Why So Miserable?

rikk

When I had my 4x4 everyone got on, said hello and chatted, except the guys with landrovers who wouldn't talk to anyone else except other LR owners and wouldn't even give any other makes owner the time of day.

Now, with cycling...everyone says hello, good morning asks if you need any help if your stopped etc, except roadies who again will not even look at you unless your head to toe in lyca and riding the "right" equipment.

Went out this morning for a nice ride, only marred because everytime I said good morning or hello to a roadie I got no response or a dirty look...is there some special hand signal I need or perhaps a rose in my hair or are the majority of roadies miserable self centred elitist snobs who can't look past what your riding or what your wearing?

This is the 6th time I've been out since I got my hybrid (usually mtbing) and so far not a single roadie has acknowledged a hello or good morning so it's not just a one off.

meagain

That's just the way "they" are. They are the elite, you see. A "hybrid" they will simply ignore. I find an exagerated wave of greeting if on say a s/s mtb or a full susser is very satisfying - with luck they are so keen not even to see you that they will crash!

"Good morning" and then when no reply "*^*" off then" loud enough for them to hear is also quite effective.

Don't worry about it.

NWLondoner

Nothing unusual about it i'm afraid. 9 out of 10 will always ignore you or worse look at you like your covered head to toe in faeces.

I've had a couple of roadies around RP say hello or nod but this is in the minority.

I FULLY understand if you are on a flyer and don't want to say hello every 5 secs but a simple hand gesture/smile/nod/wink. Is surely not too much trouble.

redddraggon

It's because you lot live in England, and the English are proper miserable bastards

I only saw a couple of roadies today, but saw a few more on hybrids/MTBs, and I gave them all a cheery greeting.

I don't think I've ever had another cyclist* ignore me in N. Wales and I've never ignored any other cyclist* either.

* I must admit I do ignore Chavs/Scallies on their Tesco full sussers.

whyamihere

I appeared to ignore someone who appeared to be in Saunier Duval kit on Christmas day. In face, I had my head down accelerating uphill away from some lights, and between me and him on the other side of the road there was one of those white bollards with a yellow circle on it. On my glances up, he just merged into the bollard, until the very last moment, and as soon as I realised he was a cyclist instead of just a bollard, I was already past. So, if anyone was out in Saunier Duval kit in Streetly on Christmas day, sorry for not waving.

Unless it was Ricco or Piepoli, I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.

fizz

\I'm a roadie and I speak, nod or wave to everybody I see. Sometimes I dont get a response back. I just shrug it off and get on and enjoy my ride and dont let it worry me.

clincher3

Rikk,
I know where you coming from? iam a roadie and i greet all cyclist if there was an eye contact. BUT.. if you are on a hybrid and iam on a road bike pimped with lyrca and i greet you.. and you are on your way to get you milk..you'd think what a loser .. its all about feeling there is something in common and nothin more. besides its the UK each for his own on the road..so here a big hello from a roadie, do not stop greeting.

hambones

Rikk, Rikk, Rikk, come on man you know this ain't so. Mtbers on the road never say hello to roadies - and even if they don't what's the big deal.

For someone to suggest they would say 'f**k off' because they got no reply, jeez what a tool! Get out from your own backside!

Oh, and ride in peace

nickwill

clincher3 wrote:

Rikk,
I know where you coming from? iam a roadie and i greet all cyclist if there was an eye contact. BUT.. if you are on a hybrid and iam on a road bike pimped with lyrca and i greet you.. and you are on your way to get you milk..you'd think what a loser .. its all about feeling there is something in common and nothin more. besides its the UK each for his own on the road..so here a big hello from a roadie, do not stop greeting.

Well put. If I see someone out on the road, and they are obviously out on a 'bike ride', I will always acknowledge them, never mind what they are riding. If it looks as if they are just going to the shops, or work and don't necessarily share my hobby, I might not do so.
This is not rudeness, it's just a snap decision as to whether it looks as if we have common ground!

rikk

Nickwill wrote:

Well put. If I see someone out on the road, and they are obviously out on a 'bike ride', I will always acknowledge them, never mind what they are riding. If it looks as if they are just going to the shops, or work and don't necessarily share my hobby, I might not do so.
This is not rudeness, it's just a snap decision as to whether it looks as if we have common ground!

