This thorny question has been troubling me for some time, so I thought I'd as the STW community for advice and recommendations.
I pass this guy every morning on my commute to work and every evening on the return route. Let me say straight off that - being a road/promenade/bit of woodland combo - the route exerts minimal demands on the cyclist's skills and certainly nothing that you could consider worthy of zen-esque MTB concentration.
Which is why this guy fascinates me so much. He's kitted out in all-terrain, his wheels are Specialized. And his face is a picture of grim 'watch out for the rock/ravine/abyss/whatever' concentration. It's the kind of look you see on MTB/DH mag covers. It looks as if he has practiced the look in the bathroom mirror.
Needless to say. he does not return my cheerful smile.
So, have I got it wrong? is there some MTB brotherhood code of behaviour I don't know about? Should I assume the FACE?
Your replies are appreciated and, hopefully, I won't look like such an idiot on the ride home.
Maybe he's blind
Just turn the other cheek.
Or jam a stick in his spokes.
Or blow a kiss at him.
Or wink, with a hankie hanging out of your back pocket.
The possibilities are endless.
Maybe it's a look of disgust as he thinks you too look like a ****?
Southern Yeti, you could be right... unfortunately, I do look like a ****
It's a burden.
It's a cross many of us have to bear... you have my sympathy.
Camo16, a good face is as important as a good bike.
I suggest: serious, focused, but approachable.
Does he do the same ride as you, though?
I get the occasional odd look on my commute through town - full mtb kit on fully off-road specced & tyred mountain bike. Baggies (over tights in winter), glasses, camelbak... and in the wet, a full splattering of mud 😉
Now, the last (or first on the way home) 7 miles are on cycle paths / in town, and warrant the odd looks...
... the first 7 miles are on country lanes, up the local mountain and down through a lovely forest / old quarry section 😀 hence being all geared up for mountain biking, even on my commute
Facial expressions range from the angry (WTF car driver 👿 ), delighted (ohhh, look at [i]that[/i]) to clamped up lungs about to burst exhausted
ima, I'm intrigued. What does serious, focused and approachable look like? Pics appreciated.
I've been thinking about the bike so much, I guess I've forgotten to think about my face.
serious, focused and approachable
It can only be Blue Steel
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That's a good look, woody.
I'm sneaking off to the office bathroom mirror to get some practice in. I might be some time. But I'll look better when I get back.
similar facial expression to a guitarist going for the big solo 😉
I imagined this
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(Apologies to thisissheffield.co.uk for nicking their pic)
By gad, DezB, that is the FACE!
Looks better on dirt than on asphalt, though! A bit much for the road, you think?
Following Woody's recommendation, I now look like Ben Stiller posing for The Scream.
sir, you raise an important question... one a lot of cyclists forget to consider when out on the bike.
i hope the following help you chose:
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philconsequence 😀
I'd like to add
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Woody. Blue steel is out and magnum is in:
It goes a little something like this!
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A face only a mother could love 🙂
Facial expression is important, here are a couple to avoid. However it also proves that it does not make you a bad rider
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and
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Its normally my orgasm face.
aaah.. err, I thought that was what the title of the thread was referring to.. 😕
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Its normally my orgasm face.
I fear that may be what Yunki posted too
Well this has been very educational. There's clearly more to this face business than I thought. So, I'll be gurning on my way home tonight. Clown face make-up already applied. Nice one.