There are those who wave and those who don't

petemadoc
petemadoc Posts: 2,331
edited January 2012 in The bottom bracket
Taken from 18milesperhour, made me laugh

http://18milesperhour.tumblr.com/univer ... sofcycling

"UNIVERSAL TRUTH OF CYCLING #14:

THERE ARE 2 KINDS OF CYCLISTS.

ONES WHO SAY “HELLO” AND ONES WHO DON’T.

Guess it’s pretty obvious which side of this issue we fall on, yeah?

Mountain bikers, you may be excused. Overall you seem to have the kindness thing figured out. Roadies…pull up a chair. This one’s for you.

Here’s the scenario: You’re out on a ride and see a cyclist or few coming toward you. Being a steward of the sport, you greet them as they pass. Sometimes it’s a full on “Hello!” Sometimes it’s a wave. Sometimes it’s just eye-contact and the little lifting of the hand off the bars thing.

Sometimes you get a nice greeting or a wave back. Nice. That small but bonding gesture. Then there are the ones who ice you.

“Hello.”

(silence)

Really? And I’m not talking about the times where they may not have heard you. I’m talking about eye-contact, multiple greetings and…nothing. Sometimes even a scowly-face.

Working on the middle-east crisis, handling the nuclear power plant crisis in Japan, fighting a raging forest fire, fixing a problem at the international space station - these are the kinds of situations where dead-seriousness and scowly faces are completely cool. Understandable. But riding a bicycle on a Sunday afternoon in perfect, Southern Californian weather? Nope.

Why should this bother us? Are we that needy? No. And honestly, most times we just let it roll off our backs. But overall, it’s about manners. When you think about it, technically, people don’t have to say please or thank you. They don’t have to smile at one another. They don’t have to respect one another’s personal space and well-being. But it’s what makes life tolerable. It’s called civility and it’s really, really simple.

Roadies who actively race have the worst track record when it comes to this kind of thing. There’s a certain club on the west side of Los Angeles that has cultivated a culture of acting superior to all others on the road.

Lighten up, fellas.

I love and respect our sport too. Between us, we’ve been doing it at a pretty high level for over 40 years. But we do it because it’s fun. Period. And yes, we race, too. Racing and kindness are not mutually exclusive.

And let’s break it down – we’re both out there putting our next-to-nothing bodies into the mix against multi-ton steel cars on tight roads. Oh, and we’re in form-fitting lycra.

In the great food chain out there on the roads we’re pretty down there. Seems like we need some solidarity.

So as you pass this little online article, let me be the first to wave and say “Hello.”

Hope you wave back. "

Comments

  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    WavingCat.gif
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    Question is, do you wave at anyone who is wearing a yellow jersey/stripes?
  • LeicesterLad
    LeicesterLad Posts: 3,908
    Yossie wrote:
    Question is, do you wave at anyone who is wearing a yellow jersey/stripes?

    or a Sky jersey? :wink:
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Yossie wrote:
    Question is, do you wave at anyone who is wearing a yellow jersey/stripes?

    or a Sky jersey? :wink:

    only if the Sky jersey is clearly a repair job :wink:
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • Bunneh
    Bunneh Posts: 1,329
    I wave at no-one they don't deserve my attention, I'm obviously too good for them :P

    *hangs fishing rod in water*

    Yes I'm trolling. Tend to nod at everyone cyclist, bar scrotes on cheapo MTBs in town, or brats on BMXs - I'm too old to be nice to everyone. :)
  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    Michael Hutchinson declared in the back of cycling weekly that the rule is: you only wave at cyclists with proper cycling shoes on.

    This resulted in one of his cycling buddies completely blanking him because he was wearing trainers as he cycled to the shops :)
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    Michael Hutchinson declared in the back of cycling weekly that the rule is: you only wave at cyclists with proper cycling shoes on.

    This resulted in one of his cycling buddies completely blanking him because he was wearing trainers as he cycled to the shops :)

    What does he know? Just because he had a hits with Livin' Like Thieves and New Sensation doesn't make him an expert on cycling.

    Sheeeesh, next thing we know Jeremy Roy will be lecturing us on acoustic vs electric ......
  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    Yossie wrote:
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    Michael Hutchinson declared in the back of cycling weekly that the rule is: you only wave at cyclists with proper cycling shoes on.

    This resulted in one of his cycling buddies completely blanking him because he was wearing trainers as he cycled to the shops :)

    What does he know? Just because he had a hits with Livin' Like Thieves and New Sensation doesn't make him an expert on cycling.

    Sheeeesh, next thing we know Jeremy Roy will be lecturing us on acoustic vs electric ......

    I knew when I wrote that, I just bloody well knew it that someone would :roll: :D
  • Redhog14
    Redhog14 Posts: 1,377
    I make a point of waving or saying hello to all and sundry on a bike, if they.don't respond I shout louder, doesn't always get a response but makes me feel better. Except in town as it is just too busy... Unless they have a cool bike.
  • nevman
    nevman Posts: 1,611
    A mere twitch of the right wrist as I`m too busy scrolling through the new Garmin.So many jobs,so little time.
    Whats the solution? Just pedal faster you baby.

