Road Cycling - Rudeness

Man I have to vent somewhere so here's good for now.
I was on a leisurely ride today and making some laps around a lake thats hilly and fun to ride on. Anyways I had no idea anybody was behind me cars or anything. When all of a sudden something is in my peripheral vision... two guys in their mid thirtys fly up beside, then, in front of me and make not even the slightest gesture of "hi". The bad part is I was prob. avg. 18mph or so by myself and when they got in front of me they slowed....(my speedo was showing like 14) WTF? I'm thinking they just wanted to prove somin' or whatever b/c I don't think they were newbies.. they were wearing some bike shops "team" jersey.. whatever...

You will find that this sport is full of elitists and jerks.

But since I am a pretty decent rider I can make most of those a-holes rue the day they saw me. My favorite thing is to keep pace or ride alongside while pulling my daughters cart with her and a bunch of toys in it. The jerks hate it when they cannot shake you while pulling a anchor

Well, Jim, here is a fine pair of what is known as the Tool or Jerk. They sometimes run alone but flaunt there "talents" more often in groups. They can often be spotted by their bright matching jerseys, high dollar steed, and tiny penis syndrome. Don't be concerned by them, as you will usually pass them an hour later if they don't turn off at the next corner after passing you to recover in a quiet spot where their gaspings will not be heard.

Man I have to vent somewhere so here's good for now.
I was on a leisurely ride today and making some laps around a lake thats hilly and fun to ride on. Anyways I had no idea anybody was behind me cars or anything. When all of a sudden something is in my peripheral vision... two guys in their mid thirtys fly up beside, then, in front of me and make not even the slightest gesture of "hi". The bad part is I was prob. avg. 18mph or so by myself and when they got in front of me they slowed....(my speedo was showing like 14) WTF? I'm thinking they just wanted to prove somin' or whatever b/c I don't think they were newbies.. they were wearing some bike shops "team" jersey.. whatever...

you should've whipped around and dropped them like a bushel of rotten apples if they were going too slow in front of you...and then farted...or done the classic "breaking away" move and shoved your frame pump in their front spokes. ;) when i ride, i usually save a little bit of energy for people like that...and the folks who think it's fun to draft off me without saying anything...

what's the big deal? so they didn't say hello... lighten up man. ya should've raced them.. it might've been fun! :)

That signiture is crazy annoying. ;)

Man I have to vent somewhere so here's good for now.
I was on a leisurely ride today and making some laps around a lake thats hilly and fun to ride on. Anyways I had no idea anybody was behind me cars or anything. When all of a sudden something is in my peripheral vision... two guys in their mid thirtys fly up beside, then, in front of me and make not even the slightest gesture of "hi". The bad part is I was prob. avg. 18mph or so by myself and when they got in front of me they slowed....(my speedo was showing like 14) WTF? I'm thinking they just wanted to prove somin' or whatever b/c I don't think they were newbies.. they were wearing some bike shops "team" jersey.. whatever...

I said it in a previous thread and I'll say it again: there will ALWAYS be people who feel that they're the best out there and have to prove it. Don't slow down for people like this. If they sprint ahead of you then slow down, just keep a steady pace and pass them. If they keep doing it, they're just gonna kill their legs. Or you could try saying "hi" first. If they don't respond, then assume they're jerks. Otherwise they might be waiting for you to say something first and think that YOU'RE the jerk.

happens everywhere.
Here in Cape Town everyone is preparing for the Cape Argus Cycle Tour. So 2 weekends ago I'm out with buddy Lance on a training ride. We're heading up over Chapmans Peak and these 4 dudes, who thought they were so special on their Colnago c-40's that they felt no need to reciprocate our greetings, passed us on the climb. Now they were fully decked out in Colnago attire as well.
Their pace was nothing special either so lance and I thought we'd hop onto the back of them and enjoy the last 1km to the summit of the pass and then follow them down.
Needless to say we try and strike up conversation with these special people but to no avail. Anyway the pace increased as they unsuccessfully tried to drop us and the summit came and went. On the way down they were trying to drop us on the descent. no luck there either. needless to say a the 6th turn they're chasing so hard they trip over each other and what ensued was the most expensive pile up I've ever witnessed.
The Litespeed and Fondriest avoided the debris and human bodies easily. Was not pretty sight and I felt kinda of empathetic towards them.
Small ego's boosted by expensive bikes and now those were gone too, what will they do now??

