Cycling Etiquette

RedWheels

I only ever greet oncoming cyclists or those to which i have jump behind their wheel. If i pass someone i generally just go on without any comment. Those who take it as a challenge are more then welcome to. Making a comment to 'put-down' or 'egg-on' subtracts from the cycling, which is what, in instances of wanting to prove self-worth via racing a bike, is all about.

on a side note on the cycling food chain.

Why does my Fixie (it is a steel tourer, but is well maintained with a good gear so 'rapid') rank higher then my carbon road bike seeing as i have hairy legs regardless what one i am on?
and if you wear a cycling cap under a helmoot does that add or minus 1?

drlodge

I once said, as I passed this chap on a steep incline "you alright" to which he replied "why wouldn't I be". Well indeed.

chris_bass

drlodge wrote:

I once said, as I passed this chap on a steep incline "you alright" to which he replied "why wouldn't I be". Well indeed.

I did something similar once, just as I was getting to the top of a steep hill and before descending, he didn't take too kindly to it, needless to say things went downhill very quickly after that!

Slo Mo Jones

People are strange.

I was on my rusty old hybrid, wearing a jogging suit and carrying a 15kg rucksack, sitting up and cruising up a steep hill at a leisurely 25km/h and I overtook a guy on a £5k Pinarello in full Team Sky gear. I said "look at me overtaking you and look at my bike!"... making posts like this is just weird. Really weird. And saying anything other than something curteous to a fellow cyclist reveals some deep insecurities. "It was just a joke" doesn't work.

It's really peculiar - I've tried to think of a simile but can't think of one that quite fits. It's just strange behaviour.

The OP's story is clearly nonsense anyway. Which makes it even odder.

RedWheels

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

People are strange.


It's really peculiar - I've tried to think of a simile but can't think of one that quite fits. It's just strange behaviour.

I think it's actually quite a common behavioural trait.

Back when i was in secondary i was told by a fellow pupil that he had only started studying 2 days before the exam and yet he still managed to get a better result them me for his GCSE.

He was incredibly bright, with the attitude of a merchant banker.

I don't necessarily blame him for it, as to a large extent exams are a method of showing an individuals superiority relative to the next, and the school reinforced this

The OP's post is expressing a very similar outlook, but may be reflective of the environment, where things like 'silly commuter racing' reinforce.

just a thought

Slo Mo Jones

RedWheels wrote:

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

People are strange.


It's really peculiar - I've tried to think of a simile but can't think of one that quite fits. It's just strange behaviour.

I think it's actually quite a common behavioural trait.

Back when i was in secondary i was told by a fellow pupil that he had only started studying 2 days before the exam and yet he still managed to get a better result them me for his GCSE.

He was incredibly bright, with the attitude of a merchant banker.

I don't necessarily blame him for it, as to a large extent exams are a method of showing an individuals superiority relative to the next, and the school reinforced this

The OP's post is expressing a very similar outlook, but may be reflective of the environment, where things like 'silly commuter racing' reinforce.

just a thought

Yeah but that's actually demonstrating your fellow student's superior ability, in a controlled environment (i.e. the point of exams). On the rare occasion I pass someone I am under no illusions that I am a better cyclist than the person I have passed - it's odd to even think about such a notion because we're not racing, doing the same route, for the same purpose. He's just someone on the same road as me.

These occasions are more like a fellow student coming up to you at break time, quoting a page of shakespeare in your face without warning and claiming he is better at English Lit, but of course he is only joking. Bizarre.

dean7879

It was a lighthearted comment. i wanted the man to improve, i wanted him to chase me, i wanted to ignite the spirit within him. I fear all i did was enrage him

But still,in the past, i have had cyclists ride past me calling me a little snail. One guy called me sluggy mcslug, then cackled away as he rode off in to the distance. I swore to the creator that would never happen again.

