Why so serious?
oodboo
Posts: 2,171
Rode to work this morning for the first time for a few years. Nice 12 mile ride mostly following the river. Anyway, of all the other people I saw on bikes only one person acknowledged me, two looked happy but the rest all looked miserable. Why ride a bike if you're not going to enjoy it? They might as well drive or get the bus.
My background is in mountain biking where people seem to be generally a lot happier and willing to greet each other in passing. So I was just wondering if it's against one of "the rules" to enjoy riding and acknowledge other riders?
My background is in mountain biking where people seem to be generally a lot happier and willing to greet each other in passing. So I was just wondering if it's against one of "the rules" to enjoy riding and acknowledge other riders?
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oodboo wrote:Rode to work this morning for the first time for a few years. Nice 12 mile ride mostly following the river. Anyway, of all the other people I saw on bikes only one person acknowledged me, two looked happy but the rest all looked miserable. Why ride a bike if you're not going to enjoy it? They might as well drive or get the bus.
My background is in mountain biking where people seem to be generally a lot happier and willing to greet each other in passing. So I was just wondering if it's against one of "the rules" to enjoy riding and acknowledge other riders?
well trodden path this.
My advice, push them off.Insert bike here:0 -
you sometimes have to be cruel to be kind kiddo.
if everyone who was miserable got pushed of their bike the the world would soon be filled with happier cyclists.
push the really miserable ones into the river,
Bianchi Infinito CV
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Gary Fisher Aquila '98
Front half of a Viking Saratoga Tandem0 -
is this another people don't say hello to me thread? I bet they were wearing headphones, didn't have helmets on and all ran red lights too didnt they, the scum!www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0
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Chris Bass wrote:is this another people don't say hello to me thread? I bet they were wearing headphones, didn't have helmets on and all ran red lights too didnt they, the scum!
I guess it is but none of the above applied. Maybe I'll start another thread when I see people jumping the lights.
Is it a general thing that people just aren't friendly these days? I seem to be getting that vibe from you?0 -
"MTBer has a go at roadies" shock. Used to happen all the time.............in the 1990s...0
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People should ride with a manic grin on their faces AT ALL TIMES else they should be shot and threads like these created.
:P
Chill out, people are riding to work not hugh hefner's mansion. If they don't wanna smile at all times whats it to you? I will always acknowledge anyone that says hello and will even say hello myself even though it's just a commute - but I couldn't care less really. It's not quite the same as a leisure ride when you'd maybe expect people to be a bit more friendly...and many people on the commute are just people riding bikes and not 'cyclists' - they probably think strangers saying hello to them is weird and maybe it is in this day and age
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I rode to work yesterday morning - it was cold, dark, wet and my first day back in the office for nearly two weeks. I didn't exactly feel cheerful at 6.30am I must admit!
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I've got a 4 hour ride tonight...I must remember to ride round (in the dark) with a grin on my face the entire time.0
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Acknowledging others is very weird. There must be some sort of unwritten rule about the amount of common factors each of you must have to relate, and it's proportional to how common those traits are.
Once upon a time there would of only been a few cars in the country, if you were driving and saw another that was probably cause enough to stop and chat for hours about your fabulous motor machines. Nowadays most people have cars, and I wave to none of them. Obviously, some cars are still rare enough a trait to warrant waves when two meet (classic car owners will agree!).
On my commute, sometimes before 6, I wave to a solitary walkers on the beach, simply being outside this early is a rare enough to identify with each other.
I see less cyclists when mountain biking, and therefore always wave, and usually chat. On the road I generally wave at any cyclist, however, it's clear some are simply (begrudgingly?) using the bike as transport, and they don't identify at all with me.
Obviously, it's always slightly annoying when you identify or associate with someone and that isn't reciprocated. They don't want to be in your gang. Obviously their threshold for unique identifiers is higher, or maybe they just see more cyclists on their commute, so many that it's no longer rare enough to identify with.0 -
It's the daily waving thread, woop.0
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oodboo wrote:Chris Bass wrote:is this another people don't say hello to me thread? I bet they were wearing headphones, didn't have helmets on and all ran red lights too didnt they, the scum!
I guess it is but none of the above applied. Maybe I'll start another thread when I see people jumping the lights.
Is it a general thing that people just aren't friendly these days? I seem to be getting that vibe from you?
I'm very friendly and far from serious but i don't get too bothered if people i don't know, who maybe didn't even see me, on their way to work don't stop to say hello.www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0 -
I think its more deep rooted than simply 'commuting to work'.
