Some riders are cyclings worst enemies!

cedargreen

To the OP- you claim, as many on here do, that the actions of a few cyclists antagonize drivers which has a negative impact on all cyclists. But when you're out and about in your 4x4, it doesn't occur to you that this principle might work the other way. Why aren't you posting on a 4x4 forum moaning about how selfish and arrogant 4x4 drivers (and there are quite a lot of them) are making life difficult for more responsible drivers like yourself?

ShutUpLegs

The only time its acceptable to ignore another cyclist is when you are on a Strava segment

Lycra-Byka

I'm a " nodder/waver " too but sometimes people are too shy to acknowledge the sentiment. Don't forget some people cycle to get away from others/their lives and have a bit of "me" time.

Some are too serious...
Some are too knackered...

Some people just find it weird too acknowledge a complete stranger just because you use the same mode of transport.
In today's society we all walk around the cities going out of our way to pretend that others are not there. That's just the way this country is now. Sad really.

Personally I say shame to anyone who blanks others that make the effort.

I've just come back from France where cyclists are almost treated as royals on the road. Everybody says hello to cyclists.

Mikey23

my thoughts are as follows:

bmx rider... spit
mountain biker ... snarl
hybrid rider/tourer ... studiously ignore
lycra clad speed freak... tirade of abuse
people just like me ... warm courteous smile

Joeblack

Mikey23 wrote:

my thoughts are as follows:

bmx rider... spit
mountain biker ... snarl
hybrid rider/tourer ... studiously ignore
lycra clad speed freak... tirade of abuse
people just like me ... warm courteous smile

Ahhhhhhh Mikey this post did make me chuckle

Honestly I don't think this is a big problem and it doesn't really bother I just find it odd, nowadays people tend to be more friendly when they find someone with a similar interest, I don't however buy into the thoughts that this gives anyone a bad name it that might just be my outlook on life, I tend to take everyone the same and treat them equally (until they prove otherwise)

Mikey23

Yup I agree, big smile, cheery wave and or a hi depending on the situation. I like to think I might have added something to someone's day and it makes me feel good... Not fussed at the reaction. A raised hand at a courteous motorist too

Lycra-Byka

Mikey23 wrote:

Yup I agree, big smile, cheery wave and or a hi depending on the situation. I like to think I might have added something to someone's day and it makes me feel good... Not fussed at the reaction. A raised hand at a courteous motorist too

I think it's everyone's responsibility to thank a courteous road user, if we all did this we'd get more respect and in turn have a safer time out there.

Brian B

I generally try to be as courteous to other cyclists as possible when I am driving my 4x4 but as the original post you cannot please everybody - no matter what you pursuit its always going to attract a small number of @ssholes. When cycling I give cars who have been friendly a nod or a wave to aknowledge their patience in a effort to promote the same attitude in future.

Around my neck of the woods the local club (West Lothian Clarion) are friendly to other road users and split up into small groups so to allow easier over taking and generally dont take up the full road. The Falkirk club however take up the whole road on their circuits and annoy me and other cyclist when driving.

I also give other cyclist (and walkers, joggers etc) a nod or say hello when out on the country roads. If they dont reply I do not let it bother me but however most reply.

Mikey23

Given that a minority of motorists are @rseholes, when they climb on their bikes they are likely to still be @rseholes ...

reyrol

Mikey23 wrote:

my thoughts are as follows:

bmx rider... spit
mountain biker ... snarl
hybrid rider/tourer ... studiously ignore
lycra clad speed freak... tirade of abuse
people just like me ... warm courteous smile

Up until recently i used my mtb for road rides and was ignored almost universally by road riders, now having a road bike for this purpose i have become suddenly become visible and receive nods from most roadies, the same bloke on a different bike !. When i am on the trails i speak to most people be they runners,horse riders,walkers, or mtb'ers you are usually traveling slower so have more time to pass the time of day.

clelanj

I was out on a ride with a couple of mates today and a team of about 8 riders were coming the other way so decided to put this to the test. Before I could utter a word or make a gesture, I got 8 of the biggest, cheery 'hellos' from every one of them!!!