Normally i don't like to overtake cyclists on my hybrid bike as it seems a trifle embarrassing. It was a one off and i felt slightly mischievous at the time.

i am glad there is a nice discussion going on here as well. I also appreciate the brainy people who realized this is a lighthearted thread. Please don't get angry.

lyn1

dean7879 wrote:

It was a lighthearted comment. i wanted the man to improve, i wanted him to chase me, i wanted to ignite the spirit within him. I fear all i did was enrage him

But still,in the past, i have had cyclists ride past me calling me a little snail. One guy called me sluggy mcslug, then cackled away as he rode off in to the distance. I swore to the creator that would never happen again.

Normally i don't like to overtake cyclists on my hybrid bike as it seems a trifle embarrassing. It was a one off and i felt slightly mischievous at the time.

i am glad there is a nice discussion going on here as well. I also appreciate the brainy people who realized this is a lighthearted thread. Please don't get angry.

Its all about context. Had you passed me and been someone I knew reasonably well I would have taken your comment in the spirit you intended. Still would have called you a *anker, but with a smile on my face. Would probably have chased you down for fun. However, presumably you didn't know these guys so they contextualised it as arrogant and offensive not lighthearted and responded accordingly.
It's not up to you to "light the spirit" in anyone else but yourself. No problem overtaking people irrespective of what they or you choose to ride. Not aware there is a minimum speed at which a carbon bike has to be ridden...if there is and its over 15mph I may have to sell mine :oops:

ai_1

dean7879 wrote:

It was a lighthearted comment. i wanted the man to improve, i wanted him to chase me, i wanted to ignite the spirit within him. I fear all i did was enrage him

But still,in the past, i have had cyclists ride past me calling me a little snail. One guy called me sluggy mcslug, then cackled away as he rode off in to the distance. I swore to the creator that would never happen again.

Normally i don't like to overtake cyclists on my hybrid bike as it seems a trifle embarrassing. It was a one off and i felt slightly mischievous at the time.

i am glad there is a nice discussion going on here as well. I also appreciate the brainy people who realized this is a lighthearted thread. Please don't get angry.

The more you try to explain the sillier this seems.
Others mock you, you don't like it, so you do it to others but even though you clearly think it's not light hearted, you think we'll be fooled when you say it is.
You can't very well claim it was both a light hearted quip and an effort to ignite someones spirit. Opposite ends of the spectrum. Pick one. I think it was neither but if you're going to reinvent the story retrospectively, at least try to make it credible

Frank Wilson

Blokes a knob to be fair.

dean7879

Frank Wilson wrote:

Blokes a knob to be fair.

Spot on

[/quote]The more you try to explain the sillier this seems.
Others mock you, you don't like it, so you do it to others but even though you clearly think it's not light hearted, you think we'll be fooled when you say it is.
You can't very well claim it was both a light hearted quip and an effort to ignite someones spirit. Opposite ends of the spectrum. Pick one. I think it was neither but if you're going to reinvent the story retrospectively, at least try to make it credible[/quote]

Still haven't got it have you

ai_1

dean7879 wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Blokes a knob to be fair.

Spot on

The more you try to explain the sillier this seems.
Others mock you, you don't like it, so you do it to others but even though you clearly think it's not light hearted, you think we'll be fooled when you say it is.
You can't very well claim it was both a light hearted quip and an effort to ignite someones spirit. Opposite ends of the spectrum. Pick one. I think it was neither but if you're going to reinvent the story retrospectively, at least try to make it credible

Still haven't got it have you

Oh, the irony!!!
Hate to break it to you Dean but I think Frank was talking about you. He can correct me if I'm wrong.

RedWheels

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

RedWheels wrote:

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

People are strange.


It's really peculiar - I've tried to think of a simile but can't think of one that quite fits. It's just strange behaviour.

I think it's actually quite a common behavioural trait.

Back when i was in secondary i was told by a fellow pupil that he had only started studying 2 days before the exam and yet he still managed to get a better result them me for his GCSE.

He was incredibly bright, with the attitude of a merchant banker.

I don't necessarily blame him for it, as to a large extent exams are a method of showing an individuals superiority relative to the next, and the school reinforced this

The OP's post is expressing a very similar outlook, but may be reflective of the environment, where things like 'silly commuter racing' reinforce.

just a thought

Yeah but that's actually demonstrating your fellow student's superior ability, in a controlled environment (i.e. the point of exams). On the rare occasion I pass someone I am under no illusions that I am a better cyclist than the person I have passed - it's odd to even think about such a notion because we're not racing, doing the same route, for the same purpose. He's just someone on the same road as me.

