Are the gym's bikes now equipped with the same attachments as a regular personal recreational bicycle? Last time I was on a gym bike, it didn't have the same seat post config.
It's been a minute since I hopped on a gym bike, & as time went on, people wanted to do that whole small talk thing. Unless the conversation really is meaningful, I can see how a paying membership patron would be annoyed by the short chit chats when someone is in the groove. It would always happen to me when I am using a machine/weights, never at the water fountain or during checking in/out time. If being social is the thing, those chatter boxers might have better chances at the Y or going out in the public for a stranger encounter.