Face Plant Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 article taken from bicycling.co.za The Hitch-Hikers Guide To Cycling MannersBilly Stelling, 06 Oct 2009 /images/mainpic_overlay.gifAre you a friendly cyclist? Do you greet others while riding? If you don't, Billy lists the possible reasons why. There are a lot of egos out there on the road bike and as discussed before, this can sometimes lead to the testosterone getting out of hand.Not only do roadies have to race each other up the hills and always want to ride hard on the front to impress their peers, but there is also another side to the typical male cyclist which is extremely dominant, and that's their unfriendliness.I'm not sure if it's only in Cape Town or if it's a global thing, but one thing is for sure, not many people have a friendly wave to give whilst cycling. I have tried to work it out and this is what I have come up with:1. Rejection. Perhaps on previous occasions, you had waved and not had a return wave, so have been scared off from being friendly. Stop being ridiculous. Suck it up and say hello. Being nice to other cyclists shows you're not only a nice, friendly individual, but also that you don't have anything to prove out there on a training ride.2. Intimidation. This means that you may be riding on your own and a big group comes past the other way, all bravado and noisy and you are intimidated by their presence, so slink away into your shell. Rubbish! Suck it up, look one of them in the eyes, the one on the front will do, and greet with a raised arm. You have nothing to fear, they are also wearing lycra and may even have hairy legs (God forbid!)3. Concentration. You might be in the throws of riding over a particularly rough piece of tar or descending at high speed, whilst watching the person's tyre in front of you and you cannot be bothered to say hi to the bunch going up the hill the other way. Understandable. Just raise your finger off the drops, it's the thought that counts.4. Wannabe-ism. You think that you are better than everyone because you ride a R120,000 bicycle as your daddy is very wealthy or you have a high powered job. That is just very sad and you are going to wake up one day with lots of regrets, especially if you somehow manage to lose all the fancy bling things in life and realise then, that you are still only human and the same as everyone else who rides a bicycle.5. Naievity. Not sure of whether to wave or not because you are new at cycling and are not sure of what's acceptable/correct/done. Believe me, just wave, and your way to cycling enlightenment would have begun. Soon you will learn all the other tricks. How to slip stream, ride without hands, fix your own gears and even ride uphills.6. Rudeness. You're just a rude, obnoxious individual, who has scant regard for other people in life. If this is you, and you are 40 years old, you can ride in the Veterans League and you will fit right in, well, only with some people, most are actually nice. If this is the case, the world works in mysterious ways and the universe will deliver to you what you've got coming. So, before you feel that this is an acceptable way of conducting yourself on a bicycle, a change of attitude is needed. This category of people also only ride road bikes, so we can always escape them by getting onto the mountain. Deep down this bunch will identify with this pattern, but will probably never admit it to anyone else.7. Fatigue. When you have had a 230 km ride and are in the final kilometres of getting home, riding into a howling South Easter, then, and only then, are you excused.8. Weekends. When a million people are out riding on a Saturday morning, greeting the first few is great, then forget it, as your arm will become exhausted, unable to even change your gears. It would also look like the beginning of the Monty Python skit with the fish in the tank in the restaurant, swimming past each other greeting one another. "Morning! Good morning! Morning Paul? Oh look, George is being eaten!" Get the picture? Be nice.I did a survey on a Saturday morning riding towards Fish Hoek and out of the 35 people I greeted whilst doing the survey, 6 waved back and none waved first. Interesting, but it did it make me smile.
Willehond Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 Funny this greeting thing. When you go out walking in town, do you greet all the walkers? Do you wave at other motorists when you ride in your car? Then why the obsession with manners when you cycle? I don't know you so why must I greet a total stranger who I have nothing in common other than an unhealthy lycra fettish? Just ride your bike.
The Saint Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 I always greet, even say hello the the runner when he passes me from behind.MuXmAn2009-10-07 08:13:03
Face Plant Posted October 7, 2009 Author Posted October 7, 2009 I always greet' date=' even say hello the the runner when he passes me from behind.[/quote'] i do exactly the same !!! think its just plain decent !!
Wyatt Earp Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 I always greet' date=' even say hello the the runner when he passes me from behind.[/quote'] i do exactly the same !!! think its just plain decent !! +1 for me too
firefox Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 Allways, thats why a complete stranger will help you fix your puncture, people dont stop when you have a flat driving your Car. Hello everyone:)
The Saint Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 WilleHond it probably boils down to the fact that as a cyclist you are going to disobey so many laws of the country within 3 hours that you may as well do it with a smile on your face. That way you will look like any government official and probably get away with it.
Willehond Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 I always greet' date=' even say hello the the runner when he passes me from behind.[/quote'] i do exactly the same !!! think its just plain decent !! Decent?! I think it's pretty crap getting passed by a runner...
Willehond Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 WilleHond it probably boils down to the fact that as a cyclist you are going to disobey so many laws of the country within 3 hours that you may as well do it with a smile on your face. That way you will look like any government official and probably get away with it. Ah, that explains why nobody greets you on a bike in the Netherlands. You greet someone here and you get a puzzled face staring back at you thinking "Do I know you?". Way too many people cycling to get that clan feeling...
skipperw Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 i always greet unless i can't owing to the deep burn in my chest and legs...which is more often than not. therefore, one could conclude that i don't often greet. the intention is there, but it would sound more like a high-pitched grunt of agony.
Bos Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 theres this Ballie that use to work at my Fathers firmwhenever I passed him he would stop and say "Top of the morning to you stefan, top of the morning!" I would greet back and feel, honoured. I love riding my bike in the mornings and just see what a frendly good morning does. half of the peeps dont respond but especially the older bunch, mabe going for their earlybird walk (cause there arnt many around that early) they really dig it. mabe it restores some of their dignity.. I think it is more respect for others. Willehond, I agree that the onlyone I greet when the sidewalks are packed would be the good looking ladys. But when the roads are quiet like often the case when out of town on a ride it is more of a comaradery thing.. like If you were alone hiking across the south pole and you saw another Human, youd probably make out with him, or her greetings then! afternoon to you all, Im grabing my coat.. slam.
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