Arrogant unfriendly London cyclists

yocto

It’s a city v rural thing. I’m sure in any large city (Manchester, Vienna, Paris, etc), cyclists, people etc make less effort to be friendly. This get worse with the size of the city and density of people. It’s not that they are unfriendly, it’s just how things are in large cities. Put the same “unfriendly” people in a more rural environment and you will get a different attitude. It’s a part of the reason why my wife and I are making plans to move out of London to somewhere more rural.

verylonglegs

Chinley Churner wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Here we go again Never ridden in RP & ride on my own. I don't look to say hello to folk but will always respond if they do. We don't talk to each other, its just the way it is. I have a mate from Cumbria who says "how do" to people on the tube, you stand there cringing & pretending to not be with this frigging lunatic as everyone just shuffles around to turn their backs to you.

I sort of get it on the tube when people are stressed and going about their working day although, when I lived in London, I'd enjoy saying hello to people just to see how uncomfortable it made them. But if you're cycling and another cyclist acknowledges you, FFS, there's no excuse not to lift a hand off your bars or give them a nod. You're supposed to be doing something you enjoy after all.

Hilarious. I'd suggest you have as many issues as the people you are ranting about.

Stone Glider

OP, the title of this piece is wrong. It should be A.U. Richmond Park C. :? All the others you saw on your ride with your friend were otherwise weren't they?

Loads of people out this morning on my ride in the wind. Tried to acknowledge all of them, plus the Police van that was stuck behind me on a one-track lane, for five minutes as I struggled up the slope. Why not? I am happy doing something I enjoy and assume others are in a similar state. If others cannot reply, maybe they are out of breath. If others fail to respond to a cheery wave, maybe their bike-handling skills aren't up to it.

It really is 'all about me'.

Gazzaputt

TBH I have found most of the London Dynamo riders I have ever had the misfortune of coming across as having the same attitude as the OP.

West London is the most snobby area of London. Even more than Clerkenwell.

peter101cycle

Gazzaputt wrote:

TBH I have found most of the London Dynamo riders I have ever had the misfortune of coming across as having the same attitude as the OP.

West London is the most snobby area of London. Even more than Clerkenwell.

They are probably trying to work out why they have coughed up £40 to be a member of a cycling club for a year LOL. Mugs

piquet

Le Commentateur wrote:

Assuming the post isn't a p!ss-take... surely if there are so many cyclists in Richmond Park doing laps on their shiny bikes one would be saying "hello" every 5 or 10 seconds. It'd get a bit tedious after a short while.

Precisely the point i was about to make. Saturday mornings are the busiest and acknowledging everyone would be impossible - same on sundays

Midweek it is a much friendlier place - mebbe a bit of " you not working either?" camaraderie?

Alternatively, stop off at the "cyclists cafe" near Roehampton gate on a saturday.

rake

i always offer a bourbon cream and a cup of tea to oncoming riders.

watchfire

Most dynamos are twats. Known quite a few of them and I would say only one was not a twat.

As for acknowledging cyclists in Richmond Park, do it if you can be arsed but I wouldn;t expect responsses from all- many people are training and it is not practical to be waving every 10 metres.

raymondo60

Threads like these do prove something about cyclists though; we're an opiononated lot!

kieranb

Well, it ain't all bad, I've been cycling in London for about 13 years now, on my solo rides out over the north downs - I find most riders will nod/wave back (not all - there are some persistent ignorers) , I've even chatted with a few, and I wave at MTBers (!), old guys on their shopping bikes - if out in the countryside. In the city only if on road bikes or proper MTBers (i.e. not in civvies) as there are too many and also many find it stange to get waved at as they don't see a link , the bike is just a means of getting from A to B, not a reason for bonding with a stranger.

On my commute I don't do any of it - that would be weird - but sometimes do have a quick word at the lights etc if I see an interesting bike or over some road incident we both saw/ or shared experience.

I must admit I still don't get training in RP as the max speed limit is 20mph and there are no real hills.

dizzydane

I greet and get greeted by the few regulars on my commute to and from work.

Weekends, I avoid PR - far to many rude, arrogant cyclists in the park. Apart from the many regulars there who think it's their training ground there's a lot of "all the gear, no idea" riders.

I do all my weekend rides in Surrey, Windsor and Kent. I'll smile, nod or wave to any cyclist who acknowledges me (I too like to irritate people off by being friendly) and return any greetings.

However I have to say the Dynamos tend to be out in the countryside too and unfortunately are they are only group that will not return a greeting. I'll just attach myself to their back wheels before disappearing.

Isabel_LP

Hello Chinley Churner,

My name is Isabel and I am the London Phoenix Membership Secretary. We have approx. 150 members, all of different character, personality, nationality and what binds us is our unanimous motivation to roll about on 2 wheels. I mountain bike, road ride, track cycle and commute on a fixed wheel bike. I do crit races, road races, sportives, enduros & XC races, as do most of our club. Depending on what stage I am at on any cycle ride; rushing to meet someone or to a station, warming-up, setting my mindset or bonking will govern how I interact with a random stranger at a traffic lights.

I am sorry that of all the hours you put in on your bike that you have slated a London Phoenix cyclist based on 1 No. 30sec interaction you had with them at a traffic lights on one of the fastest, busiest roads in Central London. I welcome you to contact the club via our website www.londonphoenix.co.uk and would like you to join one of our rides. You would be most welcome and maybe this would be a first impression that won’t last.

I cannot think of anyone in our club who fits into the mould of an “arrogant a*sehole” and think that it was just a random occasion where your crest of chirpiness and their trough of gloom neutralised each other.

