Greetings whilst riding

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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foxyrider
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Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by foxyrider »

PT1029 wrote: 8 Sep 2021, 6:34am Some responses are more obvious than others. Often if I give a nod, wave or hello, the response is (literally) a raising of the little finger (right hand) , the remainder of the hand remaining resting on the brake hood.
Ah yes, the stealth greeting which, i must admit, i do use sometimes, usually if i'm climbing or perhaps pot hole dodging :D I generally flutter all the fingers or give a nod to oncoming riders, a verbal greeting to those that i pass - a full on arm wave and greeting is only used for folk i know :roll:
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
De Sisti
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Joined: 17 Jun 2007, 6:03pm

Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by De Sisti »

Oldjohnw wrote: 8 Sep 2021, 7:04am Never experienced the above.
It's the fact that some people (including cyclists, imo) get very aggrieved if they don't get their
own way all the time.
Darkman
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by Darkman »

I'm autistic and suffer terrible social anxiety - most of the reason why I ride solo yet I have no hang-ups about acknowledging other cyclists, and find their returned greetings quite therapeutic.

On the flipside, I can't help it but I take it very personally when they don't. :?
simonhill
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by simonhill »

foxyrider wrote: 9 Sep 2021, 5:32pm
PT1029 wrote: 8 Sep 2021, 6:34am Some responses are more obvious than others. Often if I give a nod, wave or hello, the response is (literally) a raising of the little finger (right hand) , the remainder of the hand remaining resting on the brake hood.
Ah yes, the stealth greeting which, i must admit, i do use sometimes, usually if i'm climbing or perhaps pot hole dodging :D I generally flutter all the fingers or give a nod to oncoming riders, a verbal greeting to those that i pass - a full on arm wave and greeting is only used for folk i know :roll:
T'was cycling in Western Australia a while back. On a 90 km day, I saw 4 cars. Their 'wave' to me was a single digit raised from the steering wheel clasped hand as they passed me. How I rejoiced.
busb
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by busb »

Due to increased age, I occasionally get overtaken by other cyclists :wink: I would say only a tiny percentage of those cyclists acknowledge my presence. If they do, I always reciprocate. I'm far more selective these days who I greet due to being met by silence for my effort from most. I've been returned with abuse a couple of times, once when I greeted a guy on a racing bike when on my hybrid - must have dented his ego, he also turned off soon after! Older folk are more likely to greet but people's sex makes little difference. I usually nod to oncoming cyclists.
ChrisP100
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by ChrisP100 »

busb wrote: 14 Sep 2021, 5:13pm Due to increased age, I occasionally get overtaken by other cyclists :wink: I would say only a tiny percentage of those cyclists acknowledge my presence. If they do, I always reciprocate. I'm far more selective these days who I greet due to being met by silence for my effort from most. I've been returned with abuse a couple of times, once when I greeted a guy on a racing bike when on my hybrid - must have dented his ego, he also turned off soon after! Older folk are more likely to greet but people's sex makes little difference. I usually nod to oncoming cyclists.
I'm never usually overtaken on hills (apart from e-bikes, but that's a different story :wink: ), but on the rare occasion I do pass someone on a hill I'll always try and muster a friendly 'morning/afternoon/evening'. That's if I've got any remaining lung capacity. :lol:
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Mick F
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by Mick F »

A slight difference to this thread ...........

Locally, people say hello etc. Even if we don't know each other, we meet and there's a smile and a wave.
Car divers pass me and the dog walking, it's a smile and wave.
Cycling, past other cyclists, it's nod and a wave, or a Hi or some sort of greeting and acknowledgement.
Cycling, and car drivers nod and perhaps wave.

Ride down Route 27 to Plymouth and see the difference.
At this end, passing cyclists and walkers and runners all say Hi and smile happily.
The nearer you get to Plymouth, the less this happens and eventually you are ignored even if you greet the passing cyclist/walker/runner. Absolutely cut dead.

It's a country vs city thing, here at least.
Mick F. Cornwall
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al_yrpal
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by al_yrpal »

Correct, get on a tube train and try it, or greet people in the street in Oxford or Henley. Go to Wallingford and see the difference...

Al
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gbnz
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by gbnz »

Mick F wrote: 14 Sep 2021, 7:05pm
It's a country vs city thing, here at least.
+ 1. Though up North many locals do struggle to construct a sentence.
Mike Sales
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by Mike Sales »

Mick F wrote: 14 Sep 2021, 7:05pm
Locally, people say hello etc. Even if we don't know each other, we meet and there's a smile and a wave.

It's a country vs city thing, here at least.
My village is friendly like that too. I think that it is more so since the plague, especially as people detour to give each other the social distance.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
DaveReading
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by DaveReading »

busb wrote: 14 Sep 2021, 5:13pmDue to increased age, I occasionally get overtaken by other cyclists :wink: I would say only a tiny percentage of those cyclists acknowledge my presence. If they do, I always reciprocate.
Cyclist who waits for others to greet him first complains about fellow cyclists doing the same. :)
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Mick F
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by Mick F »

gbnz wrote: 14 Sep 2021, 7:29pm
Mick F wrote: 14 Sep 2021, 7:05pm
It's a country vs city thing, here at least.
+ 1. Though up North many locals do struggle to construct a sentence.
I'm from "Up North!" :lol:
Brought up in Wigan from Wigan/Coppull parentage and ancestry.

If people can be friendly, why not friendly everywhere?
I'm friendly and will happily say Hello and even pass the time with anybody anywhere, no matter if riding a bike or walking the dog, or even driving or on the bus or on the train.

Why do some (usually city) folk find it so difficult?
Why are you cut dead by them?
Mick F. Cornwall
Mike Sales
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by Mike Sales »

Mick F wrote: 14 Sep 2021, 7:36pm
Why do some (usually city) folk find it so difficult?
Why are you cut dead by them?
On one of my very infrequent visits to London the Tube train broke down in a tunnel. As the minutes wore on and the temperature increased I was expecting grumbling to break out. Of course not. Everyone avoided each others eyes in silence. I nearly committed a faux pas by speaking, and revealing myself as a country bumpkin.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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Mick F
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by Mick F »

^^^^^

Just that.
Why on Earth should it be like that?
Mick F. Cornwall
Bmblbzzz
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Re: Greetings whilst riding

Post by Bmblbzzz »

When you are continually surrounded by people you don't know, why would you say hello to them? Even in an English city, there are enough cyclists that it's no rarity to see another.
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