So, as with every walk of life, its just pot luck who you meet on your rides and how they react.

There's good and bad, so enjoy those who are pleasant and just forget the rest.

Joeblack

reyrol wrote:

Mikey23 wrote:

my thoughts are as follows:

bmx rider... spit
mountain biker ... snarl
hybrid rider/tourer ... studiously ignore
lycra clad speed freak... tirade of abuse
people just like me ... warm courteous smile

Up until recently i used my mtb for road rides and was ignored almost universally by road riders, now having a road bike for this purpose i have become suddenly become visible and receive nods from most roadies, the same bloke on a different bike !. When i am on the trails i speak to most people be they runners,horse riders,walkers, or mtb'ers you are usually traveling slower so have more time to pass the time of day.

I wave at anyone on a bike seriously, even the local youth (it's safe to say they don't wave back) I did however have a 10-12yo recently laugh at me and wave, even though all I did was look in his general direction. That said he was walking home from school

Joeblack

clelanj wrote:

I was out on a ride with a couple of mates today and a team of about 8 riders were coming the other way so decided to put this to the test. Before I could utter a word or make a gesture, I got 8 of the biggest, cheery 'hellos' from every one of them!!!

So, as with every walk of life, its just pot luck who you meet on your rides and how they react.

There's good and bad, so enjoy those who are pleasant and just forget the rest.

Agreed and regardless of all the bad stories you hear on here iv never had a problem with a single motorist

butcher of bakersfield

SoloSuperia wrote:

I live in the rural Midlands, to get to my house I have to use a narrow lane.
Driving home in my 4 x 4 the favoured form of vehicle around here, well apart from tractors.
Three riders cycling down the lane towards me, so doing my best to be helpful pull half off the road leaving ample room for a bike to get through.
One of the guys looks daggers at me and is obviously mouthing obscenities aimed in my direction, I cannot lip read, but those words are you recognise straight away.
I am a fellow cyclist, I swung off up the bank out their way, they didn't have to slow down and I get that sort of thank-you.
They weren't spring chickens, can't they see that response would just antagonize a non-cycling car driver and does nothing for cycling in general.

Just to play Devil's Advocate here, and perhaps provide the thread with some well needed balance, the question strikes me, why would anyone mouth obscenities at you without provocation - unless of course, they have tourettes?

I mean, no-one in their right mind would do that in the circumstances described, unless they felt uncomfortable with the situation in hand. Whether you made them feel unsafe, or inconvenienced them. And you say you never inconvenienced them (which is a shoddy reason to get angry anyway), so surely they must have felt unsafe?

Otherwise it doesn't make sense. I feel there is possibly another side to this story.

diy

Perhaps the expletives where due to the fact that he was driving a Chelsea tractor down a narrow road?

IMO the thing that is hard to explain is the number of newbies to road cycling who find fault with the general attitude of other road cyclists. Perhaps its roadie etiquette that is so complex?

As an MTBer turned road cyclist, its really noticeable how anti-social so many roadies are. Out on the trails MTBers are used to having to be friendly to everyone, partly because more often than not, they have less right to be there and partly because they don't want to scare people as they come up on them. But mostly its because they are just out enjoying the countryside. I can only think of maybe 1 or 2 situations where another MTBers actions were an inconvenience or selfish act. It seems to be a weekly occurrence when out on the road bike. Though I accept I ride on very cycling congested roads.

MountainMonster

diy wrote:

Perhaps the expletives where due to the fact that he was driving a Chelsea tractor down a narrow road?

IMO the thing that is hard to explain is the number of newbies to road cycling who find fault with the general attitude of other road cyclists. Perhaps its roadie etiquette that is so complex?

As an MTBer turned road cyclist, its really noticeable how anti-social so many roadies are. Out on the trails MTBers are used to having to be friendly to everyone, partly because more often than not, they have less right to be there and partly because they don't want to scare people as they come up on them. But mostly its because they are just out enjoying the countryside. I can only think of maybe 1 or 2 situations where another MTBers actions were an inconvenience or selfish act. It seems to be a weekly occurrence when out on the road bike. Though I accept I ride on very cycling congested roads.

