Acknowledging cyclists

Peter B said:

<1> assuming there is one.

Hello :-)

~PB

Peter B typed:

Quoted message said:

the sample was a bit small).

It's never stopped others jumping to all sorts of conclusions .. 😉

--
Paul ...

(8(|) ... Homer Rocks

In message <[email hidden]>, Paul - [censored]
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Peter B typed:

Quoted message said:

the sample was a bit small).

It's never stopped others jumping to all sorts of conclusions .. 😉

Like h*lm*ts, each greeting is good for 1.8 riders, so only one of a
pair or couple will say hello to you. Except pairs/groups of women
only, who seem to be all smiles anyway (got away from the old grouch for
the day?)

I think we should all follow your example and say hello to as many other
cyclists as possible, particularly the miserable-looking ones.

--
Sue ];(🙂

Quoted message said:

Cyclist 4: A young lady pushing a mtb up a hill, "Good morning" says I to
be rewarded with a warm greeting and a smile that could lead me to a divorce
so I could spend the rest of my life pushing her bike up hills just to see
her smile. 1 up to nice young ladies.

Yeah. We like nice young ladies. They're very motivational 🙂

I always greet other roadies, although generally I meet other roadies
who are going in the other direction, since the closing speed on roadies
going in the same direction is low.

Most of the time, the other guy returns the gesture.

Recently, however, I've been overtaking other roadies - happened three
times in the last week. I'm faster, these days, and there are more
people on the road. In each case, I said "hello" or "good afternoon" as
I went by and got a reply.

I also greet people on unusual bikes - recumbents, tandems, etc -
because they clearly have an interest.

Apart from that, I don't greet. Sometimes because of the rider
(teenager with a cap on backwards with their heels on the pedals and a
too-low saddle on a beaten up MTB is offputting), but mostly it's just
social over-pressure; seeing too many people to cope with during the
day. I have to switch off the most of them. If I lived somewhere where
there were far fewer people, I'd be much more open to greeting
strangers.

--
Callas

Callas <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cyclist 4: A young lady pushing a mtb up a hill, "Good morning" says I to
be rewarded with a warm greeting and a smile that could lead me to a divorce
so I could spend the rest of my life pushing her bike up hills just to see
her smile. 1 up to nice young ladies.

Yeah. We like nice young ladies. They're very motivational 🙂

I always greet other roadies, although generally I meet other roadies
who are going in the other direction, since the closing speed on roadies
going in the same direction is low.

an AUK top seems a good way of getting zero'd by _proper_ cyclists.

Peter B:

Quoted message said:

So there you have it folks, proper roadies with nothing to prove and young
ladies are the friendliest cyclists based on my research. (Yeah, I know,

the

Quoted message said:

sample was a bit small).

Yesterday, I saw a young lad, couldn't have been more than 11-12, on a
scaled-down-but-proper road bike and decked out in full winter kit
(leggings, arms warmers, balaclava, overshoes) in Mapei colours (colours
being the operative word - lots and lots of colours).

I gave him a nod and a 'good morning', which he returned. So, 1 point to
kids who appear to have a proper interest in cycling.

d.

davek said:

Peter B:

Quoted message said:

So there you have it folks, proper roadies with nothing to prove and young
ladies are the friendliest cyclists based on my research. (Yeah, I know,

the

Quoted message said:

sample was a bit small).

Yesterday, I saw a young lad, couldn't have been more than 11-12, on a
scaled-down-but-proper road bike and decked out in full winter kit
(leggings, arms warmers, balaclava, overshoes) in Mapei colours (colours
being the operative word - lots and lots of colours).

I gave him a nod and a 'good morning', which he returned. So, 1 point to
kids who appear to have a proper interest in cycling.

d.

Last year I overtook a couple of young ladies going up a hill; they were
wearing racing gear and had expensive bikes. As I passed them I gave
them a cheerful greeting and got a dirty look and the response: "Don't
[censored] do that; it's so depressing to be passed." Oh well, can't win
'em all.

