Etiquette Question - Did I do wrong?
 

I am sorry if this is a little long but for some reason this is bothering me. I was out for a ride the other day and tried to be friendly to someone I passed but I was met with only stony silence and a glare.

I saw a cyclist ahead of me on a climb. Let's call him Mr. Yellow, for he was wearing a yellow jersey. When I got to the top he had stopped to talk on the phone and I passed him. A few minutes later he came up from behind and passed me in a flash. I could see he was far stronger than me and I assumed I would not see him again.

And yet, I few miles later I saw Mr. Yellow up ahead on another climb. In fact, with each climb I was getting a little closer until I finally caught up with him. Whenever this happens, which I admit is rare, I am not sure what to do. We were almost traveling at the same speed so I couldn't really just pass him and be done with it but I didn't want to come up behind him and have him think I was trying to draft him.

I stayed about 2 bike lengths behind for about 1/2 a mile or so. He kept looking behind to see where I was so I knew he knew I was there. We came to a section of road that, for me, is really fast. There is a gradual descent through a series of sharp turns that, for reasons not entirely known to me, feel like a slingshot. It is a part of the ride where I really try to push myself because it's just so much fun to fly through it.

So, as we come out of the first of these curves I came up fairly fast beside Mr. Yellow and said hello in what I thought was a friendly tone. He turns to me and says nothing, giving me only a snarl. Now I don't know if I came up too close, too suddenly. I admit that I was about two feet to his left. Maybe that made him uncomfortable, I don't know. Maybe he thought I was taunting him? I ended up losing him through the curves but on a straighter section he passed me, again without a word.

So, was I wrong to pass him as I did and say hello as I was doing it? I just wanted him to know I was there. I also wanted to be friendly. It seemed we were travleing at about the same pace so I thought that we could have ridden together for a little while. Was I too close?

Some people are just like that.Don't sweat it.

Yeah, I guess I should just let it go but for some reason I having a hard time putting it down. I'm jut too sensative!;)

yeah thats one of the few things i dont like about this sport , so much elitism , screw it YOUR THE MAN ! you passed him

Some people just stay in their own world and like it that way. Don't let it affect your own enjoyment.

This ride had 3,000 riders, would you say hello to everyone as when the passing takes place?

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...20Start/18.jpg

No, I don't say hello to everyone in the grocery store but I do say hello to a lot of people I don't know, I do confess.

I do say hello to just about every cyclist that I pass or who passes me. If they pass me too quickly, I don't get the chance, of course.

Two feet of clearance on a curving descent would feel pretty tight to me. Otherwise, I think you did fine. Who knows what goes on in the other man's mind? Don't sweat it.

10 W, I happen to find it a matter of courtesy to greet people. Maybe the error I made in this case was saying hello at all. Most people react well to it, actually.

Actually, I passed just as we came out of the turn but another was coming up quick.

I will take your advice and cease sweating it.:)

i think you should say hello as you pass. the 3,000 riders pick is a little overkill. we are talking about 2 riders out on the road. i dont believe you did anything wrong, what i like to do though is get on the front and set a good pace to show them im a strong rider, willing to work. (if they are a good rider like you described) after i do a little work and come to a downhill or flat, then i can try to push it a little harder and if he stays on great, if not then thats his problem. but i think you did right. he was just upset that you caught him.
i had a guy sit on me and my dad for 12 miles and not say anything and then sprint by on a hill 2/3 into our ride. that pisses me off.

I thought he would follow me through the curves but it was not to be. I was willing to pull...

KNeez, he may well have been deep in the zen pain cave, too. I know on a really long ride, I fall way down inside myself and am only concentrating on breathing and the patterns of traffic around me, and when I'm there, someone talking to me either doesn't register with me, or pulls me out of my zen state and it ticks me off because now I have to go through all the pain to get down into a zen state again.

I am the passe not the passer so I have NO idea what you are talking about....on your left....rinse, repeat.

Mmm, the ZPC. That could be. For all I know he could have been on the last leg of very long ride while I was just doing my usual loop.

Exactly. Roadies also tend to be solitary creatures when in training. They are focused on their training.

(Or, he may have just been a jerk, too!)

LOL. I didn't see the pale grey for a moment.

This is an interesting sub-topic. I always acknowledge other riders, and even say hello to people in the grocery. It seems the response depends mostly on where the person lives. If you live in rural Ohio, most people say hello in most situations, because it is practical. If you live in New York city, fuggetaboutit!

As far as cyclists, some are too snobby to say hi to a Fred, or zoned in on their training, or too competitive to be friendly-no need to worry about it. And, of course, Kneez, you should not feel guilty about saying hello, or discouraged from greeting the next person.

New York people are the most Friendly that I have ever met.
Why do you trash New York?

It was just an example of a big city. The more people around, the more impractical it becomes to say hello, the more likely that someone who says hello is trying to scam you, etc. I can not say from experience that New Yorkers are friendly or jerks. But I can say that when you are in low population areas, people often say hello only to say hello. If you get out in the sticks in Georgia, people will wave at you from car to car as you drive down the street!

This reminds me of my first day up at the university in the 80's. I'm from a small town, and you always said hello or at least did the redneck nod to anyone you would pass, it was just a sign of politeness. So I get up to college with 26,000+- students and my first day walking to class I found myself saying hello and such to nearly everyone I pass to class, getting one strange look after another.

There are more riders on the road, but still not too many, so I wave or say hello to anyone I pass, or get passed by, mostly get passed by. Some return the gesture, some do not. For those that don't I have to admit It bums me a bit--but not too much--because of my time here, I have it in my mind that everyone is a friendly member of our 'club', but that is just not so.

Some dude passed by a clydesdale on a climb? Doesn't sound too elite to me.

Maybe he was embarassed being passed (especially by a clyde) and was simply a jerk.

You already know the answer to your own queston.
I've gotten looks of disdain based on my cycling garb I suppose. I sometimes wear cotton.

[QUOTE=10 Wheels;9750866]This ride had 3,000 riders, would you say hello to everyone as when the passing takes place?

I almost lost my voice saying "hello' or "on your left' at the Courage Classic this year. Everyone we came up on we'd say "hi", "Good Morning, "Good Work"

It's just polite!

He was obviously in his own world... and didn't like getting passed or talking while he rides.

no biggie - enjoy *YOUR* ride!