why "competitive" cyclists are so rude and unfriendly?

[pliptrot]

Two weeks ago my wife and I took part in a 300km ride around Lake Vattern in Sweden. Allegedly 17,000 cyclist took part, and it was well organised and a great deal of fun. This was my wife's first long ride and her first organised event. What spoilt it, though, were the fast groups, clubs and teams who came by shouting at every one else to get out of their way. After the event my wife remarked " I now know where the term "lycra lout" comes from". It is not uncommon for such types to behave like this - I've been to Mallorca a few times in the spring and have been appalled by the behaviour of some riders - and it is a global phenomenon (I've lived [and raced] on 3 different continents and have found the same sullen, unfriendly behaviour everywhere - the more "serious" the cyclist the more tribal) but it does seem odd. My wife may - or may not- do this sort of thing again, but she was more than cheesed off by being told to move out of the way by other, faster cyclists. Continental were the apparent sponsor of one team, and they went past in such a way as to prompt me to write to Continental pointing out that their sponsorship certainly made an impression on us - we won't be buying any of their products as a result.

[mercalia]

They really shouldnt mix competative cyclists with the likes of you or me? Problem solved. Different expectations.

or

they should have staggered/streamed the start off. fastest first etc. Seems like these types of events are badly thought out if it happens worldwide.


or have lanes for over taking?

[eileithyia]

I guess the world is made up of all sorts of people, and regardless of what the are doing cycling, stamp collecting, tiddly winks, shopping in Tesco's or hospital visiting, there are people who are respectful of others and those who are downright rude to others...

[al_yrpal]

Testosterone? Just male willy waving really?

Al

[531colin]

Somewhere, on a parallel website, there are competitive riders moaning about tourists clogging up the place..........

Avoid the stress, get a map out and find some quiet minor roads and tracks.

I don't like these "events" where there are swarms of people with questionable manners and bike handling skills...but surely fast and slow riders should be segregated in some way, like staggered starts, as somebody said?

[StellaLdn.]

I agree that this is rather off-putting. As in any competitive field, people get all worked up and as a result they don't care about anyone else. The suggestion of the faster ones first then the other ones who just want to enjoy the ride behind them. They possibly should have different ways to enter by being asked 'competitive/casual' and then be strictly separated. I can't imagine it being much more organisation.

It's a shame that your wife had to experience something like this. I've never taken part in such events, but could imagine that I'd be rather pee'd off and shout something unpleasant back.

[niggle]

Sounds like a huge event- some sort of Sportif? The numbers would put me right off Why not try Audaxing, where sometimes numbers are in single figures, normally well below 100, and with the vast majority of people riding considerately and even being helpful to one another. Or as suggested just get out a map or GPS and go your own way...

This event seems like an odd choice for the professional teams as well- obviously with those numbers they are going to have problems with large groups of slower riders getting in the way

[Brucey]

I agree with Colin; milling about in amongst a crowd of variously hapless/irate strangers is not my idea of 'a nice bike ride'.

With that many people on the same road (and in the absence of staggered starts) there should not be any expectation that you should be able to ride tempo in a tight bunch or an echelon.

The relative speed between a group riding tempo vs many tourists/casual riders can be about the same as the relative speed between the latter and, say, pedestrians. I.e. potentially rather dangerous; no one would suggest that you took 8000 cyclists and 8000 pedestrians and mixed them up on the same roads willy nilly but if you mix up fast and slow riders you might as well have done exactly this.

I guess if it is done well, there can be a great sense of camaraderie between riders in such events but IME there is as much of the other sort of interaction in popular events and I'd sooner find some quiet roads and enjoy them in a small group or even on my tod.

cheers

[Psamathe]

This is actually quite a surprise for me. Given that all these teams need sponsorship money which I expect normally comes from companies using it as marketing, I would have expected team managers to require everybody to be friendly and cooperative to everybody. It would only take you to start posting "Team xyz" were just so rude ..." and should word get around the marketing/advertising impact is somewhat reduced.

