I to have enjoyed the thread and would like to thank the contributors to the thread after page 2, I didn’t bother to read any of page 1 & 2 as it would be the same old same old. I just jumped straight in with my first post on page 3, these types of thread are never much interest until page 3 IMO (no offense to posters on pages 1 & 2).

New poll for the home page.

I have to say with the number of sportives that go on round here I do usually give up saying anything to them after the first 20 or so, which I guess probably means those riding 21st – 495th probably think I’m rude. Although they’re sportivists, so they’re racing too hard to acknowledge anyone.

I have to say with the number of sportives that go on round here I do usually give up saying anything to them after the first 20 or so, which I guess probably means those riding 21st – 495th probably think I’m rude.

I’m never that far back in the pack, so no offence taken on my part.

You need a new user name then! But I’m glad I’ve not affronted you!

OP: if you want a ‘sensible’ answer I suspect it’s that as road riding has grown massively in the last few years, by definition most of the roadies you ride past will be new to the sport.
The ‘rules’ of road riding are not well-publicised so unless you join a club then you won’t know them.
Acknowledging other people who belong to the same sub-culture as you is established practice in a lot of minority groups.

However many of the new roadies do not see themselves as part of a sub-culture practiced by a minority group. They’re just enjoying riding a bike – it’s not a part of their identity as it is to many roadies (me included, although to confuse things I also drive and ride an MTB too!)

So they don’t see someone else on a bike as anyone special who is ‘part of the same club as me’ so just as they don’t wave at people they walk past or drive past, they don’t wave at people they ride past either.

To me, this is what we’ve wanted all these years – normalise cycling – something to celebrate and I hope it holds.

STW: back to your banter 😀

I didn’t bother to read any of page 1 & 2 … I just jumped straight in with my first post on page 3

Exactly as per the STW instruction manual 🙂

I just jumped straight in with my first post on page 3, these types of thread are never much interest until page 3 IMO (no offense to posters on pages 1 & 2

To be fair, with an average of 2.93 posts per contributor thus far I suspect there were few who only contributed to the first couple of pages!

However many of the new roadies do not see themselves as part of a sub-culture practiced by a minority group

Agreed (to be sensible for a minute). I think that there’s also the factor that there’s no longer one sub-culture of ‘eccentrics who voluntarily ride bicycles’, but separate sub-cultures of club roadies, MAMILs, MTBers etc. You can even see evidence on here of differences between the gnar shredding DH types and the lycra clad XC crowd.
I wave (well, discreetly raise a hand, or nod) at other riders whether I’m on the road bike or the MTB and definitely get more response from those on the same kind of bike and dressed the same than from those who are ‘different’.

Horsey types are even worse than roadies – you slow down,act politely, say hello and do your best not to startle the poor dumb animal (and the horse badoom tish) and they don’t even seem to acknowledge your existence. Though I am generally on a road bike when I encounter them so perhaps that’s why…

What about the pikey types on stolen old bikes popping on and off the pavement, do I have to say hello to them?

What about the pikey types on stolen old bikes popping on and off the pavement, do I have to say hello to them?

Yes. As through your affections, they will see the error of their ways.

Hug a hoodie, as callmedave used to say.

The ‘rules’ of road riding are not well-publicised so unless you join a club then you won’t know them.

I’m sure you are right. If I still had a road bike, I’d be tempted to don the lycra and test the theory once and for all. Maybe someone who rides both could try this test 🙂

Out of interest how many of you would totally blank another biker crossing your path on a quiet trail? Don’t you think it would seem a bit rude?

I’d hug a hoodie.

But I wouldn’t hug a roadie – too many sharp bits.

But I wouldn’t hug a roadie – too many sharp bits.

Most the ones I see seem fairly well rounded.

As individuals, and in construction.

Out of interest how many of you would totally blank another biker crossing your path on a quiet trail?

Funnily enough that happened to me on Sunday. Out with a mate we didn’t see another rider all day until a serious racing snake (full carbon rigid 29er etc) came up behind us and basically pushed his way past us without saying a word. Which we did feel was a little bit rude. Presumably he didn’t see two old geezers and a dog as being part of his sub-culture.

Back in the day we’d always acknowledge other riders, you’d either know them anyway, or would end up meeting them at a race or at the tea stop. But we didn’t wave to little old ladies with wicker baskets and rod brakes as they weren’t ‘proper’ cyclists. I guess people’s definitions of what constitute ‘proper’ cyclists worth acknowledging has changed over time.

To be serious for a second, I reckon it all went tits up with Strava and Sportives. Now every Bobby Small Potatoes thinks they are fighting for the yellow jersey on every ride, hence they ain’t waving/smiling…as wouldn’t get the pros doing that….and they race right? So they must also be pros.

Hence NO SMILY WAVE TIME.

…plus some people regardless of wheel size, are just ignorant ****s.

Damn it Jamie, both ‘S’ words in one post? This doesn’t bode well.

Yeah totally agree with the whole Strava thing, for me it’s taken the fun out of mtb as people just want to set a fast time rather than have a laugh and fun.

Oh talking of Strava, I think this sums up what it’s done to mtb nicely!

[video]http://youtu.be/bJm1y0o7MHc[/video]

Just too many out there, and tbh why do people feel they need to be recognised?
I still lift a finger from the bars to guys I know or other clubs. Come deep winter you hardly see a soul out on the road, then at the first sign of summer millions appear, so I don’t really see them as having anything in common with me.
And it’s just a UK thing anyway isn’t it.

