Acknowledging fellow cyclists?

[JPBoothy]

Well, I've had a few very flat "no" replies to my cheery enquiry as to whether someone would like help. Just last week I was riding along a track and there was a man with obvious tyre issues, tube partly out, him staring at it... I called out "do you have everything you need?" and he huffed a very teenager-like "I'm fine" while simultaneously looking at me like I'd urinated on his children.

So I don't know now... I suspect a few riders might take an offer as an affront to their bike mechanic ninja abilities!

Yes, that is always my thought exactly but, as implied earlier it is about the approach and I think you get the feel for each situation.. I have got to admit to being reluctant to handover my last patch/tube if I'm still far from home and may need them myself though

 

[JPBoothy]

Just taking this photo of the Sustrans route seen from my lounge. View attachment 522156

I see what you mean about the Farmer dumping his chippings and, those planters will cause an accident one day for sure.

 

[Rocky]

It can't have been - you're waving at me -
- and you're supposed to stay in Oxfordshire like a Good Boy - not come gallivanting down to Devonshireland with your foreign germs..

I think we should be building an exclusionary wall along the border really, and be making Somerset and Dorset pay for it ..

I do look like an overstuffed sausage, tho'.......

If you are building a wall, don't forget to paint it Trumpian black, so it is too hot to climb.....when and if the sun is out.

 

[JPBoothy]

Well, naturally I'm using good old British common sense and refuse to recognise this foreign metric money, so to earn my £million I have seen the topic arise 240 million times. Monitoring all cycling forums 24 hours a day I have noticed that it is mentioned once per second. It took me 7.61 years - (240,000,000/(60*60*24*365) )

I have to admit to contributing towards the bingo card on several occasions though as my 'search' skilks are rubbish I'm afraid

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I have a waver waiver.

 

[mudsticks]

I have a waver waiver.

Because you're known to be 'armless??

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Because you're known to be 'armless??

Oui, as a confirmed Francophile, c'est de rigeur to omit le 'h'.

 

[Milzy]

I can judge well by their face if they're miserable or not. I feel more inclined to be friendly to women so they feel confident of been out on the road and don't give it up.

 

[roley poley]

Just taking this photo of the Sustrans route seen from my lounge. View attachment 522156

what a good idea for a brazier my project for today will be to liberate mine before the scrap man comes

 

[Vapin' Joe]

When it comes to cyclists in distress, my approach is a friendly "You ok there?" and if yes I ride on, if they need help I'll stop.

My last big mechanical was a broken chain about 15 years ago and a passing car pulled up, the driver was a cyclist and he happily loaded my bike into the back and gave me a much appreciated lift home. Otherwise it would have been a five mile walk as I had no signal on my phone because of a network outage. I also had a woman stop when I was replacing a tube, her husband was a cyclist and she stood by to make sure the new tube held, saying she'd pop home and get me another one if there was a problem.

There are some nice people about and I try to be the same myself.

 

[vickster]

I can judge well by their face if they're miserable or not. I feel more inclined to be friendly to women so they feel confident of been out on the road and don't give it up.

Patronising much

 

[matticus]

I've refined my shout to "You OK?"; it seems to be minimum number of syllables to get the main sentiment across. Saves me slowing down much (if at all!).
SO FAR I've never had any animosity. Only very rarely needed to actually stop and help.

A minor observation: when I've had to stop on my commute, most times NONE of the bu99ers on their way to work say a word!
Whereas if it happens during more leisurely times, almost all riders will offer help.
(I did get offered a cup of tea by a lovely old lady, in the dark, on a freezing january morning. She clearly wasn't stupid - she'd waited until I was pretty much done )

 

[DRM]

I always ask if someone is ok, if they are at the roadside, the strangest one though was two Eastern European young ladies looking at the back wheel of one of their bikes, I stopped and asked if they were ok, only to be told oh yes, we spotted this frog and it’s carrying it’s friend who must be tired, on that bombshell I just said so it is and left them to it!

 

[Algarvecycling]

I always wave or nod and 90% of the time it is returned. It's universal, was common when I lived in South Africa, the UK and now Portugal.

Similarly, see a fellow cyclist stopped and looking like they have a mech issue/puncture, I stop and offer to help.

 

[Poacher]