It's so friendly that the cyclists have to ride on MUPs because they think riding on the roads with all those 'friendly' drivers is certain death!

+1. Or it could have been, "don't wait". Or maybe, "don't wade". Or maybe...oh my God, I need to see a therapist.

Exactly my point.

If I wave to you, you've alpha-dogged me. If I wave and say "Hi fellows! Enjoying your peloton today?", you may take my bike and give me an atomic wedgie. Etc. Etc.

The rule is simple: nod to dudes, smile at chicks, or just focus on the wheel or road in front of you... or pay the price.

Maybe riders are different where you live, but when I got back into biking I was not a waver either. After 1 or 2 bikers went by and said hello or waved and I didn't do anything I felt like a DB. I didn't need BF to tell me that.

Like others said, it really depends on how many fellow bike riders you encounter.

I also announce myself too. Especially on a trail around Zorinsky Lake here in Omaha. You will encounter old ladies walking 10 dogs who are going in all different directions. "To your left......To your left...." You start to sound like a broken record, but it keeps walkers and other riders to the ride hand side of the trail.

Spoken like a typical M*******.....

Sigh... I'm tired of being insulted because I was born and raised in a particular state.

A lot of people, especially those new to cycling or those who haven't ridden for a while, are uncomfortable with taking their hands off the bars. I know when I first started again after not riding a bike for a few years I "snobishly" refused to wave to a few passing riders. So that could be a part of it.
The guys in the OP seemed like ******bags though, but it's hard to say if the guy was being funny, or if there was previous history that the OP doesn't know about that made the comment relevant or whatever. Also, ******bags are everywhere anyway, so who cares

Funny, I've only ever heard Bostonians referring to themselves as M*ssholes with perverse pride!

I've been insulted for being in the South all my life so I know how it feels. I always thought the Mass* term was witty in a low kind of way, but no better than the stupid Southerner jokes so I don't employ it.

I nod. And if I come up to another cyclist, I say hello, or good monring/evening. I guess for me, it's a form of encouragement. and in my area where I hardly see commuters, and rarely the same person more than once, I want to encourage people to keep doing it.

Hadn't heard the M-hole term before here in Texas, must be a northern thing.

I learned of the term from a Massachusetts native. He proudly referred to himself as a M-hole too.

One time I was messin with my cyclocomputer..lookin at the road... back down..and didn't notice the roadie on the opposite side going the other direction. Well.. not until the last second when I looked up and spotted a colorful cyclist in full kit tossing a wave. Of course it was too late and I continued on my way. In my helmet mirror I saw him yank his bike to a stop, flip me a full arm bird and yell, "Yeah.. well F*CK U TOO A**HOLE!!!!"

If he was hoping to become a real road racer he'd sure better get the psyche down pat and hold it together.

As always, Sheldon Brown has the answer.

From https://www.sheldonbrown.com/carapace.html:

The worst is when you ask another biker "Do these shorts make my butt look big?" and they don't answer.

I get so mad I could just spit.

If someone tries that waving crap with me I get pissed unless I feel like they are equal or superior to me. I ignore anyone who is fat, wears cargo shorts or is slow and out of shape. They aren't worthy of my attention.

I'm special.

I'll "wave", but I can't really take my hands off the bars to do so (it's usually a bike with drop bars, so that may have something to do with the roadie thing) -- so I end up just kind of waving my fingers on whichever side they can see.

A simple nodding of the head works for me. Sometimes a "How's it going?" too. Most of the time I get a nod back.

Look at the bright side, at least you ain't from Cleveland.

Nod, slight finger lift off the bars if warranted, and usually a smile. I don't see many commuters on my ride so I'm not exactly in danger of dislocating a wrist from waving. But I like to at least acknowledge a fellow utahrd on a bike. I don't do full kit though. I don't even own a kit. But if I did, I would never wave or acknowledge anyone just because. But the chances of me owning full kit is pretty slim. Like 0% unless someone gave me one. Then I'd refuse to wear it on principle. I'm not going to pretend to be that kind of biker when I'm not one. I mean, who wants to be "that guy". The guy in full kit on the MUP.

But seriously though, I seem to get a 50% response rate from kit dudes/dudettes. Usually the weekenders. Conversely, I get 0% from the x-mart non-white commuters. How rude, eh? (I"m not white either, just sayin.)

So you pretty much avoid mirrors, eh Denny?

I resemble that remark.

I generally do something like this, it's just so RARE to see anyone around here riding unless it's Sat/Sun at Oak Mtn State Park in Birmingham.

I'm making my first ever visit to Cleveland on Friday. I'm looking forward to it.

I am a snob of sorts. I only wave at fellow bike tourists.