Grumpy Cyclists

welshkev

I'm not sure if it's just me on this one or not? i'm not sure if i have a sign on my head that says don't talk to that nutter!! but here it goes:

I occassionally ride my bike to work when i know i don't need my car at the office, it's a round trip of about 15 miles and it's mostly down the designated cycle route of the taff trail. now, when i'm out on the trail and other mountain bikers pass i'd say at least 95 per cent say hello or stop for a quick chat, it's a sort of unspoken rule isn't it to be friendly with other riders?

now, when i ride to work, i say morning or a quick nod of the head to every rider i see. about 80 per cent of those riders don't even acknowledge i'm there!! and the one's that do look like they're mountain bikers like me just putting in some extra miles. i know people have other things on their minds, work, kids etc, but come on - lighten up people!! they have faces like concrete, it won't kill you to crack a smile, a small nod. i think i'd whoop out loud if a hybrid riding geezer with cycle clips and panniers said good morning!

or maybe it is just me, perhaps i do look like a nutter :shock:

let me know if any of you experience anything like this.

kev

SpinningJenny

:shock: nutter! :shock:

Not really - I reckon that people cycling to wrok literally aren't properly awake yet, and so can only do one thing (ie, ride their bike) and not even think about communicating with the human race... or they've had an argument with 'er or 'im indoors and are just totally pi**ed off!

I witnessed a great mum and dad tiff at the train station which ended with the mum saying (really loudly) 'And that's just the kind of insane comment I've come to expect from you' and she stormed off through the ticket barrier, daughter in tow. Poor guy looked utterly dejected, shoulders down, shaking his head...

blister pus

+1 for early morning.

Acknowledge / speak to me early morning and you'll get a forced grunt back as I cycle past at least till I've got in my stride and the happy smiley chemicals start kicking in (which would be after a fair few miles) plus going to work is mind consuming and takes the edge off most things for a lot of people.

djvagabon

I find fisherman are the worst for being grumpy. I had 1 a few weeks ago block the tow path off with his pole. He had it up in the air, about waist height. I lifted my bike over the pole and stepped over it. He then started hurling abuse about his pole being worth more then my bike and I shouldnt even be on the canal towpath. I was with my girlfriend and her 6 year old daughter at the time. I calmly asked him to mind his language to which he told me to f'@#k off. I gave him the universal wanker sign and rode off. If I ever see him again I will kick his fat arse in the canal.

Si78

I always get blanked by other riders. F*ck 'em, F*ck 'em all lol

Maybe the fact that I shout 'morning', or nod and smile, scares them.... And hybrid and road bike riders are too busy sneering and smirking to say anything lol.

Hope I get better reactions, and a bit more friendliness when I start hitting proper trail centres. I reckon I will.

Si

geordiefreerider

What a nobhead you should of snapped his pole then pointed out that it was worth nothing !!
I reckon most people look miserable when they're driving as well.

DrWorm

To be honest I pass the same people every morning, usually on a steep hill. I try my best to say 'Good morning' but sometimes I'm pushing up the hill so hard it just comes out as dust and spittle.

Not everyone replies to me though. There is this one woman who hasn't made eye contact once in the time I've been cycling. Her loss

BorisSpencer

If you were walking through a field at the weekend and another walker passed you then pleasantries would probably be exchanged. However do you say hello to everone you see when walking down the high street or shopping in Tescos?

welshkev

OK, glad to here i don't look like a nutter then...LOL

welshkev

djvagabon wrote:

I find fisherman are the worst for being grumpy. I had 1 a few weeks ago block the tow path off with his pole. He had it up in the air, about waist height. I lifted my bike over the pole and stepped over it. He then started hurling abuse about his pole being worth more then my bike and I shouldnt even be on the canal towpath. I was with my girlfriend and her 6 year old daughter at the time. I calmly asked him to mind his language to which he told me to f'@#k off. I gave him the universal wanker sign and rode off. If I ever see him again I will kick his fat ars* in the canal.

what a dick, i've had to bunny hop fishing poles before but never anything like that.

but i'm sure most fishermen are not like that (maybe)

fourcrossjohn

nobody has ever made an effort to say hello to me wen i cycle by, probably due to the fact i left my haloween mask on all year

only conversation i have had was when i was flagged down y a mum with a lil kid asking if i had a tyre pump to pump up this kids flat tyre. so i pumped it up exchanged pleasantries and as i rode off i heard a huge hiss, the lil kid had picked up a nail and shoved it in my back tyre :shock:

by the time i got off the two wer gone :twisted: so i had to walk my bike to where my dad works luckily it was only 400m away as it is the 3rd poiint on my cycle route, but i coulda been bggered my next leg was 7k

so it was a nice lil trip to halfords in the evening to get a new rear tyre and 3 innertubes

:twisted:

rant over

rudedog

Its probably because most of the people you meet on route to work only see cycling as a form of travel - you wouldn't really start saying hello to random people on a bus or tube just because they are sharing the same form of transport.

welshkev

rudedog wrote:

Its probably because most of the people you meet on route to work only see cycling as a form of travel - you wouldn't really start saying hello to random people on a bus or tube just because they are sharing the same form of transport.

yeah, you're probably right. but i'm still gonna keep saying morning to them til i get one of the b**tards to say hello

fourcrossjohn

come to the isle of wight just to say hi to me

bomberesque

you have glimpsd the darkside

resist or be consumed

Anonymous

i find mtb riders to be friendly enough but i find road riders a bit hit and miss.

yesterday i rode past a pair of fully fledged roadies on a tandem and they were really friendly, they over took me a bit later and we had some more banter, all good fun. about 2 miles later a group of 4 roadies went past without a word, they might have been offended by my flat pedals baggys shorts and polo shirt.

SpinningJenny

:shock: flat pedals

hmmm... getting flatties put on my bike as we speak, to replace the clipess set that 'came with'

Porgy

djvagabon wrote:

I find fisherman are the worst for being grumpy. I had 1 a few weeks ago block the tow path off with his pole. He had it up in the air, about waist height. I lifted my bike over the pole and stepped over it. He then started hurling abuse about his pole being worth more then my bike and I shouldnt even be on the canal towpath. I was with my girlfriend and her 6 year old daughter at the time. I calmly asked him to mind his language to which he told me to f'@#k off. I gave him the universal wanker sign and rode off. If I ever see him again I will kick his fat ars* in the canal.

You should have stuck your permit to cycle up his nose

boneyjoe

Just making eye contact around here will usually get you stabbed, shot or worse. Best not to speak to people if you can avoid it (especially if they look a bit like a nutter!).

cee

I ride to work and also ride for fun in the evenings and weekends.

in the funtime...when most others I meet on the trails (walkers/riders whatever) I almost always say hi....and this is more often than not reciprocated.

on my way to work...I do not....same as i wouldn't wave to everyone in a car if i was driving, or say hello to every pedestrian if i was walking. My voice would be hoarse by the time i got to work...

there is a difference between work travel time and leisure time....

Northwind

Most of the commuters around here are doing it because it's cheap or because they want to get fit, they don't actually enjoy it or particularily want to cycle. No wonder they think and act differently to folks on here really.

SpinningJenny

Yeah, we're great

fourcrossjohn

ecept for a few

Porgy

I'm not sure if anyone has ever tried to say hello to me on my commute - if they have I can only apologise - I'm in a little world of my own most days. 8)

Cafewanda

boneyjoe wrote:

Just making eye contact around here will usually get you stabbed, shot or worse. Best not to speak to people if you can avoid it (especially if they look a bit like a nutter!).

+1. No eye contact. No talking to other cyclists whatever their ride, in wonderful London :shock:

dave_hill

It's quite common no matter where you ride.

I find that 75% of other MTBers on the trails won't acknowledge your existence, or look at you like you're something they've stepped in.

I always say hello though and if I don't get a response I usually say "w@nker" in a voice which is probably loud enough to be heard but not a shout. Never had a response yet oddly enough.

djvagabon

geordiefreerider wrote:

What a nobhead you should of snapped his pole then pointed out that it was worth nothing !!
I reckon most people look miserable when they're driving as well.

I didnt really want to sink to his level infront of a 6 year old kid. It was quite funny because i have a £4,000 ti Merlin. His fishing pole was probably worth £300 max. If I see him again I ride over his bloody pole.

djvagabon

fourcrossjohn wrote:

nobody has ever made an effort to say hello to me wen i cycle by, probably due to the fact i left my haloween mask on all year

only conversation i have had was when i was flagged down y a mum with a lil kid asking if i had a tyre pump to pump up this kids flat tyre. so i pumped it up exchanged pleasantries and as i rode off i heard a huge hiss, the lil kid had picked up a nail and shoved it in my back tyre :shock:

by the time i got off the two wer gone :twisted: so i had to walk my bike to where my dad works luckily it was only 400m away as it is the 3rd poiint on my cycle route, but i coulda been bggered my next leg was 7k

so it was a nice lil trip to halfords in the evening to get a new rear tyre and 3 innertubes

:twisted:

Some people are such w#/?@>s. I always say hi to everyone I see. If they dont say hi it just makes me laugh. It makes me glad to be me.

rant over

dave_hill

djvagabon wrote:

I didnt really want to sink to his level infront of a 6 year old kid. It was quite funny because i have a £4,000 ti Merlin. His fishing pole was probably worth £300 max. If I see him again I ride over his bloody pole.

You rotten sod, that's probably all his dole money for the last month!!

Dazzza

Don't know why but this thread reminds me of this piccy.

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Chaz.Harding

djvagabon wrote:

I didnt really want to sink to his level infront of a 6 year old kid. It was quite funny because i have a £4,000 ti Merlin. His fishing pole was probably worth £300 max. If I see him again I ride over his bloody pole.

There we go, with that bike-snobbery again

Now, where did I put my big spoon...? :twisted:


*does a stirring motion*