Yep i can understand that fully, and when riding around town i don't tend to say hello etc, but out in the middle of nowhere with not a shop for 5 miles your not out for the milk and paper

Ham, now, I always say hi to everyone. I know what your saying it's not really a big deal and if I didn't say anything fair enough then ignore me, but seeing three roadies coming the opposite way on an empty stretch of road and saying a hearty "good morning" and getting ignored by them all if not anything else it's just damn bad manners.

meagain

"...jeez what a tool! Get out from your own backside! "

Now....can I live with this degree of insult? 5 second pause for thought. Yes, yes I can.

nickwill

rikk wrote:

Ham, now, I always say hi to everyone. I know what your saying it's not really a big deal and if I didn't say anything fair enough then ignore me, but seeing three roadies coming the opposite way on an empty stretch of road and saying a hearty "good morning" and getting ignored by them all if not anything else it's just damn bad manners.

I can honestly say that this has never happened to me in several years of riding round Cumbria, and the Yorkshire Dales. I wonder if it is a big city thing!

Gary D

To paraphrase............

redddraggon wrote:

It's because you lot live in London, and the Southerners are proper miserable bastards

I am from the Midlands and I never encounter any of these problems either!
When I am out I will acknowledge everyone on a bike of whatever description - except oiks riding on the pavement on Tesco specials :x :x

I will often acknowledge walkers, horse riders and anyone else out doing what they enjoy if they make eye contact :shock: Doesn't cost anything to be friendly.

Gary.

willbevan

I wave and say hello to everyone, road bikes, hybrids, mountain bikes, runners.... (unless im flying down a hill at a stupid speed)

90% of the people I see say hello to me, doesnt seem to matter if im in lycra or baggy shorts..

TheDrunkMonk

I go past this kid on the way to work every day, he's on a mountain bike now, but he used to be on a shiny red cannondale road bike, so he's not part of one camp or the other. Every day I say hello, and every day he just looks at me. There's no malice as far as I can tell, but there's no response either. Now its just getting embarrassing, I feel I should stop, but when you've said hello 150 times to nothing, you might as well carry on until you die.... lol

Anyway, I ride a road bike, say hello to everyone I meet, and the one's that ignore you are the buff looking sporty types whether they're roadies or other. So it must be a sporting class thing, rather than road/non-road. "Don't talk to me you big fat pie eater, you're reminding me I'm hungry"

Just a theory.....

yoadius

I discovered it also depends what bike you're riding, when I'm riding the road bike I get plenty of waves and nods, whereas when I take the hack bike with flat bars and mountain bike style mud guard I get a lot less responses. Really doesn't bother me if someone doesn't nod back though, have better things to worry about.

W5454

redddraggon wrote:

It's because you lot live in England, and the English are proper miserable bastards

F*ck off you W*lsh c*nt.

bellys

fizz wrote:

\I'm a roadie and I speak, nod or wave to everybody I see. Sometimes I dont get a response back. I just shrug it off and get on and enjoy my ride and dont let it worry me.

im the same as u but i hope that i pass them down the road with a flat i would make a point to say good bye as i ride past. :twisted:

bellys

W5454 wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

It's because you lot live in England, and the English are proper miserable bastards

F*ck off you W*lsh c*nt.

they only ride sheep in wales so not the same thing.

punkypossum

I ride a mountain bike (although I'm hoping for a road bike in the new year), but never really had a problem... 90% of roadies do say hello. I think it makes a difference if they can tell that you are on the bike for the sake of a ride, rather than just pootling to the shops....

trickeyja

I generally nod or say hi to any cyclist I pass. However I am much more likely to do so along the country lanes than through town where there are many more distractions. I don't see why people get so bothered if someone doesn't return the recognition, I am sure I have inadvertently done the same before.

xover_runner

When out cycling I do occasioanlly acknowledge runners who satisfy these criteria:
Travelling at a pace exceeding 6 minute mileing
at this time of year are wearing shorts and vests (long sleeves permitted only when below 0'C)
look to be <8% body fat
Wearing racing flats and no socks

Elitist, moi?

sportbilly1976

Well to add my 2p....

i went out yesterday riding with my gf on hybrids.....we were going at a "leisurely" pace around M'cr - Mobberley - Alderley and back...

Had a couple of hello's but it did seem the norm to give a nod of acknowledgement to other riders....

Personally I would always say hello or acknowledge others as you never know if you might need some assistance further down the road...

