Attitude of fellow cyclists

Now I know this will spark a few comments, but I ride a £99 shopper
bike to get my shopping in, (2000 miles for £99 plus a set of tyres,
cheap, but knackered now so replacement due, so 2000 miles for £150,
no global warming included) I also ride a MTB Marion many pounds more
than £99 and a summer road bike well over a grand. Now in summer on my
expensive bike, good lycra every fellow road cyclist waves, on my MTB
not many on road bikes wave, on my shopper very few wave. I do put a
hand up or nod to every cyclist, be it child, shopper or the lad out
for a ton mileage. So lads out there on the grand plus bike training,
or out for the ton in 5hrs less, or just shaking off a hangover (yes
I have done it, 18mph ave, Ok some one will beat that with a
hangover. Kids!! dont cycle with a hangover) But give a nod to every
other cyclist be it shopper, granny or child. You know be it a
cyclist just starting out and 10 miles is hard they need a nod, one
day they will hit the ton.
Now another debate, road lads riding in winter, get a MTB and ride it
in winter down bridleways, its hard, MTB shoes are double the weight
of road shoes, I would say 15 miles off road is same as 12 on road.
To end
So many well known people suc as Matthew (Mr Piano Wire) are anti
cyclist we must promote ourselves as been friendly to each other,
cyling is good,
Col

wrote:
Now I know this will spark a few comments, but I ride a £99 shopper
bike to get my shopping in, (2000 miles for £99 plus a set of tyres,
cheap, but knackered now so replacement due, so 2000 miles for £150,
no global warming included) I also ride a MTB Marion many pounds more
than £99 and a summer road bike well over a grand. Now in summer on my
expensive bike, good lycra every fellow road cyclist waves, on my MTB
not many on road bikes wave, on my shopper very few wave.

People wave to each other when they feel they are indentifying with a
like-minded member of a minority.

Imagine every pedestrian waving to every other pedestrian on London's Oxford
Street on Christmas Eve. Just as barking mad as expecting /every/ cyclist
to wave to /every/ other cyclist.

~PB

On 09/02/2008 18:27, said,
But give a nod to every
other cyclist be it shopper, granny or child.

Only if you give a nod and a wave to every other pedestrian when you're
walking, or to every other car driver when you're driving :-)

It just doesn't work like that. If I nodded to a little old lady on her
shopping bike, she would probably think she was about to be mugged. If
I nodded to a 6ft8in brick outhouse riding a BSO, I would probably end
up in hospital.

People just acknowledge other like-minded people. On my commuter run,
the regular people all acknowledge each other in some form, regardless
of the bike. I've never yet known an MTBer not to acknowledge another,
but roadies don't acknowledge anyone. I was mightily p'ed off last year
by a group of roadies coming the other way when I was on my MTB (on the
road!), when not one of them so much as looked my way in response to my
cheery "Morning!". Miserable buggers!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Paul Boyd wrote:

On 09/02/2008 18:27, said,
But give a nod to every
other cyclist be it shopper, granny or child.

Only if you give a nod and a wave to every other pedestrian when you're
walking, or to every other car driver when you're driving :-)

It just doesn't work like that. If I nodded to a little old lady on her
shopping bike, she would probably think she was about to be mugged. If
I nodded to a 6ft8in brick outhouse riding a BSO, I would probably end
up in hospital.

People just acknowledge other like-minded people. On my commuter run,
the regular people all acknowledge each other in some form, regardless
of the bike. I've never yet known an MTBer not to acknowledge another,
but roadies don't acknowledge anyone.

Around these parts, we're not only less violent (I've never known anyone
be scared of a wave, nor of someone who took it as an opportunity to
assault someone) but also roadies tend to acknowledge others.

Actually, that was the case when I lived in Manchester and in Southend.

Maybe you just live somewhere miserable.

