Cycling Etiquette
- Thread starter CycleDrew
- Start date
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BrumJim
Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
- Location
- Selly Oak, Birmingham
Greetings:
Vicar-style. Best done on a sit-up-and-beg style bike, like a Pashley Roadster Classic. Heads up, remove hand from handlebar, wave heartily in the air and say in a very clear voice "Good Morning Mrs Timpleworth. Lovely day". (Assuming that I have failed to offend Mrs Timpleworth, as I don't think that there are any). Variations on this are acceptable, but should stick to the same basic pattern - no first names, no modern transatlantic greetings, and nothing more controversial than the weather.
Friendly-neighbour style. Suitable for any flat-barred bike, but preferably of the touring/classic style. Remove hand from handlebar, offer it stationary in the direction of your target greetee, and state "Hiya", "Hello", "Morning", "How do" or "Alright" depending on where in the country you are.
Hybrid style. Suitable for the modern "hybrid" bike. Don't remove hand from handlebar, but use head or finger so acknowledge presence. Same verbal greeting as above. Hopefully you are travelling fast enough for the words used to be arbitrary.
Road Bike with or without lycra, but without club gear. At the friendly end (no lycra), a finger wave with one hand is used. For the cooler approach (obligatory whilst wearing lycra), just a quick nod or tilt of the head. No words.
Road bike, full lycra, club kit, head down, or tourer with steel frame, Carradice saddle bag, leather bidon. Nose almost imperceptibly raised in the air. All words muttered under breath or in head only.
Full suspension mountain bike bought for less than £80: "f*** o** you b****** s*** for b****. Come here and I'll k*** your f****** h*** in." Accepted response is "S*** the f*** up or I'll g** an A*** on you."
Vicar-style. Best done on a sit-up-and-beg style bike, like a Pashley Roadster Classic. Heads up, remove hand from handlebar, wave heartily in the air and say in a very clear voice "Good Morning Mrs Timpleworth. Lovely day". (Assuming that I have failed to offend Mrs Timpleworth, as I don't think that there are any). Variations on this are acceptable, but should stick to the same basic pattern - no first names, no modern transatlantic greetings, and nothing more controversial than the weather.
Friendly-neighbour style. Suitable for any flat-barred bike, but preferably of the touring/classic style. Remove hand from handlebar, offer it stationary in the direction of your target greetee, and state "Hiya", "Hello", "Morning", "How do" or "Alright" depending on where in the country you are.
Hybrid style. Suitable for the modern "hybrid" bike. Don't remove hand from handlebar, but use head or finger so acknowledge presence. Same verbal greeting as above. Hopefully you are travelling fast enough for the words used to be arbitrary.
Road Bike with or without lycra, but without club gear. At the friendly end (no lycra), a finger wave with one hand is used. For the cooler approach (obligatory whilst wearing lycra), just a quick nod or tilt of the head. No words.
Road bike, full lycra, club kit, head down, or tourer with steel frame, Carradice saddle bag, leather bidon. Nose almost imperceptibly raised in the air. All words muttered under breath or in head only.
Full suspension mountain bike bought for less than £80: "f*** o** you b****** s*** for b****. Come here and I'll k*** your f****** h*** in." Accepted response is "S*** the f*** up or I'll g** an A*** on you."
Peter Armstrong
Über Member
Ha Ha nice one
You will probably notice roadies will ignore people on anything other than a road bike, and club riders on a club ride will ignore everybody.
I used to get ignored when I rode a hybrid but now I'm on a road bike I get the nod or the smile. I repeatedly tried to acknowledge the same 4-6 guys on a club run near my house and every time I acknowledged them they ignored me.
Quite a few roadies do this thing when I'm crossing a bridge (busy bridge, dual carriage way busy). There's a path along side it (but separate from the road) and i'll be on the left, climbing towards the bridge. They seem to think it's acceptable to ride towards me, when I'm riding slowly and force me towards the traffic so they don't have to ride near it.
Dicks.
I used to get ignored when I rode a hybrid but now I'm on a road bike I get the nod or the smile. I repeatedly tried to acknowledge the same 4-6 guys on a club run near my house and every time I acknowledged them they ignored me.
