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I have absolutely no sense of cycling etiquette whatsoever. I Think it's all utterly arbitrary so I would annoy every single one of you, and I'd be glad of it.
On the road, people who can't get out of the saddle without their bike coming to a complete standstill... Very annoying if you're on their wheel.
And constant snotters that just seem to snort an invisible mist every other breath. DROP BACK! I DON'T WANT TO TASTE YOUR MUCUS!
1.People who mash around at race pace at peak times in busy spots. Get there earlier - or way later - and have the place to yourself to fly around on your strava quest.
2. 'You want to do it the other way round - it's much harder'
3. 'You go with your wife? Does that slow you up?'
4. 'No wonder you held up our group - you are on singlespeeds'
5. 'Can I borrow your tools mate?'
When we do group rides we avoid the lateness issue by leaving within three minutes of the arranged start time.
Done this for years and it works - late commers either pedal like mad to catch up, or meet us on route if possible.
Faffers are left faffing and we ride off on a short loop to see if they are ready.
But the group I ride with are all good mates so it works well.
1. Sending you a text on your way there saying "its too wet" or "I don't fancy this weather mate"
2. People using the expression "unridable"
3. Complaning about their bike
4. Looking at a jump or double, having a million run ins, waste all your time and then decide its not for them.
5. When they can't fix their own flats!
Group rides where someone is late, causing someone who is already there to go to the loo or cafe while they wait. Which in turn causes someone else to do the same. meanwhile the late person turns up but half the group is now in the loo, in the cafe having a coffee/breakfast. Which in turn results if the late person doing the same and then eventually when everyone is ready, one of the group who has just returned from the cafe realises they have a puncture. so while the puncture is being repaired someone decides they need to go to the loo, another decides they have time for a quick coffee......
When you're the 'nominated driver' and then being expected to also put all the bikes on and take them of the rack, because 'it's your car'.
Other people just assuming you're going to be doing the driving, then when you ask 'who's driving this weekend?' the amount of under the breath mutters and gaze avoiding looks you get.
Riders who stop at the top of a vaguely challenging bit, gawping down it and blocking the run up for everyone else so no-one can ride it.
Would coming into contact with rude horse riders count? I seem to locate them with increased regularity.
For the record, considering my wife owns a horse I always slow down to a crawl and give them as much room as possible. They have the right of way so I stop and move out of their way if it's what's needed. Yet we still manage to get grief and it always bothers me. Thankfully they're not all like that.
Moaning. Everyone has a bit of a moan from time to time, but some people seem to have a special gift for constantly moaning about everything; the bike, the trail, the weather, other riders, their fitness, other peoples fitness, and on and on.........
It is supposed to be an enjoyable pastime, if you detest it that much, why not do something else.
We once had a hero join us on a ride. After leaving the car park there was a steep climb where once we reached the top the hero decided that was enough.
After our 3 hour loop he was still in the car park waiting for us in all his gear. We then went in the pub where he resumed his hero persona and let everyone know how awesome he was.
Knob.
Would coming into contact with rude horse riders count?
No. I've been in contact with quite a few "rude" horse riders in my time!! 😆
Oh, I see what you mean...rude as in ill mannered...
People who don't have the time to build or repair trails, but seem to find plenty of time to ride them...
+ 1,000,000,000.
And people who turn simple, unimportant decisions about which bit of your local trail network to ride into a process akin to negotiating the Treaty of Ghent.
We once had a hero join us on a ride. After leaving the car park there was a steep climb where once we reached the top the hero decided that was enough.
After our 3 hour loop he was still in the car park waiting for us in all his gear. We then went in the pub where he resumed his hero persona and let everyone know how awesome he was.
Knob.
sorry my ego won't let me be anything apart from AWESOME 😳
Bike club morphing into Drink club 🙁
No Probs with a mid ride pint or two (although I'd prefer it at the end) but when it regularly turns in the the same short route to the same few pubs for 5-6+ pint stop I'm Out! 🙁
People who climb like mountain goats then assuming my ability to ride down is the same as my ability to ride up.
Everything everybody else does irritates me which is why I'm a [s]miserable sod[/s] happy bunny and only ride alone
but still moan about them.People who don't have the time to build or repair trails, but seem to find plenty of time to ride them...
If you don't like them pick a shovel and help to make them better.
Crazy commuter woman i share a train with who has a couple of rants about road incidents on her way to the station each week.
She swerves off the pavement and jumps the lights on a horrible, busy junction, has dangly bags on her handlebars and had no lights and wonders why they're out to get her!
(more worrying, than irritating tbh)
People cutting corners on nice twisty, woodsy bits. If you want to ride straight lines find an old Roman road.
Using phrases like:
"I reckon I could smash that trail in the dry"
Talk of smashing anything, especially out of the mouths of anyone who isn't a yoof (who can speak like that)
"That's rad" when talking about a normal bit of woodland singletrack
Other things:
People mincing in groups & stopping in the middle if trails just for the fun of it who look at you in disgust when you ask to pass.
