How do cyclists where you live *usually* greet each you when you pass on the road/track/gravel?

How do cyclists where you live *usually* greet each other when you pass on the road?

  • They ignore me and keep their eyes on the road

    Votes: 7 13.0%
  • Fix me with a steely glare

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nod of the head

    Votes: 12 22.2%
  • Lift fingers off the handlebars in a kind of wave

    Votes: 18 33.3%
  • A proper wave/lift of the hand

    Votes: 7 13.0%
  • "Hello/How do?/Hiya/Morning" - a verbal response

    Votes: 10 18.5%

  • Total voters
    54
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On canal paths bikes are far closer to each other - normally at least one has to slow down to allow the other to pass - hence a greeting of some kind is normal

As an aside - before lockdown I was riding along a path that goes along the banks of the Mersey
there is a junction with a path to an industrial estate and there is a much wider bit there with 2 benches
On the bench facing me was a young woman (20s or 30s - so young to me!!!) with a bike leaning next to her

As normal I said "hello" as I rode past

she looked directly at me as I passed and said "NO" very firmly

not exactly what she thought I was saying - I hadn;t slowed down and was passing quite wide so there was no chance I was planning to stop or anything

but her reaction was pretty much what I would expect if I had stopped and asked if she fancied a quicky in the bushes



I presume she was having a bad day!!!

p.s. I remember I said "hello" and not "Good Morning" or similar - because it kinda shook me and I was thinking
if I had sais "good morning" then I would understand - she might have just had bad news or something

anyway - hope she was OK
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
Seems to be different conventions depending where I am in the UK. Is it less friendly the further south I go? Are roadies less friendly?

Five of the six, depends on individual choice and circumstances. Please don't start the "Are roadies less friendly?" thing. It's total nonsense.

Myself I wave or lift a hand/fingers depending on pace. I'll say "hello" or "good morning" to those I pass on the same side of the road.
 
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dicko

Guru
Location
Derbyshire
Our very first trip to France in 1995 in our caravan to Brittany we cycled as a family Mum, Dad and Son. When we came upon a group of French cyclists in a large group they cheered at us and waved making a strange yodeling noise they were very friendly. This happened several times with large and small groups of cyclists mostly on Sundays. We rode Raleigh Racing bikes at the time they had racers too.
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
Often on forestry roads I find that touroid very often look terrified and confused when greeted.
"It spoke to me. :ohmy: What will I do? Should I run for safety?":wacko:

They are mostly foreign city folk and by foreign I mean anybody not Scottish.
 

Rooster1

I was right about that saddle
Seems to be different conventions depending where I am in the UK. Is it less friendly the further south I go? Are roadies less friendly?

Noooo. I'm a southern shandy drinking **** and everyone waves.
 

8mph

Veteran
Location
Devon
I stopped thinking about it, or noticing a while back and just go for the greeting when in the lanes, or nod on the main road. Obviously there's always someone taking things a bit too seriously but I'm inclined to think they're secretly struggling :smile:
 
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OP
OP
UphillSlowly

UphillSlowly

Making my way slowly uphill
Five of the six, depends on individual choice and circumstances. Please don't start the "Are roadies less friendly?" thing. It's total nonsense.

Myself I wave or lift a hand/fingers depending on pace. I'll say "hello" or "good morning" to those I pass on the same side of the road.

In my brief experience I find roadies more friendly. Everyone else seems baffled. I say this as a former motorcyclists where everyone does the special head tilt acknowledgement. Managed to get a motorcyclist to do it back even though I was on a bicycle.
 

tinywheels

Über Member
Location
South of hades
on a brompton you just smile knowingly at other lesser types of folder. Out of town, other cyclists seem to be like WTF is that doing here!
I however, greet all with a cheery wave and wish I had the figure for that rapha outfit
 

RoadRider400

Some bloke that likes cycling alone
Varies greatly.

95% of road is a verbal morning or a wave
95% on the tracks is no greeting

I suppose that the tracks are more of a country park rather than tracks aimed at keen cyclists. So that probably makes a difference.
 
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