Why are some people so miserable.

Took the day off work yesterday to get out on the bike and take the dog along for a ride. Headed up to the white horse and went along cleveland way bridleway and made a loop connecting other bridleways.
The weather was great and had a lovely time.

What i don’t understand though is why some ramblers are so bloody mardy. There were about 6 groups i passed all with about 5-6 people walking. They looked like they were probably pensioners going out to enjoy the sun and scenery. So why do none of them say hello back just give you a look of disgust??

Whenever i went past other people everybody seemed friendly but these old codgers were in a right hump. So why was it? Do you get this when you are out?

Was it that they think i’m been lazy riding a bike with the dog? Or that i shouldn’t be on the bridleway at all? Or maybe they are just gutted its taken them all day to see what i see in the 10 mins pootling along down the path?

Other than that, i had a great day out of the office 🙂

It might just be because they hate walking. I know I do.

Some of them wave:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/some-walkers-came-across-my-go-pro-while-i-was-filming

The ramblers are an association dedicated to closing countryside access to other user groups. You reminded them that they ain’t finished yet.

(Walkers, however, are just people who walk.)

Dogs on leads, I think Ramblers are a bit stickler-ish over that. Free range dogs a bit of red rag to a red sock.
Nothing at all to do with two wheeled conveyance, nope.

I’ve come across a few miserable walking groups as well. I puffed up a climb towards one at about 3mph, but the biddy at the back shouted ‘bike!’ as if she’d just spotted a Stuka dive bomber approaching, then glowered at me, ignoring my cheery ‘good morning!’ completely.

Most of them just resemble shuffling packs of zombies though. I can only assume their GP told them to go walking, as they clearly don’t like it.

It’s not just cyclists that get this response. Last week I was jogging with the pooch down the lakeside path along the west side of Derwent Water, about 9:30 in the morning.

There was a herd of ramblers heading up the path towards me and spread out right across the path completely blocking it with no passing space at all.

I said a cheerful good morning as I approached and just got grunted at, and then had to go through the bog as none of them made any attempt to move out of the the way and let me past.

What really p’d me off is that I managed to twist my knee getting back on the path and it’s been hurting ever since. If they’d just made the slightest bit of effort to temporarily go single file I’d be OK now.

Ggggrrrrrrrr…..

EDIT – Rolo was on a waist harness lead as well, so not running loose.

Perhaps they just resent your youthful, vibrant perkiness. Reminding them, as it does, of how much closer to the grave they are than you*

* unless you hit the piano wire they’ve stretched across the trail half a mile away 😉

they are just filling the time while they wait to die.

That’s my neck of the woods *waves*
There’s some cracking riding in that area.

Thinking about it this has happened to me twice in the last few months.

Mrs. Pinkster & I were doing a walk with Rolo from Goodrich Castle during the MayDay weekend and came across another herd of about 30 Ramblers walking down the pavement.

Again they didn’t acknowledge us and made no attempt to leave a clear way down the pavement, instead forcing us to walk out into a quite busy country road.

All the needed to do was go single file for a few moments to let us pass safely.

This was on a hot day yet they were all still wearing thick jumpers, multi layer waterproofs & woolly hats. Looked like they were just about to do a major hike into the Alps rather than stoll though a nice bit Herefordshire.

Had one the other week, whilst I was winching up a climb who completely blanked me. His wife following looked very apologetic and shrugged her shoulders, so she was rewarded with a cheeky wink from me.

Not all ramblers are grumpy – in exactly the same way that not all mountain bikers are inconsiderate.

Met a lovely group of French ramblers on my local trails a couple of weeks ago, they seemed happy to be there and to share the countryside with another outdoor enthusiast.

Rambling groups tend to make an absolute mockery of any kind of Shared Used Path. Popped out to Wylam the other day and a group of (at a guess) 20 were taking up the entire path, which is maybe 4 metres wide at this point. We rang bells and said a cheery pardon me. They scowled moaned at me for not giving them enough warning (first bell ring was 50m back and I rang constantly until I reached them) They then refused to make space so I had to ride off the enormous, wide path and on to the verge to get by.

Nothing wring with walkers, I am one. Ramblers are just militant walkers fighting battles which by and large they’ve already won.

mmmm ramblers

I wonder how the anti-bike brigade deal with this?

Meh.

Some people are nice, some are not. I do most of my riding in a National Park, so I always go out of my way to be polite and considerate, and try and be the ” nice face of Mountain Biking “, especially as I know that there are so many others who are only here to visit, so don’t give a monkeys about how they behave and leave it for the locals to pick up the flak afterwards. Yeah, nice one 🙄

I had a great conversation with a group of ramblers of pensionable age a couple of weeks ago in Kentmere, mainly helped by the fact that I saw they were coming up the hill, so I stopped in the sunshine at the top, waited until they got to me, safely out the way, and we exchanged pleasantries. They didn’t get me barging them out the way like a d*ickhead trying to squeeze out a new Strava time, and got a rambler free descent in the bargain.