Don't see the problem, so they didn't say "hi"............. alright!

Try sneezing in NYC and see how any people say something............ none!

next time drop 'em.

without saying anything

blatantly ignoring a greeting is considered rude around here, but peotic justice was served.

note 2 self; Must check spelling before posting....

I started this year off saying hello to people on the bike path and i already have given up. People make eye contact with me, i say hello or whatever and they look away. Cyclists on Long Island are more concerned with the price of what you are using rather than anything else.

....(my speedo was showing...

No wonder they didn't say anything to you...

:D

I started this year off saying hello to people on the bike path and i already have given up. People make eye contact with me, i say hello or whatever and they look away. Cyclists on Long Island are more concerned with the price of what you are using rather than anything else.

Oh don't give up man. This kind of thing is catchy. So now some one who is riding by you and is secretly waiting for you to be the first one to say hi because he/she is sick of rude people too, thinks your a jerk. And who knows you two coulda been the best friends. You'll see them out there again too. I like when some one waves to me and I always pass it along.

It always amazes me. Most of the time when I'd meet people riding the other way they'd just stare at me like they were looking at E.T. decked out in full racing regalia.

I can still visualize the look. Kind of a smirk mixed with a look of confusion. I never understood it.

So, did you make any attempt to speak to them? Yeah, they sound like @ssholes, but no need to compound their ineptitude.

Happens all the time. I repass and stay in front but as i pass, i say hi or whats up and most the time,no response. The worst part is that they pass and slow down. Bet they drive the same way.

I say hello to all.....regardless if they say something or not.

What's the big deal? So they have nice stuff and didn't say "Hi" when they passed. Even passing and slowing down shouldn't be a big deal as long as they had no problems with you passing. Don't sweat the little things and enjoy your ride!

By the way, since when are Litespeed and Fondriest bikes considered lower food chain bikes? Just a thought.

passing and slowing is rude, and not right. plus not saying anything is not very considerate.

The big deal is to many A-holes everywhere else in life and you would like to think the thing you like to do so much,everybody would be a bit nicer but asking for so much is a sin. I smile or nood my head and it takes zero effort to everybody but now expect nothing in return.

My bro and I were out warming up - doing our normal 2 man paceline thing - when some a**whipe comes up from behind and without anouncing his fat a** is on my wheel and almost takes us all out. No "on your wheel" or "on your left" nothing. What a jerk. But, you guys are right: if you fight fire w/ fire then sooner or later everybody's a jerk.

BTW a person s choice of gear and/or the relative expensive of said gear has absolutely no bearing on this topic.

try saying hi to all....not to hard

i dont give up, i still say hello to everyone, most ignore me, some dont. Whatever.

You might remind them that they are participating in a "childs game on a kids toy" - sort of take the steam out of the game.

My bro and I were out warming up - doing our normal 2 man paceline thing - when some a**whipe comes up from behind and without anouncing his fat a** is on my wheel and almost takes us all out. No "on your wheel" or "on your left" nothing. What a jerk. But, you guys are right: if you fight fire w/ fire then sooner or later everybody's a jerk.

BTW a person s choice of gear and/or the relative expensive of said gear has absolutely no bearing on this topic.

Who are you to say what has bearing on this topic.

OK, so saying "What's the big deal?" is probably close to what these guys did. However, my point is that you'll have a better time if you take the attitude that no one is going to ruin your ride. I like it when someone overtakes me when I'm out on my own -- it gives me someone else to ride with if I choose. I also think about how many times I have seen someone ahead of me and used them as a goal to keep my pace up.

And, yes, stuff seems to be a little of the issue here as some of the posts I am reading seem to involve an attitude fueled by the type/expense of bike or riding gear.

I woulda been pissed too....I used to see these guys out on the trails, mainly cause I was really slow and outta breath (now I'm just kinda slow and breathing really hard!!)...wouldn't speak, just look at ya like (why ain't you riding MY brand o' bike??? not good enuf??? too poor??? don't know any better???)