From my experience, far too many 'roadies' take it way too seriously, like there's a burden on them to look the part, nail Strava segments and generally live up to an image that they are better than any other cyclist on the road. Granted, they aren't all like this, but a lot are. I've been on many a ride and held my hand up, nodded or made a welcoming gesture but its been blanked more often than not. In the end you end up blanking the next guy who comes along, labelling everyone 't*ssers' because you assume everyone's going to be a miserable git. As much as i love cycling, i have found over the last 5 years that a lot of cyclists are no better than golfers with their mentality and snobby attitude to anyone else on two wheels. What, you only manage a 16mph average over 30 miles?? pahhh!! i'm looking down on you..fetch me my Sidis and be sharp about it....
Mountain bikers on the other hand, i've found to be more relaxed, easy going and just happy to get out. Theres less pressure on them to 'perform' as they know more often than not there's a chance they'll fall off, get covered in horse crap and just have a grin doing it. They aren't 'smashing it' or bragging about keeping a 24mph average over 80 miles on nothing but a thimble full of water and a Polo mint. They are happy to rock up at the local tea-hut, smiling, mud strewn and ordering a bacon sarnie with ketchup.
Thats what I've experienced the difference to be anyway.0 -
discbrakesrapha25mmchineseframestravagarminsuckswigglesucksmylifesucks
canyoncanyoncanyonteamkithowdoirideabike?0 -
I take it your space bar is broke?thegreatdivide wrote:discbrakesrapha25mmchineseframestravagarminsuckswigglesucksmylifesucks
canyoncanyoncanyonteamkithowdoirideabike?0 -
oodboo wrote:That sums it up well I guess Brailsford Bad. Never seen a roadie with a bike 'tache. Probably not aero enough.
I knew it - troll thread.0 -
They would if they weren't worried about wether or not their brakes would work in the damp. You only smile as you now have discs.CookeeeMonster wrote:People should ride with a manic grin on their faces AT ALL TIMES else they should be shot and threads like these created. 0 -
oodboo wrote:My background is in mountain biking where people seem to be generally a lot happier
Nail, head "Arran, you are like the Tony Benn of smut. You have never diluted your depravity and always stand by your beliefs. You have my respect sir and your wife my pity"
seanoconn0 -
oodboo wrote:Well that was a bit of a troll reply.
Was actually a genuine comment regarding today's observations. Just wondering what others though about it.
People who post threads like these either think too much about the little things or are trolling (or something, dont care) - they always descend into often non roadies having a go at roadies in a road forum - and it gets peoples back up, naturally.
Maybe I'm too chilled out but I dont see all this snobbery on the road either on my commute or on sportives etc. I know it exists but most of it is in peoples heads and ON INTERNET FORUMS!!
As I say, chill out, dont worry about it and enjoy your ride. Every now and again someone will acknowledge you - enjoy it when it happens.
And all MTB people are baby eating bar stewards - you've obviously been clocked and that's why they hate you.0 -
You can almost sing this to the tune of Billy Joel's 'We didn't start the fire'.thegreatdivide wrote:discbrakesrapha25mmchineseframestravagarminsuckswigglesucksmylifesucks
canyoncanyoncanyonteamkithowdoirideabike?0 -
Me-109 wrote:
You can almost sing this to the tune of Billy Joel's 'We didn't start the fire'.thegreatdivide wrote:discbrakesrapha25mmchineseframestravagarminsuckswigglesucksmylifesucks
canyoncanyoncanyonteamkithowdoirideabike?
True. I was thinking more Underworld myself :-)0 -
I probably look miserable but I always say hi to other cyclists on the country lanes. Amazing the amount who look right at you, then after I say Hi they either just carry on without a word or just nod like they have some spastic tick.0
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And there was me sure that I'd read a thousand times that everyone up north was friendly and it was only us southerners that were miserable.0
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That happens to everyone who posts a 'why does nobody wave at me?' thread...0
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Brailsford Bad wrote:
Mountain bikers on the other hand, i've found to be more relaxed, easy going and just happy to get out. Theres less pressure on them to 'perform' as they know more often than not there's a chance they'll fall off, get covered in horse crap and just have a grin doing it. They aren't 'smashing it' or bragging about keeping a 24mph average over 80 miles on nothing but a thimble full of water and a Polo mint. They are happy to rock up at the local tea-hut, smiling, mud strewn and ordering a bacon sarnie with ketchup.
yeah right. Mountain bikers are way cool until some poor unsuspecting fell walker gets in their way.Then see the anger on their faces.0