Anthony
--
Using Linux GNU/Debian - Windows-free zone
http://www.acampbell.org.uk (book reviews and articles)
Email: replace "www." with "ac@"

Anthony Campbell said:

davek said:

Peter B:

Quoted message said:

So there you have it folks, proper roadies with nothing to prove and young
ladies are the friendliest cyclists based on my research. (Yeah, I know,

the

Quoted message said:

sample was a bit small).

Yesterday, I saw a young lad, couldn't have been more than 11-12, on a
scaled-down-but-proper road bike and decked out in full winter kit
(leggings, arms warmers, balaclava, overshoes) in Mapei colours (colours
being the operative word - lots and lots of colours).

I gave him a nod and a 'good morning', which he returned. So, 1 point to
kids who appear to have a proper interest in cycling.

d.

Last year I overtook a couple of young ladies going up a hill; they were
wearing racing gear and had expensive bikes. As I passed them I gave
them a cheerful greeting and got a dirty look and the response: "Don't
[censored] do that; it's so depressing to be passed." Oh well, can't win
'em all.

Anthony

I grin (though some may misinterpret this as a grimace of absolute
suffering I suppose) at other cyclists. As I was struggling up a hill
which I now call an undulation (things have improved in the leg
department, wahey!) I got a cheery hello from a bloke going the other
way (down), in full lycra and nice racing bike. That same ride as I was
checking my map and having a swig of water (ok, I stopped for a few
minutes for a breather LOL) another chappie - more traditional touring
setup, no lycra, blend into hedgerows colour clothes etc, stopped and
asked if I needed any help... No, but thanks very much anyway... just
working out which way to go, said I, with a big grin.

Most other cyclists on road/touring bikes will smile or wave. Mountain
bikers seem less prone to this, for some reason - do they perceive road
bikes as somehow in a different leage, not up to the tough off-road
muddy technical stuff and somehow beneath them? I dunno.

But the best one ever was one of my early rides last year, when I was
still really very unfit (rather than mostly unfit) - when I caught then
passed my first ever cyclists. Ok, so the pair of them were going
slowly, and the lady on her mountain bike particularly so (being dropped
by the bloke on his lighter faster bike) - but it was a gradual uphill
climb, and I was surprised at the speed I was managing to close the gap by.

As I cycled past slowly (I'd slowed down quite a bit while evaluating
whether to actually pass given the incline would get steeper) I said
hello to let her know I was coming up behind, and mentioned she might
find it easier in a lower gear (it was obviously way too high). Ooh she
said, I hadn't really thought of that, thankyou. No problem said I,
then added: you know, when I first started out I couldn't keep up with
anyone up ahead either, and any sort of uphill killed me. Keep at it
and you'll find it gets easier faster than you think, and don't worry if
you can't keep up, just do it at your own speed and let him wait for you.

She gave me a look that said a thousand words about him up ahead not
waiting for her, and I gave her a big smile, told her it really *would*
get easier, and cranked up the power and spurted past her.

I get more smiles (though they're probably just laughing at FBOB in
lycra, it has to be said) from roadies and tourers than other cyclists.
The shopping cyclists usually give me withering stares for some
reason, if they see me at all.

--

Velvet

Hi,
I always say hello. Indeed most of my usergroup post start with a
salutation of some sort - that's me; I'm a nice guy!

I have found 95% of riders will acknowledge me if I raise my hand to them or
say a quick "hello" or "morning". Like any other walk in life, you're
always going to get ignorant gits so don't let it get to you. If people
choose to ignore me then they are obviously so self obsessed that they are
probably [censored] anyway and so I wouldn't want them to be acknowledging me.

KM

By the way, good evening everyone...

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Following on from an earlier thread I thought I'd relate the results of
todays experience of acknowledging other cyclists. Luckily for you, dear
reader <1>, only a short ride due to various aches and pains from

yesterdays

Quoted message said:

windsurfing shennanigans.

Cyclist 1: Looked like a utility cyclist and to my discredit I didn't

speak

Quoted message said:

when I overtook him which made me consider the earlier thread and resolve
to acknowledge all other cyclists regardlesss of appearance.

Cyclist 2: He overtook me with a "good morning", duly acknowledged.
Although not a great benchmark the ease with which he left me indicated

he

Quoted message said:

was a seriously keen rider, so 1 up for a genuine roadie.