That's the kinda stuff that used to bother me...sometimes makes you wanna take up golf (wooo boy, don't even touch that one!!!)

But honestly, what does it matter? If they're a--holes, piss on em'...pass em and stay wide...make em' work to pass you again, if they got it in em'...

Are they "bad-a@@" cause they got high-dollar rides with the latest stuff outta the magazines??? If they do, GREAT!!! Droppin' em' will make you feel better 'bout your worn-out shtuff....

Sometimes when no response is given, I feel better 'cause I know I got the breath to actually speak to these no-winded-bout-to-pass-out-cause-no-oxygen-is-gettin'-to-the-noggin' nincompoops...

Just think about how COOL it is when someone actually does respond!!! Makes ya feel like two wheels, two pedals and a seat brings YA ALL together...great feeling, man....

So? Maybe they were just finishing an interval. Just pass them back again.

I find that the guys that can't bother to nod or reply are usually puffing the hardest.

55/Rad

So? Maybe they were just finishing an interval. Just pass them back again.Brillig, you beat me to it. I was on a ride today and we were doing a 3.3 mile, 1250 ft. climb when this guy just blasts past us and then slows down. We figured he was just doing hill intervals all the way up. (Well at least 2/3's of the way up. The two of us kept leap-frogging back and forth for awhile until I passed him didn't see him again until I was waiting at the top.) So I asked him if he was doing 60 sec. hill intervals and he said "yeah". End of story. I felt bad because I should've been doing hill intervals myself. I just didn't have the motivation today.

i generally try to say hello or wave to everyone i see while i ride. i rarely even get eye contact. after a while, that gets kind of discouraging. too busy to even wave or look at me? that's just rude. it doesn't ruin my ride, but it definitely ruins my opinion of the human race as a whole...

Who are you to say what has bearing on this topic.


C'mon man, gimme a break - i was just stating my OPINION.

I believe you miss the point - that there is no direct corellation between the cost of person's gear and their riding abilities or willingness to put others at risk. However, I would have to agree that there are a lot of folks out there who confuse the value of their posessions with their own self worth (or skill level for that matter). Lot's of bad attitudes from people who need to get a life. Just my opinion of course. :)

It's nice to be nice. A world of loving cyclist.I wonder if they would be on a trek or a CD? LOL

hah, yeah I made small talk(well, attempted to) for a bit and i think i got a total of two words out of 'em... hah oh well, I went out today and had a great 40mile ride and haven't thought twice about it. But, yeah here in the south.. to me anyways not speaking and their action was rude.. eh well. next time i'll add some power and drop 'em
....(my speedo was showing...
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No wonder they didn't say anything to you

What you mean by that?

I was staying around 18 for my ride and it kinda sucks when you find yourself having to coast every three pedal strokes to stay back at 14mph.

Ah, sometimes I don't say "hi" to every cyclist because I'm outta breath and I'm hurting :) - also some days it seems that you're meeting a cyclist every minute - acknowledging each one can become distracting if you're trying to put in a good ride. I try to give a smile and nod to other cyclists but sometimes I just want to ride, and if I happen to pass someone and not say anything it's not because I'm rude but because I DON"T FEEL LIKE SAYING ANYTHING. If they slow down in front of you, then just pass them.

Oh, another thing, I ride expensive gear and I'd suck compared to most of you, but I don't care - I like the good stuff, and I'm not an elitist pr!ck. Hey, you don't have to be a sports car racer to drive a Porsche!

....(my speedo was showing...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No wonder they didn't say anything to you

What you mean by that?




I think he was joking...as in your tiny swim trunks, "Speedo", was showing - which ain't right on any male body :D

guys, i think the point i was trying to make is that it does not take much effort to greet another rider. Riding a high end bike does not make you exempt from courtesy nor makes you a better rider.
Those clowns on the Colnago's where huffing and puffing on their way past, clearly taking a lot of strain, but even so I find fun riders on $50 k-mart MTB's are more willing to greet and have a brief chat than poseurs on expensive bikes.
It takes all kinds to make the world go round but as a Fellowship of the Bike, we owe it to each other to always be courteous.
Just my opinion

Oh, another thing, I ride expensive gear and I'd suck compared to most of you, but I don't care - I like the good stuff, and I'm not an elitist pr!ck. Hey, you don't have to be a sports car racer to drive a Porsche!


