On the Hudson Greenway (MUP), near the NYPD tow pound, I was riding downtown, but temporarily in the uptown line to pass some little kids who looked their training wheels had just been taken off. A roadie going uptown apparently didn't like this despite the fact that, well, that's how it's done around there. He sat up, spread his arms wide then contorted his face into a nasty expression and gave me the finger. WTF? Dude had enough time and room to spread out like that, so what's the problem? I'll be honest, I had no idea how to react as it seemed such a bizarre, pointless exercise on finger-man's part. Really! it's possibly the widest part of the entire Greenway at that spot.

I would have had to go up to find out what the issue was. I don't like that kind of crap.

Maybe he was trying to signal his IQ score by holding up the corresponding number of fingers.

Remember what Ann Landers said. "Time heals all wounds and wounds all heels."

Heh, you guys are funny. I was seriously considering turning around, riding up to finger-man and asking "WTF?". I was already late for work, though, <sigh>. And I promised my wife I wouldn't ever do anything crazy like that.

Roadies are the the cagers of Bicycledom ...

Well, I wouldn't quite go so far, seeing as I was in my full roadie kit on a carbon fiber bike at the time. The ginormous backpack and mirror kinda kills the roadie image, I guess. Maybe he was OCP and was offended by the mis-matched tires? (one black, one blue on a bike with no blue). I wonder if I looked more roadie-esque if finger-man would have put on his act.

Maybe he thought you were supposed to slap your ass or do some other strange thing before you started your pass? See: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=316335

eh, he's just a roadie. You could of pounded him with your pannier if he got in your face.

You were probably the third or fourth person to move into his lane and he finally had enough. It sucks but you took the heat (finger) for the first three.

What I'm thinking. You get a little grumpy when going at full boil. Still rude, mind you.

It's the spandex. I'd be irritable if I wore that stuff too. I also blame it for societies disdain of the bicycle world.

two words....
frame
pump

There's far more truth to that than I think you believe. Just yesterday on my ride in, I saw a guy wearing bike shorts that were way too small and way too old. Just being associated with this guy almost made me want to quit riding and start driving to work.

Seriously though, if your bike shorts were bought in the early '90's or before, its time for a new pair.

Also my thought..but you know, this is why I don't ride MUPs except bits here and there for transportation. Like, on my standard "scenic route" commute, there are sections of two different MUPs. I never, ever expect to be able to go at full speed on a MUP; a cyclist at full boil on a MUP is the fastest thing in a very mixed-traffic environment. They can call it a "bike path" all they wat, but look at reality and admit that it's really not meant for the kind of fast, impediment-free riding that the average roadie is looking for.

Team Cinzano style?

But my spandex actually keeps my private area nice and cool. Ahhhh, fresh air.