Cheers,
Luke


--
Red Rose Ramblings, the diary of an Essex boy in
exile in Lancashire http://www.shrimper.org.uk

On Feb 9, 6:54*pm, Paul Boyd wrote:
On 09/02/2008 18:27, said,

*But give a nod to every
other cyclist be it shopper, granny or child.

Only if you give a nod and a wave to every other pedestrian when you're
walking, or to every other car driver when you're driving :-)

It just doesn't work like that. *If I nodded to a little old lady on her
shopping bike, she would probably think she was about to be mugged. *If
I nodded to a 6ft8in brick outhouse riding a BSO, I would probably end
up in hospital.

People just acknowledge other like-minded people. *On my commuter run,
the regular people all acknowledge each other in some form, regardless
of the bike. *I've never yet known an MTBer not to acknowledge another,
but roadies don't acknowledge anyone. *I was mightily p'ed off last year
by a group of roadies coming the other way when I was on my MTB (on the
road!), when not one of them so much as looked my way in response to my
cheery "Morning!". *Miserable buggers!

--
Paul Boydhttp://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

You know its a sad society when a nod means, god I may be mugged. But
well I may be on cloud 9 but I dont see a problem with a wave, Ok in
my area (Lincolnshire) no sweat, but as Paul says why do roadies think
they are like the elite, a MTB rider may well outride them on a road
bike ! I am a roadie in summer I wave to anyone (Ok sad person)
but its like being friendly and part of a society. Paul, I have
experienced the same way as yours when on my MTB. WHY Like we are all
on two wheels after freedom , maybe like difference between 4x4 and
mini, who know's

In article , wrote:
than =A399 and a summer road bike well over a grand. Now in summer on my
expensive bike, good lycra every fellow road cyclist waves, on my MTB
not many on road bikes wave, on my shopper very few wave.

If I ride the full 16 miles into work I often exchange nods with the
few cyclists I see on the country roads, but not with the hundreds I
see in town. If I'm only riding from the Park and Ride I use a different
bike (cheap folder), and don't bother with cycling specific clothing,
but if I'm riding the whole way I use the same bike and clothes the
whole way, and don't get any more nods or waves.
Do you ride your shopper shorter distances in more crowded places
than your road bike?

I'm a very shy person by nature so don't tend to wave to people when cycling
(it is rare for me to see cyclists on my commute anyway). However if a
cyclist acknowledges me I will always respond likewise.

Adam

So many well known people suc as Matthew (Mr Piano Wire) are anti
cyclist we must promote ourselves as been friendly to each other,
cyling is good,
Col

Wave to a lone cyclist, it might BE Matthew Parris.

--

Nigel

Oulumat writtificated

but as Paul says why do roadies think
they are like the elite, a MTB rider may well outride them on a road
bike !

I fink it's 'cos *everyone* rides a mountain bike, but a road bike is still
relatively rare - it means you're an enthusiast rather than another POB.

The other reason is that if you're slightly short sighted like I am you
can't tell if you know the person whizzing towards you - he could be from
your club or just a random bloke. Best to wave, just in case.

One other flailing excuse for the miserable road cyclists is that in a
proper chain gang is that they're concentrating on keeping X inches off the
back wheel of the chap in front whilst doing a silly speed. Prolly not the
time for them to give a cheery wave.

On Feb 9, 6:54 pm, Paul Boyd wrote:

People just acknowledge other like-minded people. On my commuter run,
the regular people all acknowledge each other in some form, regardless
of the bike. I've never yet known an MTBer not to acknowledge another,
but roadies don't acknowledge anyone. I was mightily p'ed off last year
by a group of roadies coming the other way when I was on my MTB (on the
road!), when not one of them so much as looked my way in response to my
cheery "Morning!". Miserable buggers!

I've heard this before but I have the opposite experience. Once out of
town I acknowledge every cyclist I come across. Roadies nearly always
nod or wave back, MTB or hybrid riders very seldom.

--
Dave...