London Dynamo - snootiest gang on the road?

star_rover

Is it this club's policy to not acknowledge other riders with the usual nod, hello, good morning, etc?
Passed (coming the other way) several groups of London Dynamo riders yesterday and not one of them replied my greeting. Happens every week. I mean, it's not as if I was on an MTB!

APIII

I have no experience of the club you mention, but I have noticed that it is the larger groups of riders out on the road who tend to ignore you the most. My 'hit' rate is about 50% on a typical ride, but can be much lower if I meet a lot of club rides. I find it disappointing, as the acknowledgement of other riders gives me an enormous sense of wellbeing, as Damon Albarn once sang, but hey ho, that's the way of the world....

Bronzie

Could it be that they are so busy chatting with each other that they don't even see you passing? Or could be that group mentality of "someone else will do it"? Or maybe they are just a bunch of snooty bastards like my lot

homercles

The group mentality thing could be a good call, like an email with unallocated action points that then gets sent to about ten people - nothing will happen on over half of them!

I had a Dynamo member stop beside me at some lights about 6 weeks back (on my slick shod MTB!) and I asked about the club, their rides etc (considering joining when I get my roadie) and he was really friendly - happy to answer questions, set my mind at ease about the standard (said he had been hanging on to me grimly for the previous mile or so )and generally made me think that it was worth doing.

I also put a post on here a while back asking around about the club. Didn't get any replies to the thread but did get a PM from someone (presumably a member!) telling me to come along and email him if I had any questions etc.

So they're not all snooty!

star_rover

Bronzie wrote:

Could it be that they are so busy chatting with each other that they don't even see you passing? Or could be that group mentality of "someone else will do it"? Or maybe they are just a bunch of snooty bastards like my lot

Possibly, but what they're saying is "eye's left, cold shoulders at the ready, anyone speaks to this bloke approaching, and you're out the gang".

Monty Dog

I'd say the same for any of the clubs that come out of the 'smoke' onto our patch - meet them regularly on the Surrey and Sussex lanes with barely a sneer of acknowledgement. Quite a few clubmates make a point by yelling out an OTT greeting to often receive no reply. Mind you, the nouveau breed of 'sportive' riders can be just as uncommunicative and unfriendly, but they all provide plenty of 'fodder' in the training ride 'points' contests

Bronzie

Monty Dog wrote:

but they all provide plenty of 'fodder' in the training ride 'points' contests

How does this work?

spasypaddy

i dont know who i passed on sunday (they were going in the opposite direction) in hertfordshire but they were friendly, they said hello. But this might have been because i was with a stunning girl...

star_rover

I thought one of them might have been on here to defend themselves, but probably can't tear himself away from his steely-blank-stare practice

fnb1

only have had the pleasure of (meeting) one of them and I have to say damn decent fellow.

Mike Willcox1

I acknowledge all riders on the road and get ignored by 75% of them. Some of the riders I recognise from previous rides and I have either nodded, or raised a hand, or shouted Hi a number of times still to be ignored.

Their mothers must be proud of them.

Gavin Gilbert

If you want a Dynamo to chat with you, try one of these witty topic openers:

1. Richmond Park isn't your private race track

2. The Hillingdon Slipstreamers ride in a bunch better than you lot

3. Caused any good crashes recently?

4. How comes a club your size fails to organise any events?

5. Isn't it cool there's a special club for lifestyle cyclists?

:twisted:

bigdaveskinnytyre

Bronzie wrote:

Monty Dog wrote:

but they all provide plenty of 'fodder' in the training ride 'points' contests

How does this work?

It's a bit like Mornington Crescent

spasypaddy

i might join them so i can infiltrate!

il_principe

Gavin Gilbert wrote:

If you want a Dynamo to chat with you, try one of these witty topic openers:

1. Richmond Park isn't your private race track

So true! They hate being overtaken as well, my cycling buddy and I got into an impromtu race with 2 of them on sunday after they overtook on a hill and then slowed so suddenly we nearly rear-ended the goons. Our fresh legs had the last laugh though.

Clever Pun

bigdaveskinnytyre wrote:

Bronzie wrote:

Monty Dog wrote:

but they all provide plenty of 'fodder' in the training ride 'points' contests

How does this work?

It's a bit like Mornington Crescent

LOL

Monty Dog

There was an article on the BR website recently, but to break up the monotony of longer training rides, we invent all sort of 'points' contests e.g. sprints for village signs, tops of hills and chasing down other riders on the road. WRT the latter, there are arbitary point additions, multipliers or deductions based on the rider, the clothes they're wearing, the bike they're riding, whether they're a girl and they have a nice bum.......and face!! Beating the likes of the whole of the Dynamo to the top of Pebblecombe, Copnorth Lane or Box Hill assures the rider plenty of bragging rights for the remainder of the ride. That said, chasing down a rider wearing a Disco top and trainers atop a Trek often results in severe points deductions and buying the cakes at the caff!