Win win I’d say.

Yeah, some people will always be miserable sods, but half the time I reckon it’s because they’ve had a run in with someone before. Just takes one person to be a selfish idiot, and then the aggrieved party will tar everyone else with the same brush, before they even get a chance to prove themselves otherwise.

My mum is also a rambler of pensionable age, so I always try and think ” is how that’s I would behave towards my mum “. Usually works as a good benchmark of how I treat ” the others “.

/rant

PJM1974 – Member
Met a lovely group of French ramblers on my local trails a couple of weeks ago, they seemed happy to be there and to share the countryside with another outdoor enthusiast.

Ah, but they were French. Their relatives probably owned it 1000 years ago. 😉

I’m always nice to ramblers, even when they’re a lost cause. I did some mapreading for a nice trio this week. One of the blokes was a bit grumpy because a)He had no idea where he was or which way he was facing and b) he didn’t want to ask for directions.

. Just takes one person to be a selfish idiot, and then the aggrieved party will tar everyone else with the same brush, before they even get a chance to prove themselves otherwise.

Ergo proving themselves also to be idiots, as well as slaves to their own mindset to such an extent that they’re constantly miserable. I feel sorry for them. Maybe they’re just hungry. Lots of people get a bit of a mard on when they’re hungry. I go out of my way to be so cheery and helpful that most people think I’m a bit dim. It’s fantastic!
I sound like barnaby bear! I like barnaby bear. One time he went to France. I went to France. But some kid burnt my neck. I didn’t like it.

It’s because they is communist, innit?

but the biddy at the back shouted ‘bike!’ as if she’d just spotted a Stuka dive bomber approaching,

This keeps happening to me this year, they don’t bother to assess what the bike is doing, just panic, clutch their loved ones to their bossom and cry about how the children are too young to die… while i pass them at about twice walking pace and 3 metres across from them, using the special “You people are mental” look I have for just such an occasion.

I **** HATE walking groups, marching two by two up the footpaths with their special sticks, barging all other people into the road, even my elderly Mum. Never smile, be you on a bike, or on foot. I’ve come to assume they walk as some form of penance, rather than out of enjoyment. One day last year I abandonded a ride due to the high number of miserable joyless souless twunts littering the valley I live in, I just knew I was about to loose my rag.

However, last sunny weekend ride I went on 90% of the walkers were awesome, chatting, smiling, one guy complimented my on my descending and then challenged me to climb back up with less dabs than him, which would meaning cleaning it.

A rambler kicked stones at us a few weeks as we rode past. My son heard one of them say “Got her!” when the stone hit my wife’s bike but he didn’t think anything of it until we compared notes later. We’ve agreed that if it happens again we will confront them and call the Police to report an assault, unless they apologise.

Dogs on leads, I think Ramblers are a bit stickler-ish over that

I find that most people in the countryside choose the bylaws/laws at their convenience. I have been told off by people for riding on footpaths whilst their dogs are running all over the place chasing sheep and leaving crap all over the place.

*riding on footpaths is very naughty

It’s not just cyclists that get this response.

+1. I think its a bit of a Victorian attitude to the outdoors many people dont like other people moving (or trying to move) quickly, even running.

Ive had maybe 1 or 2 incidents of cross word in I dunno 15 years or so of mountain biking, and both times with “professional” walkers. you know the sort I’m sure.

Most folk I’ve met on trails have been lovely

It just seemed odd, I’ve met many ramblers on our outings but this was the only time they’ve been off with me. The dog been loose may not have helped. Many people seem to think she looks a bit intimidating, but she’s a massive softy.

Its a lovely place wombat, did my first ride there after buying my MTB and picking up a route from the visitor centre.

The little descent near the white horse is great too (if you follow the path down rather than the stairs to the car park).

Walkers are much friendlier to me when I’m on my CX bike which is odd.

Bloody miserable old folk clogging up roads and bridleways, curse them!
Had a group once on the b/way over the cat n fiddle, rung my bell several times as I approached, none of them turned round or saw me so I had to cycle out on rough crap and as I passed one deaf old bag tutted & commented ‘don’t you have a bell?’ Look Granny, I’m gonna take this effing bell and shove it right up your ……..

Some people are selfish and inconsiderate. Some go walking, some ride bikes. In 20 years of mtbing, I reckon I’ve had fewer than 10 run-ins with walkers/ ramblers.