These occasions are more like a fellow student coming up to you at break time, quoting a page of shakespeare in your face without warning and claiming he is better at English Lit, but of course he is only joking. Bizarre.

Without getting into a debate about Exams my personal opinion is that an exam shows superior ability at passing exams rather then in the subject that the exam purports to test.

I do agree that cycling pass someone is not 'proof' of superior cycling ability and it is quite right not to think every individual is in competition with oneself.

However significant numbers of cyclists reinforce a competitive environment through things such as SCR. The OP is simply vocalising the opinion of albeit an extreme subset of people that this environment breeds.

Frank Wilson

Ai_1 wrote:

dean7879 wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Blokes a knob to be fair.

Spot on

The more you try to explain the sillier this seems.
Others mock you, you don't like it, so you do it to others but even though you clearly think it's not light hearted, you think we'll be fooled when you say it is.
You can't very well claim it was both a light hearted quip and an effort to ignite someones spirit. Opposite ends of the spectrum. Pick one. I think it was neither but if you're going to reinvent the story retrospectively, at least try to make it credible

Still haven't got it have you

Oh, the irony!!!
Hate to break it to you Dean but I think Frank was talking about you. He can correct me if I'm wrong.

You are correct in your assumption A1.

Frank.

CiB

dean7879 wrote:

I ride my Giant roam hybrid bike to work instead of my fancy road bike. The other day i overtook a couple of guys on their carbon bikes and they was all kitted out while i was in my jogging bottoms.. Just for a joke i said 'cya later' as i passed them. The one fella shouted 'rubber!' at me, in a rather gruff manly voice as i sped ahead.

I just wanted to know am i a bad man? I felt rather bad after but it was just a joke

There seems to be an assumption that wearing jogging bottoms or other non-cycling specific kit has an enormous negative effect on speeds, and that only top-spec road bikes ridden by properly kitted out riders are able to achieve decent speeds, yet surely it takes no much more than a couple of seconds thought to see how incorrect that assumption is. We all know that proper kit is better, as are nice bikes, but their benefit is in the longer term. To imply that it takes a special kind of ability to ride past a couple of riders with the disparity in kit described by our OP, is a completely baseless assumption and hardly a good start point for debate. It also ignores the ‘properly kitted out’ riders’ intentions and their previous activities so there’s no basis for starting the thread in the first place, unless OP really is desperate to show himself up as a bit odd. You only have to read newspaper comment sections to notice the number of people who imagine that not wearing proper cycling togs must give them a 7mph handicap, which they miraculously overcame on some trusty old sit-up-and-beg to pass some wannabee in proper cycling clothing on a decent bike. Barmy, every one of them.

I wonder how many threads over on PetrolHeads start with the words “I was in my old Fiesta wearing just a tee shirt & shorts and overtook this bloke on the bypass who was wearing a real nice suit and driving an F40. Hah. I stuck my fingers up at him but he didn’t respond. Loser.” You just wouldn’t, really.

ai_1

CiB wrote:

.....I wonder how many threads over on PetrolHeads start with the words “I was in my old Fiesta wearing just a tee shirt & shorts and overtook this bloke on the bypass who was wearing a real nice suit and driving an F40. Hah. I stuck my fingers up at him but he didn’t respond. Loser.” You just wouldn’t, really.

Excellent

chris_bass

CiB wrote:

I wonder how many threads over on PetrolHeads start with the words “I was in my old Fiesta wearing just a tee shirt & shorts and overtook this bloke on the bypass who was wearing a real nice suit and driving an F40. Hah. I stuck my fingers up at him but he didn’t respond. Loser.” You just wouldn’t, really.

oh I don'y know

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1021154

not exactly the same but along the same lines! One quote

"It is a British phenomenon. Being overtaken is an affront to your manhood."

dean7879

Ai_1 wrote:

dean7879 wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Blokes a knob to be fair.

