The Cyclists Nod... And Other Gestures

[Dogtrousers]

Are there any types of cycling gestures used by cyclists where you live/ride/commute etc?

Yes. And they are generally quite rude. And generally (but not exclusively) not aimed at other cyclists.

Less rude ones are the upraised palm after a close pass, that's the "Oh FFS!, there is no hope for you is there?". The forehead slap, meaning similar. There's also the feeble smile and nod saying "thanks for nothing" when a car coming down a steep narrow lane pulls over to let you up, so that you have to put a bit of extra effort in while the occupants of the car laugh and say "look at that old git struggling uphill, do you think he's about to die?".

For other cyclists there are the usual gravel and hole indications, typically only to other members of the same ride, and that wiggly double jointed behind your back pointing thing meaning "I'm about to pull out around a parked car, that I have noticed using my superior observation skills. I'm assuming that you will ride straight into it unless I do this wiggly pointing thing. You're welcome".

 

[greekonabike]

So basically no-one is even remotely nice to other cyclists because really we all hate each other? That's pretty much the result I thought I'd get.

GOAB

 

[Dec66]

So basically no-one is even remotely nice to other cyclists because really we all hate each other? That's pretty much the result I thought I'd get.

GOAB

Here's my special wave, which I reserve for Southerners on bicycle rides.

 

[Markymark]

I spent a whole cycling holiday with an old bloke who did that every time, and he shouted "Car!" as well. It was awful.

Tell him to ride one commute in London (car, car, car, lorry, car, car...) and he'll give up after 2 minutes.

 

[Markymark]

Well, it was a group riding thing. His 'rationale', when some of us finally asked him to stop it, was his 'concern' for the group. He felt that if someone had cycled into a parked car he would have felt terrible if he hadn't warned them, ergo it would have been his fault. Actually I think he was just an egocentric old nobhead.

You should have shouted "Don't be a nobber" every time he did, your rationale being that if someone punched him you would felt terrible if you hadn't warned him.

 

[smutchin]

I always carry a hockey stick with me when I go out on my bike so if anyone fails to respond to my cheery wave and winning smile, I can chase them down, jam the hockey stick in their spokes and stand over their broken body screaming, "I SAID HELLO, YOU MISERABLE daffodil!"

 

[MontyVeda]

What's a 'northerner'?

Urban dictionary defines it as...

Anybody who lives north of Nottingham. Generally a friendly species who enjoy greeting as many people as possible, talk in an undecipherable slang and having tea as the evening meal. Home to a fair few chavs but this pales in comparison to the one's which reside in London.

GOAB

bollocks... anyone from south of Galgate is a soft southern ponce.

 

[Alan O]

What's a 'northerner'?

Urban dictionary defines it as...

Anybody who lives north of Nottingham. Generally a friendly species who enjoy greeting as many people as possible, talk in an undecipherable slang and having tea as the evening meal. Home to a fair few chavs but this pales in comparison to the one's which reside in London.

GOAB

And, of course, northerners would never use an apostrophe to denote a plural

(Actually not true, I must confess. I'll never forget seeing a butcher's shop here in Liverpool that had lovely hand-made labels for all its pies, but every one had that misplaced apostrophe - "Bacon and black pudding pie's", "Pork, apple and mango pie's", "Pigs' eyelids and foreskins pie's", or whatever they were)

 

[Dec66]

And, of course, northerners would never use an apostrophe to denote a plural

(Actually not true, I must confess. I'll never forget seeing a butcher's shop here in Liverpool that had lovely hand-made labels for all its pies, but every one had that misplaced apostrophe - "Bacon and black pudding pie's", "Pork, apple and mango pie's", "Pigs' eyelids and foreskins pie's", or whatever they were)

Which shop was this?

I'm up next week, and I quite fancy one of those "pie's". Particularly if they contain pig's frenulii.

 

[r04DiE]

I always nod. Its up to the other person if they fancy acknowledging the nod.

 

[John the Monkey]

Some cyclists, yesterday;

A bear, upon seeing a cyclist passing;

 

[CycleD]

I always give a friendly nod and 9/10 times I receive one too. It's kind of like our own secret society.

 

[John the Monkey]

Batman and Robin return a friendly nod of acknowledgement;

(I assume the fellow in the back is a Southerner/Northener/Mountain Biker/Stuck Up Roadie*)

*Delete as appropriate

 

[Dayvo]

Something with flair?!?!?

This'll get his/her attention once they're able to see again.

 

[Dec66]

Perhaps he meant like this?
l

Wait a minute... Surely not... That looks like @Markymark ?

(Nah, can't be, it's not Landan )