As for people not returning a greeting, there are plenty of threads on here about cyclists…

Ah, but they were French. Their relatives probably owned it 1000 years ago.

Well, where I live is apparently part of Nord-Pas-de-Calais according to the EU, so it’s on their doorstep I guess!

I think your perception of danger changes with age, certainly noticed how relatives have changed their lifestyle to avoid new experiences in later years.

We have a shared use path on the seafront, I was cycling at about 4mph with my boy on the seat and the look of fear on the faces of the people with walkers and sticks was palpable. One lady clutched her husband as I went past at walking pace with about 1m gap.

I think they truly perceive that they are in real peril and this cause a fright and anger reflex at times.

Just takes one person to be a selfish idiot, and then the aggrieved party will tar everyone else with the same brush, before they even get a chance to prove themselves otherwise.

and if the next person is nice and friendly they’ll completely forget about it. It’s like 4×4 drivers or coloured people or any other group you may have a grievance with, you will remember the encounters that conform to your opinion and forget the rest or treat them as exceptions that prove the rule. One of those human traits you gotta rail against.

Its the spreading themselves right across a trail and not moving as they are walking towards you I don’t get. Are they expecting you to evaporate?

I’ve had walkers actually walk into me and my stationery bike before they have noticed I am there.

Maybe they all leave their guides dog at home

Nice doggy

I think they truly perceive that they are in real peril and this cause a fright and anger reflex at times.

It could be a thing about slow reaction times – whenever I give my parents a lift somewhere, my mother especially is always gasping and jumping – she’s reacting to threats which I’ve already noticed and discounted or reacted to.

@ Yorkshire89 & Wombat

Is that Kilburn? Stayed at the Forresters Arms last week, enviously watched a group setting out. Yorkshire Mountain Biking van?

Will bring my bike next time!

Maybe they all leave their guides dog at home

Err I have come across blind walking groups before now.

@ Yorkshire89 & Wombat

Is that Kilburn? Stayed at the Forresters Arms last week, enviously watched a group setting out. Yorkshire Mountain Biking van?

Will bring my bike next time!

Not stayed at the Forresters Arms as I only live a few miles away but have sampled a pint or 2 there over the years…

Yes, just above Kilburn, near the Gliding Club (if I recognise it correctly from the pics, could be just along near the Visitor Centre at Sutton Bank though).

The off-road decent that runs alongside the road past the white horse is very good.

Of all the riding last year I only had one exchange of words with a dickhead. Mate rode down and stopped some way back from this guy, his missus and their kiddie waiting for me and the GF so we could all pass together. We were polite and gave them lots of room. As I passed this guy started muttering. Asked him what he said and he let out a torrent of abuse. Said to him “live and let live “and turned around at which point he waved his stick at me. I let him know that if his kiddie wasn’t there he would be taking a tumble and that his missus had my sympathy for having to live with such an idiot. This was in full view of other walkers who we had passed earlier and were now at the same spot.
Such a dick. We sorted ourselves out at the end of the trail and the guy came past us looking very sheepish.

Unfortunately I’ve already had once incident this year…. Was a few weeks back. Two women ambling down the hill, as always a happy hello from me and told them not to panic and take their time. At which point the one in front started mouthing off that bikes weren’t allowed on the trails and that she would call the police. I informed her that there are trails where bikes are not allowed, but these had a large sign saying “no bikes” andthat the police probably had better things to do than walk 1000m up a hill to listen to her. Then she startedranting that she wouldn’t move an inch to allow me to get past. Her friend was most pleasant, strangely. I told the mouthy one that I could wait and would pass when there was room, but she wouldn’t let up. Kept informing her that her day out would be much nicer if she didn’t feel the need to get so angry.
The trail in question ends at a beer garden which was full. Matey and I had one of the last tables (is custom in Germany to share a table when it is busy) and whilst we are drinking our beers moody lady hobbles into view. We offered for them to sit with us which the nice lady accepted but mouthy refused.
Think we made a good impression on that day….

Err I have come across blind walking groups before now.

Does that prevent them from hearing a bell?

I know it’s not rad to the power of sick, but I spend an amount of time on towpaths (and roads) so my bike has to go equipped for all eventualities. I get condescending looks at trail centres, but it’d be a waste of time and effort to constantly have to swap accessories every time I go out on different terrain.

I appreciate the answer is probably n+1, but I’ve neither the storage space nor the budget for that.

Yes the first two photo’s are near the visitor centre, the last photo was taken at peak scar wood near Murton Grange where there is another fairly nice descent followed by a gruelling push back up! Nice stream at the bottom to give the dog a cool down.

They were clearly disgusted you weren’t on a 650b and therefore considered you a pleb.