Should I nod at/acknowledge other riders?

[Fuzzball]

I was out for a couple of hours on the canal from Glasgow to Bowling on Monday, and have to say I was disappointed by the lack of response to the the hi's and good evenings i was giving to both cyclists and walkers in both directions.
I definitely find that people of an older age ( 60ish) tend to be a lot more polite and likely to respond. Its a habit I have from walking the dogs, say hi to everyone i pass and i used to have a motorbike - never missed a nod back from other bikers no matter traffic or weather.

Ho Hum

 

[jayonabike]

I always nod at passing cyclists and say hello and give a thumbs up when a driver lets me out or turn right.

 

[tincaman]

Was out and about today, rode into Exeter, in the country and on the outskirts nearly everybody responded, once in the city only about 10%, even down by the canal on the cycle paths.

 

[pepecat]

I was sailing down a hill the other day and a Very Professional Looking Cyclist was chuntering up - he nodded at me and i nodded back. Had i been going up and him down, i doubt he would have nodded cos I'd have been struggling like an unfit eejit!

I also get the odd pedestrian waving - an old chap walking along by the shop was the most recent. I gave him a wave and plodded on....

 

[- Baz -]

Fact is that most people are miserable b*stards whether cyclists or not. I gave up nodding or waving (yes, I even gave a friendly wave!) to other cyclists the first week of my commute, naively assuming that there would be a sort of camaraderie amongst us. Stone me. Might just as well have not bothered. Now I keep my own counsel unless they speak or nod to me first, which sometimes happens, but it's very rare.

However, I'd definitely stop without a second thought to lend a hand if necessary. And I'm sure most other cyclists would too (though I've yet to test out this theory - touch wood).

 

[ianrauk]

I can understand you not acknowledging if there are lot of cyclists about, but why would you not if there is just you and someone else passing?

Just the way I am. It's no big deal. I don't worry about it if someone doesn't say hello or whatever, just as much as I don't really care what another cyclists thinks if I don't say hello. If I can be arsed I say hello, if I can't I don't.

But if I see someone roadside fettling, then I do always ask if they are ok.

 

[amnesia]

I always wave / nod if I am out on my bike. Even been known to be polite to runners in the middle of the country lanes as I pass

I have twice dished out a spare tube to complete strangers on a ride to help them out, which is most unlike me... cycling has changed me, for the better

 

[gaz]

On my commute I don't usually, as there are far too many. On a ride, sometimes I acknowledge, sometimes I don't. It's no big deal if I get a response or not.

+1

 

[sadjack]

Should you acknowledge other riders?

Of course you should

Riding is great isn't it? It puts a smile on your face and a lift to your spirits. Share the fun. Lots of people don't but hey, why should that stop you.

I get ignored all the time, but they probably think that big grin on my face means the men in white coats are not far away

 

[Cheule]

To start - thanks to everyone for the advice. New bike ordered and, hopefully here for Friday so I can set it up over the weekend for the commute to work on Monday!

One thing that has been bugging me - as I've been ridding to work I've been nodding at other cyclists. It's a habit I picked up when I used to ride on motorbikes and assumed that cyclists would be of the same attitude. So far I've only been acknowledged back once. Do cyclists just not do this? Can I also assume that if I break down some kindly person won't stop and offer to lend a hand too (even though I may not need it)?

I'd like to acknowledge you in a CC forums capacity

And if I ever see you out on the roads it'll be a big "helllllll oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo......" from me <-----Note I wasn't trying to sound like Leslie Phillips there. Really.

 

[2Loose]

I mostly nod or say 'hello' to riders and\or joggers, even the old man that feeds the swans, but I got a surprise this morning that actually had me wobble...

...another cyclist said 'Hello' back as we negotiated a cycle lane over a bridge in different directions. Normally it is only the old guy with the bag of bread.

 

[Sittingduck]

I never nod on my commute and I'm not a bad person (you can ask my Mother).
If out on a jolly I sometimes do but only if they look over at me.

 

[HLaB]

I always wave or nod to other bike riders but the response rate seems to be down to where they are, the further they get from the city the more likely they are to respond.

On a separate note when I'm on a road bike (most of the time just now) some mtb/ hybrid riders totally blank me.

 

[mgarl10024]

Hi SquareDaff,

I nod, and sometimes I'll get a response and other times not.

When new, the chaps in work changed my tyres to slicks for me, and I had ordered some new tubes which for that day were at home. I thought I'd get away with no spare tube that once and sadly didn't! Got a puncture about 2 miles from home. On the walk, a lady cyclist stopped and asked if I was ok, and I was really shocked - you just don't get that with motorists.

Now that I feel a little more confident (that I could actually fix the issue), I've asked a number of broken-down cyclists if they were alright. I like to feel that I'm giving back in some way. One word of caution though - make sure that it's safe to stop and that it isn't some trickster. I haven't heard any cases of this, but wouldn't put it past them sadly.

On the nodding front - I do have fun with this middle aged woman on my commute. We pass each other on the way in, and on the way home, everyday. And everyday, I nod and say hello, and everyday she ignores me. So, each day, I get almost indiscernibly louder, until one morning she'll crack...

MG

 

[Maizie]

Some do, some don't, I might

My old commute, I'd usually pass a couple of cyclists who I got to recognise. Most wouldn't make eye contact with the smiling lady. One guy, however, did also smile, and then we'd wave, and then we'd shout 'MORNING!' across the road at one another. He's a guy who is always out running or cycling in the area.

New commute, on the way in I've yet to see another cyclist. However, I do pass the same gentleman out walking his dog. So we say Good mornnig, even though I'm going up a hill and can barely breathe. On the way home, about half the time I don't see any cyclists, and about half the time I do. As before, if I do see them, then I'll smile. Usually it's not acknowledged, but the other day a Proper Roadie smiled and nodded at me in return, which absolutely made my day (but then again, I probably look like a bit of a roadie myself. Until you seem me on road that isn't flat or downhill).

As for stopping if another cyclist was in difficulty - I imagine that I would without hesitation stop. Which is daft really, because I'd be of no mechanical help whatsoever (but, you know, I'd have my multitool and spare tubes which might help if they knew what they were doing but were without equipment).
Sitting here thinking about it, I'd probably wonder if, as a lone female, I should stop, but if it actually happened that thought probably wouldn't enter my head (like when I was at Paddington rail station, sitting waiting for a train, the bloke next to me asked me to keep an eye on his stuff while he took himself and his dog off to buy a newspaper. Sure, said I, given that I was sitting there for the next 15 mins and he was going to be about 2 mins. Once he was gone, of course, then I wondered if I was sitting next to a guitar-case-shaped bomb...)