I’m sure you are right. If I still had a road bike, I’d be tempted to don the lycra and test the theory once and for all. Maybe someone who rides both could try this test

I get loads of waves/nod from other roadies when out on the road bike, and all this despite being in London, populated only with unfriendly bankers, and not the salt of the earth wavey types you find up north. I don’t really ride my MTB on the road much, so can’t speak to whether they’d still wave at me if I was on a different bike.

I get loads of waves/nod from other roadies when out on the road bike

That’s exactly what I suspected might be the case! Try it on your mtb for a laugh. It’s quite funny how most of them totally blank you out even though there’s nobody else in sight on the road. It’s becoming a sport for me now on the way to the local woods 🙂

Try it on your mtb for a laugh.

Basic sociology! Different tribe…

Back in the day 2CV owners would acknowledge each other as fellow weird French car owners. But they didn’t wave at every car driver…

Honestly OP, just accept your rules for social engagement aren’t known to strangers coming the other way and give over trying to hold them hostage for it!

If you’re ‘making a sport of it’ it sounds like you’ve decided you don’t like roadies and you’re just collecting evidence to prove your point. Heard of confirmation bias?

Same approach as your average cyclist-hater who claims ALL cyclists ride through red lights…

Edited.

For my own sanity.

I live on a popular cycle route and once tried to open dialogue with a road cyclist as i could see him pushing his bike up the hill.
Nope ignored me..didnt think i would be a fellow cyclist with tubes and tools and probabley could of helped him.
Mostley though its all good round this way, i run more than cycle and often get two way nods/aknowledment even when running.

I was riding the fatbike yesterday and a roadie started to talk to me.

Does this prove anything?

On my mountain bike roadies ignore me mountain bikers don’t

On my road bike mountain bikers ignore me , proper roadies ignore me too because I’m a fat munter. Normal roadies acknowledge my existence though

Tribal dickheads imo

Riders of BSO’ s ignore me whatever bike I’m on.

I’ll wave at anyone on a bicycle… 8)

It’s a strange thing, riding on a morning in the peaks and I get hello’s all over the shop from rodies
Pan to a mid week night ride a couple of weeks ago, sheffield club ride in the opposite directon, we say hi then start to shout hi to all 50+ of them, not a single nod.

I’ve met a few recently strange obsessive folks

Honestly OP, just accept your rules for social engagement aren’t known to strangers coming the other way and give over trying to hold them hostage for it!

I didn’t realise a quick nod when passing someone in the middle of nowhere required specific knowledge of rules of social engagement! I just thought it was a polite gesture that most normal people would naturally reciprocate. Do you deliberately blank someone if they say hi to you when passing on a trail? Or would you need to refer to the rules of social engagement first?

If you’re ‘making a sport of it’ it sounds like you’ve decided you don’t like roadies and you’re just collecting evidence to prove your point. Heard of confirmation bias?

I’ve been a roadie myself for at least 30 years and just find it a bit sad/amusing that the vast majority of the ones I’ve come across recently are so ignorant. Even the horsey types are a lot more friendly and that’s saying something. You have to remember that I’m passing these guys close by on deserted country roads, not on the other side of a busy main road.

Tribal dickheads imo

Exactly, couldn’t have worded it better!

Ah well.

At least you know who some of the **** are on here now.
Although, like taste in music, that’ll have to remain an entirely subjective opinion.
🙂

I’ll wave at anyone on a bicycle…

*winks at HH*

At least you know who some of the **** are on here now.

yeah, quite revealing I thought. Marked a few cards already 😉

I Went for a mountain bike ride with a couple of roadies a few weeks back, part of the conversion went along the lines of clothing,
Pointing at my baggy shorts one of them says, “Yeah, I get the whole Grunge thing but after a while those things chafe up badly.”
Grunge thing??????
That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in about 20 years.

I find shouting “yooo hooo, morning ladies” at groups of oncoming riders (road or mtb) always garners a reaction. Maybe the OP should try that?

Its usually just the front rider that acknowledges you. I’ll sometimes just call the name of the oncoming club, so I say Verulam with a nod and their front man will reply with a Buzzards. Just too many out there so you just acknowledge your kind (sounds bad that) but I do get blanked by the so try hard new guys that just ride soooo fast and stare ahead when passing I don’t bother anymore. Like I said I don’t see them all winter and they’re never on the start line at weekends.
Are Landrover still flashing each other?

I didn’t realise a quick nod when passing someone in the middle of nowhere required specific knowledge of rules of social engagement! I just thought it was a polite gesture that most normal people would naturally reciprocate. Do you deliberately blank someone if they say hi to you when passing on a trail? Or would you need to refer to the rules of social engagement first?

Well as already pointed out several times, yes you did. You actually started a thread all about your perceived lack of others knowledge of your rules of social engagement.

Ok, inspired by this thread, some observations from this morning’s 90-minute outing on the CX. 2 roadies: 1 returned my nod, the other (pisspot and baggies) looked bemused. 3 joggers and 1 walker: all smiled or mumbled a hello. 1 mtb-er, on-coming on double track: I nodded and said hello to which he looked horrified, swerved off his side of the track and into the boggy grass on the side. Conclusions to be drawn: don’t really care, I’m gonna have a cuppa and sit in the bath.

I have been pleasantly surprised of late by friendliness of all cyclists (Roadies and MTB’ers), I always get a greeting in first though which may help…. . 🙂