Unfriendly Roadies

Recently I’ve been riding my mtb to the woods on the road rather than taking the car. It’s about a mile ride and a popular roadie route, so often pass by them on the way. What I’ve noticed when riding my mtb is that roadies totally blank you when passing (at least 8 out of 10 anyway). I always say hi to passing cyclists, whatever bike they are riding, but most of the roadies I’ve been passing recently are seriously up their own arses. They can’t even be bothered to nod their heads. Anyone else noticed this too?

Yes. About a million insecure cyclists have commented on this before.

WGAS?

Yes, I’ve noticed it too. When I’m driving to the woods to ride my bike, none of the other drivers will acknowledge me when I wave at them.

nah, it’s just you that they don’t like

*insert groundhog day gif here*

When I’m driving I don’t wave at every passing car. Some rodies do, some don’t. doesn’t make them unfriendly, maybe focused on what they’re doing or enjoying the peace.

I didn’t notice it until I got the road bike, then suddenly it was raining Hellos and waves.

thing is waving/nodding/greeting cyclists is so second nature to me I frequently do it when driving – get some very confused looks.

its a conspiracy sweepstake – all the roadies are in on it – one of the miserable b@st@rds will now be much better off having predicted when the next thread on “roadies not smiling” on STW will be

I believe the competition runs weekly

Hello, welcome to the forum.
I can only guess you’re new here..

Oh, this again, good.

For future reference; the happiness of others is not directly related to their acknowledgement of your existence. It’s perfectly to be happy without interacting with you.

😉

WGAS?

Had to google that one! Guess I’m getting older, but there was a time (especially around small villages where I live) where cyclists would generally acknowledge each other when passing on the road. I was wondering if those days are over or if it was just a roadie v mtb thing. I don’t actually give a shit either, just wondered what the score was.

It’s because roadies are always in the pain cave, therefore unable to come out of Zone 5 to acknowledge an inferior mountain biker.

It’s not that we don’t wave at mountainbikers, it’s just that you’re really, really, ugly, and a bit chubby. Same with Froome, he’s not looking at his stem, he just really didn’t want to spend all day seeing Brad’s sideburns, that’s why he dropped him on that climb, now it’s just force of habit for him and he can’t stop unfortunately, so he looks at his stem a lot, and leaves people for dead on the climbs.

just wondered what the score was.

0 – 0

For future reference; the happiness of others is not directly related to their acknowledgement of your existence. It’s perfectly to be happy without interacting with you.

**** hell, I only raise a hand or nod my head to them. I’m not trying to flag them down for an in-depth discussion. This is not central London either, so it’s not like there are millions of people around.

Does this mean you used to *drive* the 1 mile to the local woods so you could ride your mountain bike?

When I’m on my roadie I don’t say hi to anyone because I’m a hateful little shit

Call my old fashioned but I also nod when passing people out walking (again I’m talking village location here, not a city centre) and you can 100% guarantee they will acknowledge unless they are complete social retards. That’s why I was thinking the roadies (most of them anyway) are a bit off.

They are waving but it’s generally a subtle raise of the finger or a nod of the head, nothing more. You’re probably just missing it.

Does this mean you used to *drive* the 1 mile to the local woods so you could ride your mountain bike?

This was my first thought, but I decided that would be madness and I must have misunderstood.

FWIW, I say hello to everyone generally, irrespective of bike (mine or otherwise) and if I’m ignored by a group it’s the #enduro weekend warrior types.

Wouldn’t you be grumpy if you were cycling on those awful dangerously skinny tyres with them funny looking handlebars and sharp little saddles and couldn’t cycle anywhere but on tarmac full of potholes and cars and lorries and people stepping off the pavement without looking, breathing in all those lovely exhaust fumes.
Take heart Mr MTBer because you are better than them and give a little shake of the head in pity as you turn off into the woods to have some proper fun.

Does this mean you used to *drive* the 1 mile to the local woods so you could ride your mountain bike?

No of course not. The trails in the local woods are pretty tame and the only reason I’ve started riding them recently is because I’m working from home and any riding is better than no riding.

I was wondering if those days are over or if it was just a roadie v mtb thing

there isn’t a roadie v mtb thing, its in your head. There are people who don’t wave at everyone doing a similar activity to them. some ride bikes.

They are waving but it’s generally a subtle raise of the finger or a nod of the head, nothing more. You’re probably just missing it.

No I was a roadie for years and always noticed the subtle gestures and most other riders did exactly that.

Depending on what’s going on traffic wise they might be concentrating on not getting struck by the driver brushing her hair or squeezing a spot on his nose (I’ve seen both in recent days!).

There’s a couple of riders I see regularly on my commute that never (and I mean never) acknowledge my hello/nod, both are on mountain bikes. Does that make MTBers miserable so-and-sos? No, it just means those two don’t want to say hello or don’t realise that people on bikes are communicative.

moshimonster, welcome to the forum, btw. 🙂

This comes up a lot on here.

Waving at some roadies is fraught with risk, as it reminds them that they’re just people who ride bikes, like the rest of us.

Those currently taking the piss are probably the same miserable cyclists who don’t wave at people.

Let them get on with their insular little lives and keep smiling and waving.
That annoys them even more.

Maybe they can feel the neediness and are just repulsed.

No I was a roadie for years

See what happens when you leave the brotherhood.

Those currently taking the piss are probably the same miserable cyclists who don’t wave at people.

*waves at RS*

I wave at sheep.

Well, you never know.

Sometimes when I’m riding my bike I’m so busy trying to breathe through my ears that I don’t really register/notice other riders until I’ve passed them. Sometimes that happens on my road bike.

there isn’t a roadie v mtb thing, its in your head.

Granted it’s about 10 years since I was a roadie, but back then other roadies used to nod when passing almost without fail. It was pretty standard etiquette. Are you telling me it’s changed or are you all riding around busy towns and cities where nobody would even stop if you dropped dead in front of them?

For me it’s a mixture of town, rural, road, off-road, on a road bike/tourer/hybrid/MTB. Some riders say hello, some don’t. Most do. I don’t worry about those who don’t.

Get with it grandad. 10 years ago the world was different, you could ride on the road without some **** in a steel box trying to murder you, people were held accountable for their actions *even if they were driving at the time*, the life of a roadie was free, easy, and long.

Now we’re all seconds from death so what’s the point in being polite to strangers? If I’m on my road bike, I don’t know you but I do know that I hate you

nobody would even stop if you dropped dead in front of them?

You’re so desperate for attention that you would actually die to get it?

Dunno if it’s changed, not something I notice really. If I don’t get a response to an acknowledgement, which is rare, then I don’t take note.

Are they wearing sky kit? If they are then they’re really serious cyclists so don’t expect any hand gestures, not friendly ones anyway.

nobody would even stop if you dropped dead in front of them

People are *far* more likely to stop now than they were 10 or 15 years ago – they all want to be the first to get pictures up on social media “OMG!!!! This guy is like literally dying in front of me”.

They still won’t actually help, obviously.