Compliments
 

Alot of times when I drive I see riders you know, just riding along. I know alot of people yell negative things. But what are some good things I could shout out to my fellow riders?

Go lance go lance go lance :rolleyes:

Nice Bike!
Holy crap look at your quads and calves. -> I would think that one would be a bit strange from a man to another man :p

[rob schneider] You can dooo it![/rob schneider]

Actually, I can't think of anything worthwhile.

I see where you're coming from, but since almost anything coming from a car is an insult would just be quiet to avoid confusion. If you make eye contact a wave or smile is great, and I get these all the time here in Los Angeles of all places. But I have friends who see me riding who try and honk nicely and my first reaction is to give the one-finger salute.

I think it's best to just SLOW DOWN, give them PLENTY of room, and perhaps a thumbs up or wave.
If you've got a bike rack on the car, it helps to get the message across.

Yeah. Just the act of giving them plenty of room while passing speaks volumes...

Wanna smoke a fatty?

I am regularly complemented in the following ways, none of which I favor over the others:

• A nod, wave, smile or "thumb's up".
• When I'm using the full lane stopped at an intersection, the next person stops behind me about a full car's length back, I look back at them, they nod and/or smile.
• While riding and using the full lane, the driver approaching from behind immediately slows when I issue the slow/stop signal.
• Being told... "I like the way you [rode there, took that turn, used your signals, made it clear what you were doing, etc. etc.]; I wish all cyclists did that"

Allez, Allez, Allez!

Or, in a sophisticated English accent, "He's about to open up a suitcase full of pain and the others riders will certainly not be able to keep up!"

Az

i had an age +/- hispanic male express "Snap" as i passed him on my front-faired bikeE and waved.

riding my 'bent seems to get much more attention here in car-town with several waves, introductions, double looks, and somewhat apparant increase in lane sharing.

At every red light, I try to position myself to permit right turners to squeeze between me and the curb; this bit of "bicycle diplomacy" has drawn a few waves, smiles, and words of thanks.

You could consider an bumper sticker like "I share the road" or "Start seeing bicycles". That's a dead giveaway of your positive feelings about bikes.

LOL, I did this on my bike the other morning at Division and Sprague. The first driver thus enabled to get past me to the little right-turn lane said "thank you" as he rolled by :)

I'm not into trying to communicate verbally with a rider from a car, though. Too easily misinterpreted, and a distraction to both of us from our driving. I might wave if I think they can see it, but it's not really that easy to see through a windshield a lot of the time.

Nothing shouted at strangers could be considered good.

Nice A$$, ya ****ing hippy.
I'd take it as a compliment. ?

Unless you are going slowly enough that there is time for you to shout and be heard, I wouldn't shout anything. With any speed at all, your shout will either be compressed or decompressed so that it cannot be understood - then the cyclist only hears the tone of your voice and will likely assume you to have the wrong intention. I, too, vote for a wave, smile, or thumbs up.

Caruso

While stopped at intersections, I have been thanked by motorists for stopping for the red lights on two occcasions.

try to refrain from yelling anything at cyclists while they're in motion. Wait until they are stopped at a red light, and thank them then.

How often does a cager yell something you can understand? A difference in speeds of 10 mph plus a good 15 mph wind plus a ton of background traffic noise = gibberish half the time.

A teenage boy told me he loved from the passenger seat as they passed. I don't know what he saw in this 30 year old male frame that he liked so much.

I spelled hippie incorrectly. Knew that didn't look right but too early to know for sure.
Although, I could have meant just that -Hippy.
People with wide hips often have a nice rounded butt

hmmm

Is this for real ?

When I'm hogging up the lane, my reality points to comments more like:

• A tilted head, an eye roll, a wave motioning to the side, "middle finger up".
• When I'm using the full lane stopped at an intersection, the next person stops behind me about a full car's length back, I look back at them, they shake their head and sigh.
• While riding and using the full lane, the driver approaching from behind immediately honks when I issue the slow/stop signal.
• Being told... "I like the way you hog the lane when there is plenty of room", I wish all cyclists would get out of my way"

Just poking fun... 'cuz your post sounded a bit much like a VC commercial.

I second just giving them plenty of room as you pass (if it's safe to). Maybe a thumbs-up would be nice. If you want a bumper sticker, they may be purchased here (or get one free with a Bicycle Coalition of Maine membership).

If I may be allowed to go off on a related tangent, I had another cyclist yell some encouragement at me the other week. We were approaching each other on a primary road; I took a left turn to a side street before he reached the intersection (I didn't cut him off, there was plenty of room), after moving to the middle of the road and signalling for at least 50 feet. As I was riding down the side street, I heard him yell "Nice use of turn signals, John!" as he passed on the primary road. It wasn't in a sarcastic tone of voice, as it may come off here in writing; he sounded sincere. Secondly, he obviously knew me, but I have no idea who it was! :o

My heart's in it, but I feel like Charley Brown whenever I've tried to wave to cyclists while I was driving.

One day, I saw one coming the other way and I very gently tapped the horn. He jerked and his eyes popped out like he had been shot. :(

One time, I pulled alongside a group of about 15 cyclists and rolled down my passenger window to speak to them. I called out and said some friendly things, like "Where are y'all headed," etc. They all ignored me like I wasn't there. I figured they thought I was going to give them some "advice" about riding on the sidewalk or something, and maybe that's why they ignored me.

I guess the best thing is to do like some people say, give them lots of room and pass slowly.

;)

A couple months ago on the ride home from work, a young woman in her front yard called out "I love you."

Most of my posts are effectively commercials for a cycling methodology that I believe greatly enhances one's safety and efficiency while riding in traffic. So, I guess they are VC commercials.

Yet you get ticked when I call it what it is - PROMOTING THE BRAND
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: