cellery

Haha oh man that made my morning.

StanSeven

O^ Very perceptive and so true. In addition many cyclists are loners and just want to be by themselves. Then there are those doing a long, hard ride. After a while everything and everyone else is tuned out. I know after three or four hours of fatigue and hunger, I'm oblivious.

Homebrew01

Even when they're wrong??

OldsCOOL

And that is my riding life in a few words. There are times I am trying for a personal TT and sometimes tanked after a long hot ride. I try to acknowledge those I see out on the open road and slugging out the miles in remote places but tend to avoid full-arm waving, huge grin and shouting hello to those creeping along on comfort bikes in town.

Voodoo76

Not to get too far off topic. But this trait is the downfall of a lot of wanna be racers. Poor cycling in their training leading to chronic over training. It's why you see a lot of very successful racers training solo. (Because most of their bozo team mates don't know how or when to ride slow).

BillyD

BillyD

Aren't most racers bozos? Or is that just my experience gleaned from where I usually ride?

CNC2204

Rode this morning, saw another guy at a stoplight, he was a Dick.

Its not like we're going steady ..... who cares really ?

Voodoo76

Yep

RolandArthur

I just finished a bike trip from Northern Spain to Portugal and all the roadies seemed very friendly. Lots of thumbs up, some friendly taps on the shoulder on the climbs and one roadie took the time to ride with us to a camp site we couldn´t find. Perhaps it had to do with the terrain (85% climbing and 15% descending) and my gear (bike and bags front and rear that was 80+ Lb). I got two comments for not wearing a helmet but those roadies probably didn´t do an RI&E on bicycle helmets.

Another nice thing was the behaviour of the drivers in Spain: They give you at least 6 feet space when they overtake or stay behind you. I almost felt guilty holding them up at some times. In Portugal you are fair game.

caloso

I had the same experience in Italy. An American who shows some appreciation for cycling, just like soccer, goes a long way to making friends.

alathIN

This.

Earlier this week I ran into some classic "Personal Ownership of the Road" behavior that you would classically associate with a roadie - but the guy was on a mountain bike.

About a year ago, I was on the receiving end of an epic Roadie tirade where the guy was full-on stereotype. It was on one of our greenway/multiuse paths, where it crosses a major road. Not only that, but the greenway runs parallel to the road in that area on both sides, so you have to make a sharp 90 degree turn, then another to cross the road, then make two more sharp 90 degree turns on the other side. The lights were changing, the crosswalk sign had turned red, and there was about 3 seconds left to get through the intersection - not enough time on a hybrid pulling a trailer full of kids, which I was. The crosswalk light went red, and I said "stopping!" and stopped. Roadie Rage Boy blasts past me, cursing and hollering and gesturing, and blows through the intersection.

Most likely Rage Boy was in some kind of target heart rate zone, or wattage level, or maybe he was on track for a PR from 96th street to 75th street, and having to slow down slightly at an intersection ruined his entire day.

So yeah, it's a stereotype that is not true in 99% of cases.
But those 1% do make an impression when you run into them.

rpenmanparker 

It is a hard-wired, genetic survival trait. No matter how similar we may be, it is only human to see the differences. And we very naturally compress the scale of whatever bell curve that trait is on so that the smaller and smaller differences among us seem to be the same magnitude. IOW we keep drilling deeper to find the ever smaller differences. We naturally attempt to protect ourselves by a never ending process of separating folks into "us" and "them". Nothing can change that except evolution.

rousseau

Interesting. Is that an American thing? I'm definitely a red left-of-centre type, but in my experience it's the blue conservatives who can often be down to earth. When they're not ranting something like "better dead than red," of course. The arrogance quotient in the red liberal-lefty types is a bit higher, it seems to me. And not without reason, mind.

And these are all thundering stereotypes, naturally.

rousseau

Funny! I've heard this, too. You'd think Iberia would be somewhat consistent, but apparently the driving in Portugal is just atrocious. I started hearing the stories as a kid from Portuguese classmates going back home for summer holiday visits.

Jiggle

Except people with hairy legs do not get the privilege of being condescending.

blarnie

I would go so far as to say this is a general reflection of the population. The bicycle simply gives individuals a rationalization when revealing themselves.

Lazyass

Blue conservative? This is the USA, they're red here haha

rousseau

Huh? Blue is conservative/right, red is liberal/left. "Red China," “better red than dead," "blue Tory wave," etc. You sure you got that right?

OldsCOOL

Freds...and now Richards?

Lazyass

Yeah, I got it right.

BillyD

Yes, blue/liberal, red/conservative here.

BillyD

They got Cameron Cty surrounded. But poor Travis Cty is in big trouble.

Stucky

People probably think I'm stuck-up (even when I was riding a $300 Bikesdirect bike!) 'cause when I'm riding, I really don't go out of my way to look and see if the occasional car I encounter is waving, etc. I'm just engrossed in my ride and in my thoughts- and I really just want to be left alone, and not have to be involved in some kind of social situation. (Actually, I'm like that off the bike, too).

On the other hand, if someone stops and asks directions, or comes up to me and talks while I'm stopped for a water break or something, I'm very friendly.

What really bugs me, are people whom I encounter on a regular basis- like, if they live along one of my regular routes. I don't mind a passing wave or nod...but some of these people seem to actually want to get friendly- and they range at best, from people I just have nothing in common with; to people whom I would not care to associate with; to lonely women [and old and unattractive!- You weren't thinking young and hot, were you? Life doesn't work like that!]

Meanwhile, all I want to do is ride my bike and commune with my thoughts and enjoy the atmosphere. No problem with a wave or a nod...but honestly, I likely wouldn't even see it, as I'm not looking at you (Unless maybe you're female; young and extremely attractive).

I treat everyone nicely (unless they act like a jerk), but I often regret it, as some people, upon seeing that you're a "nice guy" will quickly trespass on that line that separates strangers/acquaintances from familiar friends.Just because I'm personable and may even crack a witticism, does not mean I want to be your best friend! I think people in NYC understand that concept. While I like the friendly people here in Bumpkinsville, I don't think a lot of them grasp that concept.

If I wanted company, I wouldn't be riding alone....

Athens80

Yeah, politics in the US have shifted over the years. When Reagan won in 1980, it was a blue tide. It's changed since then, apparently especially since 2000.