Quite a few roadies do this thing when I'm crossing a bridge (busy bridge, dual carriage way busy). There's a path along side it (but separate from the road) and i'll be on the left, climbing towards the bridge. They seem to think it's acceptable to ride towards me, when I'm riding slowly and force me towards the traffic so they don't have to ride near it.
Dicks.
guitarpete247
Just about surviving
- Location
- Leicestershire
When out on MTB roadies ignore me. But when on MTB with trailer and granddaughters on board everyone is friendly. Young fit roadie went past the other week and simply asked if he could have a ride. He was off into the dust before I could suggest he'd have 2 little girls to fight for a seat.
I wave to everyone no matter what they are riding. I get friendly response from most but some just ride past ignorantly.
I wave to everyone no matter what they are riding. I get friendly response from most but some just ride past ignorantly.
Peter Armstrong
Über Member
I let on to everything, Fellow roadie, MTB, motorbike, runner, horse rider, cars, cow, dog cat, pigeons, rats, slugs, ants, & farts.
^^^^^^ this. But not only when turning but when ever they are giving way in general. Works better than cursing the inconsiderate.
If like me, you see the same people almost every day, and like me you greet them every day, you'll either wear them down, and will get a nod or a tilt of the head, as they come towards you, or a studied look in any direction but at you, then you have to shout louder until they look up, and you get to pretend it wasn't you.
I greet everyone I pass on my cycle, but am normally going past a quite a pace so don't generally know if they say hi back.
I greet everyone I pass on my cycle, but am normally going past a quite a pace so don't generally know if they say hi back.
Nothing changes........on my road bike, some roadies will acknowledge me, maybe 50%, never the uber or club ones though cos my kit is a bit low rent (Aldi) and I don't think my toe straps go down too well. On my hybrid, hardly any roadies ever acknowledge me, and my fellow hybrid riders are few and far between off the towpaths and on the rare times that I meet them on the road, they are usually in too high a state of anxiety to let on. When I use my old steel GT trekking/shopping bike, cheap rack, cheap panniers and Tesco water bottle NOBODY acknowledges me. 
addictfreak
Guru
- Location
- Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Well i must just be too friendly. Im a roadie 90% of the time, I ride with a club and wear lycra. I never ignore anyone, always give a nod or a wave.
Personally i think it has nothing to do with the bike you ride. Its purely down to people being miseable tw*ts!
Personally i think it has nothing to do with the bike you ride. Its purely down to people being miseable tw*ts!
carolonabike
Senior Member
- Location
- Boldon
I greet everyone, even workmen in high vis and work boots on creaky, rusty old MTB's. They don't usually respond though.
Edwards80
Über Member
- Location
- Stockport, UK
I can't say I've noticed club riders being less friendly, unless the ones round here are different. My club certainly don't mind a friendly nod/wave be it to fellow roadie to a granny on a shopping bike and I've been acknowledged by other club groups whilst out on my tod too.
That said, I accidentally ignored someone from my club this weekend, so maybe I am the jerk and everyone else is friendly
That said, I accidentally ignored someone from my club this weekend, so maybe I am the jerk and everyone else is friendly
ourmike
Member
- Location
- Hinckley, UK
I don't remember any of this class distinction stuff, but it sounds pretty much like the pecking order with canal boats - shiny boats, purple boats, "working" boats, hire boats, timeshare boats. I don't go along with it, anybody who slows down and shows respect for the canal and for me gets a wave.
When I'm driving my little white van around the narrow lanes around here I quite often stay behind cyclists until a wider bit of road gives an opportunity to pass without crowding them. The number of ignorant gits who don't bother to acknowledge me, or who don't make any attempt to slow down for a couple of seconds when they get to a passing place, is very depressing.
When I'm driving my little white van around the narrow lanes around here I quite often stay behind cyclists until a wider bit of road gives an opportunity to pass without crowding them. The number of ignorant gits who don't bother to acknowledge me, or who don't make any attempt to slow down for a couple of seconds when they get to a passing place, is very depressing.
BrazingSaddles
Über Member
- Location
- Brizzle
I would maybe worry less about which 'type' of rider/cyclist said hello, or acknowledged you, or didn't, and simply try to be courteous to all road users, including pedestrians. I think many of us can develop this much further...
Failing that, just shout "f**k off" to everyone
Failing that, just shout "f**k off" to everyone