Cycle Snobs

[Milzy]

View attachment 348318

The rare exception to the general rule that all cheap bikes, are actually not heaps of merde.
This is my Boardman MX comp Hybrid. It's on the work stand, it's rarely been off of the work stand. I never give up on a bike, I give up on this bike.

Terrible bike. And I'm not even a cycle snob.

 

[Bollo]

, but I would guess the lack of a wave or greeting from other cyclists has just as much to do with different personality types, and even the mood of people.

I tend to acknowledge other cyclists whether roadies, MTBers, or people on shopping bikes, some respond, others don't. I have been bimbling along on my hybrid in my Ronhill trackies and baggy top several times when a club ride or similar group of fast roadies has passed and have been on the receiving end of a chorus of "hellos" and "good mornings", I was struggling up a hill a few months ago when a very pleasant lycra clad roadie on a dream machine pulled alongside me, slowed down and chatted with me for a couple of minutes.

On the other hand some cyclists don't acknowledge and just ignore me, so what! They might be a shy introvert type, have problems on their mind, be lacking in social skills, just plain ignorant or cycling snobs. Like every walk of life, it takes all sorts.

Paging @ianrauk. I'm starting to think that I'm doing your job for you.

 

[Bollo]

As for wheel-sucking, I'm honestly not fussed either way. I'm not in the nabit myself and I can only maybe think of one or two occasions in the last couple of years when a stranger has tucked in.

 

[Milzy]

As for wheel-sucking, I'm honestly not fussed either way. I'm not in the nabit myself and I can only maybe think of one or two occasions in the last couple of years when a stranger has tucked in.

People should be happy new friends are tucking in. I'd either leave them to it or try to drop them.

 

[Lolls]

I've been on my 3rd bike ride today. I couldn't wave to anyone as I can't take my hands off the handlebars yet. I did say hello to a dog walker and would have said hello to a fellow cyclist........but I was grimmacing as I struggled to get up a slope, well it probably wasn't even that steep.
My hubby who rides a road bike was riding alongside me on my hybrid.

 

[si_c]

I've been on my 3rd bike ride today. I couldn't wave to anyone as I can't take my hands off the handlebars yet. I did say hello to a dog walker and would have said hello to a fellow cyclist........but I was grimmacing as I struggled to get up a slope, well it probably wasn't even that steep.
My hubby who rides a road bike was riding alongside me on my hybrid.

Nodding is a perfectly acceptable substitute for a wave.

 

[i hate hills]

I sometimes play that at the roll-out of group rides... but more often, I play the Bicycle Waltz or Easy Riding.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB9VfwyGCGg

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Animals__Men/Where_Are_All_Your_Friends/Easy_Riding_1049

Stunning choice for cycling activities . You Sir are a man of good taste.

 

[The_Hawk]

Interesting topic. I ride Hybrid I enjoy it because it's enough exercise for me. I would consider a road bike, however, with the standards of motorists today...
I generally speak to fellow cyclists, runners, walkers. If they don't speak back I've not lost anything

 

[mjr]

Yes that attitude mystified me. Wondered for a moment whether i'd slept through a bit of O level physics where they told us that you somehow suck the person in front backwards.

Isn't that gravity where bodies attract each other? Not exactly significant in context though.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yes that attitude mystified me. Wondered for a moment whether i'd slept through a bit of O level physics where they told us that you somehow suck the person in front backwards.

Nothing to do with physics and everything to do with not liking someone sitting so close to your back wheel and the stress of worrying about a collision.

 

[mjr]

On the penultimate descent of today's ride, a chap clad in bright yellow-and-black lycra on a posh road bike pedalled past me and another rider coasting down (also both on road bikes, unusually for me). I admit that as he did so, I thought "he's probably going to regret that," because I know the final climb is over a mile long, although it's only around 4%. Sure enough, once the road tilted up, I drew alongside to say hello. "You caught up with me!" he exclaimed breathily, red-faced and sweating. "Er, yes" said I, not out of breath.

What's the etiquette here? What should I have said in reply to that? I did ponder "well, I'm not carrying much" but I could see that he wasn't either - his bike didn't even have a rear rack and his saddlebag was tiny. I also contemplated "this hill's local to me" but I later found out that he's from 4 miles away, so that probably wouldn't have gone down well either. I went with the rather lame "you've probably ridden much further than us" because I figured that "well if you pedal hard on that descent, you're going to be in the red on this climb" wouldn't be welcome advice from a Fred on an old steel road bike...

 

[Mugshot]

On the penultimate descent of today's ride, a chap clad in bright yellow-and-black lycra on a posh road bike pedalled past me and another rider coasting down (also both on road bikes, unusually for me). I admit that as he did so, I thought "he's probably going to regret that," because I know the final climb is over a mile long, although it's only around 4%. Sure enough, once the road tilted up, I drew alongside to say hello. "You caught up with me!" he exclaimed breathily, red-faced and sweating. "Er, yes" said I, not out of breath.

What's the etiquette here? What should I have said in reply to that? I did ponder "well, I'm not carrying much" but I could see that he wasn't either - his bike didn't even have a rear rack and his saddlebag was tiny. I also contemplated "this hill's local to me" but I later found out that he's from 4 miles away, so that probably wouldn't have gone down well either. I went with the rather lame "you've probably ridden much further than us" because I figured that "well if you pedal hard on that descent, you're going to be in the red on this climb" wouldn't be welcome advice from a Fred on an old steel road bike...

Not sure you need to say anything more do you? Maybe;
"Anyway, cracking day for a ride Gromit!"
Then carry on along your way.

 

[nickyboy]

FWIW, here is my drafting etiquette...

If I am catching someone I NEVER draft them, I just pass them. If someone passes me then I may draft them for a bit but I would always ask if they minded me doing so

Similarly, if someone catches me and starts drafting me then I expect them to come through and take a turn at the front. They're obviously a faster rider than me so that's only fair. If I pass someone and they start drafting me then that's fine although a couple of words from them whilst doing so would be nice

 

[The Essex Spurs]

I can't be bothered changing the tyres on my beloved Claud Butler racer (er sorry roadbike) and use my wifes Probike.It weighs a ton and has panniers on it with all the kit inside and it gets me from A to B and I coundn't give a tinker's curse what anyone thinks.However I do have two confessions to make.
Firstly I love to stop and get an ordnance map out and give it the big one looking like I'm serious.
Secondly people should only buy double panniers as single pannier on one side is a faux pas.Legislation should be brought in
making it illegal!!!!
Congrats on your first fifty and no doubt you'll be thinking about the first hundred soon.
Most I have done is just under fifty but am getting well into cycling again so hopefully a good ride coming up soon.

 

[Lolls]

Nodding is a perfectly acceptable substitute for a wave.

Yes I do that a lot......it's usually when I'm going over bumpy terrain