a CONNECT request?
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    #   true if this request was made with the CONNECT method
+    def connect?
+      method == "CONNECT"
+    end
+
+    # Is this an OPTIONS request?
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    #   true if this request was made with the OPTIONS method
+    def options?
+      method == "OPTIONS"
+    end
+
   end # class Request
 end # module Webmachine
diff --git a/spec/webmachine/request_spec.rb b/spec/webmachine/request_spec.rb
index b59d24e6..67a1a496 100644
--- a/spec/webmachine/request_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/webmachine/request_spec.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe Webmachine::Request do
-  subject { Webmachine::Request.new("GET", URI.parse("http://localhost:8080/some/resource"), Webmachine::Headers.new, "") }
+  subject { request }
+
+  let(:uri)         { URI.parse("http://localhost:8080/some/resource") }
+  let(:http_method) { "GET" }
+  let(:headers)     { Webmachine::Headers.new }
+  let(:body)        { "" }
+  let(:request)     { Webmachine::Request.new(http_method, uri, headers, body) }
+
   it "should provide access to the headers via brackets" do
     subject.headers['Accept'] = "*/*"
     subject["accept"].should == "*/*"
@@ -31,4 +38,149 @@
     subject.uri.query = nil
     subject.query.should == {}
   end
+
+  describe '#https?' do
+    subject { request.https? }
+
+    context "when the request was issued via HTTPS" do
+      let(:uri) { URI.parse("https://localhost.com:8080/some/resource") }
+
+      it { should be_true }
+    end
+  
+    context "when the request was not issued via HTTPS" do
+      let(:uri) { URI.parse("http://localhost.com:8080/some/resource") }
+
+      it { should be_false }
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#get?' do
+    subject { request.get? }
+
+    context "when the request method is GET" do
+      let(:http_method) { "GET" }
+
+      it { should be_true }
+    end
+  
+    context "when the request method is not GET" do
+      let(:http_method) { "POST" }
+
+      it { should be_false }
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#head?' do
+    subject { request.head? }
+
+    context "when the request method is HEAD" do
+      let(:http_method) { "HEAD" }
+
+      it { should be_true }
+    end
+  
+    context "when the request method is not HEAD" do
+      let(:http_method) { "GET" }
+
+      it { should be_false }
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#post?' do
+    subject { request.post? }
+
+    context "when the request method is POST" do
+      let(:http_method) { "POST" }
+
+      it { should be_true }
+    end
+  
+    context "when the request method is not POST" do
+      let(:http_method) { "GET" }
+
+      it { should be_false }
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#put?' do
+    subject { request.put? }
+
+    context "when the request method is PUT" do
+      let(:http_method) { "PUT" }
+
+      it { should be_true }
+    end
+  
+    context "when the request method is not PUT" do
+      let(:http_method) { "GET" }
+
+      it { should be_false }
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#delete?' do
+    subject { request.delete? }
+
+    context "when the request method is DELETE" do
+      let(:http_method) { "DELETE" }
+
+      it { should be_true }
+    end
+  
+    context "when the request method is not DELETE" do
+      let(:http_method) { "GET" }
+
+      it { should be_false }
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#trace?' do
+    subject { request.trace? }
+
+    context "when the request method is TRACE" do
+      let(:http_method) { "TRACE" }
+
+      it { should be_true }
+    end
+  
+    context "when the request method is not TRACE" do
+      let(:http_method) { "GET" }
+
+      it { should be_false }
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#connect?' do
+    subject { request.connect? }
+
+    context "when the request method is CONNECT" do
+      let(:http_method) { "CONNECT" }
+
+      it { should be_true }
+    end
+  
+    context "when the request method is not CONNECT" do
+      let(:http_method) { "GET" }
+
+      it { should be_false }
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#options?' do
+    subject { request.options? }
+
+    context "when the request method is OPTIONS" do
+      let(:http_method) { "OPTIONS" }
+
+      it { should be_true }
+    end
+  
+    context "when the request method is not OPTIONS" do
+      let(:http_method) { "GET" }
+
+      it { should be_false }
+    end
+  end
+
 end