Saluting other cyclists, what's the protocol?

mikemac

First all, I come from motorbiking where it's the done thing to salute or nod at other bikers.
Not in traffic obviously, but definitly on a sunny day in a lovely area........like today.

Went cycling from city centre, did a lap of Howth Hill today and back again.
Saluted every cyclist and every cyclist group on Howth Hill and only two acknowleged me

What's the story?

Caroline_ie

micmclo wrote: »

First all, I come from motorbiking where it's the done thing to salute or nod at other bikers.
Not in traffic obviously, but definitly on a sunny day in a lovely area........like today.

Went cycling from city centre, did a lap of Howth Hill today and back again.
Saluted every cyclist and every cyclist group on Howth Hill and only two acknowleged me

What's the story?

I usually nod or wave slightly or just smile... depending on if I need my 2 hands on the bars or not ...

Bicyclegadabout

People are pricks?


I'm surprised by that actually. Of course you should say hello to people, makes the world a better place. I haven't found any such ignorance while darting round myself.

Don't worry dude, I'll say hello whenever I see you.

cunnins4

I find most'll give the wave except for the ultra-super-dooper equipped- helmet, sunnies, big expensive jersies and gloves. I think it's cos a lot of the non-waving guys don't actually enjoy cycling and are out doing it to lose the belly. Probably went into cycleways and spent a bomb on cycling gear to "get fit" and then found out it's not as easy as it looks!

Don't worry, when everyone gets their boards jerseys it'll be waves from everyone!

Raam

I'll always give a nod, wave, or a hello, unless I'm smashed and have enough trouble turning the pedals already

tunney

What is a cyclist?
Is it someone who is on a bicycle or is it more than that?

kenmc

^ Good question.
I think in the context of this thread, a cyclist is someone who is on a bike by choice rather than necessity - i.e. they choose to get up and go out and exert themselves going up and down hills or long distances, rather than needing to get to work/school/college/a-to-b whatever.

And in the that context, I wouldn't normally salute a commuter, but would salute 'cyclists' and have always received a salute in return.

ba

true it does make the world a nicer place. you never know when you may need that person you waved to half an hour ago to give you a hand fixing a puncture or whatnot.

TinyExplosions

tunney wrote: »

What is a cyclist?
Is it someone who is on a bicycle or is it more than that?

This will tell you what a cyclist is

tunney

HA HA read that recently as well.

I think its a hard one to call to be honest.

Gotta love DaveZ....

Ghost Rider

I made the very same trip yesterday morning and found nearly everybody responded to my single-fingered salute (no, not that finger!).

I always do it when I'm on my road bike even if I suspect I won't get a response, as I think it generally improves the atmosphere.

For some reason, though, it never occurs to me to do it when I'm commuting...!

QUOTE=micmclo;55844293]First all, I come from motorbiking where it's the done thing to salute or nod at other bikers.
Not in traffic obviously, but definitly on a sunny day in a lovely area........like today.

Went cycling from city centre, did a lap of Howth Hill today and back again.
Saluted every cyclist and every cyclist group on Howth Hill and only two acknowleged me

What's the story?[/QUOTE]

smithslist

Ghost Rider wrote: »

I always do it when I'm on my road bike even if I suspect I won't get a response, as I think it generally improves the atmosphere.

I always do it, cycling is too small of a sport to have a bad atmosphere in it, even thou i dont always get an acknowledgment back......but that doesnt bother me

thou its funny when u meet someone on some isolated mountain, u catch him\her and go by and "say hello", doin it out of sincerity......but not thinkin that you just gave the person a big bloody fright.....:D:D:D

studiorat

Motorbike to motorbike I found it more common. I always found fellow motorcyclists a friendlier bunch than the fellow cyclists. No matter what you are riding, you'll get the nod off the bikers. Actually now that I think about it, the last time I was up the phoenix park on my mountain bike all I got was a sneer from a pair of arseh0les in tights, passing by.

