Back when I commuted by motorcycle, unless you were in the Hell's Angels, you waved to other motorcyclists as you passed going in the opposite direction. I thought that was a pretty cool show of camaraderie. When I started commuting by bicycle I hoped for something similar. So far, few cyclists wave and I feel like a nut bar when I do as they are usually not returned. Am I missing something? This is kind of weak. Especially since it seems we have even more reason to be supportive of one another than guys on bikes with gas powered engines.

There's such a 'class distinction' between cyclists, I gave up waving, unless someone waves to me first. Sometimes, it's a guy who's on a real hard mash and doesn't have time to be nice. Sometimes it a pretentious 'fred' on a 3000.00 Waterford who's out for a recreational cruise. I try to take each as it comes and never take it personally. BUT, I NEVER wave first, anymore.

Waving is a funny thing. I get waved at sometimes and ignored (if I wave) other times. I have three theories: 1) The rider who doesn't feel like waving is under some kind of pressure/stress (headwind, uphill, sun-in-the-eyes, worrying about traffic, fast downhill, etc.). The one who feels like waving is going in the opposite direction, not under stress/pressure. 2) An Instant Social Darwinist Impulse (ISDI) strikes both riders at the same time, they unconsciously size each other up (bike, kit, form, age, bag, etc.) and decide in 1/100th of a second whether the other is worth acknowledging or not. Either a wave from one or the other happens or it does not. 3) I'll never know what waving is all about, really.

I think about these things sometimes when I ride. I know- it's weird.

PS: If I get waved at, I always try to wave back, no matter what my ISDi urges me to do - its just polite.

Most of the time I'll wave or yell "Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening" and I'll get a favorable response back.

I usually give a head nod. I don't always get a response though...

I wave to cyclists and love seeing them on the road, but not to POB's (person on bike). Sorry if that makes me a snob.

I wave every now and then to whoever makes eye contact. No eye contact usually means no wave or head nod. Whether its returned or not, I coudn't care less.

Everyone gets a good morning/afternoon no matter what. Sometimes it sounds angry but I still throw it out there. I am yet to get anything worst than no response. I do it because it shows that I am aware and not afraid. I dont know if the fact I acknowledge everyone or that I am 6'2'' has stopped the stoned bike path punks from giving me the normal problems.

^^^ Word. It helps to be built like Ian Laperriere with a similar mindset if anyone messes with you. Regardless, everyone gets a 'morning,' or 'evening.'

I wave and dont care at all if they wave back or not. I dont wave when I am holding on for safety reasons. I speak when I pass someone. I guess a lot of times if you are on a bike several lanes away I might not even think about you, many bumps, pedestirans, dogs and goodness knows what else we have to watch. I think most everyone is ok, and try to treat them as such on a daily basis. Oh yea, I have a jeep and every one in a jeep waves at me. sometimes I forget and will notice someone waved at me just as they pass. I wonder if they think I am a jerk cause I dont wave back?

a couple have waved at me, and they where all geared up compared to what im riding. I have waved at some out at redrock, but only got one wave back. Bike snobs maybe?

of course im not on a road bike, so they are probably thinking what the heck is this guy doin out here on flatbar cheapo bike.

ohwell wont loose sleep over such trivial things

Ugh

Again?
Are we not all adults? I don't wave at other windstar drivers while riding in my van. Don't wave at the kid mowing his yard while I mow mine.
That being said I tend to wave when feeling jovial. Or to my fellow elitist roadies.

In most cities, yes, you are missing something. The several thousand (at least) cyclists who should be out there being traffic so that there's too many to wave to. Instead, you've got only a few, and they've all got a bit of a complex about what constitutes a "real cyclist".

In Madison, cyclists don't wave to each other every time. Here, you'd fall off your bike or have an accident if you tried to wave at every single one. No real snobbery involved, just a lot of practicality. The average spandex wearer and the average denim wearer will both cheerfully return a smile or wave or hello, even if you're wearing the "wrong clothes". Still, the main rule is to be safe and pay attention to the road.

Why dont you wave at the kid mowing his yard, you some kinda jerk?

85% of the other cyclists I see on a commute are across a busy 4-way road, so any type of acknowledgement is fairly useless. However, on quieter road I'll nod first, and if it's a gal I'll wave and say hi.

I wave to every cyclist - racer, walmart bike rider, little kid - every one. If they decide to wave back that's fine. If not - so what. The little kids on the bikes are the best to wave to.

If I pass a runner or other exerciser I wave or nod as well. We have some things in common after all.

Here in carter county (A.K.A where rednecks come from) adult cyclists of any kind are so rare, that we all usually wave/ exchange pleasantries.

I rode a 50cc scooter almost 40 years ago. Back then motorcycles were very much in the minority. Every biker waved to the other. Even Hells angles would wave to me on my little nerdy bike.

I noticed that as the popularity of motorcycling increased the waving decreased. There is a tendency of people in a small minority to band together. As the group gets larger the bonding decreases.

I have noticed that if I am walking in my city early in the morning and there are few people, when someone passes, he/she says "good morning". Later, when it is more crowded, no one says hi.

I usually give the head nod, only to be snubbed (happened this morning). I say hello or good morning whenever possible but roadies always ignore me (except for once, when they were in a peloton and all waved). I get more pleasant responses from the people I pass waiting for the bus or taking the trash out etc. They always exchange pleasantries with me (provided we make eye contact). The roadie thing is kind of annoying. I sat at a stoplight with one (it may be the same guy each time), said "goodmorning" only to be not replied to and he zooms through the busy intersection at first chance.
The waving thing reminds me of when I was younger:
My older brother and I were at my parents driveway when we saw a harley rider come down the street. We both waved and he decided to use both hands to wave back. Unfortunately there is a slight bend in the road and he went into my parents yard, hit the wellpump and bike and rider flew down the hill in there yard.

I wave, and sometimes get a response, sometimes no. I did have a dude all decked out for the roadie parade come up behind me when I first started commuting-I was trying to pus through a climb, and was struggling a bit, and instead of blowing by me, he stayed behind me and offered morale support-he asked how long/why I am riding, what I thought about it, how my experiences were, etc. Before I knew it, we were at the top of the hill. He flipped it into high, shouted 'there you go, no problem!", and dropped me like a bad habit.

When I drove a sports car we all waved at each other, then when I rode motorcycles we all waved at each other, then when I tried a recumbent everyone waved at me, and when I'm riding way out in the middle of nowhere and I see another bike I wave, but to be honest, I'm pretty much all waved out. I don't mean to be rude, it's just that seeing another rider pass in the opposite direction is such a common occurence anymore that it doesn't warrant a wave.

When I am on my recumbent I always get/give enthusiastic waves from/to other recumbents. Otherwise I'll lift my fingers off the bars and give a poor attempt at a wave now since I never get a wave back. There aren't many recumbents around here though so it is sort of a rare occurance which is probably why it is a big deal. Other bikes *shrug* a dime a dozen.

I wave when I can and when I notice the other person, but I tend to agree that the need to wave kind of goes with the rarity of seeing another enthusiast. I certainly return any waves or hellos I get. Some places around here waving at everyone you see would probably mean stopping and getting of the bike, to be safe doing it.

I don't wave at anybody unless I know them. I don't wave at other cars when I drive a car. I do wave when people beep their horns.

I wave anyway. If they don't wave back, that's their decision and only they lose from it. If they'd rather be an ass, they're the ones living as an ass, not me.

If there were more riders I'd probably get tired of it, but it's only 2 or 3 at most on a ride. I'm thrilled; prior to this year I didn't see 2 or 3 in a month, but there's a lot more now.