I'm with you on this one, but it is also a general attitude with people in the UK. When I lived in Austria literally every cyclist bar one or two a week gave recognition and a hello,regardless of what bike people are on. Here in the UK it seems most people think they have something to prove, whatever it may be, and as such an be very introverted. You do get more people like that in road biking than any other type though.

Melter

My perception of the overall condition that seems to be prevalent here, and in all the other similar threads, is this:

As a standard rule, it appears that humans have an inherent feeling of "self importance" that tends to influence their behaviour and responses to situations. This has repurcussions in whatever situation they happen to be in at any time.

If I'm in my car, and there are 2 cyclists cruising along side by side in a country lane blocking any pass, my reaction is .... don't they realise I have to get to work! This is a road built for cars, not for bloody lycra clad wannabe Bradley Wiggins' trundling along at 8 mph.

If I'm on my my bike chatting to my mate beside me.....This car driver knows this is a well used cycle road, he can do 20 mph for a while, won't hurt him, he can pass when it's safe, he should be on the main road anyway, bloody w**kers in their range rovers.

If I'm walking my dog and see a bike tearing along towards me..... people walk their dogs along here, bloody ignorant cyclists tearing along at 30 mph, I'll keep my dog off the lead so he has to slow down! (I see this often, dog walkers wating till youre right on top of them before they call their dog so you can pass, by which time you have to unclip and stop - even though they saw you approaching from a mile away)

If I'm on my bike.....why can't this fool with their dog get it under control before I arrive, so I don't have to stop and unclip! Don't they realise this is a cycle route! F***ing F***ed up my strava segment now W***nker!...
"yer, morning madam, you know people cycle along here don't you.......yer whatever.......get a proper dog, tw@t"

And so the cycle continues, It's all about self importance and an inherent demand for respect whatever your current situation may be.

bianchimoon

I acknowledge everyone, might be just a slight nod of the head if i'm pushing hard or a big helloo if i'm winding down/recovery riding. What i've noticed over the last few years is the major charm offensive by anyone involved in hunting, a few years back they would look down their noses most of the time, now they're the cheeriest bunch out there (just so you don't report them. Once dave makes it legal again, they'll be back to ignoring people!)

diy

Melter sum'd it up well. though I would say make sure you are familiar with the dangerous dogs act before taking risks with your dog's life and your own liberty.

pilot_pete

I did quite an epic ride yesterday,Congleton to Harrogate total 87 miles and just over 10,000ft of climbing. Now on my x-bike (as my roadie is in for repair) with 32mm knobbly tyres, this made it one of the toughest rides I've ever done! Disc brakes descending Holme Moss were ace though!

I saw surprisingly few other cyclists on my route, but most acknowledged my nods and waves. I am quite competitive and love to use a rider in the distance as a carrot just to do an interval! One such vegetable loomed into view as I was climbing Holme Moss so I upped the pace a little and slowly dragged him back and passed with a cheery 'hi-ya' some 1/2 mile from the top. I was planning to stop at the top to get a photo in the absolutely beautiful sun drenched conditions by the summit sign. This was duly done as he pulled up also and I thought uh-oh, he's planning his tirade of abuse. What he actually said was 'cor bloody hell it's getting hot!' I said something along the lines of what a beautiful day it was, chuckling inside as he must have had four layers on, the outer one being a hi vis cycling winter jacket! No wonder he was baking, I had a base layer and summer jersey on and the sweat was pouring out of me by the top!

Stopped at the Vanilla Bean cafe in Slaithwaite for a refuel and there were 3 older roadies there who said their hellos and continued their chat about Dura Ace, which does sound funny in a broad Yorkshire accent! the funniest thing of all though was when I went outside and started to unlock my steed, put helmet on etc etc. sat outside, immediately behind me were a family with two young girls. One of them said to their mum 'that man's wearing tights', to which a conversation started about ballet dancing men wearing them and how one she'd seen was wearing white tights and so it went on. Part of me was laughing, but another part was thinking 'how rude', not for the kid but for the mother to start prattling on in obvious earshot of me. I elected to mount up and ride off without a word. I would have just educated my kids as to why a cyclist would be wearing tights....

