Road Bikes !!

iwilldoit

Hi All

Am I missing something yesterday as I was nearly home after a nice ride I was approaching a junction where I turn onto tarmac for the last mile and I see a group of around 20-30 road bikes going by, nice to see I thought people out on bikes and as I looked down the road a load more coming around 5 groups, as I went past I said Hi, no replies, then the next group one said hello, then nothing and nothing again, the last group were riding in formation taking up the whole road as I got closer to them they weren't going to move so I had to go for the verge, no problem but quite ignorant I thought, is this the way it is ??

Didn't like this sort of attitude with road motorbike riding I'm better than you sort of thing.

CitizenLee

They're the master race and we're just dirty peasants...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s0XsulDXtk

danlikesbikes

I ride MTB's, motorbikes & road bikes. & you get it across all 3 sections has more to do with the person than what they are riding.

iwilldoit

Danlikesbikes wrote:

I ride MTB's, motorbikes & road bikes. & you get it across all 3 sections has more to do with the person than what they are riding.

Totally agree just a little shocked to meet around 100 of them all in one go

I wonder if the one who replied was severely reprimanded when they stopped for a coffee

rockmonkeysc

Don't take it personally. They don't talk to us lowly mountain bikers, apparently they rarely even talk to other road cyclists.

Colinthecop

RockmonkeySC wrote:

apparently they rarely even talk to other road cyclists.

'tis true... :shock:

Perhaps they're in 'the zone'....

Angus Young

How odd - I always get a cheery "Hello!". Perhaps it's you.

cooldad

Once or twice a year roadying can be fun. Although most roadies see my gear, make the sign of the cross and avert their eyes.

CitizenLee

Yeah, CD that's not nearly tight enough for road use... I mean we can't even see what you had for lunch!

This page always brings a smile...

https://www.facebook.com/FullProKitW

rockmonkeysc

Thats pretty much the same kit I use for commuting on my road bike. Roadies look more disgusted at me on my road bike than my mtb. They seem to find mtb gear on a road bike really offensive.
I did see someone turn up for an mtb xc event (exmoor explorer I think) in team sky lycra. He was mercilessly abused all day.

The Rookie

How dare you ride a road bike with those hairy appendages operating the pedals!

tootsie323

Almost spat my lunch until I saw the double exclamation marks at the end of your title...

Seriously, it is generally the person as opposed to the vehicle (be it bicycle, car, van, scooter, shopmobility thingummybob, prams / buggies...). I do sometimes wonder whether all that formation cycling requires high levels of concentration - one reply and the pack breaks up into chaos!

I'm also of a mind of CoolDad - no objection to owning a road bike (though a crosser would be more appropriate on these roads) but could not do with the lycra, shaved lags and whatever else makes up the stereotypical roadiw w&£%er.

cooldad

The Rookie wrote:

How dare you ride a road bike with those hairy appendages operating the pedals!

Should I worry that you're studying my picture so closely?

eric_draven

Danlikesbikes wrote:

I ride MTB's, motorbikes & road bikes. & you get it across all 3 sections has more to do with the person than what they are riding.

So do i,and i pretty much agree,but i do find it most amongst roadies even if you are out riding one in a local area,i do think it is bit of the club mentality with some them

njee20

I say hello to everyone on a bike, some reply, some don't. Most likely to ignore are the weekend warrior trail centre types if we want sweeping generalisations.

kammybear

Just got a road bike last week so getting into.

I dont think it's anything personal, they're cycling long distances and very focused and serious. So saying Hi will expended a lot of energy!

saprkzz

To me if there were that many roadies bunched together, and split into smaller groups, it sounds like you stumbled across a road race, they wouldn't say hello as its not a social ride.

Same as when I have raced MTB's, you don't say hello to everyone... it may not have been a race, but could explain it

The Rookie

cooldad wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

How dare you ride a road bike with those hairy appendages operating the pedals!

Should I worry that you're studying my picture so closely?

Just being sure I can claim to not be the oldest, fattest and unfittest on the forum without fear of contradiction......I can.

batmo

saprkzz wrote:

To me if there were that many roadies bunched together, and split into smaller groups, it sounds like you stumbled across a road race, they wouldn't say hello as its not a social ride.

That would also explain using the use of the full width of the road and forcing you onto the verge. You'd have to be pretty hardcore to adopt the attitude "stuff on-coming traffic, I ride where I want" if it wasn't an "official" race.

cooldad

The Rookie wrote:

cooldad wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

How dare you ride a road bike with those hairy appendages operating the pedals!

Should I worry that you're studying my picture so closely?

Just being sure I can claim to not be the oldest, fattest and unfittest on the forum without fear of contradiction......I can.

I do nothing by halves.

iwilldoit

saprkzz wrote:

To me if there were that many roadies bunched together, and split into smaller groups, it sounds like you stumbled across a road race, they wouldn't say hello as its not a social ride.

Same as when I have raced MTB's, you don't say hello to everyone... it may not have been a race, but could explain it

Hi

Thanks for the reply but not a race, as you said I would of understood it my self if it was, I asked a mate of mine who races road, cyclocross and mtb if anything was on at the weekend and there wasn't, he said as a lot of people on here have said you meet all sorts

njee20

Then I think you're exaggerating. You don't get riders taking up the entire road and forcing other people off. You just don't.

Why would your mate have known the entire calendar!? :?

cooldad

Because made up and exaggerate.

iwilldoit

njee20 wrote:

Then I think you're exaggerating. You don't get riders taking up the entire road and forcing other people off. You just don't.

Why would your mate have known the entire calendar!? :?

If there is a any cycling comp on in the area he usually does it, he's rather competitive.

Shame I haven't got a GoPro I could of shown you :shock:

njee20

I assume you've reported them to the police? You can't just force people off the road, irrespective of the shape of your handlebars! Unless it was an exaggeration... Imagine it was a child's face, or a baby robin.

pesky_jones

By saying that its probably an exageration, do you mean that anything less than twenty abreast arm to arm isnt taking up the whole road? I dont know what the road was but I'm sure it doesnt take many to block a passage if you ride inconsiderately. Probably a bit awkard to try and squeeze between them

njee20

I'm suggesting that the OP wasn't run off the road by a marauding hord of cyclists with evil in their eyes!

I'm cynical of a bunch riding 20 abreast, except in a race under a rolling road block, and even then you won't get 20 across.. Most decent road cyclists aren't stupid, and if you're in a dense bunch taking up the whole road there's nowhere to go if a car suddenly appears, so those on the wrong side of the road get squished. Riding side by side is slower anyway, no respite from the wind, so bunches are generally long, not wide.

Paul 8v

I ride road bikes and mountain bikes, when I'm on a road bike mountain bikers ignore me as well as road bikes when I'm on the MTB, some people are just rude!

but you're right, that's not good riding, a decent club ride would not have done that, there are a lot of new people to road biking that have no idea unfortunately.

paul.skibum

A mate of mine who rides pro used to delight in going to road races in his mud splattered mtb lid and embarrassing the serious types by leaving them in his wake.

Most riders road or mtb round here are happy to share a hello. A few Strava bashers dont. They also eat babies.

Prowlus

Not all roadies are unfriendly to MTBs . When I went to Lee Valley's velodrome to try out their mtb trials which coincidentally pass on the side and underneath the road circuit alot of the time , I had roadies on the road bit wave to me and even stopped to have a chat with me as i did some training climbs and hucks before my brakes packed in!