I have cycled in Ireland, Wales, Belgium and France and this magnanimity to which you refer of some cyclists nodding, some not, is not unique to London. On country lanes most drivers will always wave at each other, but elsewhere this signature wave is out of place. We are just people, like you, and wearing club kit makes us easier to identify which I assume is why you have singled out our LP rider.

Mind you, London Phoenix has a lovely kit design, don’t you think?!

Best regards,
Isabel

P_Tucker

Chinley Churner wrote:

Herbsman wrote:

It's nice to be sociable with other cyclists but you have to accept that not everyone gives a toss that you have chosen to do the same type of physical activity as them. Riding a bike doesn't make you part of some sort of unified club.

Well, it should and anyway it's called normal human to human interaction.

I've started saying hello to everyone who I spot walking when I am also walking. I feel much better, but christ it takes a long time to get down Oxford Street.

Aggieboy

P_Tucker wrote:

Chinley Churner wrote:

Herbsman wrote:

It's nice to be sociable with other cyclists but you have to accept that not everyone gives a toss that you have chosen to do the same type of physical activity as them. Riding a bike doesn't make you part of some sort of unified club.

Well, it should and anyway it's called normal human to human interaction.

I've started saying hello to everyone who I spot walking when I am also walking. I feel much better, but christ it takes a long time to get down Oxford Street.

I tried that and found it quicker tbh. They all got out of my way. I also do it on the tube and always get a seat.

Ben6899

Aggieboy wrote:

P_Tucker wrote:

Chinley Churner wrote:

Herbsman wrote:

It's nice to be sociable with other cyclists but you have to accept that not everyone gives a toss that you have chosen to do the same type of physical activity as them. Riding a bike doesn't make you part of some sort of unified club.

Well, it should and anyway it's called normal human to human interaction.

I've started saying hello to everyone who I spot walking when I am also walking. I feel much better, but christ it takes a long time to get down Oxford Street.

I tried that and found it quicker tbh. They all got out of my way. I also do it on the tube and always get a seat.

I try to shake everybody's hand.

kieranb

Isabel_LP wrote:

Hello Chinley Churner,

My name is Isabel and I am the London Phoenix Membership Secretary. We have approx. 150 members, all of different character, personality, nationality and what binds us is our unanimous motivation to roll about on 2 wheels. I mountain bike, road ride, track cycle and commute on a fixed wheel bike. I do crit races, road races, sportives, enduros & XC races, as do most of our club. Depending on what stage I am at on any cycle ride; rushing to meet someone or to a station, warming-up, setting my mindset or bonking will govern how I interact with a random stranger at a traffic lights.

I am sorry that of all the hours you put in on your bike that you have slated a London Phoenix cyclist based on 1 No. 30sec interaction you had with them at a traffic lights on one of the fastest, busiest roads in Central London. I welcome you to contact the club via our website www.londonphoenix.co.uk and would like you to join one of our rides. You would be most welcome and maybe this would be a first impression that won’t last.

I cannot think of anyone in our club who fits into the mould of an “arrogant a*sehole” and think that it was just a random occasion where your crest of chirpiness and their trough of gloom neutralised each other.

I have cycled in Ireland, Wales, Belgium and France and this magnanimity to which you refer of some cyclists nodding, some not, is not unique to London. On country lanes most drivers will always wave at each other, but elsewhere this signature wave is out of place. We are just people, like you, and wearing club kit makes us easier to identify which I assume is why you have singled out our LP rider.

Mind you, London Phoenix has a lovely kit design, don’t you think?!

Best regards,
Isabel

a sarcastic reply will help the impression of your club, no doubt? but I agree that one encounter shouldn't be used to judge a whole group, Me, I've never had any issues with london phoenix riders, generally solo riders in non club colours.

Ben6899

OP's op refers to a London Phoenix rider.

rick_chasey

Is it just me, or is demanding waves and nods from strangers a little arrogant?

ellieb

The point about this wave at everyone you meet is that it means nothing. You can't get more wave happy than German motorcyclists. They wave all the time it seems: Really friendly. However, I went biking in the German Alps . There was so much waving it was untrue (how lovely!) until I broke down.... All I needed was the one spanner that had gone missing from my toolkit. Stood by the side of the road next to the bike in pieces. Not one of the many bikers waved or even met my eye. Eventually a bloke in a van stopped & helped me out.

I don't read too much into waving :roll:

Isabel_LP

Kieranb, I assure you there is no intentional sarcasm in my post and thank you for vouching for London Phoenix.

Should anyone following this forum topic encounter a problem with a particular cycling body, it’s a good idea to contact them via their website about your gripe. Depending on their response, you can then choose your course of action.

Chinley Churner, the offer of joining one of our club rides is genuine and you may be pleasantly surprised by the experience.

Have a lovely evening,
Isabel

Cleat Eastwood

mmm wonder if aggieboys got any pics of ^^^

Aggieboy

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

mmm wonder if aggieboys got any pics of ^^^

She's the one on the right .................................

Chinley Churner

Cheers @Isabel_LP

I might well take you up on that when I'm next down in town.. I wasn't having a go at LP, when I used to live and ride in London a lot, you always seemed like a friendly bunch... that's what surprised me. You're probably right about my overly good mood about the lovely sunny day and being out on my bike maybe shocked him a bit and maybe he wasn't having such a good day.

Can't believe what a can of worms I've opened... I totally agree about it being unrealistic in a scenario like RP to acknowledge everyone but spinning to and from the park I was genuinely surprised by the blank looks especially from groups of riders out on a club run... guess I've become too much of a bumpkin.

plowmar

Ah d'own no 'bout cyclists but ain't every one laak that daan sarf? (oops changed from north to south in one sentence. :oops: