Why do some roadies ….

Find  it so difficult to respond to a cheery ” Good morning” and a wave ? Are we really the spawn of the devil ? Are they so wedded to Strava etc or believe they really are KOM or in the TDF ? Would it really hurt to respond in a positive way and lighten up just a tad ?

?

Are you in Nice at the minute by any chance?

Just a nice 30 mile ride today , the sun’s out and so are lots of other cyclists.  As I pass them it’s always ” Morning” or ” Afternoon” a lot of the time I get a similar cheery response but there’s quite a lot who take it far too seriously head down , grimacing , I think just lighten up and enjoy your ride.

1: If you are not in their mamil uniform you are not a part of their tribe.  Particularly if you are not wearing a helmet you get less aknowledgement

2:  why should they anyway?  I find it a bit weird many cyclists expect this.

Person on mountainbike forum shocked that some cyclists take training seriously 😉

Some folk are cheery and will wave / respond. Some folk won’t. The type of bike they are riding is irrelevant. FWIW, the most dour-faced cyclists I’ve ever seen have been on MTBs.

The ones who wear the full kit aren’t real. They are really government drones. All they see is zero’s and ones dropping in front of them.

Never judge a passing stranger, you have no idea what is going on on their head.

I ride with a big local club. On a social ride we greet everyone from national champions to little old ladies on shopping bikes.

head down , grimacing

I couldn’t breathe. I’m overweight and underfit. Apologies. 😉

(PS. Were you in Whitley Bay this morning? If no, please ignore my response…move along please, nothing to see here)

Oh is it time for the “I waved at a roadie and he/she didn’t wave back, wah wah wah!” thread again?

I find equal ignorance amongst roadies and mtbers. My most blatant snub came on a very remote unpopulated trail where I saw an MTB approaching from a considerable distance. When he finally got level he ignored my greeting and rode past without a glance . It’s just people

Jesus Christ do we need to do this one every two months?

Why are some MTBers so needy that they need hugs and acknowledgement from every person they pass? etc etc

Edit: that wasn’t in response to FOG, that guy sounded a bit weird!

…always dress in black? If I were  to ride on the roads, which I don’t unless there is no alternative, I would make sure I was as visible as possible

It’s a reflection of the person and not being a roadie. I find it happens on the mtb as well.

It’s not being needy it’s being polite , it costs nothing.

I dont say hello to pretty much everyone i pass when on the road bike, not beacuse im a miserable sod (well i am but…) i can pass 30+ people on a ride and ive got headphones in so i cant be arsed to say hello to everyone i pass, im very much a head down and concentrating on my road ride kinda person

Plus i like riding the road bike to get away from people so i dont have to interact with anyone, also i dont do cafe stops (much to the horror of any roadies i do actually speak to when im not on the bike) i dont like coffee and im on the road bike to help lose/maintain weight so why would i stop to fatten up!

MTB is completley different, its more of a social thing for me, having fun and catching up with mates, i tend to pass less people and im going at a slower pace so a bit more inclined to say hello and interact with people walking/riding when they make space for me to pass

There’s only one person on this thread that needs to

lighten up just a tad

Oh is it time for the “I waved at a roadie and he/she didn’t wave back, wah wah wah!” thread again?

TBF, it has been ages ?

>>> sets up bingo card<<<  ?

“ always dress in black?”

do they? Just got back from a short road ride and didn’t see anyone in black apart from black shorts and a lot of  other colours as well, had a fair few hello’s  from others when at slow speeds.

I usually just do a little left hand finger wave off the hood if overtaking and an index finger lift of the right hand if passing in opposite direction but make little note of anything in return as often speed, how busy the road is and how focussed they are on the abysmal road surface/potholes dictates if they will notice you.

None of these interactions require starting a thread on a cycling forum though, that’s just weird.

It’s not being needy it’s being polite , it costs nothing.

Why?  Do you acknowledge every pedestrian when you are walking?  Every car driver when you are driving?  Everyone in the swimming pool?

Wave if you want to for sure but understand others might think it a bit odd.

I use a bike for utility ie round town going to the shops etc – should I wave to e4veryone on a bike?  How about when I am in normal clothes and heading out for an hour?  Or is it only when on a popular cyclists route with loads of mamils around ( they blank me if I am not in lycra generally) If I am at a trail centre on my MTB?

don’t ever go to the Netherlands!  No one ever acknowledges anyone in public there – its considered rude to do so!

