Why so serious?

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Comments

  • byke68
    byke68 Posts: 1,070
    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?
    Got a loud, "alright?" yesterday which was nice but normally it's nod of the head or nothing. As others have posted, it's the serious roadies who seem to be the most ignorant.
    Cannondale Trail 6 - crap brakes!
    Cannondale CAAD8
  • DavidJB
    DavidJB Posts: 2,019
    Someone said hello when I was near the end 5 minute hill interval...bet he thought I was a wanker for not replying even though I was slogging my guts out and must have looked like I was dying.
  • byke68
    byke68 Posts: 1,070
    DavidJB wrote:
    Someone said hello when I was near the end 5 minute hill interval...bet he thought I was a rubber for not replying even though I was slogging my guts out and must have looked like I was dying.

    Yeah, yeah that old chestnut................ :lol:
    Cannondale Trail 6 - crap brakes!
    Cannondale CAAD8
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    I joined the really miserable people and drive to work today. Not even the other fiesta drivers acknowledged me.
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

    Strava
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    I waved at all the other drivers on my commute today. The only people who waved back were school kids on a bus and I got one 'w4nker' gesture :(
    Motoring used to be really friendly.
    Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
    ABCC Cycling Coach
  • lakesluddite
    lakesluddite Posts: 1,337
    Me-109 wrote:
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    discbrakesrapha25mmchineseframestravagarminsuckswigglesucksmylifesucks
    canyoncanyoncanyonteamkithowdoirideabike?
    You can almost sing this to the tune of Billy Joel's 'We didn't start the fire'.

    I was thinking more of REM's 'Its the End of the World', or yes, 'Born Slippy' by Underworld!
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    oodboo wrote:
    I joined the really miserable people and drive to work today. Not even the other fiesta drivers acknowledged me.

    I did! What? You didn't see me?? :(
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    If they aren't riding the same bike I don't wave or smile but if they are, I kick them off.
  • w00dster
    w00dster Posts: 880
    I must live in a bizarre friendly area, I cycle a lot in Bucks, Northants and Beds and very very rarely do people not say hello, I would say that 9 out of 10 fellow cyclists acknoweldge my greeting.
    Some of the time I may be putting in a bit of an effort, trying to maintain a certain amount of watts during an interval and I may be grimacing in agony, I may let out a muffled groan as a greeting, but that doesn't mean I'm not enjoying my ride.
    That being said, I wouldn't say hello to anyone in full Sky Kit or riding without a helmet :wink::lol:
  • arthur_scrimshaw
    arthur_scrimshaw Posts: 2,596
    iPete wrote:
    If they aren't riding the same bike I don't wave or smile but if they are, I kick them off.

    I do the same. I hope our paths don't cross.
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    If they aren't riding the same bike I don't wave or smile but if they are, I kick them off.

    I do the same. I hope our paths don't cross.

    If you ride the same bike it would be like a modern form of jousting.
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Chris Bass wrote:
    Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    If they aren't riding the same bike I don't wave or smile but if they are, I kick them off.

    I do the same. I hope our paths don't cross.

    If you ride the same bike it would be like a modern form of jousting.

    It's lucky I don't ride an Allez anymore, everyday would be murder..
  • y33stu
    y33stu Posts: 376
    I see you're in the North East OP. You may have been ignored by me too :) I smile and wave to other roadies when I'm out on the weekend, but on my commute, I'm just trying to get to work, keep myself safe, and I think other commuters are the same. Also, many I've spoken to are just commuters, they only ride to work, not for fun at the weekends, so they don't adhere to our friendly ways.

    When I first started commuting I waved to everyone, but got ignored most of the time. However I do see some people everyday on my commute, and we always acknowledge each other, and even stop for a chat if we're going the same way.
    Cycling prints
    Band of Climbers
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    oodboo wrote:
    Why ride a bike if you're not going to enjoy it? They might as well drive or get the bus.

    If I was cycling at that time in the morning I probably wouldn't look very happy either, but it would still beat driving or being on a bus (where I also rarely look happy).

    I've found cyclists in general to be a friendly bunch, both roadies and MTB (do both, although currently without an MTB). Even on sportives I don't find this "super serious" attitude very common, although it is more common.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    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 you got your fair quota of entertainment after your spiffing idea mooted in CrudCather, matey... almost worth a weeks BR ban.... I see your 'work' in IT... assume you do feck all , all day in that as well.
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    JGSI wrote:
    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 you got your fair quota of entertainment after your spiffing idea mooted in CrudCather, matey... almost worth a weeks BR ban.... I see your 'work' in IT... assume you do feck all , all day in that as well.
    Quite surprised to took two days for someone to reference the CC post. I was still just sharing my thoughts on an internet forum (isn't that what they're for?). General consensus was that other people are generally miserable except for the odd one or two.

    And yes, I do work in IT and do very little all day. I have the occasional busy day but they're few and far between.
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

    Strava
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    I forgot to add, I'm a miserable roadie ;-)
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    I always think of this clip whenever we get onto the waving thing...the last guy is obviously a MTB'er :lol:
    http://youtu.be/LowVhCfLm68?t=35s
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    NapoleonD wrote:
    I waved at all the other drivers on my commute today... I got one 'w4nker' gesture :(

    Did you once write on here that you were a police officer? :D
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    ben@31 wrote:
    NapoleonD wrote:
    I waved at all the other drivers on my commute today... I got one 'w4nker' gesture :(

    Did you once write on here that you were a police officer? :D

    If so, were you in your 'company car' at the time..??
  • robcretro
    robcretro Posts: 13
    Just an observation , when i rode a hybrid nobody acknowleged me, bought a road bike and probably most do.
    cycle round the chilterns if that makes a difference.
    but most roadies do seem to take themselves very seriously.
    Also windsurf and windsurfers are much more friendly.
  • cruff
    cruff Posts: 1,518
    The only people I acknowledge are people I pass. This is done purely to assert superiority - not for greeting.

    MTBers aren't even worthy of the two calories expended in lifting my head.

    The last hybrid rider to have the temerity to give me a cheery 'hello' was left bleeding in a ditch after I beat him half to death with an old chain.
    Fat chopper. Some racing. Some testing. Some crashing.
    Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.

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