Set off for the pub last night, and had ridden about half a mile when I met whole herd of mountain bikers coming the other way – and not one of the miserable buggers smiled, nodded or gave me the time of day (despite me doing all three, sometimes simultaneously) . The only one to acknowledge I was even there was some woman who scooted out of the way as she was cycling on the wrong side of the road.
I then cycled a couple of miles further and met a couple out for a wobbly ride with their young daughter – the woman gave me a smile, and the bloke said ‘evening’ (the daughter just wobbled a bit more).

It seemed like enjoyment of the hobby had some sort of inverse relationship to the amount of lycra, gore-tex, and general massively-over-biked-ness-for-a-pootle-along-the-bridle-way they felt the need to exhibit.

Still, three pints, a Chinese, and midnight ride home across the fields with failing lights and bats flitting around my head cheered me right up again.

I sympathise, as I was walking into town this lunchtime some nobber on the other side of the road blatantly ignored my waves and didn’t smile.

Proper ruined my day.

Oh ,look at you all sad and needy .
It’s Friday why don’t you just try and CTFU.*

Only joking ,hugz 😀

cycling along down a bridle path a few weeks ago bloke on a Boardman CX comes towards me, big smile and a hello off him,

As he sailed past very past realised it was Chris Boardman.

Not this again.

Everyone speaks for everyone there, I suspect

🙄

and midnight ride home across the fields with failing lights and bats flitting around my head

For some reason I misread that as ‘farting bats flitting around my head’, which is a wonderful image and far more interesting than the observance of basic civilities.

I think a lot of it is down to modern mtb riders and a trail center boys, not coming from a traditional outdoors background, where climbers and mountaineers always acknowledged each other as in times of trouble you always helped a fellow out if they couldn’t self rescue. Or they are just a symptom of people being miserable shits these days with all the interpersonal skills of an IT professional 😀

I’m an IT professional. But thanks.

anyway. In my experience it’s blokes on MTBs that are often the miserable ignoramuses. I almost always get a nod or a wave from roadies, regardless of what bike I’m riding at the time.

Equally, if someone doesn’t aim a pleasantry in my direction I can’t say I’m reet arsed, like.

probably gearies,worring about their ratios an knobs an that…. 😆

In terms of generalisations, I find European riders a lot more friendly than British ones. I can nod, wave or shout a greeting at people around here and usually get a reply. In the UK where I rode (Swinley and the Surrey alps admittedly), a lot of people looked at you like you needed sectioning if you greeted them, a bit like on the tube.

On a sportif in Belgium I sat behind a group of riders from a club and after they’d worked out I was knackered they were quite happy to let me wheel suck as long as I wanted. I bet they didn’t even post on singletrackmonde.be to complain either.

Me and the GF had a different experience at the weekend. On our first ever Borrowdale Bash loop and said hello to at least a dozen roadies on the tarmac sections…not one acknowledged our existence.

We were grinning like village idiots mind – from a great day on a great trail 🙂

at least a dozen roadies on the tarmac sections

to be fair to them, they’d be either coming from or going to Whinlatter and that’d make me a bit grumpy too

Wonder when the first bridleway rage will be reported.

anyway. In my experience it’s blokes on MTBs that are often the miserable ignoramuses. I almost always get a nod or a wave from roadies, regardless of what bike I’m riding at the time.

Equally, if someone doesn’t aim a pleasantry in my direction I can’t say I’m reet arsed, like.

Nail:head.

Pleasantries are nice, but in the words of surly “just because we both ride bikes, doesn’t mean we’re friends”

I often ride my on one in Broxbourne woods and on occasion come across mountain bikers with the full stormtrooper on, always say hello but never get a response.

The walkers, doggy types and doggers are generally much more civil

🙂

Miserable cyclists = Road cyclists ….simples

Miserable cyclists = miserable people ….simples

Fixed that for you 🙂

“just because we both ride bikes, doesn’t mean we’re friends”

It’s this really.

People would think you are a lunatic if you greeted everyone on the train, or waved at every car you go past from behind the wheel.