When he finally got level he ignored my greeting and rode past without a glance . It’s just people

Dutch or Finnish?  Both of them would find it really rude not to ignore them

Ah, the old ‘roadies shouldn’t wear black because they can’t be seen, but I can see them, so I wave to them and they don’t wave back’ paradox.

Different strokes for different folks.

Do you wave at every body when you’re walking down the street because they are doing the same “sport” I doubt it. Why should another cyclist who doesn’t know you from Tadej be expected to wave enthusiastically at you?

Wave if you want, can’t understand why people get so upset if someone dares to not reciprocate

Why? Do you acknowledge every pedestrian when you are walking? Every car driver when you are driving? Everyone in the swimming pool?

The likelihood of me acknowledging other people I cross paths with is inversely proportional to the density of people in that time and space, with exceptions of course, also my mood can be a big influence.

Everyone responds to my cheery greeting, roadie, MTB or gravel rider, so I can only conclude you must look obscenely threatening on your approach oldfart.

People might actually enjoy riding fast/racey bikes… fast, and that sometimes involves putting in a bit of an effort that precludes sitting up and greeting everyone you pass. If I’m trying to do an interval as part of some very loosely structured ‘training’ I will probably be hurting, or if I’m (say it quietly) chasing a segment I might not want to sit up and slow down to say hi to someone.

Would you stand at the side of a football pitch and get all upset because the players weren’t saying hi to you every time they run past?

13thfloormonkFull Member
Jesus Christ do we need to do this one every two months?

Apparently. Plus, I find that mtbers are pretty consistent at not responding to a greeting if I’m on my road or gravel bike.

Apparently. Plus, I find that mtbers are pretty consistent at not responding to a greeting if I’m on my road or gravel bike.

I find this pretty tr5e.  Riding an mtb round the roads of east lothian in ordinary clothes few roadies acknowledge, on my road bike in lycra more do.  riding without a magic plastic hat you get less acknowledgement than if you have one on

Its all about the tribe you are in.  folk tend to acknowledge those from the same tribe more than they do other tribes

When I’m riding, I’ll acknowledge almost everyone (not in a vehicle), cyclists, walkers, runners, horsey folk, farmers, sheep, cows, horses, birds etc. I don’t really expect them to acknowledge me back in return. The chances of them doing so tend to depend on how far we are away from “civilisation”. The more remote the location, the more friendly folk generally are.

Spain and France seem to be exceptions to this. Maybe they just see another tourist and think “well, you can **** right off”.

When I’m riding, I’ll acknowledge almost everyone (not in a vehicle), cyclists, walkers, runners, horsey folk, farmers, sheep, cows, horses, birds etc. I don’t really expect them to acknowledge me back in return.

When do you have time for the actual riding after all that manic waving and greeting every living soul and animal on your ride?

The more remote the location, the more friendly folk generally are.

Certainly true.

To confuse things even more, I often forget when I am riding the motorbike and wave at cyclists.

Then when cycling I often give a nod to motorbikes.

No idea (or care) what they think. #muchlolz

I’m in Italy atm….

This last week I’ve totalled up over 250km….

If you are not in their mamil uniform you are not a part of their tribe

I’m wearing a cotton shirt(unbuttoned on the climbs as it’s 30°C+), lycra shorts with a hole on my arse and SPDs.

Everyone waves here in Italy. It’s great.

Forget about it and go watch the new Akrigg video on Whyte bikes Youtube channel (unless you’re an extreme e-bike hater ofc).

Alpin – IME Spain Italy and France are much less tribal about this stuff.    I was riding an MTB dragging a trailer full of camping kit up mountain passes being overtaken by roadies and they both gave me a decent amount of room when passing and were encouraging and pleasant.   A nice change to the local roadies around here.

I’ve pulled up at a mobile cafe on a warm summer’s day before with 20 – 30 roadies hanging around outside and literally no one says hello or looks at you

Meanwhile, whilst out on the road bike on Thursday, a passing motorists gave a friendly toot of the horn, as he overtook me, so I waved back.

Strangely,he only rated my wave as a 2 (well, that’s how many fingers he held up.)

I’m may have been overly generous by saying “friendly toot”

I find it depends on the time of day, if I’m out of my gravel bike and it’s before 8:00 a.m. I always say hi to mountain bikers and roadies and get a reply

Later in the day I’ve noticed that many people don’t return the greeting

I pass a MTB every day when we cycle to work. Never responds but the roadie I see daily is almost hysterical in his greeting.