Always. Every so often I'll wave or nod and don't get a response. Usually when it's a group of 4 or more and they're on a *training* ride. :rolleyes:

Ya know, I wave to everyone but I seem to uspet the hardcore roadies. I wore a tye dye blue cotton t-shirt for years. Roadies seemd to make so many comments about it.:(...But what really made me sad was when it finally fell to shreds!:D...And the incred-i-bel, they seem to hate it!:p

:lol: That is a good one - differentiation by wheelbase: subtle.:D

I was into kiteboarding for a while and found the same unfriendliness prevailed between the new guys and the pro's..us newbies were seen as just someone in the way rather than someone who would appreciate a little help or feedback. Maybe it is my age but I try to help and encourage anyone who is trying to learn about what I am doing. You shouldn't take yourself so seriously.

Face it. The 50+ crowd is just intimidating.
Would it hurt if we all just tried to be a little more approachable?

When a young roadie comes up to me I always say, "Yes, young one.. you may approach, and heed the wisdom of the ages. What is your question."
Hey.. just doin' my part.....

Group hug?

Beauty!!

Maybe it's that folks aren't friendly, maybe they're like me on the motorcycle when people give me that stupid down-low Harley wave and they (like me) just ignore it. Whatever. At least they're on a bicycle and not in a cage. We're all brothers/sisters in arms.

Getting race-faced is a global problem.

Its not an issue to me. If you're walking down a busy street, do you say 'hi' to everyone you pass? Probably not. It would get to be a little 'much' when constantly waving/saying hello to everyone I cross paths with. I'd feel like a politician in a parade. Maybe that/those other rider(s) are just concentrating on their own ride ("in the zone")?

I'm not comfortable with 'drafting,' but it seems its tough to convince others to either pass me or don't ride that close, especially on busy streets. Something about "thats how its done".

:deadhorse2:

Now that's a nice wave!! :thumb:

I probably did not understand or whatever, but when I am riding with a group on the road or on a trail we are normally drafting. When riding in this group I am paying attention to the wheel in front of me along with the bikes in front of him/her and trying to keep from getting into trouble. For the most part I cannot wave on a consistent basis. I simply DO NOT have the ability to ride on someone's wheel and wave at all the bikes I meet.

This has more to do with survival than friendliness.

On the other hand I will occasionally ride solo. Often I will just enjoy the ride along with doing some serious thinking about what is happening in my life. I do not mean to be unfriendly, but I may not wave at everyone.

Until now, I did not know it was required to wave at everyone. Live and learn.

The poor *******'s flat out trying to keep up ... and you expect him to wave as well?

Richard

Atleast a wink or half a smile!:D

I noticed when hiking in the mountains in years past that down by the trailhead, people wouldn't even say "hi" if you spoke to them, but about 8 miles from the trailhead, everyone you meet is your friend.

Yeah, the 70s and early 80s were pretty heady times for friendly bike riders. Then somewhere along the line, some pinhead(s), probably the entire '84 Olympic cycling team and some guy named Lemond went and ruined everything by getting all these anti-social psychopaths into cycling. ;)

Reno, yep, last time I went riding there, back in the mid-80s, another rep and I were out riding before Interbike or whatever the show was that used to go there, and some yahoo in a pickup truck takes a shot at us w/ a BB gun and pegs the arm of the guy I'm riding with. :twitchy:

I commented earlier about how nearly everyone waves, except most of those who ride on road bikes and are in road kit. Well, my experience is on rural rail trails. Lonely trails. Not busy urban mups. Most of the riders are 50+ people on hybrids, riding in couples or fours. They are very friendly.

I ride along for 5-10 miles and encounter no one, then I run into a couple out on a ride. It's almost a social situation. Many times we stop and chat. I've had dozens of conversations with other riders. I've had lunch with a few.

Heck, we've tried each other's bikes out a few times. Late last fall I encountered two other bent riders. We stopped, chatted, and rode each other bikes.

I never encounter groups of road bike riders, riding hard and fast. The road bikers that don't acknowledge me are usually riding solo or with one other rider. I do find it interesting that in this very light traffic situation, that riders on road bikes are still much less likely to return an acknowledgement. It strikes me as a cultural thing.

I don't think my situation is at all like encountering 10-20 roadies along a highway. I probably wouldn't bother to say hi, unless some of them did.

Well, mostly roadies wear these really tight pants. As a consequence, like when the Italian racing team are standing on the blocks waving their trophies and booze over their heads, you get this great gander at all the spare socks they tuck down the front of their skin tight team shorts.

Cause I wear baggy pants, you can't see the socks I have tucked in so I can be like the other folks tucking socks down their undies.

I only started doing it because I was told it would absorb moisture and foul odours. However, my missus reckons that's a myth. She says they stink really bad. However, I'm waterwise and refuse to wash them cause I haven't worn them yet. :D

Back in my foot race running days I noticed a different trend.

When I was just starting out and not very fast, all of the other runners were friendly and only too glad to give me pointers on how I could get faster. Every time I got good enough to beat somebody, their advice kind of dried up. The faster I got the fewer friends I had in the pack.

Now we're getting somewhere. You're supposed to tuck the socks down the FRONT or your undies. Could that be why other riders are avoiding you?

When there is snow and ice on the road I work out at a health club. I try to use this time to improve my aerobic conditioning. Its very hard for me to make gains; I have to push myself on each workout and I don't like people bothering me when I'm doing this. Perhaps when you encounter an "unfriendly" rider they are just trying to work on some area of their riding skills and don't want to be bothered by someone.

Yeah, that might be it. I was wondering why my saddle had holes in it. I thought it was to make room for the socks but I guess you're right, they should sit up front. Dunno what the holes in my seat are for... maybe hemmies or something. :D

I usually wave a most riders I meet, unless I'm too tired or otherwise preoccupied. Sometimes I give a full wave and a greeting. Sometimes all I can manage is to nod and/or lift a few fingers. I notice that some people wave back and others don't. I have not really noticed a trend of one type of rider being more or less friendly than another type.

I always assume the best of people. The people with all the kit who don't wave, I just figure they are newbies and are afraid that if they take their hand off the handlebar, they might fall over. Just because you are dressed like a cyclist, doesn't make you one.

Be kind to newbies, I always say... :D

Funny you say that last Sunday did a ride... we took out a new guy. He was on a rigid mountain bike wearing a tshirt and shorts. My SO and are were in bike clothes but we were far far team kit outfitted roadies... the weather was nice and we past tons of cyclists and all of them either waved or gave us the head nod (which I prefer - I don't take my hands off the bars without good reason).

I think we tend to mistake intensity for anti-social behavior. Sure there are probably creeps out there but far more, in fact, I believe the bulk of most cyclists are friendly.

In my area, it's so unusual to see another cyclist of any stripe that both of us usually nearly fall off the road instead of wave. Shocked, I say, SHOCKED!