There are those who wave and those who don't
petemadoc
Posts: 2,667
Taken from 18milesperhour, made me laugh
http://18milesperhour.tumblr.com/univer ... sofcycling
"UNIVERSAL TRUTH OF CYCLING #14:
THERE ARE 2 KINDS OF CYCLISTS.
ONES WHO SAY “HELLO” AND ONES WHO DON’T.
Guess it’s pretty obvious which side of this issue we fall on, yeah?
Mountain bikers, you may be excused. Overall you seem to have the kindness thing figured out. Roadies…pull up a chair. This one’s for you.
Here’s the scenario: You’re out on a ride and see a cyclist or few coming toward you. Being a steward of the sport, you greet them as they pass. Sometimes it’s a full on “Hello!” Sometimes it’s a wave. Sometimes it’s just eye-contact and the little lifting of the hand off the bars thing.
Sometimes you get a nice greeting or a wave back. Nice. That small but bonding gesture. Then there are the ones who ice you.
“Hello.”
(silence)
Really? And I’m not talking about the times where they may not have heard you. I’m talking about eye-contact, multiple greetings and…nothing. Sometimes even a scowly-face.
Working on the middle-east crisis, handling the nuclear power plant crisis in Japan, fighting a raging forest fire, fixing a problem at the international space station - these are the kinds of situations where dead-seriousness and scowly faces are completely cool. Understandable. But riding a bicycle on a Sunday afternoon in perfect, Southern Californian weather? Nope.
Why should this bother us? Are we that needy? No. And honestly, most times we just let it roll off our backs. But overall, it’s about manners. When you think about it, technically, people don’t have to say please or thank you. They don’t have to smile at one another. They don’t have to respect one another’s personal space and well-being. But it’s what makes life tolerable. It’s called civility and it’s really, really simple.
Roadies who actively race have the worst track record when it comes to this kind of thing. There’s a certain club on the west side of Los Angeles that has cultivated a culture of acting superior to all others on the road.
Lighten up, fellas.
I love and respect our sport too. Between us, we’ve been doing it at a pretty high level for over 40 years. But we do it because it’s fun. Period. And yes, we race, too. Racing and kindness are not mutually exclusive.
And let’s break it down – we’re both out there putting our next-to-nothing bodies into the mix against multi-ton steel cars on tight roads. Oh, and we’re in form-fitting lycra.
In the great food chain out there on the roads we’re pretty down there. Seems like we need some solidarity.
So as you pass this little online article, let me be the first to wave and say “Hello.”
Hope you wave back. "
http://18milesperhour.tumblr.com/univer ... sofcycling
"UNIVERSAL TRUTH OF CYCLING #14:
THERE ARE 2 KINDS OF CYCLISTS.
ONES WHO SAY “HELLO” AND ONES WHO DON’T.
Guess it’s pretty obvious which side of this issue we fall on, yeah?
Mountain bikers, you may be excused. Overall you seem to have the kindness thing figured out. Roadies…pull up a chair. This one’s for you.
Here’s the scenario: You’re out on a ride and see a cyclist or few coming toward you. Being a steward of the sport, you greet them as they pass. Sometimes it’s a full on “Hello!” Sometimes it’s a wave. Sometimes it’s just eye-contact and the little lifting of the hand off the bars thing.
Sometimes you get a nice greeting or a wave back. Nice. That small but bonding gesture. Then there are the ones who ice you.
“Hello.”
(silence)
Really? And I’m not talking about the times where they may not have heard you. I’m talking about eye-contact, multiple greetings and…nothing. Sometimes even a scowly-face.
Working on the middle-east crisis, handling the nuclear power plant crisis in Japan, fighting a raging forest fire, fixing a problem at the international space station - these are the kinds of situations where dead-seriousness and scowly faces are completely cool. Understandable. But riding a bicycle on a Sunday afternoon in perfect, Southern Californian weather? Nope.
Why should this bother us? Are we that needy? No. And honestly, most times we just let it roll off our backs. But overall, it’s about manners. When you think about it, technically, people don’t have to say please or thank you. They don’t have to smile at one another. They don’t have to respect one another’s personal space and well-being. But it’s what makes life tolerable. It’s called civility and it’s really, really simple.
Roadies who actively race have the worst track record when it comes to this kind of thing. There’s a certain club on the west side of Los Angeles that has cultivated a culture of acting superior to all others on the road.
Lighten up, fellas.
I love and respect our sport too. Between us, we’ve been doing it at a pretty high level for over 40 years. But we do it because it’s fun. Period. And yes, we race, too. Racing and kindness are not mutually exclusive.
And let’s break it down – we’re both out there putting our next-to-nothing bodies into the mix against multi-ton steel cars on tight roads. Oh, and we’re in form-fitting lycra.
In the great food chain out there on the roads we’re pretty down there. Seems like we need some solidarity.
So as you pass this little online article, let me be the first to wave and say “Hello.”
Hope you wave back. "
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Posts
or a Sky jersey?
only if the Sky jersey is clearly a repair job
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
*hangs fishing rod in water*
Yes I'm trolling. Tend to nod at everyone cyclist, bar scrotes on cheapo MTBs in town, or brats on BMXs - I'm too old to be nice to everyone.
This resulted in one of his cycling buddies completely blanking him because he was wearing trainers as he cycled to the shops
What does he know? Just because he had a hits with Livin' Like Thieves and New Sensation doesn't make him an expert on cycling.
Sheeeesh, next thing we know Jeremy Roy will be lecturing us on acoustic vs electric ......
I knew when I wrote that, I just bloody well knew it that someone would :roll:
Summer B,man Team Carbon LE#222
Winter Alan Top Cross
All rounder Spec. Allez.
When out cycling though I guess only around 7 out of 10 return the nod or initiate it. The previous poster are right, where we are the ones that don't are usually the really serious club types all decked up in copy team gear.
No, that's just you
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
You'll soon find that you're also able to find a ton of previously undiscovered potholes !! the number I've hit whilst f*cking about with various screens, just for the sake of it !! :roll:
Fortunately, I've (mostly) got over that
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
So, In future when you are ignored after waving, pay a little more attention to the other cyclist who may well be using all of their energy trying to get home without calling an ambulance rather than being ignorant
Ps: I wave or nod as much as poss but it is feckin annoying when i get blanked. Grrr! Not a blanker yet but...
That way I'm able to be polite & friendly whilst still remaining slightly aloof & 'Kool'.
Try it...
I'm sure some do actually feel that way.
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
Summer B,man Team Carbon LE#222
Winter Alan Top Cross
All rounder Spec. Allez.
He was in the zone on the Perth Road past Harris Ac