Cyclists are rude!

[Danger Dassie]

The Dassie has spoken....he he.....good point too , self serving and sensitive

 

Normally we just leave tracks in the sand

[barrykm]

I too have wondered why roadies don't always return or acknowledge greetings, but sometimes, ...just sometimes..., they may be too focused on their climb/decscent/pain to hear/see your greeting and return it...?

[Chro Mo]

I came to terms with cyclists rarely returning a greeting.

 

Does it stop me from greeting? No.

Does it bother me when they don't? No.

 

I'm out riding because I love it.

[pastapouch]

I came to terms with cyclists rarely returning a greeting.

 

Does it stop me from greeting? No.

Does it bother me when they don't? No.

 

I'm out riding because I love it.

I even greet fellow motorists...especially if the driver is cute...

[TNT1]

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu144/gl23_2009/aw_geez.jpg Edited December 23, 2012 by TNT1

[Agteros]

A controversial title no doubt. Possibly a gross generalisation. But is there any truth in it?

 

I usually ride at irregular times and most of the time off road on single track. As a result I very rarely come in contact with other riders while out there. This morning was different to the norm. I hit the road at 5am for a ride.

 

I tend to be very cheery when I am out riding or running and greet everyone I see or pass. This morning I passed pedestrians, some out strolling, some on their way to work. I passed a number of joggers. And I passed a number of cyclists.

 

Without fail the joggers returned my greeting with a cheerful smile. A number of them getting their greeting in first before I had a chance to get mine in. This did not surprise me as over many years of jogging I have always found fellow joggers to be cheerful.

 

A very large number of pedestrians returned my greeting. Those that did not would at least glance in my direction or give me a smile.

 

Not one single cyclist returned my greeting! The majority not even acknowledging my existence. Actually, I lie, the one chap seemingly reluctantly did so as we briefly stopped at the same robot together.

 

So I need to ask, is this normal behaviour for cyclists? And if so, why? Does the relative expense of the equipment needed to cycle mean that most cyclists are snobs who feel they are above being friendly to strangers? Or is there some other reason? Perhaps the faster speed than the others means some need to concentrate real hard on what they are doing.

Was she pretty, and now you're being petty for her not being taken by your generous show of friendship?

 

Edit: generally I do not care, and do not greet everybody first. Once I did not greet first, and 'they' felt agrieved and shouted 'abuse'. WTF?

 

edit2: Generally I've found roadies less prescriptive as to what I'm to wear, do, bike to ride and how to act than what MTB hubbers have been trying to be.

Edited December 23, 2012 by robox

[Simon Kolin]

I have to agree with you Clint. Cyclist are horrifically “unfriendly and rude” and I have my ideas, as you elude to, about why this is…

1. Cycling is an elitist sport and the social mores seem to be very dependent on the brand bicycle you ride, the clothes you wear, the route and distance you ride. Running is polar opposite in that way. Even if you have the best shoes and kit, they aren't that much more expensive that what “joe public” can afford. I find that runners don’t have the excuse, as cyclists do, to ignore you because you haven’t spent 25K on such-n-such bike and such-n-such helmet. In all the years I have been running, I have never experienced as I do when I ride, the raving and jabbering and drooling over shoes and kit, like cyclist do over their toys. At worst a runner will discuss a brand of HRM or the merits of minimalist shoes, but that’s about it. Runners can’t afford the snobbery, because it doesn’t exist.
   

1. Cycling requires more concentration than running and I think most cyclist don’t even notice anything that isn’t also on 2 wheels or looks like a place for potential disaster. I’m in no way saying that runners don’t have their share of hazards to be aware of, however, the speed at which they navigate a trail/road is not as fleeting as when on a bike. I ran Delta Park/Emmarentia this morning with 2 friends. We plod along and talk so much *** and there is all the time in the world to give salaam/wag a finger/stop for a drink at a tap. I notice often that cyclist are either too busy talking in a group to notice anything else, or they are in tunnel vision about avoiding that tree root/hoping that dog doesn’t eat them. Bordering on sexist, but there were a few young girls that I greeted this morning that couldn’t give a flying **** about me or anyone else because of the riding effort, as they desperately held on to dad and elder brother’s wheel.
   

1. Cyclist ride because it is a challenge, Runners run because they like to be adventurous fools. I ride because I want to clean that hill before I puke. I ride because I don’t know where that trail will take me. I ride because "downhill" is awesome!!! I ride though mud because packing in at 30km makes me feel like a kid. The truth is, most of the time I probably don’t notice or have the lungs to mutter a “hello” at anyone else I see. Don’t get me wrong; I find running infinitely harder. I feel like a lumbering idiot whenever I run, but my style of running means I run slow, I run far (sometimes) and I stop often and talk to people. I run because it hurts like a mother f*****. I run because I can have beer and talk **** along the way. Maybe it’s an excuse. Maybe it’s an unconscious reinforcement about something. Running satisfies a different need. Whatever it is, running is just more social. That’s my experience anyway.
   

