Antisocial cyclists

[Cyril Haearn]

On these fora 'you should NOT be wearing a helmut' is more likely

[Oldjohnw]

On these fora 'you should NOT be wearing a helmut' is more likely

Just about to comment in a similar way! Wearing a helmet is more likely to get sanction than not wearing one.

[reohn2]

I've long since given up caring and the idea of 17 pages of comment about it baffles me.

I'll try and acknowledge/wave/nod at most people but there are times when it's difficult; it depends on traffic, weather, the road layout, if I'm in a group, if I'm cruising along the flat vs fast descending or out the saddle climbing...

Same with the "other rider(s)" which is why I don't care if I wave and don't get anything in reply or they wave and I don't respond.

The other one which seems to have come out of the woodwork more recently is helmet shaming. A lot of new cyclists on the road and it appears that the friendly "welcome" from existing cyclists is to shout "you should be wearing a helmet!"
Wow, how welcoming and inclusive...

Over the weeks of lockdown I've seen a guy in a replica World Champs jersey (the only possible World Champs he'd been in was pie eating), folk in regular clothes, people in full pro kit, £50 bikes dragged out of sheds for the first time in years, £10,000 brand new bikes, retro bikes, helmets, no helmets.... All sorts. Some have waved. Many haven't.
Every single one of them, I've managed not to judge them, not to comment on their attire or bike and not to care if they do or don't wave/nod.

Try it sometime, it's quite relaxing.

I try it all the time
It hasn't happened yet but anyone who tells me I should be wearing a helmet may be met by a very antisocial cyclist

[Vorpal]

I often see people I know on the main cycle route between my house and the town centre. I usually wave or say hello, and they respond. Others seldom acknowledge me, but there are a fair number of cyclists, and people also go along listening to music, talking on the phone, or in 2s or 3s chatting.

A couple of days ago, on my way home from shopping, I overtook an older gentleman (I would guess 90s?) on a folding bike. Considering his age and the bike, he was going a pretty good clip, and it took me a while to overtake him. When I got where I could see his face, I could see that he had great big grin on his face, like he was having the time of his life, and he gave me a cheery wave.

It positively made my day.

[Cyril Haearn]

When one sees a 'cyclist' talking on the phone one should shout at them in the hope that they drop the stupid thing and it smashes to smithereens on the ground

[Cyril Haearn]

TM, are you from the Language Police? Which single word do you suggest?
Maybe we could say all we want to with a couple of hundred words, dumming down is the word for that

Just remembered another word I used, 'whiner' for ebike (makes a whining noise)

If you use emoticons it might help people know whether you mean to insult or it is just your humour.

I am no more the language police than anyone else on here who expressed the opinion that PoB is widely accepted as a term used for abuse. It seems you don't use it for that purpose but on forums that's how it is likely to be understood.

Perhaps I should do a summary for those with short attention spans!

Or perhaps stop using it because it offends,the first line of Cyril's sig seems to say a lot about his attitude to others
A deliberate wind up merchant IMHO.

Thanks for the comment. I realised my signature 'Entertainer, kidult, curmudgeon' could be a good description of bojo, so I changed it

[reohn2]

Thanks for the comment. I realised my signature 'Entertainer, kidult, curmudgeon' could be a good description of bojo, so I changed it

Just as well then eh?

[Ellieb]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/videos/wa ... ide-waving
Don't know if this has been posted , but this is the definitive answer on waving.

[pedalsheep]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/videos/watch/dr-hutchs-guide-waving
Don't know if this has been posted , but this is the definitive answer on waving.

[thirdcrank]

What does he know? It's called the comic and has been since the second edition.

[Tangled Metal]

For some more experienced riders, the nod is completely imperceptible.

Since I've been riding bikes for 40 years I am a social cyclist afterall. It's just that you've not perceived my nod of acknowledgement!

Of course I could also simply not recognise you as the same type of rider as me so didn't acknowledge you with a nod at all.

Take your pick!

[Reevez]

I adopt an 'Inverted snobbery' stance, I completely blank the pelatons and the spandex clad carbon fibre, Bradley Wiggins clones and acknowledge all the grizzlers, families and shopping bike riders!

[The utility cyclist]

It hasn't happened yet but anyone who tells me I should be wearing a helmet may be met by a very antisocial cyclist

A couple of Saturdays ago, missus and I were riding the back lanes to the next town to visit the market, got passed in opposite direction by a group of 5-6 males, one shouted out "helmets", I shouted back "@@@k-off", what is with these people, I've not had it on a ride like that before so it really narked me.
I've had a general conversation whilst not riding and even accosted by an elderly couple some years back whilst at the same market we were going to, we were chatting about bikes and such as we 'bumped' into each other browsing the market, they then turned on me with some pretty aggressive language because I wasn't wearing a helmet. Their sole reasoning was because their daughter (or g.daughter) had received a head injury, it came across if you didn't wear one then you were basically satans spawn and irresponsible toward my family should I die yadda yadda

I'll only become 'anti-social' when provoked.

[Tangled Metal]

I don't get the chance to be antisocial like that. For some reason nobody says it to my face but they always say it to my partner. She's more "difficult" than me shall we diplomatically say, so not always best to say it to her if she has the time to build up the pressure.

With us is usually the case they say it to her so I can't hear then they buffer off before I get to hear about it. Have middle aged men in Lycra been so emasculated that they will only risk offending women? I'm 2m tall and funnily enough nobody gives me hassle. But of course I'm building the grudge up so when I do hear someone harassing my partner about it he'll get it for all the other times they've been cowardly. I just hope it's a MAMIL wearing Kendal club strip!! That's for a reason I won't get into here.

Does helmet Nazis class as being antisocial? If so the club scene is very antisocial in my partner's experience.

[Chainslapper]

I’m a roadie but I have to say the vast majority I see always acknowledge and I do likewise. I was told by someone who drove one that VW Beetle drivers used to do likewise but I think that’s probably died out there’s days - let’s hope cycling chivalry doesn’t go the same way.....