Seattle Forrest

I'm riding up a hill, it's steep, one lane on each direction, and the fog line is about a foot from the curb. Which is fine, it doesn't get much traffic.

A line of a few cars comes up behind me, the first one slows down and paces me for a moment. Then takes off again. Very weird.

A lady yells out the passenger side of the next car at me "You're almost there! Keep up the good work!"

I've done this loop before and knew she was lying about being almost to the top, but it's nice not to hear "get off the road." As usual it took a second to register what the person said, at first it's just I'm getting yelled at from a car.

seypat

It's nice to read a positive story for a change. You probably got some extra oomph once the words registered.

GeneO

Nice. I thought this was going to be another get of the f'ing road threads. I got one of those the other day But I also got some bikers (motor) fist up hell yeah . That wiped out the other.

spelger

i got slapped on the caboose once.

guadzilla

Did you wave?

big john

My ex got slapped so hard she almost went down. When she got home there was a red handprint on her butt.

woodcraft

I think I got honked at for not wearing a face covering.

Empty, rural road, car was going the other direction- long honk.

Only thing I can figure.

Seattle Forrest

I did wave! I think it's against the Velumanati rules to wave at a motor vehicle, but once it registered that some random stranger is yelling encouragement I felt like I had to or there'd be a thread on car forums about how some ahole cyclist who didn't wave.

guadzilla

Actually, jokes apart, it is nice to encourage positive interactions between cyclists and motorists. If I am hogging the lane for some reason, i always make a point to give a signal to the cars behind me so they know i am aware, and i do peel off and give them space to pass when i can - and add in a wave as thanks.

And as i wrote this post, I just realized that i end up waving more to motorists than to other cyclists....

canklecat

Well, they did say they're going to yell at you. We've been warned. It just wasn't what we expected.

I've had similar reactions from drivers -- thumbs up, waves, etc. At least I think those were thumbs. Always a nice change. Not that many overtly hostile drivers here anyway, and lots of recreational cyclists in my area. So we're not really the oddballs.

Thanks, Lance Armstrong, for almost making cyclists seem semi-cool in Texas.

Now Lance will probably yell at me in his new documentary.

phrantic09

Tuesday night I was riding along a nearby lake and I had a dude on a Harley pull up beside me and hold there for about 30 seconds to keep a DB in a giant diesel pickup from passing me on a hill with no visibility.

Once you could see oncoming traffic he told me to have fun and took off. The truck laid on the horn as they went by of course.

justonwo

I love it when I get cheered on by passing cars. It’s a nice change!

Bah Humbug

People lie about the remaining hill height all the time in running races.

topflightpro

My wife gets harassed way worse than I do. Still, in recent weeks, we've both had drivers tell us to be safe while riding. Which was nice.

I also got called Lance recently.

GlennR

Better than "Hey Lance, get on the sidewalk".

big john

I haven't been called Lance in ages. In years past I have been spit on, buzzed, coal rolled, hit with bottles and cans and a ball of ice, and squirted with an unknown liquid from a squirt gun. Not to mention screamed at and honked at. All that pales compared to someone hitting my wife by hanging out of a car window. True cowardice.

GlennR

Maybe time for a video camera.

Some people are animals.

popeye

I admit to being an angry AH but I try to make up for it by acknowledging courteous drivers and peds whenever possible.

Pugs2xLove

Did you tell them you're no longer doped up or else they'd never catch up to you?

MidTNBrad

I was riding out in the country when a guy on a motorcycle passed me. He then proceeds to slow down to the point I catch him, sticks out his arm and waves me to give him a fist bump. Fist bump done, he waves, I wave back and he speeds up and is gone. Made my day.

SethAZ 

I was doing an above-threshold effort through the long main drag of this one housing community near me in an attempt to challenge the KOM. I was doing around 25-26mph and a car pulled up besides me, rolled the window down, and I was expecting to get yelled at. Instead I looked over and the dude gave me a big thumb's up and yelled something apparently encouraging but which I couldn't understand in all the wind and car noise. He was smiling, though. He then sped up and drove on. I'd imagine he was probably a roadie himself, paying his respects.

scott967

I don't think it's a lie -- just they have no clue what "almost there" really means. There's a race I do every year, and there's one spot where spectators tend to gather and they give you the "almost there" bit, but I know it's effing BS because there's a rise between there and the finish that can be really tough.

scott s.
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Seattle Forrest

People "like"-d this more than anything I've ever posted here.

big john

I had neglected to add mine earlier so it's there now.

Fox Farm

I like your story! Some years ago, while descending a big long canyon in Utah on my Ti road bike, I was really hitting it hard, carving the corners and using most of the road. It was late in the day and typically no cars. Then, whoops, I realized I had an auto behind me so I behaved and stayed on the white line. He pulled up next to me, put down the passenger side window and I thought, "ok, here it comes..." Yet he yelled, "very cool clinic you just put on there! Neat!" and drove away. I smiled all the way home...