Living Car Free - roadies are snobs

Probably because you passed them. They can't stand that.
Thanks for making me laugh. I enjoyed it!

you sound like a 12 year old whining about not having ice cream.

my bike is 100% for fitness/fun I try and wave at just about everyone, but if they don't wave I don't lose sleep over it...who freaking cares.

Chad

+1

I am used to waving at other cyclists on the roads of the US, but here in france everyone looks at me like i am crazy when i wave at them. Maybe they are just more used to cyclists, and see more of them, so they get tired of waving.

+1

I am used to waving at other cyclists on the roads of the US, but here in france everyone looks at me like i am crazy when i wave at them. Maybe they are just more used to cyclists, and see more of them, so they get tired of waving.

Maybe it's a cultural thing. Americans have (or at least had) the reputation of being the most friendly people in the world. I think one reason is that historically we have moved around a lot more than other peoples, so it paid to be able to make new acquaintances quickly.

+1

I am used to waving at other cyclists on the roads of the US, but here in france everyone looks at me like i am crazy when i wave at them. Maybe they are just more used to cyclists, and see more of them, so they get tired of waving.

I don't think the French has the patent on this behaviour. When I moved to the US from Canada, I was struck at how often people would wave at you. In rural areas, they even wave from their cars. Almost no one in Canada (at least where I lived...) would wave at you unless they knew you well... and then only if they really liked you. (Of course, I was also struck by waiters who would bring you food and then urge you to "Enjoy!"... I always wanted to say, "I'll enjoy it if I feel like it, buddy!")

Really?
Riders are just like every other group getting from one place to another, whether its walking on the sidewalk, driving in a car or whatever, someday nod at everyone on a busy sidewalk and see how many responses you get, probably fewer percentage wise than from road riders. Some people are just not out there to wave around at everyone, they are there to concentrate on riding. Its really not a big deal.

The tradition here in Norway is for roadies to greet each other especially on the open road. Sadly some younger riders seem to not uphold this.(hope they will grow into it). I try to greet other kinds of riders as well if they look my way.

The tradition here in Norway is for roadies to greet each other especially on the open road. Sadly some younger riders seem to not uphold this.(hope they will grow into it). I try to greet other kinds of riders as well if they look my way.

The greeting I get from roadies is "ON YOUR LEFT!!!". Thats ok as long as they're safe about passing. This morning was a beautiful morning and the weird thing is that I took a ten mile ride in a roadie rarefaction. It was like a cold rainy winter day as far as roadies go. No one passed me. It was nice not to be screamed at AND have pleasant weather.

It was like a cold rainy winter day as far as roadies go.
It would probably be a little chilly if you were sporting a Camelback. That would be refrigeration of a sort.

Not sure how I ended up in the LCF section, but anyway.. Here in my city, nobody waves to anyone, myself included. I'm riding, not socializing. Why would anyone be concerned with wave ratios, etc.

Not sure how I ended up in the LCF section, but anyway.. Here in my city, nobody waves to anyone, myself included. I'm riding, not socializing. Why would anyone be concerned with wave ratios, etc.

well i see it as a common courtesy to recognize someone as you pass them by.

Some roadies are snobs, but it's not about bicycling. It's a socio-economic thing. If they're snobs on the bike, they also treat waitresses badly, totally ignore the janitorial staff at the office, and are generally condescending towards anyone they see as social inferiors. Yes, they're roadies and they're ********, but they're not ******** because they're roadies. They're just ********.

In my experience, most roadies are NOT snobs. They ride for different reasons than I do, but I have found most of them to have an all-encompassing pro-bike attitude: the more, the merrier.

well i see it as a common courtesy to recognize someone as you pass them by.

So if you're riding your bike, you wave to the others on bikes... What about the walkers? rollerbladers? skateboarders? Where does it end? As others have said, when I'm on my road bike, I'm not socializing. It's got nothing to do with how I feel about you, nor do I look down on you if you're riding a less expensive bike than me. It's just that I don't care about you, and so taking away concentration to exuberantly wave to you, just to make you feel like part of the "cool cyclist club" isn't something that makes sense to me. Understand that by "you", I don't mean you, personally. I'm just as happy as the next guy to see people out riding their bikes, and it makes no difference what kind of bike they're riding. If they're riding like an a-hole, I have the same disdain I have for people I see that drive the same way. Otherwise, you're fine in my book. Maybe you should ride to the ice cream shop today, and buy an ice cream cone. That always makes people feel better. :)

why is it that when i pass a roadie on the road they look at me like i am a bag a **** on my cheap hybrid bicycle. but more often than not when i pass someone on a cheap bicycle they are eager to give me a wave hello?
roadies seem to race fast and look at bikes just as a form of fitness/exercise,whereas people on cheap bicycles use bikes for financial reasons and function.
what kind of jobs do these yuppies have anyway that they can afford to spend 2000 or more for a bike and not to mention the high priced fashion designer bike clothes they wear, just for recreational use?