That's me too, I ride a nice bike but I am no hammer by any means. I like the look and feel of a nice ride with the best components I can afford. I am running Ultegra now, but I have a full Dura-Ace set-up getting ready to go on.

I have been dropped many times, but I am always friendly :)

There are many names for these kind of riders: jerks, tools, a$$holes, etc. I do find this behavior quite disturbing. Being overweight as I am, I get this treatment often, sometimes to the point of verbal abuse, and once was assaulted! IMO, best thing to do is deal with what the situation merits.

C'mon man, gimme a break - i was just stating my OPINION.

I believe you miss the point - that there is no direct corellation between the cost of person's gear and their riding abilities or willingness to put others at risk. However, I would have to agree that there are a lot of folks out there who confuse the value of their posessions with their own self worth (or skill level for that matter). Lot's of bad attitudes from people who need to get a life. Just my opinion of course. :)



Once again my weird sense of humor is not recognized, i thought it was funny to be rude in a forum about rude people. Not that funny i guess.

Funny,i'm trying to figure out how much effort it takes for a smile or a tilt of the head.One more thing i noticed,when i ride i'm as far right as i can go on a divided lane but the oncoming riders,some ride on the line or just on my side,is that a king of the road thing?

Oh, another thing, I ride expensive gear and I'd suck compared to most of you, but I don't care - I like the good stuff, and I'm not an elitist pr!ck. Hey, you don't have to be a sports car racer to drive a Porsche!

But no one would casually drive around the country in a Porsche. A high end car (or bike) not driven in a way that it is capable of is a real shame.

If you enjoy it though, what the hell. Go for it.

I think he was joking...as in your tiny swim trunks, "Speedo", was showing - which ain't right on any male body :D

You are absolutely correct sir.

The Underwear Nazi would frown on the wearing of Speedos while on the bike.

i dont give up, i still say hello to everyone, most ignore me, some dont. Whatever.

Every weekend on my Sat/Sun ride, I cross with like 30+ riders, I try to say to all of them hello with the hand, and like half of them say hello back, and the other half, I think they just try to look at the bike's brand, or they are too arrogant to say hello back.


It's nice to be nice. A world of loving cyclist.I wonder if they would be on a trek or a CD? LOL

Same happend to me I try to say hello as fast as possible and take a QUICK!! look at the bike :D

When I'm on a Multiuse path or something similar there are just way too many other cyclists to wave or say something every time. We'd be like those little birds on the docks in Finding Nemo.

When I'm out on the roads and not passing cyclists every five seconds I always wave. 99% of cyclists wave back.

The ones who don't wave back? I don't waste more than three synapses thinking about them. If you want to imagine them being condescending to you, or checking out your brand, or whatever, that's a fun game but in reality you have no clue what they are thinking. They might be bonking for all you know.

I'm 20 years old and have been riding my bike since I was around 10 (I can't remember). I say hi to everyone I see, whether they are walking, running, biking, or just standing on the side of the road. If there is a biker coming the other way on the street I do a little hand wave and then a head nod. Most people will give a head nod back. If they don’t reply I don’t get mad because it’s their loss of they want to be a jerk when riding. For me I am the happiest when I ride, no matter what the weather is like or how my day went.

That signiture is crazy annoying. ;)
you talkin bout mine?

sometimes when another rider doesn't say their greets to you it may be that they are "in their groove" and to wave or say anything will throw them off. i know i've been puffing my hardest up a hill and my dearest will make me laugh and i tell ya i can't go any further cause i have no wind left. now i'm not the greatest cyclist, heck i can't even be considered mediocre, if i just make it home i'm a happy girl. however we should be aware that just because someone doesn't say hello doesn't mean they are rude. it may mean they are training hard and trying to consentrate on their spin, or breathing, or whatever.

but if i see any of ya out there i'll make my bestestest efforts to wave at ya all.

cheers
kat