Spot on

The more you try to explain the sillier this seems.
Others mock you, you don't like it, so you do it to others but even though you clearly think it's not light hearted, you think we'll be fooled when you say it is.
You can't very well claim it was both a light hearted quip and an effort to ignite someones spirit. Opposite ends of the spectrum. Pick one. I think it was neither but if you're going to reinvent the story retrospectively, at least try to make it credible

Still haven't got it have you

Oh, the irony!!!
Hate to break it to you Dean but I think Frank was talking about you. He can correct me if I'm wrong.

Nothing gets past you buddy! I know it was aimed at me you halfwit, i was just agreeing with the man because he is part right, i have been acting the knob in this forum. But a harmless knob at best. You can choose to take these things to heart ...or not. Lighten up, I am a nice guy really

BLW

If you can't take it, don't dish it out... as they say.

Personally, I wouldn't have taken it in a bad way, I may of thought 'well the cheeky get' but I'd of also laughed to myself thinking yeah ok, you've got a point! lol

I wouldn't loose any sleep over it, I doubt they did.

ai_1

dean7879 wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

dean7879 wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Blokes a knob to be fair.

Spot on

The more you try to explain the sillier this seems.
Others mock you, you don't like it, so you do it to others but even though you clearly think it's not light hearted, you think we'll be fooled when you say it is.
You can't very well claim it was both a light hearted quip and an effort to ignite someones spirit. Opposite ends of the spectrum. Pick one. I think it was neither but if you're going to reinvent the story retrospectively, at least try to make it credible

Still haven't got it have you

Oh, the irony!!!
Hate to break it to you Dean but I think Frank was talking about you. He can correct me if I'm wrong.

Nothing gets past you buddy! I know it was aimed at me you halfwit, i was just agreeing with the man because he is part right, i have been acting the knob in this forum. But a harmless knob at best. You can choose to take these things to heart ...or not. Lighten up, I am a nice guy really

Oh come now Dean. Your inconsistency knows no bounds. Nothing gets past me but I'm a half-wit...... explain please

Don't you worry, I'm not taking anything you say to heart.

HellsCyclist

dean7879 wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

dean7879 wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Blokes a knob to be fair.

Spot on

The more you try to explain the sillier this seems.
Others mock you, you don't like it, so you do it to others but even though you clearly think it's not light hearted, you think we'll be fooled when you say it is.
You can't very well claim it was both a light hearted quip and an effort to ignite someones spirit. Opposite ends of the spectrum. Pick one. I think it was neither but if you're going to reinvent the story retrospectively, at least try to make it credible

Still haven't got it have you

Oh, the irony!!!
Hate to break it to you Dean but I think Frank was talking about you. He can correct me if I'm wrong.

Nothing gets past you buddy! I know it was aimed at me you halfwit, i was just agreeing with the man because he is part right, i have been acting the knob in this forum. But a harmless knob at best. You can choose to take these things to heart ...or not. Lighten up, I am a nice guy really

But at worst? Still not a scratch on Velonumpty.

Cyclum

Forget saying anything. Next time do my trick - overtake the bloke on his flash roadbike and smile to yourself because he's just about to realise that he's been overtaken by a girl! ;-)

ai_1

Cyclum wrote:

Forget saying anything. Next time do my trick - overtake the bloke on his flash roadbike and smile to yourself because he's just about to realise that he's been overtaken by a girl! ;-)

I've been overtaken by many girls. There's no shame in it! - regardless whether I'm taking it easy or going flat out. There's always someone better than you and it just might be a girl. How many guys here reckon they could outpace Marianne Voss?
The bike either of us is riding is largely immaterial.

diplodicus

dean7879 wrote:

Nothing gets past you buddy! I know it was aimed at me you halfwit, i was just agreeing with the man because he is part right, i have been acting the knob in this forum. But a harmless knob at best. You can choose to take these things to heart ...or not. Lighten up, I am a nice guy really

vtech is that you?

chris_bass

Cyclum wrote:

Forget saying anything. Next time do my trick - overtake the bloke on his flash roadbike and smile to yourself because he's just about to realise that he's been overtaken by a girl! ;-)

I wouldn't feel too smug, he's probably staring at your 4rse!