    Summer B,man Team Carbon LE#222
    Winter Alan Top Cross
    All rounder Spec. Allez.
  • brianonyx
    brianonyx Posts: 170
    I have always waved, or nodded, at other cyclists. When I used to run pretty nearly every single runner says hello as you cross each others paths.

    When out cycling though I guess only around 7 out of 10 return the nod or initiate it. The previous poster are right, where we are the ones that don't are usually the really serious club types all decked up in copy team gear.
  • Has anyone else found that female cyclists never wave back? (i do mean proper cyclists, shoes and shades and all that)
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    El Dude wrote:
    Has anyone else found that female cyclists never wave back? (i do mean proper cyclists, shoes and shades and all that)

    No, that's just you :lol:
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    nevman wrote:
    A mere twitch of the right wrist as I`m too busy scrolling through the new Garmin.So many jobs,so little time.

    :lol:

    You'll soon find that you're also able to find a ton of previously undiscovered potholes !! the number I've hit whilst f*cking about with various screens, just for the sake of it !! :roll:

    Fortunately, I've (mostly) got over that :wink:
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • pauldavid
    pauldavid Posts: 392
    I wave at all cyclists for approximately the first 10 miles :D after that my vision blurs, breathing becomes erratic and an overwhelming feeling of nausea washes over me :cry: (funnily, I suffered none of these symptoms whilst putting on my excess weight with copious amounts of lager and kebab meat :oops: )

    So, In future when you are ignored after waving, pay a little more attention to the other cyclist who may well be using all of their energy trying to get home without calling an ambulance rather than being ignorant :D
  • My theory is this: Cyclist starts out waving to other cyclists. Cyclist discovers not all other cyclists wave back. Cyclist continues to wave anyway. Cyclist becomes increasingly irritated at lack of civility amongst the 'cyclists union' & cannot understand why others don't wave back. Cyclist perseveres but keeps getting blanked & becomes disheartened. Cyclists gives up waving. Another new cyclist takes to the road & waves at other cyclists. New cyclist passes first cyclist who is now a blanker, & duly gets blanked. And so the cycle (no pun intended!) continues...

    Ps: I wave or nod as much as poss but it is feckin annoying when i get blanked. Grrr! Not a blanker yet but...
  • If I gat blanked I shout even a pig 'll grunt
  • plowmar
    plowmar Posts: 1,032
    I'm a waver but unfortunately due to low sun have 'blanked' at least three riders over the last two days. Am I a bad boy? Please please say yes, where's the rubber and the whip.
  • Ouija
    Ouija Posts: 1,386
    Depends where you are, i think. Out on in the country side and remoter places with little traffic you tend to nod/wave at other cyclists as they draw your attention more. More so if they appear to be 'serious' cyclists and not just kids in their hoodies with there seat set so low it's practically scraping the back wheel. In town/cities with heavier traffic (and cyclists left, right and all over the place) there tends to be some unwritten rule that says you don't wave as you'd never have your hands on the bars fifty percent of the time. You end up looking like Paul Hogan in 'Crocodile Dundee' saying 'hi' to everyone walking down the street in New York as if it was just a small village where everybody knows each other.
  • The Ors
    The Ors Posts: 130
    I don't wave; just give a barely perceptible nod of the head.

    That way I'm able to be polite & friendly whilst still remaining slightly aloof & 'Kool'. :|

    Try it...
  • I believe waving within the boundary of the M25 is not allowed.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    I dont want ***** waving at me.
  • lemoncurd
    lemoncurd Posts: 1,428
    I only wave if the other cyclist's bike is as expensive as my bike.
  • lemoncurd wrote:
    I only wave if the other cyclist's bike is as expensive as my bike.

    :lol::lol::lol:

    I'm sure some do actually feel that way.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • nevman
    nevman Posts: 1,611
    We could have alternate waving days and blanking days.Say,even dates,wave back,odd days,f*** off. :wink:
    Whats the solution? Just pedal faster you baby.

    Summer B,man Team Carbon LE#222
    Winter Alan Top Cross
    All rounder Spec. Allez.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,802
    edited January 2012
    Just back from a cracking ride. No wind, crisp, and mainly dry roads even though it was frosty. Loads of folk out taking advantage of said conditions, plenty of nods and smiles. Top day. Then 500m from home some twit on a BMC passes us all moody and 'focused'. Queue roars of laughter and abuse.
  • nweststeyn
    nweststeyn Posts: 1,574
    He was in 'the zone' man....
  • nweststeyn wrote:
    He was in 'the zone' man....

    He was in the zone on the Perth Road past Harris Ac :wink:
  • nweststeyn
    nweststeyn Posts: 1,574
    Oh. That's the wrong zone. I'm worried I might know the moody person in question, I can't imagine many people on BMC's round said parts.