Cycle snobbery

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

Quoted message said:

All mountain-bikers will give a cheery wave and hello, but
I have noticed that people on road bikes will often totally ignore you
as you pass in opposite directions in the middle of the countryside
miles from anywhere. I don't understand it.

Yup, definitely get that myself in Richmond Park. Roadies blocking cycle
paths and showing little common sense or courtesy (not sure which).

On 7/6/04 2:04 pm, in article [email hidden],

FranklynMint said:

All mountain-bikers will give a cheery wave and hello, but
I have noticed that people on road bikes will often totally ignore you
as you pass in opposite directions in the middle of the countryside
miles from anywhere. I don't understand it.

The problem is that all those road bikers who COULD explain why they ignore
you will just, well, ignore you so you won't get a helpful response.

It's an us and them situation. When I am on the road bike the roadies say
hello and the MTB'ers ignore me. And vice versa.

...d

I think you get rude people in cars, rude people on bikes & rude people walking the streets. I always wave or say hello to everyone one a bike that I see, most reply, others don't. I wouldn't worry about it. Just keep waving & keep cycling. Life's too short to worry about people who don't have time for you - Just enjoy the salutations from the less rude road users :-

-

FranklynMint said:

Can anyone explain or help me get rid of the
shoulder chip?

Don't take it personally. It's just people.

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

Quoted message said:

I have always cycled, but have only recently (12 months) taken up
regular recreational cycling for health reasons (dodgy knee means I
can't jog or play footy, and swimming lengths is tedious). I have a 35
quid mountain bike, bought 2nd hand because i am not well-paid, and
couldn't afford to splash out. I usualy road-cycle, occasionally going
off-road when the fancy takes me. I wear cheap but functional proper
cycling gear.

I started off like you with a Makro MTB, which I ended up doing a 200 mile
ride on, even with it's plastic pedals and with no cycling clothing. I had a
lot of fun on that bike and found that roadies would say hello, but only in
the middle of nowhere when you got the kudos from obviously being able to
cycle fairly long rides.

My next bike was a Raleigh hybrid and the same thing happened, no wave in
the suburbs , but in the countryside yes. Now I've got a fairly decent
Italian road bike and I've all the proper gear on (except I wear baggies
over my lycra shorts) and every roadie I've met bar none has waved to me
even in the suburbs. It's just one of those things.

I don't think it's snobbery as such, it's just that you can't sat hello to
*every* cyclist, so you tend to be more selective
--
Simon Mason
Anlaby
East Yorkshire.
53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

Simon Mason said:

(except I wear baggies over my lycra shorts)

Pfft! Why?

FranklynMint said:

I have always cycled, but have only recently (12 months) taken up
regular recreational cycling for health reasons (dodgy knee means I
can't jog or play footy, and swimming lengths is tedious). I have a 35
quid mountain bike, bought 2nd hand because i am not well-paid, and
couldn't afford to splash out. I usualy road-cycle, occasionally going
off-road when the fancy takes me. I wear cheap but functional proper
cycling gear. All mountain-bikers will give a cheery wave and hello, but
I have noticed that people on road bikes will often totally ignore you
as you pass in opposite directions in the middle of the countryside
miles from anywhere. I don't understand it. I have no wish to harbour
negative thoughts about other people, or spoil anyone's enjoyment of a
wonderfully fulfilling and healthy pastime, but why would anyone want to
ignore another cyclist, especially if there is nobody else around! I
have started to grow a chip on my own shoulder, and now get enormous
enjoyment from overtaking road-bikers in all the latest gear, on the
latest, flashiest bikes, who are not as fast as me. Hur hur. Can anyone
explain or help me get rid of the shoulder chip?

Just ignore it.

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

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

(except I wear baggies over my lycra shorts)

I have to descend from Mount Olympus now and again and mix with the common
people and don't want to look a total prat (meat and two veg wise) walking
around WH Smiths ;-)

--
Simon Mason
Anlaby
East Yorkshire.
53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

"Simonb" <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(except I wear baggies over my lycra shorts)

Quoted message said:

Pfft! Why?

So he can shop at Harrod's...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 13:04:52 GMT someone who may be FranklynMint
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

I have noticed that people on road bikes will often totally ignore you
as you pass in opposite directions in the middle of the countryside
miles from anywhere. I don't understand it.

Simply tell yourself that they are idiots and continue to be
yourself.

Quoted message said:

now get enormous
enjoyment from overtaking road-bikers in all the latest gear, on the
latest, flashiest bikes, who are not as fast as me.

I would continue to get enormous enjoyment.

People are just human. Some will acknowledge you, others will not.
That's life and in some cases has nothing to do with snobbery.

I am told that one of the more amusing ways of passing other
cyclists, especially those on "flash" road our mountain bikes, is
while wearing a floral dress on a Brompton.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

David Hansen [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

I am told that one of the more amusing ways of passing other
cyclists, especially those on "flash" road our mountain bikes, is
while wearing a floral dress on a Brompton.