I appreciate they need the results but being unpleasant does not help achieve those results.

When I used to sail competitively you regularly have small "skirmishes" with other boats. And those who get in a stew, get angry, etc. then start losing places as their anger interferes with their concentration. It was always important to deal with the situation and then focus on the future. Anger and unpleasantness achieves nothing but can impact performance.

And on a bike I suspect that somebody would "get out of your way" just as quickly is asked nicely than if shouted at and being rude.

Maybe I'm weird but I do tend to remember companies who are "unpleasant" so now I won't buy my heating oil from one supplier after their tanker cut me up at speed, wont buy building stuff from Travis Perkins because of their "Cyclists Stay Back" stickers, do buy my building stuff from CTS Buildbase because their driver gave me loads of room unexpectedly, etc. So whilst on my own it will have no commercial impact, others probably do the same even if subconsciously so how a company is perceived can have an impact on business.

Ian

[iandriver]

Out of 17,000 people, a fair amount will be idiots. That's life. I don't think they are competitive cyclists. Competitive cyclists put their money where their mouth is and race.

[OnYourRight]

And on a bike I suspect that somebody would "get out of your way" just as quickly is asked nicely than if shouted at and being rude.

True, but maybe pliptrot’s wife would still find it rude to be asked, however politely, to get out of the way? In fact, I get the impression from pliptrot’s post that his wife didn’t like being asked to move for faster cyclists, not that she was concerned they didn’t say ‘please’.

Slower cyclists will have to get out of the way of faster ones in an event like that, or they’d simply crash. Raised voices have to be used to be heard. These things don’t necessarily imply rudeness.

It’s not for me to tell others they shouldn’t be offended by something, but I personally would not be offended if a faster cyclist told me to get out of the way (though as an experienced cyclist, I’m normally already out of the way, i.e. riding in a straight line at the side of the road).

[ChrisButch]

While not disputing the main point, it's worth pointing out that if you feel the need to call out at significant volume when hot and breathless (such as, for instance, alerting a horse and rider to your presence), you can often sound aggressive without meaning to. Not easy to control your tone of voice in the middle of strenuous exercise. Even the neutral 'coming through', which used to be the clubman's standard alert when overtaking, can sound unintentionally hostile.

[Grandad]

Why not try Audaxing, where sometimes numbers are in single figures, normally well below 100, and with the vast majority of people riding considerately and even being helpful to one another.

+1

[foxyrider]

I ride some big sportives, up to 10,000 riders covering various distances and whilst they often have staggered starts for distance they generally all meet up for the last stretch to the finish. Not boasting but i'm usually in a fairly fast group, we might be doing 40km plus between checkpoints so coming across a group of riders doing less than half our speed is a regular occurence.

I've not known any conflict when i've ridden, a warning shout of our approach (thats not being rude) forewarns the slower riders that we are coming. Sometimes non communication can be construed as 'rudeness' but you can't say hi to everyone and you'll often see 'micro' waves or nods of thanks if you look at the passing groups. Just try it yourself, ride as hard as you can and say hi to everyone you pass without slowing down and do that for 5, 6, 7 or more hours.

Strange event to join as a first ride i have to say - try something like the Spreewald Marathon series just after Easter south east of Berlin - super friendly folk even in the 'elite' end of the 200km field (5.5 to 6.5 hours). If you want to ride 'social' you can.

One issue that seems to be perrenial are the number of inexperienced riders trying to 'mix it' at the start of these events - i've seen more accidents in the first 30km of these events than at any other point as riders unused to group riding and the etiquette thereof, flip course, ram brakes on etc - this can result in something of a race as the experienced riders try to get clear of the danger - there may well be some unhappy shouts when an incautious manouevre puts following riders in danger. Afterwards we'll all sit around with a beer and hotdog exchanging tales of near misses, idiot riders and mechanical misshaps!

[De Sisti]

Perhaps if she didn't get out of their way it'd force them to slow down.