Roadies aren't the only snobs.
 

Was out for a nice ride this afternoon, and came upon a 300 poundish 50+er on a Trek hybrid (he was wearing jeans, tennis shoes, denim shirt and a ball cap) riding towards me. We made eye contact so I raised my hand and waved, and he looked at me like I was road kill. No wave, no nod, just a glare. And this is in rural Iowa where everybody waves at everybody. At least I got the satisfaction of knowing he was going to have to pedal his fat butt against a 15mph headwind to get back to town.

Sorry about that. I was thinking about apple pie.

Yeah, it's unfortunate there are people like who ride and are not somehow, by karma, living in a twilight zone existance of small, hot and stuffy offices and too small compact cars. For me personally, it was partly these experiences that finally fried me from riding for so long. And that was after years of having the "advantage" of being pretty well-off in the cycling industry. FWIW...the worst attitude I ever came upon in my years....Alexi Grewal. The difference between him and his brother is night and day.

Must have been a visitor.

So crazyb, what type of bike were you on? Perhaps you were waving across class boundaries.

When I'm on my hybrid, only hybrid and cruiser riders wave back. Roadies ignore me. When I'm on my road bike, roadies wave back (or nod or grunt), but not hybrid or cruiser riders. MTBers and BMXers ignore me on both my bikes.

Heck, my preference is to wave to anybody on two wheels including motorcycles, scooters, kids on BMX bikes, and everybody else, too.

I've seen this too. When I'm on my hybrid, only about half of the roadies acknowledge my existence. But if I'm on my recumbent, this climbs up to around 90%.

If I were on a road bike they would probably all ignore me, seeing through my disguise and knowing that I didn't deserve to be on one.

I think it's a good idea to be friendly to everyone.
You never know when something unexpected will happen and you'll need that other person to pull your bramble-scratched body out of a ditch! :D

Be gratefull that you are not him

Maybe he was so tired and under so much stress he COULDN'T speak or wave.

He was probably riding the bike under orders from his wife and doctor...due to his ED.


A couple of years back, I rode a week-long tour with a recently retired urologist, and he had very little sympathy for most of his ED patients, and nothing but ridicule for all the TV ads for Viagra, Cialis, etc. He said that 95+% of his ED patients were fat couch potatoes who wanted a pill to help fix their p*ss-poor lifestyle choices. He also said that many of them were smokers, and they were all completely clueless that their ED might also be an indication of heart disease, diabetes, etc. He really wished he could write a prescription to "turn off the TV and get your butt off the couch you lazy tub of lard!"...but he had a payroll to meet. :)

If I had to bet, my money would go on your first sentence. He probably hates all forms of physical excercise and everyone who willingly engages in it.

If you see him in a saloon, or a hamburger joint he probably would be a friendly guy.

You nailed that one SSP.

It is not rude to not wave back or even to acknowledge another's existence.

Ha SSP! You hit it on the head about most ED patients, except you forgot that excessive drinking was a big cause, too!

They are everywhere aren't they. I live in a community where your suppost to have your dog on a leash. I'm sure you seen the ones that look like they are 50' long and you can reel them in when you have to. Anyhow while out riding this morning, here's a lady walking down the middle of the street with this little mutt running around in a 50' circle. Excuse me miss, do you think you could reel your dog in so I could pass. Boy did she give me a look that would kill. Sometimes I guess you just should stay at home.

My, my! Here we go with another "he didn't wave so he must be antisocial/not having fun/snobbish/insert your own epitaph here" thread. Not everyone waves. It's not required. Get over it.

We wave at everyone plus they get "the bell" from Red Rider. Most people wave or nod but not all. Oh Well! We are friendly.

I'm a waver... we've been greeted by roadies from across a very wide street, and we ride hybrids. Most roadies don't, but many have. What's funny, is that waving while we ride is now a habit for me, so much so that on our casual walk this morning I waved at some of the people we passed on the sidewalk from a short distance away.... and they waved back! :lol:

I was on my road bike, it wasn't that he didn't wave but the look that he gave me when I did.

If you don't want to acknowledge a person, don't maintain eye contact; and it is rude to glare.

When my wife & I ride the paved trails, I love to use an Aussie accent and say " Good 'ay mate! It has never failed to bring smile to roadies, comfies, BMX'ers, cruisers, or walkers. I really enjoy seeing people smile! Give it a try--- it makes you smile inside just to say it!!!!

Man, he's talking about Southeast Iowa! It might be the most egalitarian place on earth. There are no class bounderies.

They have a much friendlier version of the ever popular "one finger wave" too. It's done by flexing the forefinger.

You weren't wearing "Blue" were you?

Ordinarily I'd agree with you. It's the Southeast Iowa location that I find humorous. Think Mayberry RFD. In the wintertime, people will leave their cars running while they do their grocery shopping so it'll stay warm. Waveing is big.