Greeting fellow cyclists.
- Thread starter Milzy
- Start date
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Chief Broom
Veteran
Riding on single track roads in the Highlands means passing within just a few feet of an oncoming rider which makes a friendly wave/nod if not obligatory its polite [in my thinking]. Most of the time its a jovial passing greet but amazingly ive been totally blanked by riders 3-4 ft away 
im thick skinned enough not to be unduly bothered but i do tend to think 'well f'off then'... One rider blanked me twice 
it was a 30 mile circular ride and he was doing it in the opposite direction so we passed twice.... so it was a double f'off then!
* riders who blank me are usually on sports bikes though occasionally touring types up their own r's
* thought i would give the context of passing another rider here- its quite rare! can go for miles without seeing another soul and often do 30-40 milers and never see a bike so when it does happen it feels odd to not be acknowledged,
im thick skinned enough not to be unduly bothered but i do tend to think 'well f'off then'... One rider blanked me twice it was a 30 mile circular ride and he was doing it in the opposite direction so we passed twice.... so it was a double f'off then!* riders who blank me are usually on sports bikes though occasionally touring types up their own r's
* thought i would give the context of passing another rider here- its quite rare! can go for miles without seeing another soul and often do 30-40 milers and never see a bike so when it does happen it feels odd to not be acknowledged,
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OP
OP
Milzy
Guru
Riding on single track roads in the Highlands means passing within just a few feet of an oncoming rider which makes a friendly wave/nod if not obligatory its polite [in my thinking]. Most of the time its a jovial passing greet but amazingly ive been totally blanked by riders 3-4 ft away
* riders who blank me are usually on sports bikes though occasionally touring types up their own r's
* thought i would give the context of passing another rider here- its quite rare! can go for miles without seeing another soul and often do 30-40 milers and never see a bike so when it does happen it feels odd to not be acknowledged,
He’s probably just pissed off, inflation going up & he’ll have a massive mortgage and crap job. Maybe his mum recently died.
I’m quite sure if you fell off he’d help you. He’s probably a brilliant bloke deep down, just don’t take things personally to heart.
Me too, its the driving standard in general, I don't kow if its just me, but everybody seems in a hurry and consideration of other road users seems to be a thing of the past.
If the weather ever improves I hope to get out more, but maybe off road more.
Despite only one outdoor ride this year, tomorrows turbo ride will see me pass 3000 miles for the year without going anywhere.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Widnes
I think the greeting have decreased since Covid
Before most rider I came across would wave or something
I am not counting serious road bike people who are clearly pushing it - they are thinking of other things so that's OK
But over Covid I noticed a lot of casual riders started and were a bit bemused by the "cyclist greeting" thing
they got better but then most disappeared after lockdown
and it seems to me that a there is a higher percentage of rider than respond to a wave than before
On the narrow paths I often ride on I generally stop for other - after all I have a motor to help
Greeting are far more common there even if I don;t stop
Before most rider I came across would wave or something
I am not counting serious road bike people who are clearly pushing it - they are thinking of other things so that's OK
But over Covid I noticed a lot of casual riders started and were a bit bemused by the "cyclist greeting" thing
they got better but then most disappeared after lockdown
and it seems to me that a there is a higher percentage of rider than respond to a wave than before
On the narrow paths I often ride on I generally stop for other - after all I have a motor to help
Greeting are far more common there even if I don;t stop
I try and offer a greeting even if I’m doing an interval in an interval session. Some might interpret it as an elderly gentleman gurning at them.🤣🤣
mickle
innit
- Location
- 53.933606, -1.076131
I made the mistake of waving to the driver of a slammed VW bay window a few years ago whilst driving my slammed VW Corrado. Big mistake. I hadn't realised that being the owner of a radiator would be deserving of such distain.
Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
I move my right forefinger. Just a millimetre or so. Sometimes. If I'm feeling sociable, which isn't often.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I thought that I spotted that but I didn't mention it in case I was mistaken!!
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Widnes
If people don;t greet - or even respond to mine then I'm not bothered - I don;t know what they are thinking
I do grumble under my breath if I have had to make way in some manner - I reckon that should result in some sort of acknowledgement
and it normally is me that gives way on narrow paths as I reckon it is easier for me - ebike and all that
but even then - they might be thinking of something else
I do grumble under my breath if I have had to make way in some manner - I reckon that should result in some sort of acknowledgement
and it normally is me that gives way on narrow paths as I reckon it is easier for me - ebike and all that
but even then - they might be thinking of something else
This, in spades.
Though it still amazes when people get upset about it.
I do a naughty chuckle to myself when if on a ride I don't say hello or respond, I may have upset someone's ride, day, month, year or I may have not.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Exactly!!
I would prefer people to stop putting pressure on people to do what they don't want to do. I don't mind people doing what they want to do, just don't try to make me do it too ...
I had somebody come up to me one summer at a local music festival and tell me to smile and enjoy myself. I told him that my father had just died after a long illness, my mum was very ill, my sister was getting divorced, my 15 year relationship had recently ended, someone I cared about had tried to commit suicide, I'd had a breakdown and lost my job, I was in debt, the post-9/11 'war on terror' was in full swing, so quite frankly - I didn't feel that there was much to be effing smiling about so kindly bog off and leave me to wallow!
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Widnes
I did pass one person - a woman - on a path - no road - just a reasonable wide tarmac path
As I passed I said "Morning"
she responded with "F*** off - B*****d" and some other things as I rode off
No idea what had happened but that was clearly something that had happened to her in the - probably recent past and she was just unloading
Maybe it helped her to say it
who knows
I do wonder about it - it was years ago but I still remember it
Hope she is OK - but - basically - not my problem
As I passed I said "Morning"
she responded with "F*** off - B*****d" and some other things as I rode off
No idea what had happened but that was clearly something that had happened to her in the - probably recent past and she was just unloading
Maybe it helped her to say it
who knows
I do wonder about it - it was years ago but I still remember it
Hope she is OK - but - basically - not my problem
Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
Am I bad for laughing out loud at this?