Litter droppers.
People who complain about you overtaking them and then proclaiming awesome DH abilities that they possess so they could smash it on the way back down and beat you easily.
I could go on, but I'll just sound like a whinger.
They say there goes a strange one ...
Noticing conversation
Rarely speaking at all
And he rides, he rides alone
Yes he rides, he rides alone
It's true I'm not much on talking
It's true there's not much I know
But one thing I've learned for certain
You reap whatever you sow
And you ride, you ride alone
Yes you ride, you ride alone....
[i]I've started to put bits of broken chain on a fencepost next to the spot, and there's a tidy collection of them now[/i]
Is that a joke, got to be surely.
I generally ride alone as people annoy me in general. Most of my annoyances are found when commuting on the bike.
Red light jumpers
People switching riding from road to pavement as it suits, what's the point.
People who barge their way to the front of lights then set off incredibly slowly.
Passing folk that suddenly up their speed considerably then try to stay on your wheel - if you had been riding at that pace before then I wouldn't have passed.
Newbs that want to race you all the time, yep crack on.
People who put a massive effort in to pass you then die a death after that. If you can't sustain the pace then why bother.
That's if for the moment.
😳people who constantly change into/out of a jacket (usually women, sorry) for a five mintue climb/descent holding up the rest of the group.
Turning up late.
Over faffing in the car park (pump up tyres, fine. Full service, not fine)
Littering. if you carried the full wrapper you can certainly carry the empty wrapper.
Riding over aggressively when there are beginners on the ride.
People wanting to stop and take photos/setup video cameras.
people who assume because your on a rigid they are automatically going to be faster than you on the down... 😉
people who on the road blow snot rockets behind on group rides without dropping back first - had a mate who was bad for this.
i've seen it all during my time as a mtb guide/instructor...
you kind of get used to it after a while...there are certain things that can be seen as an opportunity to educate someone such as helping them to get their bike up and running or teaching them about the impact of littering on the trail etc..
smokers who wheeze up every hill then moan at the top that that was hard, need to get fit, etc. Then proceed to light up!
I can recall most of these things happening on rides I've been on, but I don't remember getting wound up about any of them. Probably me doing the winding up 😆
Lateness
Broken bike before the start of the ride
Moaning about the climbs (FFS it the South Downs, half the ride will be UP!)
Not bring a camelbak/bottle and sponging other peoples water.
People that issue unsolicited advice about saddle height, bar and lever position.
On a group ride, people that decide they want to change the plan because they don't like the GUIDE'S route (bloody ride your own ride then)
Slow people starting first onto singletrack or DH and then not getting out the way and then holding the fast boys up (after being briefed to let the quick people go first).
Littering
People that ask for advice and then completely fail to take on board what they've been told because they didn't listen.
Fast riders intimidating new riders on a social ride
SkidZ
Poo stops - yes poo stops wtf
People who wear gaudily coloured riding "shorts" and hurt my eyes..
People who arrange routes on the South Downs called "Triple S up" and include a number of steep hills that are barely rideable (unless you own a plastic bike that weighs 9 grammes). Annoyingly everyone else seems to really enjoy said routes and keep asking for a repeat performance...
People who bring a crate of delicious local beer to a New Years Eve parties and force me to drink it and thus feel a bit "tired" the next day.
(Sorry - been a long week)
TM
not enjoying yourself
Going to the pub after a ride & most of the group straight on their phones uploading their strava times....
people who on the road blow snot rockets behind on group rides without dropping back first - had a mate who was bad for this.
What happened to him 😉
I mostly ride on my own ,99% of the time & irritate myself with faffing.
Then it's wearing too much or the wrong gloves. Or I set off too fast and pay later.
I'm surprised people haven't moaned about unfit buggers who have to walk up every hill making the ride last twice as long for everybody else.
I am the unfit bugger.
Flat out towpath racing with no regard for the safety of other people
OK, given that everyone on this thread hates late faffers, we should all be fine riding with each other then 🙂
Anyone who doesn't get irritated! 😉
People who don't take their turn holding the gate on rides that cross walled fields.
Mechanical hypochondriacs. No, your brakes don't need bleeding, no you don't need to strip and grease your headset for the fourth time this month, no your freewheel's not knackered. Just ride your bloody bike and shut up.
Slow people starting first onto singletrack or DH and then not getting out the way and then holding the fast boys up (after being briefed to let the quick people go first).
Fast riders intimidating new riders on a social ride
🙄
You've got to let the slower ones go first some times, they'll get faster by being chased.
The lads I ride with and I have a natural order to ride in (i'm 3rd) but i like to go first sometimes as when i can hear on of the other lads behind me it makes me go faster.
You've got to let the slower ones go first some times, they'll get faster by being chased.
actually I think that might be how I have got some of my best strava segments at Ashton Court