It’s quite fun to do though 😉

I reckon I look proper miserable when struggling up some big hills. (Not that I am)

For balance a total stranger on a mountain bike showed me some new trails round Bothwell Castle on Monday, so there are plenty of friendly people out on mountain bikes too.

Slightly OT, but anyway

We were down in Yorkshire last weekend from Glasgow for the tour.
On Sunday we took the scenic route home from Sheffield, crossing the Peak district rather than the main road through Scotch Corner. We stopped along the way at a nice little scenic walk beside some waterfalls, nothing remotely strenuous just a chance to stretch the legs.

The wife decided to play a game of passive aggressive smiling at everyone who passed. Almost no-one smiled back

We concluded everyone in Yorkshire is a miserable git!

Still, three pints… …and midnight ride home

How irresponsible.

Always very friendly in the Surrey Hills. Even the dog walkers.

Except the roadies. They’re still miserable. Probably because they’ve been dealing with irate Surrey drivers ranting at too many roadies on the road, then pull into Peaslake and see how happy the mountain bikers are, so ignore them all and go off in a huff. That and they can’t find any healthy stuff to consume from the village shop and are frustrated that a cheese straw or meat slice will ruin their ride.

😛

Today I wore a green shirt and on my way to work I smiled and waved at everybody else wearing green. Not one person waved back.

My country commute tends be full of cheery cyclists ec
Except for the road bike equipped on the nastier bits of rutted track when my smile and ‘Hi’from the heights of the Gnarwhale seem to hack them off.
Round town I don’t smile at cyclists. They are targets to be tracked down.
And yes, I really do know how lame that is.

Still, three pints… …and midnight ride home

How irresponsible.

Surprisingly, I survived to smile and wave another day.

Regarding the ‘walking into town’ and ‘wearing green’ analogies – I don’t think these count as hobbies, leisure activities or shared/common interests. But if it makes you happy…

If you are on a trail/route that only a few people use then fair enough, say hello to everyone. If it’s a busy track then that’s just silly.

Though this may have something to do with change of attitudes – http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stravasshole

Always very friendly in the Surrey Hills. Even the dog walkers.
Except the roadies. They’re still miserable. Probably because they’ve been dealing with irate Surrey drivers ranting at too many roadies on the road, then pull into Peaslake and see how happy the mountain bikers are, so ignore them all and go off in a huff. That and they can’t find any healthy stuff to consume from the village shop and are frustrated that a cheese straw or meat slice will ruin their ride.

I disagree, the storm troopers are usually the ones I get ignored by if we’re going to pigeon hole people. In fact a couple of weeks ago riding up Radnor Road I said hello to two as I passed them, one totally ignored me, one looked at me, said nothing then returned to looking silently ahead. Amuses me, actively ignoring someone. Thankfully I’m not so needy as to start threads about it though.

and I’ll regularly stop for a cheese straw on the road bike.

Today I wore a green shirt and on my way to work I smiled and waved at everybody else wearing green. Not one person waved back.

Obviously unlike you THEY all left home thinking they were the points leader…

What wheel size for hyper sensitivity to rejection 😛

What wheel size for hyper sensitivity to rejection 😛

Speaking personally , i always give a cheery hello or nod or smile or whatever. But the only time i haven’t is when i was totally and utterly shagged and was in survival mode just to get home.
I guess that’s forgivable in such circumstances 😆

Thankfully I’m not so needy as to start threads about it though.

Don’t worry, I saw what you did there 😀

What wheel size for hyper sensitivity to rejection

26″. That was probably the trouble, I’m not down with the cool kids.
Thing is, there must have been 26 of them, at least, and not one of them….no, I promised myself I wouldn’t get upset again…

Road bikes come with cellotape

I can’t actually remember the last time I gave a nod, or hello and it wasn’t reciprocated tbh.

And that’s MTB’ers, roadies, walkers and blokes sat in their car at the side of the road.

Derbyshire’s obviously full of nice people…

*disclaimer – we have lots of scummers too, but they just seem to stay close to home and take smack/mkat