They won’t say hello unless they’re a gang of 10 riding 2 abreast holding all the traffic back. They’re very happy then. 😈

I agree, DrP – if you’re passing each other on opposite sides of the road with a closing mph speed in the 40s, unless you really stare at the other person which frankly makes you the odd one, then it’s pretty easy to miss the nod/hand raise etc.

I still acknowledge the other cyclists and don’t take it too personally when I don’t see them respond.

I agree, DrP – if you’re passing each other on opposite sides of the road with a closing mph speed in the 40s, unless you really stare at the other person which frankly makes you the odd one, then it’s pretty easy to miss the nod/hand raise etc.

It’s mostly this. It’s easy to miss a small nod in your direction. Even easier if one of you is powering on and blowing out of your arse. I wouldn’t take it personally.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEDo5oQ-O8Y[/video]

Complaining about this is like complaining people don’t say hello as you pass them in a super market aisle or when you’re driving down the road in your Germanic estate car, other drivers of Germanic estates don’t wave to you.

Not everyone wants to acknowledge another person just because they happen to be pedalling a bicycle on the same stretch of Tarmac/trail/bridleway etc.

Get over it.

200_s by paul.sal, on Flickr

If you want to get their attention, I find throwing stuff at them does the trick

Well I suppose it is a day or two since we last had a grumpy roadie thread.

is there a secret nod or somat?

It can be very subtle.

I give a nod, a smile and a hello to everyone, reckon I get about an 80% or 90% response rate – got a hello back from a guy in full Garmin kit going up a hill like he really was David Millar on Saturday, not even a look from a guy going through Cleobury the other way on the same ride. Some people do, some people don’t. Ain’t no thing.

Binners at the weekend ,with some (not Greggs) projectiles .

Some good tips here … Rule 71 may be what some folks experience hence getting blanked 😉

The Rules

Why oh why do these threads keep appearing.
Who cares if someone riding a vaguely similar bike to you doesn’t wave and start a conversation with you when they are just out ridig.

Why are middle aged male mountain bikers so needy.
Do you need a kiss on the cheek before you can get to sleep.

Just get over it and enjoy the weather and your own riding.

I thought some roadies were being ignorant when I rode passed them and said hello, until I realised that they had ear warmers on (or they may have been headphones 🙄 )
Think it is just down to individuals what ever mode of transport, used to live in Dorset whether walking dog, running, cycling would always say Hi to people out on the trail and would get a high number of blanks, moved up to Wiltshire and found people tend to respond more and more inclined to respond 😀

Out yesterday on the road bike for the first time in six weeks most people were friendly and said hello or gave the usual nod.

I did take offense to two that passed me though on the opposite side of the road, one commented on the fact I was wearing a lotto belisol team jersey from a few seasons ago. Then continued to say something about ‘if you wear team kit…’ within ear shot. Thought it was overly rude and the person in question just seemed a total bell**d. Other than that was a good day out.

I find that when on the mtb, I sometimes get ignored by roadies. When on the road bike, I sometimes get ignored by mtbers. The one group guaranteed to give a cheery wave or hello is CTC types on ancient Dawes Galaxies.

As I overtake other riders whilst wearing lycra I tend to subtlely clench my buttocks as an acknowledgement of their presence.
Passing in the opposite direction I find a subtle thrust of my lycra clad groin generally elicits a wtf reaction.
8)

I find keyboard warriors to be more sour faced.

As I overtake other riders whilst wearing lycra I tend to subtlely clench my buttocks as an acknowledgement of their presence.
Passing in the opposite direction I find a subtle thrust of my lycra clad groin generally elicits a wtf reaction.

I so much wish this were true!

I did take offense to two that passed me though on the opposite side of the road, one commented on the fact I was wearing a lotto belisol team jersey from a few seasons ago. Then continued to say something about ‘if you wear team kit…’ within ear shot. Thought it was overly rude and the person in question just seemed a total bell**d. Other than that was a good day out.

were both parties track standing? walking with your bikes? one going up a steep hill the other hard on the brakes going the other way? only with a combined speed of 20-40mph i wondering if this exchange actually took place? 🙄

I saw loads of people out on Sunday, I was leading a group of 10, we mostly rode double pace line, chatting away, regrouping at the tops and bottoms of hills. I did the gentle head nod to people coming the other way, I don’t worry if they don’t reply but most do. Except on Box Hill which was full of people riding an iconic climb 🙄

got lost clicking links on velominati and had to laugh at

CYCLING SHIT SANDWICH // A triathlon
Also referred to as the CSS, the Cycling Shit Sandwich is characterized by an event which begins with prolonged near-drowning and ends with trying to outrun the slowest person in your vicinity. May also involve a conclusive demonstration of a lack of motor skills.

They may be sour-faced, but they can be funny!

I ride a road bike, MTB, drive a car and occasionally walk. Sometimes I forget which prejudice to have.

Why do people always have to find excuses to be prejudiced? Just because you’d like other people to be friendly to you doesn’t mean you have to insist on it like some bloody dictator!

To the OP – I’m not going to go around waving like a lunatic to every other cyclist (or anyone in any form of transport come to that) just because you have this idea we should all be sooper-friendly to each other!

Not least because with the state of the roads and generally low standard of driving you need to have your wits about you if you’re travelling at any speed so keeping hands on the bars is a pretty sensible strategy.

