Miserable sods

[hullbilly]

Evening all.

I don't know whether its bicycle snobbery or just plan miserable riders, but very few fellow cyclists on my route ever say hello.

I give everyone a nod or hand lift of acknowledgement but very few people ever return the compliment. Is it because I'm on a hybrid and they don't think I'm worthy of a response or just plain rudeness?

Being a motorcyclist as well everyone acknowledges you with a little nod.

So what is it, rant over....

[Chicane-UK]

Generally get the same from most cyclists unfortunately! But was very surprised to get a cheery hello and wave from virtually every member of a 25 strong cycling club when I got up on Sunday morning to do a few miles. Put a smile on my face

[Garlick]

You get a few nods and smiles in Richmond Park when doing early morning or late evening rides.

[waughie]

I've noticed that in the bikey areas, such as the peaks around sheffield, Fort William, and places like dalby you are far more likely to get a hello and a wave.

In fact there was a nice chap in Dalby the other week that stopped to help us fix one of the bikes, and another that lent us tools!

[supertouring]

I say hello to most other riders and most respond back when prompted.

Well, other than the Lycra clad hard-core road bikers who seem to think my MTB is not worthy of a response.

[stu67]

If I had to wave at everyone on my commute into the city, I'd fall off. I think there are so many cyclists in London that you rarely get an acknowledgement. Strangely the only real time that it happened frequently was during the tube strike the other year when you had all the one off cyclists who were much more chearful (well until they tried to overtake a 18m bendy bus on their teenage bike, they'ed just dug out the shed!)

[okgo]

Why are you worried?

Do you wave at every other person you see driving the same make of car as you?

I don't look at other people, I'm not interested in what they're doing, and they think likewise.

Some weird non london thing where everyone has to talk to each other and get along. I love nothing more than being in a city where people DO NOT talk to me unless they have a reason, its bloody lovley.

[Daveyraveygravey]

I wave and nod and shout hello at every other cyclist, regardless of their bike or clothing and whether I am on or off road. It's part of my northern campaign to convince southerners they don't have to be miserable sods!

[jodypress]

stu67 said:

If I had to wave at everyone on my commute into the city, I'd fall off. I think there are so many cyclists in London that you rarely get an acknowledgement. Strangely the only real time that it happened frequently was during the tube strike the other year when you had all the one off cyclists who were much more chearful (well until they tried to overtake a 18m bendy bus on their teenage bike, they'ed just dug out the shed!)

Totally agree. Always give a wave or nod on my weekend rider but daily commute...no chance. Silly commuter racing and all that...lol

[neilski]

Daveyraveygravey said:

It's part of my northern campaign to convince southerners they don't have to be miserable sods!

Good luck with that!

To the OP, it's because you have flat bars that roadies won't acknowledge you. Roadies will only ever acknowledge other roadies with drop bar bikes with the most imperceptible of nods or if you're really lucky, you might get a hello. If a mountain biker passes a roadie going in the opposite direction both must look dead ahead without so much as the briefest of eye contact. It's the law.

I say hello / morning / evening to people if they're in cycling gear and are obviously out for a ride but I don't normally bother if they're wearing normal stuff with a Tesco bag hanging off their handlebars etc. unless they say it first. Some people reply, some don't, I don't care either way.

[ratbane]

Always get a chirp of my fellow South Walian mtbers.

[ewenm]

I think it depends if you're a cyclist or a "commuter-by-bicycle". I find cyclists tend to exchange at least a nod or acknowledgement, whereas commuters tend not to.

[Rolls]

The commute is not a race..... is it?

[hullbilly]

swerni said:

I always smile and not at people,
Only time I don't is when I'm going for it.

I can often be found cycling through Esher, Walton and Weybridge grinning like a loon

I'll keep an eye out for you then, I cycle through walton and weybridge most days!

Black hybrid bike, yellow jersey thats a bit tight. waving at other cyclists!

[Justayellowbadge]

hullbilly said:

swerni said:

I always smile and not at people,
Only time I don't is when I'm going for it.

I can often be found cycling through Esher, Walton and Weybridge grinning like a loon

I'll keep an eye out for you then, I cycle through walton and weybridge most days!

Black hybrid bike, yellow jersey thats a bit tight. waving at other cyclists!

Moi aussi.

Haven't spotted either of you!

[Parsnip]

This old gem again...

Those "Lycra clad hard-core road bikers" are probably out training - I know that if I am doing sprint/TT intervals then the last thing on my mind is "did that guy just wave?" all I am concentrating on is the 20m directly infront of my wheel.

If i'm out on the TT bike, i wont wave.
If i'm doing anything hard - i wont wave - i wont even see you.
If i'm pulling at the front of a paceline, i wont wave.
If i'm out doing recovery or commuting, then i will wave at anyone else on a bike - not expecting them to wave back.

[dubbs]

supertouring said:

I say hello to most other riders and most respond back when prompted.

Well, other than the Lycra clad hard-core road bikers who seem to think my MTB is not worthy of a response.

That's generally BS, very few of them/us are snobby it's more like the MTB riders generally are out there berating lycra road warriors or whatever they want to call them so it's felt the MTB rider will likely ignore you. Like being in a sporscar and turning up at Rykas in Box Hill on a Sunday... no matter ow mcuh you want to tell them you ride motorbikes too it just doesn't wash

I've had the same response when on my mtb or road bike so it works both ways.

[Justayellowbadge]

Parsnip said:

This old gem again...

Those "Lycra clad hard-core road bikers" are probably out training - I know that if I am doing sprint/TT intervals then the last thing on my mind is "did that guy just wave?" all I am concentrating on is the 20m directly infront of my wheel.

If i'm out on the TT bike, i wont wave.
If i'm doing anything hard - i wont wave - i wont even see you.
If i'm pulling at the front of a paceline, i wont wave.
If i'm out doing recovery or commuting, then i will wave at anyone else on a bike - not expecting them to wave back.

Yeah, I'm just awesome too.

[hullbilly]

Justayellowbadge said:

Parsnip said:

This old gem again...

Those "Lycra clad hard-core road bikers" are probably out training - I know that if I am doing sprint/TT intervals then the last thing on my mind is "did that guy just wave?" all I am concentrating on is the 20m directly infront of my wheel.

If i'm out on the TT bike, i wont wave.
If i'm doing anything hard - i wont wave - i wont even see you.
If i'm pulling at the front of a paceline, i wont wave.
If i'm out doing recovery or commuting, then i will wave at anyone else on a bike - not expecting them to wave back.

Yeah, I'm just awesome too.

I dont expect the 'serious' riders to acknowledge me they are obviously in the zone, its the average joe's who are just plain rude!

Forgot to mention Swerni and justayellowbadge, I normally have a very red face to match the yellow jersey!

[Rolls]

On the note of not nodding / waving whilst on the commute...
The riding i've seen over the last couple of days has been nothing short of shocking.. Seems the sun brings out every inept moron on the old kent road who have no idea of bike positioning/ awareness whatsoever!!!
How I've not seen 2 or 3 people knocked off is beyond me!