Cycling clubs shouting stuff at other cyclists?

Cycling clubs shouting stuff at other cyclists?

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MysteryLemon

Original Poster:

4,968 posts

190 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
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Commuted in to work this morning by bike (rude not to with the weather so nice).

A couple of miles in and I see about 20 lycra ninjas coming towards me at a fair rate. As they pass, the lead cyclist bellows what sounded like "POLE!" and then one by one, each cyclist following him shouted the same.

I'm not upset about it and it was obvious at the time to be something quite lighthearted but I'm now wondering what on earth it was they were shouting.

Pole makes no sense to me but I imagine I either misheard or it's an "in" joke that I'm not supposed to get. I'm curious to know what I was doing, or not doing that warranted the shouting. biggrin

Any guesses?

Disastrous

10,072 posts

216 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
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Could it have been "Hole!"?

I believe it's customary in a big group to somehow warn riders behind you of potholes and so on that they can't see coming up.

MysteryLemon

Original Poster:

4,968 posts

190 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
quotequote all
Disastrous said:
Could it have been "Hole!"?

I believe it's customary in a big group to somehow warn riders behind you of potholes and so on that they can't see coming up.
Maybe. Makes more sense than pole anyway.

Could just be coincidence they spotted a pothole just as they passed me and decided to have a good old shout about it biglaugh

Edited by MysteryLemon on Sunday 26th April 14:19

S10GTA

12,645 posts

166 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
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It's customary to warn others in a peleton of potholes. Without doubt they'd be warning the rest of the group. No need to be paranoid.

Rick101

6,959 posts

149 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
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My moneys on Mole. Cause havoc if they get up your Lycra clad legs.

bigandclever

13,750 posts

237 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
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Could've been worse, they might have been yelling there was a Fox Hunt coming up. I've had that, albeit from white van man and his mate smile

SixPotBelly

1,922 posts

219 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
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Sure it wasn't the UKIP CC? I hear they're like that if they think you're Polish, and if they think you're Romanian they're even ruder.

Edited by SixPotBelly on Sunday 26th April 15:51

_Neal_

2,658 posts

218 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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"Pole" as a nickname/shortening of P[ot H]ole? Bit weird, but possible.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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Do you look like Michał Kwiatkowski ?

Some Gump

12,671 posts

185 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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Op,

In a group, you can't see much other than the 2 blokes in front of you. Most clubs use hand signals, but late calls etc will be a yell. I have no doubt that it was a road defect / other risk they were shouting for - my club uses "below".

As always in a club, some are far too vigorous with shouting. Since they would be approacing you with a far lower closing speed, the signal would be the left arm wafted around the back. This is either "move out" or "his arse reeks", depending on your hygiene and paranoia =)


thiscocks

3,127 posts

194 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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All this shouting most riders in groups seem to do now really puts me off going out in groups. There is absolutely no reason to shout about any obstacles instead of just using hand signals. Just shouting 'hole' is of absolutely no use to anyone. 'car' is another good one. Like you can't see or hear the fking thing yourself. Certainly does little for the image of cyclists from a bystanders perspective too.

Usget

5,426 posts

210 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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SixPotBelly said:
Sure it wasn't the UKIP CC? I hear they're like that if they think you're Polish, and if they think you're Romanian they're even ruder.

Edited by SixPotBelly on Sunday 26th April 15:51
That was my exact thought upon readng the OP. Farage and chums warning each other of oncoming Polomanogarians.

ecsrobin

17,025 posts

164 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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thiscocks said:
All this shouting most riders in groups seem to do now really puts me off going out in groups. There is absolutely no reason to shout about any obstacles instead of just using hand signals. Just shouting 'hole' is of absolutely no use to anyone. 'car' is another good one. Like you can't see or hear the fking thing yourself. Certainly does little for the image of cyclists from a bystanders perspective too.
Really? I only ride in a group on the trails but often the lead rider will shout something if there's an obstacle that could catch someone out. Each rider then passes the information on. Better to have people slow and look for an obstacle than ending up with a broken collar bone.

whatleytom

1,272 posts

182 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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ecsrobin said:
thiscocks said:
All this shouting most riders in groups seem to do now really puts me off going out in groups. There is absolutely no reason to shout about any obstacles instead of just using hand signals. Just shouting 'hole' is of absolutely no use to anyone. 'car' is another good one. Like you can't see or hear the fking thing yourself. Certainly does little for the image of cyclists from a bystanders perspective too.
Really? I only ride in a group on the trails but often the lead rider will shout something if there's an obstacle that could catch someone out. Each rider then passes the information on. Better to have people slow and look for an obstacle than ending up with a broken collar bone.
Try riding in a group of more than 3 or 4 and its certainly useful. If you're travelling at any speed, can't take hands off bars due to time/safety then it does help. Can be the difference between a quick bunny hop or avoidance and/or smashing into a pothole.