Overtook a tubby lad on a mountain bike, well I say on, but he was slowing and dismounting on a particularly steep short incline in Farnley, just outside Ottley. As I passed I asked 'you alright, problem with the bike' to which he replied 'no, just me!' I had to stop for a map check at the junction at the top and his mate was there waiting for him. They were both late teens and when his mate arrived we had a nice conversation about my route and where I'd come from. They were shocked to say the least!

So, there are friendly cyclists out there, even if you do overtake them on hills....and even if they are steamed vegetables or tubs of lard on cheap mountain bikes!

PP

bianchimoon

Nice post PP, good read

AchillesLeftKnee

Pilot Pete wrote:

So, there are friendly cyclists out there, even if you do overtake them on hills....and even if they are steamed vegetables or tubs of lard on cheap mountain bikes!

Agreed. Most round here (Surrey Hills) are a pretty sociable lot. Yeah, there are a few serious MTB bike snobs around the place, but they're very much in a minority. About the only time things get properly unsociable is when there's some sort of race or TT on, at which point the competitors (quite rightly) have got other things on their minds.

Yesterday's sociability count. Six cyclists encountered on a highly enjoyable two hour drenching, five greeted or returned greetings, one did not, although she was climbing with much gusto and I descending with clenched sphincters at the time, so not exactly prime conviviality conditions.

diy

I also have to confess to using others as carrots. However, if they pass me its because they are on a more expensive bike, much younger than me, more spare time to practice or they are doing a short ride, if I pass them its my superior skill and fitness

slunker

At the end of the day there are arseholes every where. There are aresesholes driving cars/motorbikes/tractors/trucks/4x4's also there are arseholes riding bikes as well. I came to the conclusion that no matter what their doing an arsehole will always be an arsehole no matter what they are doing, even if it's knitting!!!!!

Count to 10....

Tom Dean

Joeblack wrote:

Tbh iv given up interacting with other cyclist, the snobbery is of the charts, so I just get on about my own business and ignor them now

WTF are you doing on here then?

Beatmaker

There is a guy who rides a Pinarello towards Chester on the A41 when I leave work, who rolls through three sets of lights, regardless of them being on red. It makes me cringe every time I see him. No helmet either, which doesn't bother me but you can sense the disapproval from the other motorists as this guy cycles through red lights with no helmet on.

If its you Please stop doing it

dynamicbrick

Brighton & Hove, lot of cyclists about and not many lycra-clad roadies. That said, the ones are around tend to be friendly enough.

There's always one guy who perplexes me though, tend to see him out in the evenings - Black Pinarello, black gear, black lid, no reflectors, no lights... always either flat out or crawling along in the granny gear.

First time I met him I nearly t-boned him as he jumped the red as I was crossing the junction - didn't so much see him as instinctively react to this fast moving shadow in my peripheral vision. No apology, acknowledgement, nothing.

Second time was about a week later when I caught him up and asked him if he was clinically insane riding along at night on an unlit black bike, dressed all in black. He looked at me with me various reflective bits, down at the Trek with its lights, then just laughed. Since then he's always made a point of laughing loudly at me whenever our paths cross.

Last saw him a few months ago at 10pm riding up one of the main roads, in the middle of the lane, at about 3mph, holding all the traffic up... still on the black Pinarello, dressed all in black, with no lights.

upperoilcan

Shark Sandwich wrote:

As a road cyclist myself I am constantly let down when I see how groups of other riders behave on the road. I normally ride by myself and seeing how they act (When I am both Driving and cycling) really puts me off Joining a club or looking for group rides.

+1

Tom Dean

boo hoo

the playing mantis

"Brighton & Hove, lot of cyclists about and not many lycra-clad roadies. That said, the ones are around tend to be friendly enough."

quelle surprise!!!