smithslist

studiorat wrote: »

Motorbike to motorbike I found it more common. I always found fellow motorcyclists a friendlier bunch than the fellow cyclists. No matter what you are riding, you'll get the nod off the bikers. Actually now that I think about it, the last time I was up the phoenix park on my mountain bike all I got was a sneer from a pair of arseh0les in tights, passing by.

i would say thou....since the good weather is out, there is alot more of cyclists out so the proportion of not receiving a acknowledgment is higher.......

for a club cyclists, who is wearing club gear there is no excuse for not returning an acknowledgment back.....

studiorat

Mind you, around Howth is as much of a commute as it is a training spin, so there could be a reason for it there.

Supercell

I was out this evening and must have got at least five or six hellos or nods between Laragh and Annamoe, maybe it was pity at my huffing and puffing

sy

cunnins4 wrote: »

I find most'll give the wave except for the ultra-super-dooper equipped- helmet, sunnies, big expensive jersies and gloves. I think it's cos a lot of the non-waving guys don't actually enjoy cycling and are out doing it to lose the belly. Probably went into cycleways and spent a bomb on cycling gear to "get fit" and then found out it's not as easy as it looks!

Brilliant cunnins4, laughed out loud when I read this.

paddyb

dont get many salutes for my commute but when im out in the evenings or weekends, you always get a nod from another roadie

bunnygreen

a little wave of the right hand.

irishmotorist

I probably got half and half out around the back of west Dublin at the w/end. 5 or 6 acknowledgements and 5 or 6 not. I would generally try to give a small right hand acknowledgement - lift the had a bit.

It's hard to know if you've been seen with sunglasses though - you don't know how beat down the other guy is.

daymobrew

micmclo wrote: »

Saluted every cyclist and every cyclist group on Howth Hill and only two acknowleged me

I waved at a number of cyclists on Howth Hill and wasn't acknowledged my many. It could be that they a) didn't see my wave, b) too tired, c) I looked back to the road before they acknowledged, d) their wave was too subtle to see etc.

trek climber

Did a long spin down in the Wicklow mountains last Sunday morning and we met a lot of cyclists along the route - would have to say that the majority of cyclists did acknowledge us. What was noticable was the amount of motor cyclists along the route, it seemed that a small number of them were trying to see how close they could get to us and they passed.
Scared the s... out of us on a number of occasions.

PeadarofAodh

I remember the first time I went for a proper spin and headed out to Blessington, all the unexpected waving and nodding made me feel all warm inside! Thinking about developing a ridiculously over-the-top acknowledgement a la Arnold Rimmer (Red Dwarf). The old flowery military salute - won't miss that one! Now to practice not going over the handlebars while using it...

Bicyclegadabout

The farmers wave will be my new salute:
Flick the wrist to show the back of the hand with all the fingers pointing downwards. Mouth open, wink, and hop up and down in the saddle as if you’re bouncing around a tractor.

tunney

was out for a spin yesterday towards howth - all the "cyclists" bar one muppet in ireland gear said hello. Said muppet was on a flash race bike with flash wheels going slower than me on my fixie with a big bag (out and back course so i caught and past him).

THink the protocol is if you're a knob don't say hello. If you're not a know say hello.

Raam

A lot of it is to do with kinship and recognition of someone who is the same as yourself. So you give the nod to someone who is your perceived equal.

PeadarofAodh

Raam wrote: »

A lot of it is to do with kinship and recognition of someone who is the same as yourself. So you give the nod to someone who is your perceived equal.

So I should stop nodding and waving to small girls scootering along on the pavement?

Raam

PeadarofAodh wrote: »

So I should stop nodding and waving to small girls scootering along on the pavement?

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting a response like that!

cowan

studiorat wrote: »

the last time I was up the phoenix park on my mountain bike all I got was a sneer from a pair of arseh0les in tights, passing by.