JuniorD

8,616 posts

222 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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thiscocks said:
All this shouting most riders in groups seem to do now really puts me off going out in groups. There is absolutely no reason to shout about any obstacles instead of just using hand signals. Just shouting 'hole' is of absolutely no use to anyone. 'car' is another good one. Like you can't see or hear the fking thing yourself. Certainly does little for the image of cyclists from a bystanders perspective too.
dheads at the front not shouting warnings, or wkers in the middle not passing shouts on, are what put me off going out in groups.

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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Try riding in a group 20-30mph 3 inches off the bike wheel in front, head down on the drops and you realise how handy signals and shouting is

Just simply to warn the rider behind /or warn rider in front if a car is passing/coming up

JEA1K

2,485 posts

222 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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thiscocks said:
All this shouting most riders in groups seem to do now really puts me off going out in groups. There is absolutely no reason to shout about any obstacles instead of just using hand signals. Just shouting 'hole' is of absolutely no use to anyone. 'car' is another good one. Like you can't see or hear the fking thing yourself. Certainly does little for the image of cyclists from a bystanders perspective too.
Oh de dums, did the bigger boys shout at you? biggrin What an absolute crock, you really have very little knowledge or experience of group riding. If you're in a group, with the noise of your own breathing and wind noise you need as much noise above this to warn of cars/potholes/road furniture.

When you're riding 6 inches from another rider, who is in turn 6 inches off another rider ... its virtually impossible to what is ahead. Also hand signals alone do not translate from the front to the back of the group as effectively as a shout.

I'm not bothered about 'image' but breaking my neck when I pile into the back of another rider does bother me.

DeuxCentCinq

14,180 posts

181 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
JEA1K said:
thiscocks said:
All this shouting most riders in groups seem to do now really puts me off going out in groups. There is absolutely no reason to shout about any obstacles instead of just using hand signals. Just shouting 'hole' is of absolutely no use to anyone. 'car' is another good one. Like you can't see or hear the fking thing yourself. Certainly does little for the image of cyclists from a bystanders perspective too.
Oh de dums, did the bigger boys shout at you? biggrin What an absolute crock, you really have very little knowledge or experience of group riding. If you're in a group, with the noise of your own breathing and wind noise you need as much noise above this to warn of cars/potholes/road furniture.
Another unnecessarily abusive post in this previously helpful subforum. Can we please be nice to each other? Or are we to go the way of the rest of PH now all the decent folk have left?

Mr Will

13,719 posts

205 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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thiscocks said:
All this shouting most riders in groups seem to do now really puts me off going out in groups. There is absolutely no reason to shout about any obstacles instead of just using hand signals. Just shouting 'hole' is of absolutely no use to anyone. 'car' is another good one. Like you can't see or hear the fking thing yourself. Certainly does little for the image of cyclists from a bystanders perspective too.
Pointing down and left means there is a hole to the left.
Pointing down and right means there is a hole to the right.
Shouting "HOLE" means there is a hole directly in front of me that I'm about to go bouncing through.

All of these are useful to the rider directly behind me, who probably can't see them for himself because he's 6 inches off my back wheel.

Same in reverse with shouting "Car Back" - the guys at the back of the group know there is a car that would like to pass but the guys at the front probably don't. Passing the shout along quickly shares the information and lets the group take appropriate action to let the car past promptly and safely.

thiscocks

3,127 posts

194 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
whatleytom said:
ecsrobin said:
thiscocks said:
All this shouting most riders in groups seem to do now really puts me off going out in groups. There is absolutely no reason to shout about any obstacles instead of just using hand signals. Just shouting 'hole' is of absolutely no use to anyone. 'car' is another good one. Like you can't see or hear the fking thing yourself. Certainly does little for the image of cyclists from a bystanders perspective too.
Really? I only ride in a group on the trails but often the lead rider will shout something if there's an obstacle that could catch someone out. Each rider then passes the information on. Better to have people slow and look for an obstacle than ending up with a broken collar bone.
Try riding in a group of more than 3 or 4 and its certainly useful. If you're travelling at any speed, can't take hands off bars due to time/safety then it does help. Can be the difference between a quick bunny hop or avoidance and/or smashing into a pothole.
If you are at speed say downhill and cant take hand off bars then just following the riders wheel in front should be enough to avoid any holes (you hope rider infront sees holes in time). Alot of riders ive been out with just shout at the top of their voices and dont signal even not at speed! Accounting for the state of the roads in the UK in general that means a hell of alot of shouting which gets tiring pretty quickly.