Cyclist 3: From the other direction appeared Lance, well someone decked

out

Quoted message said:

from head to toe in UPS gear anyway, "Good morning" says I to be greeting
with a stare that led me to believe he'd just been beamed down and I was

the

Quoted message said:

first Earthling he'd seen. Surprise or ignorance I don't know but the lack
of response awards him a -1 to a wannabe.

Cyclist 4: A young lady pushing a mtb up a hill, "Good morning" says I to
be rewarded with a warm greeting and a smile that could lead me to a

divorce

Quoted message said:

so I could spend the rest of my life pushing her bike up hills just to

see

Quoted message said:

her smile. 1 up to nice young ladies.

Cyclist 5: Mr. Trainers and toe-clips approaching the other way on a

parked

Quoted message said:

car chicane and passing within a few feet (bits of metres). Bless him,

it's

Quoted message said:

not his fault I'd turned invisible at that point, I went to speak but
figured my voice coming out of the ether might spook him. -2 to a complete
bottom.

Cyclists 6 & 7: Geezer followed by GF by the looks of things. "Good
afternoon" says I. "Grunt" says Geezer in a man meeting man manly

manner,

Quoted message said:

not exactly unfriendly, just can't be seen to be less than a man. 0.5 to
Geezer.
"Good afternoon" says I to GF. "Hi" says GF with a smile that makes me

want

Quoted message said:

to push a stick into Geezers rear mech so he can push his bike as well as
Young Ladys while I enjoy the company of Young Lady and GF before SWMBO
wonders where I am and has me arrested for being a Dirty Old Man. Another
point to Nice Young Ladies.

So there you have it folks, proper roadies with nothing to prove and young
ladies are the friendliest cyclists based on my research. (Yeah, I know,

the

Quoted message said:

sample was a bit small).

<1> assuming there is one.

Pete

"davek" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter B:

Quoted message said:

So there you have it folks, proper roadies with nothing to prove and

young

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

ladies are the friendliest cyclists based on my research. (Yeah, I know,

the

Quoted message said:

sample was a bit small).

Yesterday, I saw a young lad, couldn't have been more than 11-12, on a
scaled-down-but-proper road bike and decked out in full winter kit
(leggings, arms warmers, balaclava, overshoes) in Mapei colours (colours
being the operative word - lots and lots of colours).

I gave him a nod and a 'good morning', which he returned. So, 1 point to
kids who appear to have a proper interest in cycling.

Although maybe a bit lacking in the calendar department?

--
Ben

Ben:

Quoted message said:

Although maybe a bit lacking in the calendar department?

I thought his attire was a wee bit OTT, but the weather on Sunday wasn't
exactly seasonal so he can be excused. I was in a short-sleeved light summer
shirt, vest and shorts and was wishing I had worn my long-sleeved thermal
top and leggings.

d.

Peter B said:

Following on from an earlier thread I thought I'd relate the results of
todays experience of acknowledging other cyclists. Luckily for you, dear
reader <1>, only a short ride due to various aches and pains from yesterdays
windsurfing shennanigans.

Hi Peter

This reminds me of a post of mine from last year.

<http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z3F814BB8>
OR
<http://www.google.co.uk/groups?q=+%22chain+gang%22+group:uk.rec.cycling+author:James+author:Hodson&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=32akkvcrjaq26qqkoq1p11se1u26f9i83k%404ax.com&rnum=1>

James

Sue typed:

Quoted message said:

In message <[email hidden]>, Paul - [censored]
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Peter B typed:

Quoted message said:

the sample was a bit small).

It's never stopped others jumping to all sorts of conclusions .. 😉

Like h*lm*ts, each greeting is good for 1.8 riders, so only one of a
pair or couple will say hello to you. Except pairs/groups of women
only, who seem to be all smiles anyway (got away from the old grouch for
the day?)

I think we should all follow your example and say hello to as many other
cyclists as possible, particularly the miserable-looking ones.

... Engage them in light-hearted banter etc .. 😉

--
Paul ...

(8(|) ... Homer Rocks