"Well don't bl**dy speak then ...."

Cannock Chase

Why are club cyclists so ignorant?
Ok, perhaps I should say "Why are SOME club cyclists so ignorant?"

When I'm out on the bike, if I'm wearing a flashy trade team jersey and helmet, looking like Lance Armstrong with a beer gut, cheery waves and hello's come my way.
But if I'm wearing an old tee-shirt and baseball cap I'm passed with looks like I don't belong on the same stretch of road.

If anyone knows the answer please explain. Thanks

Hotblack Desiato

Not sure whether to reply or not.

Are you wearing your swanky cycling gear or an old t-shirt?

ash68

Can't say i know the answer to that one.Out today gave a nod and wave to every cyclist i saw.Some return the greeting, some don't. I ride a road bike and wear average nalini top and usual shorts and helmet. Usually get wave from club type riders,but like most walks of life you always get those too good to respond to greetings by mere mortals.Cycled on part of the c2c route around Allenheads and saw a fair few mountain bikers/c2cers seem to get more friendly greetings from those girls and boys. To me we have enough enemies on the roads and should all be more friendly to people who share our interest in 2 wheels whatever they ride or their dress code.

david 142

Since I fitted slicks,mudguards and panniers to my MTB and bought myself a Nevis jacket I have noticed that a completely different set of cyclists say "Good Morning".
And if I am standing by the roadside ,bike in one hand , map in the other, No one even answers when I greet passing cyclists.
There has to be some really complex etiquette behind it all

John Stevenson

I tend to say hello to everyone, whichever bike I'm riding. On the road bike I tend to get 'Hello' back from mountain bikers but they always look surprised to have a roadie talk to them.

On the mountain bike I get ignored by guys on long-travel bikes in baggy faux motocross gear, probably because I'm wearing Lycra and as we've seen here before, being comfortable on a bike for more than 5 minutes threatens some people's sexuality

Kaipaith

On my commute, I found I got a cheery hello from pretty much everyone on the first few trips.

After that, they seemed to get a bit bored with it. I don't think it had anything to do with what I was wearing - I think the reaction was more related to "Ooooh! New boy!"

I do wonder if the looks you are getting are actually disdain, or if people are just surprised to see you wearing normal clothing - especially if you are going at quite a speed, are on a decent bike etc.

ivancarlos

I always say hello to everyone. I ride road and offroad so there isn't really a disctinction in my mind. Most roadies I know have mtbs anyway. Having said that yesterday two guys in team kit (FDJ and recycling) totally blanked us even though we had club kit on. I think it is just the odd individual who wouldn't say hello. Then again there are people like that in all walks of life. The sort of person you see in the corridor at work and pretend to not see or recognise you. They are probably hyper shy rather than ignorant, I hope.

andicp

I say hello to every cyclist I meet when riding . But I do not get so upset when ignored that I would moan about it :shock:

pneumatic

When I see someone coming towards me, I go into a sort of anti-humiliation spasm: suck in the beer belly, increase the cadence, adjust facial features to chiselled (as if!), grip bars to prevent wobble and lower shoulders. How can I possibly say a cheery "hello!" from that position???? I can barely breathe!

Me, self-conscious in lycra? At my age?

Seriously, though, people should acknowledge each other more; it lowers stress.

nmcgann

If I'm out of town and not doing a training ride I always give a nod to other riders.

If I'm training hard I'm usually 'in the zone' and I don't really pay any attention to the social niceties.

Neil

overmars

I've been out on many charity rides where the atmosphere is always great (including L2B) and its contagious in that you're smiling all the time. But usually when greeting/nodding to riders going in the opposite direction you got a total blank. So yeah, the snobbishness is alive and well.
Just don't let it get you down.

passout

Because you haven't bought the right products to allow you into their gang. All sports are the same.

banana_man

Hahaha, it's quite funny reading the wild hypotheses on these threads! I generally give riders a nod, but then again sometimes i'm watching the road or simply zoned out thinking about other stuff and don't notice.

The fact that most people wear sunglasses whilst riding seems to increase the paranoia because you can't tell if they're watching you or not!!!

richardjallen

I acknowledge other riders even if they are on lesser machines when out on a ride. I find I get a response or others do the same 50% of the time. But the thing that really amazes me is the number of car drivers that want to say hello or something.

In the evenings I do a quick 20 miler and most of the time there are cars that beep at me and wave (they are not telling me to get out of the way). I don't know who they are and can only guess they are work colleges. Then there are the people who lean out of the window as they go past and tell me how fast I am going or ask me for a high five. Normally I nod, wave or look suitably amazed.

OffTheBackAdam

Hotblack Desiato wrote:

Not sure whether to reply or not.

Are you wearing your swanky cycling gear or an old t-shirt?

Well, you are spending a year dead for tax reasons aren't you, so a response might tip off the taxman!
(Let's see who knows what I'm on about!)

nolf

I think partly it depends where and what that person is acting like.

If some1 said Hi to me I always wave back unless I don't see them.

I say Hi to most people I see unless I'm in or near a city/large town- then I only say hello to the roadies

I did once see this really fat guy really going for it up a hill at about 5mph, and I said hello as he looked like he needed the supprt

Mike Healey

Why can't we get back to the good old days, when you would greet a fellow velocipedist with a kiss on both cheeks, a firm handshake and a "how nice to see you, old chap".

Standards have fallen to new depths. I blame:

1. the sixties
2. the abolition of hanging and flogging
3. The invention of the safety bicycle
4. the infernal combustion engine
5. the absence of hats to raise to a lady
6. that Bloomer woman and her unnatural feminine rights campaign
7. loss of respect for the primary position of the CoE in the nation's affairs
8. the adoption of emotional incontinence in place of the stiff upper lip
9. Pete Docherty
10. Kate Moss
11. the Boche
12. the Europena Court of Human Rights

Why, only the other day, I was riding my Ordinary, dressed properly for the activity in plus fours, argyle socks, a deerstalker and a harris Tweed jacket, and no-one noticed me, let alone greeted me.

When I was a lad, people showed each other proper respect, stood to attention when a funeral procession went past and...

starseven

The cycling is probably secondary, if you are miles from any where its just nice to say hello .

if you consistantly wear plus fours and hang out with kids you may want to be more careful.

redrobbo

.

nick hanson

Cycling is a reflection of society in general,there are some friendly folk,& some right miserable sods.

Mike Healey

starseven wrote:

if you consistantly wear plus fours and hang out with kids you may want to be more careful.

I don't want to hang out with kids, that's why I wear plus fours.

dunnnooo

John Stevenson wrote:

On the mountain bike I get ignored by guys on long-travel bikes in baggy faux motocross gear, probably because I'm wearing Lycra and as we've seen here before, being comfortable on a bike for more than 5 minutes threatens some people's sexuality

Hehehehehehe.

Will no doubt be shortly turning up in one or two arguments.