Or maybe northerenrs are generally more polite than southerners

phreak

I always try to nod at oncoming cyclists but it's no big deal if they don't nod back. I don't think any particular group of riders are better or worse than any other.

neeb

One important distinction to make is between not pro-actively waving, and not responding to a wave. The latter (between cyclists of any sort) is just plain rude in my opinion. I always pro-actively wave to anyone on a road bike (drop bars, basically), and wave back to anyone on any bike who waves at me. I'd also pro-actively wave to non-roadies in some situations, e.g. on a remote road if it's the first person I've seen for miles, or just anyone slightly unusual who clearly deserves acknowledgment for that reason alone (recumbents, octogenarians etc). The only reason I don't wave first to all cyclists is that in many situations there are just too many of them. Occasionally I'll wave at another roadie and not get a wave back; the only possible reason I can think of for this is that my legs aren't shaved (either that or they are just miserable bastards who don't wave to anyone!)

marmitecp

Single raised finger from the hoods for other roadies. Ignore anyone who looks like they got there by putting the bike on the back of a car.
The CTC types always manage to embarrass me into talking about the weather or something with their incessant chirpiness.

mba007

Out in 't countryside it is generally friendly as most are out in the sticks for the same reason. It is the same when walking along footpaths. A friendly nod or greeting is polite and civilised when you meet very few others. If it is teaming with other people then it would get tiresome, slightly rude, and a call to the police that a madman is harassing people.

And for those cyclists who don't provide any sort of acknowledgement, well sod'em!!!

6288

mba007 wrote:

Out in 't countryside it is generally friendly as most are out in the sticks for the same reason. It is the same when walking along footpaths. A friendly nod or greeting is polite and civilised when you meet very few others. If it is teaming with other people then it would get tiresome, slightly rude, and a call to the police that a madman is harassing people.

And for those cyclists who don't provide any sort of acknowledgement, well sod'em!!!

spot on ... esp. the countryside part ... like minds or locals whose assistance you may be glad of in case of emergiency ...

Anonymous

Yes, I've had this many times.....a lot of cyclists are pretentious so and so's...a real shame...I always say hello and if they don't even acknowledge me then I just think "tosser"....I really cant fathom out why they would do such a thing...Christ even Ullrich,Kloden and the entire CSC team acknowledged me in the Alpes...and if the 'real' guys can show such class then why not the pretenders?

Maybe you arent clad in Assos or Rapha?....or your bike is less than £1500 in value?....who knows...one thing though...if you always continue to be pleasant and sociable you will always be a better person.

Once when Cycling in the Lakes I was passed by an entire Cycling Club...said hello to all of them...no reply from any?.....they hit the steep climb I intended on going up and they blew to pieces...I steadily caught up and stopped at the very top where everyone was stopping...tried to have a wee natter but was greeted like I had the plague...very few times have I felt such an unwelcome feeling...I took off quick style and never seen them again...thank christ!.....then again I rode the Wild Wales Challenge and was so welcomed by the an entire Liverpool club...what a brilliant set of lads....

Most guys are sound as a pound...but sadly there is an element of tossers aswell.

Sprocket Dog

What Nickwill and Clincher3 said - it's all about the common ground.

There is the same feeling amongst motorcyclists that nod to each other and those that don't. No big deal.

davidmiller

I have n't had time to read all of this thread so apologies if I'm going over old ground but as a Landy driver and a commuter maybe i can add something.

I used to drive 110 (pre-Defenders) and modify them for some greenlaning / off-roading. I always waved at similar vehicles and usually got a cheery wave back. Meeting off like minds??? At first i would even wave at the drivers of Range rovers and Discos, as they are all Landy's as well, but usually got ignored or confused looks. Now I drive a Disco I don't wave at anybody - the "defender" owners look confused and the disco / RR drivers - well I guess they are not really enthusiasts of the marque.

When I commute I'm on my bike (can't afford to run the disoc throug hthe week!!) I started waving at people - mostly got ignored, sometimes a kind of forced hello. Except for the guys in serious kit - who often say hello. Now I don't bother with the townie/commuters but if I see somebody well decked out I'll offer a wave or something - there's a chance of a reply you see.

However, the thing I can't understand is people who moan about not getting waves - do it if you want to, to be nice, but don't do it just for the return (reward) and if you don't get a wave back just go on your merry way.

My twopenneth.

David