feeling a tad insecure, are we? :lol:

Some roadies are snobs, but it's not about bicycling. It's a socio-economic thing. If they're snobs on the bike, they also treat waitresses badly, totally ignore the janitorial staff at the office, and are generally condescending towards anyone they see as social inferiors. Yes, they're roadies and they're ********, but they're not ******** because they're roadies. They're just ********.

In my experience, most roadies are NOT snobs. They ride for different reasons than I do, but I have found most of them to have an all-encompassing pro-bike attitude: the more, the merrier.

I agree. Cyclists should not try and divide themselves because someone else rides for a different reason than they do.

I'm starting to understand why 3rd World countries with lots of bikes tend to have caste systems and are in a constant state of tribal war. It can probably be traced back to a snarky thread posted on a cave wall somewhere...about how fruit cart drivers never wave at rickshaw drivers.

feeling a tad insecure, are we? :lol:

I don't think so. Very few transportation cyclists care how they look on a bike, or how fast they are. They only care if they get where they want to go. Everything else is gravy.

I don't think so. Very few transportation cyclists care how they look on a bike, or how fast they are. They only care if they get where they want to go. Everything else is gravy.

yet they feel the need to whinge about "what kind of jobs do these yuppies have anyway that they can afford to spend 2000 or more for a bike and not to mention the high priced fashion designer bike clothes they wear, just for recreational use?:

I don't think so. Very few transportation cyclists care how they look on a bike, or how fast they are. They only care if they get where they want to go. Everything else is gravy.

You surely jest? you should see me when I'm late for work. Mark Cavendish would get a run for his money :)

It's a socio-economic thing.

In my experience, most roadies are NOT snobs. They ride for different reasons than I do, but I have found most of them to have an all-encompassing pro-bike attitude: the more, the merrier.

Yes, I think most rodies are of a socio-economic status that owns more "things".

I'm also agree with the pro-bike attitude. That's the way to approach biking strangers, I think.

what kind of jobs do these yuppies have anyway that they can afford to spend 2000 or more for a bike and not to mention the high priced fashion designer bike clothes they wear, just for recreational use?

The ones that come with higher education. :thumb:

UD

The ones that come with higher education. :thumb:

UD


i wouldn't be so quick to explain that a higher education is the reason these yuppies have the money. i have found that alot of people get ahead in life because they are crooked.

When I'm really in the zone, miles and miles go and I'm not even aware of it. I've ridden my ride so many times, it's like brushing my teeth. I can almost do it in my sleep.

And that's the reason I ride, to get into that zone! I'm sure I fail to wave to countless people for that reason.

I've noticed the percentage of waves and other forms of acknowledgment generally goes up the farther you get from an urban center. In the city, people are used to other people being everywhere so they don't think anything of it when they pass someone on a path or street, whether walking or biking. Also, there is generally a lot more to be paying attention to in order to ride safely in a city. Out on empty country roads, I notice that a higher percentage of people wave and it's probably because they haven't seen anyone else riding for the last fifteen miles and it's nice to see another human as opposed to more cows.

...Out on empty country roads, I notice that a higher percentage of people wave and it's probably because they haven't seen anyone else riding for the last fifteen miles and it's nice to see another human as opposed to more cows.
Yeah, especially when you're in a deeply rural area where all the cows as far as you can see in every direction are looking up and watching you.

Yeah, especially when you're in a deeply rural area where all the cows as far as you can see in every direction are looking up and watching you.

They are judging you based on your cadence and scoffing at your baggy shorts.

They are judging you based on your cadence and scoffing at your baggy shorts.

:roflmao:

The herefords usually wave, but the brahmans don't...as if they're sacred or something.

I'm not a "roadie" per se, but when I'm on my road bike I'm usually trying to push and not wave to everyone. And if I look at your bike it's out of curiosity, not animosity. Maybe you are self-conscious?