1. Cyclists are not pack animals. It seems a contradiction as most cyclists ride in a pack/bunch, but what I mean is, most cyclists don’t belong to any club or feel a “belonging”. If you look at average cyclists, they are out on a route that they do every so often because that’s all they know and that’s all they care to know about it. They do it because their mates or their family will do it. They don’t belong to a club and they don’t plan the next 3 months worth of races in advance. Runners, I find on average, all belong to a club, and they have (at very least) races until end of February memorised and entered. Running is so accessible that it lends itself to a feeling of community and sociability. It lends itself to the sit and chat about anything along the way. It means that you can, as a given, be out running today and know that most other runners will be training for Dischem or Jonson Crane. So you smile and wave and chat to any of them. That feeling of community then means that runners can salaam/greet anyone else exercising that they meet (other runners, cyclists, that girl with the horse, the old couple with the dogs). I don’t think cyclists get that that at all, so they don’t make the effort. Or more accurately, they don’t know how.
   

1. Cyclist are confusing. A runner out at 6am on any given day is probably training for some or other road race/event in the next month. Cyclists, well, who the heck knows. Just because you’re arse deep in mud along the Spruit on a Sunday, doesn’t tell me that you’re actually more of a roadie and your next big race is such-n-such on 16^th Feb. How the hell should I know? There is less of a connection and bravery in asking or making eye contact amongst cyclist because of this (total assumption on my part).
   

1. Cyclist are invisible. Go to any shopping centre or whatever and you’ll see a runner a mile away. Even the most unassuming runner. They will be wearing the electric banana “Run Jozi” shirt or some with the blue Comrades shirt from last year. It’s so easy to just say in passing as you wait in PnP to that person “how’s the training going?”…..and off the conversation goes. I’m guessing that unless that same person was wearing clipless shoes or a helmet, you would have no idea or want to ask anyone about their cycling training. Runners talk. Cyclists don’t.
   

In reality, I think the trick is not to care. It doesn’t really matter if people salaam/greet back. I don’t think that the majority of people out there deliberately ignore you/other cyclists. I think, as ridiculous as it will sound. Most people are just trying to survive our roads and trails. Take a mental high 5 from everyone you pass and life will be AWESOMER!!!

Edited December 23, 2012 by Simon Kolin

[nishiki]

Who cares???

 

Do you greet everyone you pass at the mall? I mean, we all have a common interest when there...to shop. So we should walk around going "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" "hello" all day???

 

Get a freaking life dude. I don't greet cyclists when I ride because I don't want to. It's my 'ME' time, and I'm not there to socialise. Get over it.

 

Although, Clint, I'd love my foot to greet your behind.

[pastapouch]

pLEASE ALL, just put a sign on yourselves so that should I cycle anywhere near you, I should no not to even look. For those who want to greet. It will be returned...as for Robox, TNT1, Nishiki...heres your sign.

[petatodd]

Wow, thank you so much for bestowing the honour of that title on me. I must have missed the nominations and voting but am stoked about it none the less. I would like to thank my Mom and Dad obviously as it was clearly genetics that lead to this title.....

You nominated yourself.

[Ryanpmb]

you have a point Clint was out there this morn too.......not many returned greetings by roadies

 

Joe dont be an @ss

Welcome to TheHub 'Maillot Jaune'.

 

You'd understand some of the comments here if you familiarized yourself with some Hub history.

[Clinton1]

I was hardly bitching about them not greeting me back but rather making an observation. If discussions and observations relating to cycling are banned on this forum then please accept my apology.

 

I also never turned it into a road cyclist vs MTBers discussion, others did. I merely pointed out my normal riding habits as these explained why I have not seen many other cyclists while out riding before today.Today was an exception and the reaction, or lack of it, from fellow cyclists was enough for me to feel it was worth asking if it was the norm.

 

Some are accurately stating that you get rude people in all walks of life but as mentioned in the OP I came across a decent sample of pedestrians, joggers and cyclists this morning and, based on this sample, one group was way out as regards the norm.

 

And for the person that asked, no I do not greet every car that drives past for a a fairly obvious reason, they usually approach me from behind at a great speed and are usually gone before I can raise me hand. I did offer speed as an excuse for cyclists but then again I passed many of them, hence was going faster, and managed a greeting. If a vehicle toots and waves though, as does happen, I am happy to reciprocate.

[Clinton1]

Although, Clint, I'd love my foot to greet your behind.

 

Wow, such a macho man, nishiki. Saying things like that must make you feel so awesome about yourself.

 

I suppose comments like these do explain my perception that many cyclists are rude. There are a lot on here who seem to prove that point. This wonderful chap being one of them.

[Clinton1]

I have to agree with you Clint. Cyclist are horrifically “unfriendly and rude” and I have my ideas, as you elude to, about why this is

 

Great post, Simon, thanks for that. A lot of what you mention makes sense and I alluded to a few of them in the first post. I suppose being a runner of many years myself I just find the difference quite startling and rather sad. It is not going to stop me from riding, and it sure won't stop me from greeting as, unlike many others on this forum, I tend to be a happy, pleasant fellow

[Grebel]

Get over it. I did. If you feel like you must greet, then do so. If you don't get a "hello" or a nod or wave back, no biggie. Be thankful that you have a bike and are able to go for a ride.

 

Merry Christmas.

[DJR]

Clint, I'm unsure of how to break the bad news to you, so I'll just give it to you straight: It is only YOU that that get ignored! ALL of us are greeted, ALL of the time, in the most friendly manner, even by roadies, even by beautiful girls and even by tough guys training for the Epic. (I hope someone greets you for Christmas! )