getting smiled at too much whilst cycling

[Joe24]

Some men and teen guys laugh and shout some abuse.
The girls from about 15+ will often look and give me a nice smile. Although sometimes they dont just look at my face.
Often makes me laugh.
I do smile alot more though. When the sun is out and i'm feeling really good i end up with a big grin on my face.

 

[bonj2]

People often complain that other cyclists are ignorant and don't 'nod' a greeting to be friendly to them as a fellow cyclist. Sometimes other cyclists nod, sometimes they don't.
I find to get a nod out of another cyclist, one of the most effective methods is to stare at their bike as you're passing; not them, but their bike. Whether you're staring at it because you're so appalled by it (as is often the case), or you're genuinely admiring it, they'll always think you're admiring it - and are more likely to give you a nod.
I've also compiled a table linking what bike the person who initiates the nod (the nodder) is riding, detailing the likeliness of the person they are nodding at (the noddee) to nod back. http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pNRgznmJnq0vvlJVH7j90DQ&hl=en
if anyone thinks i'm inaccurate on any of the values please reply!

 

[Aperitif]

In your chart bonj, you forgot to factor in what would happen if the noddee had big ears...

 

[Abitrary]

if anyone thinks i'm inaccurate on any of the values please reply!

Hmm, I feel like you have missed out the 4th dimension of whether you wanted to be nodded at, in advance, or even whether you feel like it was worth it afterwards.

This could alter the whole perspective of the spreadsheet as we don't now have any constants. A time-space nod-appreciation graph would most likely express this from now on.

 

[Abitrary]

I usually get lots of smiles and waves from my neighbours, then the newspaper man. The butcher seems to like my Assos Mumu jersey -- a bit scary, I must admit.

Aha, someone else getting attention. Is it just waves from people you know (I hope they know it's not convenient for a cyclist to wave back always!!), or do you get waved at by strangers?

If you get waved at by strangers then you will have trumped me in my garnering of female smile, but I won't be jealous.

 

[bonj2]

Hmm, I feel like you have missed out the 4th dimension of whether you wanted to be nodded at, in advance, or even whether you feel like it was worth it afterwards.

This could alter the whole perspective of the spreadsheet as we don't now have any constants. A time-space nod-appreciation graph would most likely express this from now on.

These are valid variables, however, they are outside the scope of this chart - which seeks to deal with only the likeliness of a successful two-way nod, which it does do adequately. Hence, the introduction of these extra measurables, however desirable, does not necessarily invalidate the statistics in and of themselves. Moreover, the dependency for extra variables such as whether you wanted to be nodded at, how worth it it was, would not be such a thing as what bike either nodder or noddee was riding, but more likely properties of the actual nod itself, for instance its timing, vigour, etc. Further, in the specific case of 'whether you wanted to be nodded at', this is taken account of as the stats assume that if someone doesn't want to be nodded at, then they won't nod back - so this can be at least partially inferred.

 

[bonj2]

What is the nature of the negativity of the feeling of "getting smiled at too much" anyway?, is it more like one of guilt, or of having been violated?

 

[Abitrary]

What is the nature of the negativity of the feeling of "getting smiled at too much" anyway?, is it more like one of guilt, or of having been violated?

I don't understand it. Nothing more. A mystery. Like double slit theory.

The more I think about it, the more it will go away.

 

[bonj2]

I don't understand it. Nothing more. A mystery. Like double slit theory.

The more I think about it, the more it will go away.

but there is clearly some negativity as you started the thead with "I was suffering smiles whilst cycling recently" ..

 

[CopperBrompton]

Then there is Non-Newtonian Nod Theory, which can be examined by riding both a recumbent trike and a folder (though not usually both at the same time).

Newtonian Nod Theory is: Likelihood of returned nod = ((perceived value of nodder's bike / value of noddee's bike) + (perceived seriousness of nodder's bike / seriousness of noddee's bike) * percentage to which noddee considers themselves a cyclist rather than a guy on a bike)) / 100.

Recumbent trikes take us into Non-Newtonian Nod Theory as most cyclists have difficulty assigning numbers to both the value and seriousness of the machine. Folders pose a similar, though, different problem, as although clearly having a very low value for seriousness, they are often owned by people who also also own a bike with a higher seriousness value but whose numbers are an unknown quantity. The faster calculators will have time to deliver a Provisional Nod, which is a nod whose speed and degree of movement is designed to convey the fact that their nod is subject to revision once they have more information. The slower calculators fail to nod as they have passed you before completing the sums, which can result in them being erroneously assigned to the Non-Nodder category.

This post was written in the time saved by ignoring several helmet threads.

Ben