Passing a rider on an MTB who I had seen (and
kindofnotreallyinformallyracedsortofthing!) this morning, I felt obliged
to say "morning". I assumed correctly that his response would be to
speed up, and when we arrived at the junction where we part company, he
was about 2 secs behind me. There then followed a short conversation
("Do you mind if I go the other side of you, turning left here" "Not at
all" <lights change> "See you round"😉.

Thoroughly entertaining.

Jon

David Hansen <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

I am told that one of the more amusing ways of passing other
cyclists, especially those on "flash" road our mountain bikes, is
while wearing a floral dress on a Brompton.

Been there, done that!

(No T-shirt though)

Floral dress on old clunker or shopper's quite effective too...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

"Helen Deborah Vecht" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Simonb" <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(except I wear baggies over my lycra shorts)

Quoted message said:

Pfft! Why?

So he can shop at Harrod's...

Kwiksave more like!
--
Simon M.

Simonb said:

Quoted message said:

(except I wear baggies over my lycra shorts)

Pfft! Why?

To go with his platform soles?[1]

[1] Yes, that is a dire joke.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!

FranklynMint said:

I have always cycled, but have only recently (12 months) taken up
regular recreational cycling for health reasons (dodgy knee means I
can't jog or play footy, and swimming lengths is tedious). I have a 35
quid mountain bike, bought 2nd hand because i am not well-paid, and
couldn't afford to splash out. I usualy road-cycle, occasionally going
off-road when the fancy takes me. I wear cheap but functional proper
cycling gear. All mountain-bikers will give a cheery wave and hello, but
I have noticed that people on road bikes will often totally ignore you
as you pass in opposite directions in the middle of the countryside
miles from anywhere. I don't understand it. I have no wish to harbour
negative thoughts about other people, or spoil anyone's enjoyment of a
wonderfully fulfilling and healthy pastime, but why would anyone want to
ignore another cyclist, especially if there is nobody else around! I
have started to grow a chip on my own shoulder, and now get enormous
enjoyment from overtaking road-bikers in all the latest gear, on the
latest, flashiest bikes, who are not as fast as me. Hur hur. Can anyone
explain or help me get rid of the shoulder chip?

I had a similar but different issue yesterday on the Ridgeway.

15 miles from the car my rear tyre decided to start ripping along the
sidewall. Cue multiple pit stops to attempt to repair the tire using
puncture repair patches. (They only lasted a few miles). During these
pit stops 6-10 people cycled past - all on mountain bikes. Not one of
them said hello, or asked if we needed assistance.

I'd have thought that even if someone appears to be dealing with their
problems, that it was courteous to ask if they needed assistance. Or am
I deluding myself?

Adam

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

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 13:04:52 GMT someone who may be FranklynMint
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

I have noticed that people on road bikes will often totally ignore you
as you pass in opposite directions in the middle of the countryside
miles from anywhere. I don't understand it.

Simply tell yourself that they are idiots and continue to be
yourself.

You can be more generous. They might not expect to be greeted by a fellow
cyclist. (Yesterday out on the road bike I waved at a pair of panniered
tourists and one of them nearly fell off from surprise.) They might be training
and deep into the pain zone after the first 80 km out.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

now get enormous
enjoyment from overtaking road-bikers in all the latest gear, on the
latest, flashiest bikes, who are not as fast as me.

I would continue to get enormous enjoyment.

Best is to be focused on your own improvement. The only flawless victory you
can achieve is over yourself, over your own limitations.

Quoted message said:

People are just human. Some will acknowledge you, others will not.
That's life and in some cases has nothing to do with snobbery.

Some examples above. And snobbery or no, where is it written that someone has
to acknowledge you? I believe it's the same place that it's written you
shouldn't call "Well screw you then!" over your shoulder with a cheery smile.

Quoted message said:

I am told that one of the more amusing ways of passing other
cyclists, especially those on "flash" road our mountain bikes, is
while wearing a floral dress on a Brompton.

While out on my road bike I'm often passed by blokes on heavy mountain bikes.
They typically pull out of a driveway as I come past, catch up to me puffing
hard and swoop past laughing at having "defeated" me. They then collapse
exhausted and turn off into the next sideroad. Since I'm pacing myself to do
100 km at a steady heartrate, and they've just blown out doing 500m, I wonder
what they think their "victory" shows.

Basically, even if you put your floral dress on, what does passing accomplish if
you aren't in the same race?
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen

Adam H said:

I'd have thought that even if someone appears to be dealing with their
problems, that it was courteous to ask if they needed assistance. Or
am I deluding myself?

It deep ends.

If there is a lone cyclist I will almost always stop and ask. If it's a
group, I don't usually bother (especially if they seem to be dealing with
it). I have stopped and helped a group of two, one of whom had stripped a
crank bolt.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!

Just zis Guy said:

Simonb said:

Quoted message said:

(except I wear baggies over my lycra shorts) Pfft! Why?

To go with his platform soles?[1]

[1] Yes, that is a dire joke.

It is, in fact, worse than one can possibly possibly imagine. Allow me to
stab the perp with this six-blade knife...

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

"Mark South" <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Basically, even if you put your floral dress on, what does passing
accomplish if
you aren't in the same race?

A wolf whistle? ;-)

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.