Why so rude roadies - why so rude?
nitesight
Posts: 119
Today was only the second time I'd ridden 20 miles. The last was Friday so only a few days ago. It was lovely, really enjoyed myself but the ride home was a bit of a slog as was mostly up gentle hills with heavy legs.
So there I am nearing home and spinning away in a higher gear to try and clear my heavy legs when I'm passed by two roadies.
Me - cheap jersey and cycling shorts, old Raleigh Airlite, 15st 10lbs and on the tail end of the longest distance I've done averaging 16 MPH with a max of 30mph at one point and very chuffed with myself.
Them - drafting so no doubt doing 40% less work, fresh as daisies and wearing what looked like rather pricey gear and bikes. Either not very hairy or shaved legs. (perhaps women?
)
Why am I annoyed? They pass me but not at any great pace - going no faster than I had for the last 18 miles so as they pass I give a cheery "Good Morning!" & they BOTH blank me as if I didn't exist. :evil: They weren't working hard - no iPods or reasons beyond being a couple of elitist [email protected] Not so much as a raised hand or look back and nod - absolute blank. You could almost imagine the thinking - "Oh Gregory, look at that puffy chap there, my shorts probably cost more than his bike! Who does he think he is being on the road with the likes of us?"
At least that's what was going on in my head - made me so mad that I had an adrenaline dump and could have probably caught the meandering pompous plonkers and reminded them that manners cost us nothing. Instead I fumed for a few minutes until a rather attractive young lady on a shopper said good morning and got a cheery reply in return - thus resetting the nob/nice balance to neutral.
So there I am nearing home and spinning away in a higher gear to try and clear my heavy legs when I'm passed by two roadies.
Me - cheap jersey and cycling shorts, old Raleigh Airlite, 15st 10lbs and on the tail end of the longest distance I've done averaging 16 MPH with a max of 30mph at one point and very chuffed with myself.
Them - drafting so no doubt doing 40% less work, fresh as daisies and wearing what looked like rather pricey gear and bikes. Either not very hairy or shaved legs. (perhaps women?
)Why am I annoyed? They pass me but not at any great pace - going no faster than I had for the last 18 miles so as they pass I give a cheery "Good Morning!" & they BOTH blank me as if I didn't exist. :evil: They weren't working hard - no iPods or reasons beyond being a couple of elitist [email protected] Not so much as a raised hand or look back and nod - absolute blank. You could almost imagine the thinking - "Oh Gregory, look at that puffy chap there, my shorts probably cost more than his bike! Who does he think he is being on the road with the likes of us?"
At least that's what was going on in my head - made me so mad that I had an adrenaline dump and could have probably caught the meandering pompous plonkers and reminded them that manners cost us nothing. Instead I fumed for a few minutes until a rather attractive young lady on a shopper said good morning and got a cheery reply in return - thus resetting the nob/nice balance to neutral.
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Posts
+1,
surprised they didn't toy with you, must have been adhering to euro cycling rules.
affects you so much?
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Whatcanaguydo?
In caveman times I'd not have had to worry. They may be really fit riders but they'd have been skinny and died in the winter cause they weren't strong enough to throw a spear and carbon fiber spears weren't available.
I was built for other (perhaps more destructive) things but I can't help enjoying a ride out. I do however expect people to be polite and civil to each other.
Is that really too much to ask? :roll:
I'm bloody English by jove - if you say Good morning to a chap you expect him to say it back dangnammit!
I will speak to anyone, whether they're riding a £10,000 superbike or £79 Tesco special. I speak to runners/joggers, if I have to stop to ask directions etc I'll have a chat it's called being sociable.
The other week this old feller trimming his hedgerow called me over (as I'd stopped at a junction) and enquired as to how fast good club cyclists were doing a "25" in as he used to ride and used to hold his club record with a time of just over the hour.
Being civil costs nowt. Riding a road bike has no more effect on you being ignorant/anti-social as it can make you gregarious/sociable. You are what you are.
Don't let it wind you up nitesight.
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
Just like me.
I say hello to everyone I pass on a bike, no matter what the bike and whether I'm with anyone or not.
I get a response about 50% of the time.
Around 50% of those that respond don't insult me.
Bloomin' 'eck so about 50% of your respondees insult you. :? Why :?:
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
What he said above though - it's not roadies, just a pair of ignorant people.
