Nod and smile ratio

[brokenbetty]

London commuters' rules for me in the week - no smile, no eye contact, no acknowledgement unless you want to have to make smalltalk with that person every morning until one of you changes jobs or dies.

I'll smile at anyone on a sunday cyclepath though. The ratios are

hoodie and BSO: 0%
paint spattered overalls and BSO: 25% (if Polish 100%)
ordinary clothes or leisure sportswear, hybrid and helmet: 100%
insane home modifed bike with soundsystem, low ride chopper bars and dreadlocks or rasta hat: 100%
full suss mtb and baggies: 25%
vintage bike and tight jeans: 5%
modern road bike, lycra and helmet: -25% (actively pull disdainful expression)

 

[zizou]

Context is everything - I ride mtb and road bike mostly but sometimes hybrid and if on a mtb out on a trail or hillside, then a hello will be returned and often a chat about route or bikes will start. Whereas a mtb on a sustrans cycle track or on the road - pretty much ignored by most other people on mtbs as well as those on hybrids and road bikes.

On the road bike then just about every roadie will acknowledge, even if it just a raised finger off the bar or the subtle nod of the head. Riders on hybrids and mtbs tend to ignore me though.

On the road on the hybrid - then most roadies ignore me, most mtbers ignore me and most hybrid riders ignore me!

Commuting - then not much in the way of greetings but then i dont do it either, riding the bike is more like using it as a tool rather than strictly for pleasure in this respect.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

As a MTB biker I find that other MTB'rs acknowledge me. When I am on the road roadies very rarely do.

 

[Basil.B]

When I used to take my motorbike over to Europe, Foreign bikers always stuck their legs out as a greeting.
I wonder if foreign cyclists do the same?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I raise a hand to my peak to acknowledge every cyclist I see when I'm riding for fun (drop bars but it has mudguards) but when I'm commuting same bike it is eyes front, head down, and no messing. Dead contrary me.

Many cyclists seem to ride in a 'cone of silence', on an evening or weekend, I assume this is pain/effort/concentration induced. I take no offence if my salute is ignored but it seems to me that riders of flat barred bikes expect to be ignored by drop bar types and, judging by the smiles I see, they seem to get a lot of pleasure from being recognised as being 'in the club'.

 

[TVC]

No mention has yet been given to greeting a cyclist coming in the other direction as opposed to those you pass.

Those coming in the other direction I sometimes acknowledge depending on the food chain principal, however those I pass I always greet. I have perfected the art of passing someone at the greatest possible speed whilst announcing a cheery 'Hello' in a way that conveys that I'm making no effort at all, and that my heart rate is nowhere near 170.

 

[exbfb]

I've done that too.
A cheery "morning" ! as you blaze past flat out.
Did it once on ye olde hybride as I scorched past yer man on his road bike with all the kit on.
Needed to keep that speed up until I got round a corner and quietly died in a secluded spot.

Have no idea why I needed to do that, all I know is that I did need to do it.

 

[Alessandro Petacchi]

Some of the lads wanted to get some miles in today for their build up to the Dragon Ride so we rode from Blandford out to the New Forest and back.All our greetings were returned from roadies mtb's etc even an old boy riding a tandem by himself, must be the nice weather.
For anyone doing some sportive training we did 80 miles at an average of 19 mph,and we felt it .
Mike.

 

[Cyclopathic]

I am pleased to see that so many people here are all for saying hello and giving a nod and aknowleding ones fellow cyclists. My experience on the road has been much like everyone elses, i.e varied but with too many people not aknowledging one another.

Although the atitudes towards cyclists from motorists and pedestrians may be getting slowly better (or may not its hard to tell) it is still safe to say that we are looked upon very unfavourably by a significant number of people. This said I think it is in our own best interests to try and be polite and encouraging to one another at least. It can be bad enough to get angry looks and be totally ignored by motorists and pedestrians but when it comes from another cyclist it is very disheartening indeed.

I'm not saying we all need to go and live in an ashram and bake community bread but I do think cyclists could do themselves a bit of a favour by being polite and encouraging to one another rather than po faced and upperty just because we ride different bikes. Like a poster said earlier, we are all cyclists, and as such all share at least some of the same trials and tribulations.

I for one am going to try to keep smiling and saying hello as and when it seems apropriate. It's nice to be nice.

 

[Cyclopathic]

I've done that too.
A cheery "morning" ! as you blaze past flat out.
Did it once on ye olde hybride as I scorched past yer man on his road bike with all the kit on.
Needed to keep that speed up until I got round a corner and quietly died in a secluded spot.

Have no idea why I needed to do that, all I know is that I did need to do it.

For some reason I seem to understand your actions perfectly. I have done much the same sort of thing myself and no matter that you have to collapse around the corner it just feels like the right thing to do.

 

[david k]

I've done that too.
A cheery "morning" ! as you blaze past flat out.
Did it once on ye olde hybride as I scorched past yer man on his road bike with all the kit on.
Needed to keep that speed up until I got round a corner and quietly died in a secluded spot.

Have no idea why I needed to do that, all I know is that I did need to do it.

lol,

been there

 

[chillyuk]

I've done that too.
A cheery "morning" ! as you blaze past flat out.
Did it once on ye olde hybride as I scorched past yer man on his road bike with all the kit on.
Needed to keep that speed up until I got round a corner and quietly died in a secluded spot.

Have no idea why I needed to do that, all I know is that I did need to do it.

I bet a lot of us have done that, I know I have.

 

[chillyuk]

I was out this morning on a 30 miler. I saw a fair number of riders and every one except one roadie passed a greeting. Even a motorcyclist gave me a nod as he passed in the opposite direction. I guess it makes a difference when out in the country lanes relaxing rather than like many of you on a busy commute. I will always acknowledge a greeting but around town I rarely initiate one.

 

[david k]

whats coming through is it depends on

what gear
what bike
what time
where u riding
type of riding, ie commute etc

 

[JonnyBlade]

65 miles into today's 90 miler a rather fresh looking chap drifted on my tail up a hill then went past. Not a problem, he got the drift and good on him. He passed my mate who was relaxing at the top of the hill and 'whistled' to warn him he was passing.......' whistled ' lol
50 yards further on he even turned to check where we were lol
I guess we were his one kill for the day until we reeled him in of course and he was gracious enough to shout 'clear' at the bottom of a steep down hill when turning onto a busier road.

Still not a word of hello or acknowledgement