Cycling UK Forum

Since the start of the lockdown out on the backroads where I cycle I am seeing more and more roadies encapsulated in lycra head down, peddling away furiously and find my greetings are usually ignored. Whoever I encounter I usually say a cheery good morning or good afternoon, sometimes Hi, but more and more there is no response.
Perhaps its my grizzled appearance and garb consisting of a white helmet, polar top, flourescent yellow tabard, jeans, cycle clips and hush puppies?
Perhaps is my upright stance on an electric clunker ( I usually stay well behind on the flat and whizz past on electric Turbo when encountering any sort of hill)
Perhaps its because of Straver or whatever?
Perhaps many of these folk are new cyclists unaware of good cycling manners?
There are lots of families out and about with youngsters, they always respond?
So is it me?

Al?

Hi Al , That is a real blast from the past? Remember when Cycling Weakly was ever full of letters bemoaning the lack of a simple acknowledgement in response to a cheering wave! Part cycling snobbery, part pig ignorance!
Were you on the right sort of cycle, not bling enough, these days too much metal, unless it is titanium that is?
As a trikie I'm quite used to it, they never ever replied when I greeted them as I overtook in Time Trials .
Cheer up Al, with luck the puncture fairy will visit them???/ TTFN MM

Not just you
On my Thursday ride for the last 4or5 weeks I’ve met an old grizzly guy happed up in helmet and hi vis whatever the temperature. Sometimes I meet him on my way in and way out. Still not had a response to my cheery 'morning' but I’m hoping I detected a flicker of a smile and slight recognition on our last passing.
Actually look forward to a Thursday now and see if I can crack this miserable old git. I’ve cracked a few Lycra clad roadies over the last weeks but this old sod is a challenge

Some people are just ignorant.
Some "roadies" are just ignorant.
It's hit and miss.I've been ignored in the past by a roadie going the opposite way wearing the same club kit as me!I say ignored meaning I did not see or hear a response when I greeted him.
They may claim they were training or in the zone but a nod,wave or hello takes no time at all!

hi,
No different if you're just walking around either.
I have noticed this now for decades even.
I think they are just more people cycling so you notice it more not that cyclists are more likely to be antisocial.
I tend to find men worse In this than say younger women.
But they might just be laughing at my knobbly knees

Totally agree with earlier posts. I always acknowledge other riders whatever they are riding, but usually get nothing back.

But it all changes when they have a problem.......

"Hey mate have you got an allen key I can borrow".....or

"Hey can I borrow your pump"

Rant over.

Pete.

It is definitely not just you, I rarely get a response to a cheery 'morning' from other cyclists. The lady on her bike, with a basket on the front, going for a Sunday paper will reply, but there's nothing from the overwhelming majority of cyclists.

I used to think it was probably a North Yorkshire thing, but I've read on here a number of times re the unfriendly nature of a lot of cyclists.

I can be out on my own, miles from anywhere, narrow little lanes and the 'roadie' coming the other way will just ignore me - it's not just the odd one, I hardly ever get so much as a grunt out of them

The passions of my life have been music, walking and motorcycling and there is a rich seam of friendliness runs through all those activities. I didn't come to cycling until my mid 50s and I have found it so different to my previous interests.

How can you see another person miles from anywhere and not pass the time of day?

merseymouth wrote: they never ever replied when I greeted them as I overtook in Time Trials

You could try offering them a liquorice allsort.

My days in the hills afoot are long past, but some used to say hello, others not.
I used to relate it to the density of people in that particular area, or sometimes climber/walker snobbishness.
Do passing walkers in the hills acknowledge each other these days?

hi,
I will admit that in the past I've been a bit of a miserable git.
40 odd years ago on the Pennine Way, walking with camping gear et cetera et cetera.
Passed a female a few years younger than me going the other way, clutching a sandwich box, they had proper walking boots/shoes or whatever and a coat but nothing else.
Bearing in mind this is the Pennine Way on the border of England and Scotland down from the Cheviots, I was up there one time in mid summer and the ground can be frozen solid, we were approximately as far as you can get from any road Or any house, I I RC 15 miles.
I did look at her as I passed but our eyes did not meet, so I said nothing, probably not likely to do that today tho.

Mike Sales wrote:My days in the hills afoot are long past, but some used to say hello, others not.
I used to relate it to the density of people in that particular area, or sometimes climber/walker snobbishness.
Do passing walkers in the hills acknowledge each other these days?

I think you’ve a point regarding density. On very busy paths I’ve seen my own enthusiasm for greeting wane. Mrs P can keep it up longer than me I think I keep my effort for guaranteed responses. ie eye contact.

Whether in my appalling roadie lycra or going to the shop in civvies, I've found other cyclists of all stripes to be almost invariably cheery during lockdown, and felt real camaraderie from it.

Reddington wrote:Some people are just ignorant ..... a nod,wave or hello takes no time at all!

Ignorant in the literal sense of not sharing the same knowledge, yes. I suspect many of the people Al is encountering simply have never been told or otherwise found out that it used to be normal for cyclists on quiet country roads to acknowledge each other in passing. They do not do it because it does not occur to them to do it, rather than due to being rude. An urban cyclist will not usually acknowledge other passing cyclists in this way on urban roads because it is neither practical nor a social norm, and when they start to venture out onto rural roads they have no way of knowing that anyone expects them to do anything different.

When I first started riding out into the country as a teenager, and first experienced other cyclists greeting me, it took me by surprise, but I had experience of country walking and of walkers greeting each other, so I promptly worked out that this was the same sort of thing and joined in. Without that country walking experience to provide the clue, I might well have just been puzzled that these people I did not know were saying hello to me.

Hi Mike Sales, That only works if you're "Queen Beryl" MM

Mike Sales wrote:Do passing walkers in the hills acknowledge each other these days?

I think it varies.Mostly I would say yes.The "proper" walkers generally do but the ones clad in jeans and trainers who are only doing it because it the highest etc and they'll probably never do another often don't.These,I find,are usually the ones who also litter the hills with bottles and wrappers etc.