I've spoke to a few nice roadies on my uphill commute whilst on my MTB in my baggies and t-shirt before now (and before they disapeared).
Pat...
They just have so much ammunition...
Some will speak, some will wave, some will totally ignore you, it's just people.
Maybe they are too out of breath from catching you up?
Maybe they were too surprised that you said hello to respond?
Maybe they were embarrassed at over taking you?
Maybe they just couldn't be bothered because when being a pedestrian they don't say hello to every other pedestrian they see?
Just playing censored Advocaat BTW
and now what's going on in my head is - "this guys a sexist censored - who thinks calling someone a woman is a derogatory remark - and hence thinks men are better than women"
Of course maybe they were women - and you didn't hear there hello because of there soft feminine voices
You still get some ignorant people though.
I will say hello to anyone I see on two wheels...I suspect many will....
What a stupid thing to say.
Do you get a cob on every time someone ignores you?
Do you feel inadequate?
+1
What kind of an idiotic statement is that. No. I'm bigger round the middle than they are but why would that make me inadequate? Or feel so.
The thing I love about forums is the many ways people read into something. If you write more than three words then everyone reads into things differently. It really is fascinating.
Example. Why would LittleBob assume that the female comment was derogatory. Your own issues coming through there I'm afraid. simply that skinny guys with shaved legs could well be female from behind. Hard to tell as the were in front you see and most of the distinguishing factors were on the other side. God forbid Littlebob should assume that I'd have problems being overtaken by a woman. I imagine most women who ride regularly would kick my censored without much effort at all.
As for the chip (or chips which was quite funny) on my shoulder. Again, your issue not mine, So what that they are thinner/faster/richer that had censored all to do with it. I felt that it may have been a contributing factor for their attitude as what other reason could there be for such disdain against someone you've never met other than a shallow opinion on appearance etc.
For those that read too much into things I'll simplify to avoid any misunderstanding.
I was polite. They were rude. Wondered if anyyoune had experienced similar from what appears to be riders higher up the experience chain?
Nap D Your censored advocate reply was the only thing that made me feel inadequate - you always make me smile using far less words!
I do love chips tho....
I tend to see some regular faces on my commute. Some always acknowledge/I always acknowledge. Some, I know - would drive through the puddle alongside me if they were in a car.
as a commuter never got hello from anyone ! or the other way as a sunday rider i got a lot of "hello's", and "good morning's" and hand wave's...
...once on a long sunday ride i was coming home and 10 miles from it a had a puncture, stop on side of the road turn the bike upside down to start changing it when a cyclist stoped and ask me if i was alright..first time happen to me, i was very please
..another sunday ride i went with this London club for the first time i got there on my aluminum bike when all of them with carbon one's :shock: one of the guys there just keep giving me the look, all the other guys all very kind, in all that guys he was the only 1 who didn't speak to me, didn't care, f**k it
do the same buddy nitesight if they say hello u say hello, if not shrink ur shoulders and keep going
have a nice ride, coz i can't now (still sore)
Pedro
SPECIALIZED TARMAC comp 2009
You should have Cinzano'd him...
FWIW when I'm out on my roadie I say hi to pretty much everyone I see, on the odd occasion I don't it's just because, well, I haven't. That's it.
Also, sorry to be a pedant but I don't think 'ignorant' means what some of you think it means.
a few months ago, i got greeted by some roadies, who i'd thought were going to ignore me because I was wearing rolled up jeans, a hoodie and carring a messenger bag on my singlespeed.
They waved to me quite enthusiastically even though they were quite a serious chaingang by the looks of things...
Carbon 456
456 lefty
Pompino
White Inbred
Maybe they'd already done 100 miles.
No offence but you have no idea what they were thinking, if they were thinking anything about you at all. Maybe I'm too generous but I really find it hard to imagine that very many people at all think that way, and it just sounds like if anyone is concerned about relative costs of bikes and kits it's you.
Anything else is just dissing me and my views.
They are usually sad tw*ts who still live at home with their parents and are out on their bikes because their girlfriends are boring or ugly or both.
Taking a leaf from NapD's ideology I just wave/nod/smile to everyone, if they blank me then who cares right?
SPECIALIZED TARMAC comp 2009