To be honest I’d rather you thought I was grumpy than be taking my teeth home in my pocket 😯

A guy I know got overtaken while on a sportive and took great offence at one other competitor who shouted “Come on Fatso” at him as he rode past. Only later did he realise the guy was referencing his Liquigas kit and had actually shouted “Come on Basso!” 😀

Are people so desperate to feel like they belong to a group that they get upset by this sort of thing?

If you’re such a precious little flower that your feelings get hurt when someone doesn’t say hello, I don’t think cycling is the sport for you!

I love the idea that some people go out and get all sad faced just because someone they don’t know doesn’t wave back at them; are you on a date or a bike ride?

I used to do motorbikes and the wave/nod is quite a big deal for some people. It’s a nice touch but you can’t get too uptight about it. (I got so into the habit that I still do it, it always makes me smile when I get one on back on a pushbike)

It’s all about manners isn’t it? Sadly, generally lacking these days, doesn’t matter what bike you ride; if someone says hello or something it’s generally polite to respond in kind.

Ignorance is bliss, the ignorant are dicks.

Chris

Some pretty mixed responses then!

Just be clear I’m not riding round gurning like the village idiot trying to hug roadies, just find there’s considerably more socially inept roadies than MTBers as kinda proved in some of the posts. The ‘they probably did’nt hear/see you’ thing does not add up either.

Mr Smith, the croc dundee clip is a stroke of genius 😆

It’s all about manners isn’t it? Sadly, generally lacking these days, doesn’t matter what bike you ride; if someone says hello or something it’s generally polite to respond in kind.

That is of course assuming they saw of heard you?

Makes me chuckle when these threads come up. You can guarantee the first one of the year always comes up the Monday after the first sunny warm weekend of the year.

Personally I always raise my hand on the handlebars, more as a reflex action but it can easily be missed though, and if you think I’m rude or ignorant because you don’t see it, well so be it. I’ll cope okay with that!

Just be clear I’m not riding round gurning like the village idiot trying to hug roadies, just find there’s considerably more socially inept roadies than MTBers as kinda proved in some of the posts. The ‘they probably did’nt hear/see you’ thing does not add up either.

doubt it, from experience, the key difference between mtbers and roadies, is as follows.

Roadies go for rides to cafes for tea and cake and a chat, mtbers drive to car parks to discuss the latest upgrade to their bike before driving home.

Regarding strangers, I find roadies far more willing to help others, mtbers tend to be too wrapped up in themselves, far too many cliques.

Roadies are more likely to offer help if they can. The acknowledgement you get isn’t that obvious though, and when your arse is hanging out you do tend to get tunnel vision.

MrNice – Member

Mind you, some roadies don’t respond just because they’re trying so hard they have tunnel vision and can’t think of anything but how much their legs hurt

Seems about right I would say.

Then again. A subtle nod whilst not even looking in your direction, a finger half raised off the hood .. it can be very very subtle.

i,ve been a club roady for 25 years .always say hi or wave .most club riders will return the wave .it’s mainly the newcomers that dont understand ,can normaly tell them with there trade team clothing ,sky in particular.

mrmo – Member

Regarding strangers, I find roadies far more willing to help others, mtbers tend to be too wrapped up in themselves, far too many cliques.

Roadies are more likely to offer help if they can.

How did you come to that conclusion? Do you often need help when on your bike? Or do you cycle around offering help to random cyclists at the side of the road, with varying amounts of sincerity depending on which bike you are riding? And what sort of help are we talking about? I’m genuinely puzzled by this comment.

Mind you, some roadies don’t respond just because they’re trying so hard they have tunnel vision and can’t think of anything but how much their legs hurt

A chap I’ve ridden with a few times tells the story of the time he had blown up completely and was dragging his carcass back home when he tried to nod to someone coming the other way, lost his grip on the bars and faceplanted the stem – ending up in the gutter.

I’ve no idea if it’s really true but by god I hope it is.

Some pretty mixed responses then!

Just be clear I’m not riding round gurning like the village idiot trying to hug roadies, just find there’s considerably more socially inept roadies than MTBers as kinda proved in some of the posts. The ‘they probably did’nt hear/see you’ thing does not add up either.

OP you are demonstrating both tribalism and confirmatory bias – as nicely illustrated in your post above. You have already decided that roadies are “socially inept” and you choose to “prove” this based on messages here. This is clearly false though as all the responders on this thread are mountain bikers – this is STW after all not Road Cycling UK or similar.

My first response was a little testy – and I have ridden mountain bikes for far more years than road riders. Cyclists of all types get enough abuse and prejudice from ramblers/horse riders/petrolheads without creating more divisive rubbish ourselves.

To be fair the ‘socially inept’ bit was meant as a sly dig/ joke, don’t read to much into it.
Again in my experience MTBer’s seem pretty friendly as do roadies, but I have been blanked quite alot by roadies and can’t really understand it, hence the original post.
I’m not a needy person or massively upset by a few road cyclists poor manners.
Just wondered that’s all.
I’m certainly not trying to create a divide.

@idlejon, when on the side of the road fixing punctures, i find i am more likely to get a roadie offer help than the same situation off road

Why do you feel the need to say hello to everyone who rides past on a bicycle? When you’re Driving your car do you wave to everyone who drives past in a car?
For the record, I often say hello to walkers or cyclists on country lanes or in any circumstances where we’re passing at close quarters, but almost never to other cyclists on busy wide A roads, town/city centres etc. What’s the point?

There is always one road rider that will wave back