Seconded.

There seems to be quite a bit of rivalry (thats not the right word, but it's all that comes to mind at this early hour) between roadies and mtbr's. I cycle both, and if I was say going up Howth on the mtb, and nodded/saluted at a roadie, I'd get a sneers, or a disdainful look. But if I did the same route on the roadie the next day, and saw the same roadies, and nodded at them, I'd get a wave back.

Either way, whatever bike I'm on, I usually give the nod.

niceonetom

i commute on a fixed gear and do most of my mid-week-spins on it too and i've found that other fixed gear people (of whom there are more and more these days) are very reticent to acknowledge me. not sure why this is. there's definitely a 'too-cool-for-school' mentality among some, who seem to be completely blind to people who wear any form of cycle-specific clothing (e.g. me). my theory is that they're used to being given evils by the couriers and think that's how people with no gears should act. i think it's called insouciance... very irritating.

roadies will nearly always give you a nod though.

Gavin

Yeah, I'm always keeping an eye out for fixies/singlespeeds to say hello to. Very few people do.

Couriers are impressive at their sneering. I was stopped at the lights, saw two of them across the road. One of them pointed at my bike and the other laughed. I cryed on the inside all the way home.

A lot of it is to do with kinship and recognition of someone who is the same as yourself. So you give the nod to someone who is your perceived equal.

How exactly do you judge the other cyclist to be your equal and if they merit a hello ?

Raam

Verb wrote: »

How exactly do you judge the other cyclist to be your equal and if they merit a hello ?

If you don't know, then you ain't in!

rp

PeadarofAodh wrote: »

Thinking about developing a ridiculously over-the-top acknowledgement a la Arnold Rimmer (Red Dwarf). The old flowery military salute - won't miss that one! Now to practice not going over the handlebars while using it...

Maybe that should be the official Boardie salute? I've given up on the old 'Hitler-greeting' style, as I was getting funny looks...

PeadarofAodh

rp wrote: »

Maybe that should be the official Boardie salute? I've given up on the old 'Hitler-greeting' style, as I was getting funny looks...

Seconded, enough of this low key nod/girly-boy raising of hand!

shapez

I've actually gotten a nod or a wave from a few motorcyclists while out on the road bike. I find it great encouragement when your riding through a town and you get a few claps or cheers from people pushing you on.

Also, get the odd car rolling down the window right beside you and yelling encouragement, which I find puts me in the stitches and nearly falling off the bike.

All in the name of fun and laughs!!

neilled

shapez wrote: »

I've actually gotten a nod or a wave from a few motorcyclists while out on the road bike. I find it great encouragement when your riding through a town and you get a few claps or cheers from people pushing you on.

Also, get the odd car rolling down the window right beside you and yelling encouragement, which I find puts me in the stitches and nearly falling off the bike.

All in the name of fun and laughs!!

This recently happened to me was heading towards the bridge at leeson street coming from the donnybrook direction - bunch of lads in their early 20's went passed me in a punto, beeping the horn, shouting and yahooing and general "go on ya boy ya" type stuff

I also being in my early 20's caught them at the lights a few seconds latter, and slid past blasting the airzound - cue more cheers and shouting from the car!

fiacha

i nodded, smiled and waved at every cyclist i passed in the Phoenix Park on Sunday (loads of 'em). Not a single response, except for a nasty Father Jack like sneer from one lad on a roadbike.

i have to say that I was expecting a better response than that !

oobydooby

Afraid I have to disagree with the OP here - I've always (90%+) given and gotten a nod, wave or a hello off any cyclist I've passed, leisure, mtb or roadie. I mustn't be on the fashionable routes where the bike snobs are:p If I make eye contact in the city I'll usually nod or acknowledge another person but I wouldn't expect cyclists to be going around like Crocodile Dundee in New York.

Karma

sorry to hear the messengers are sneering at your bike Verb, ignore them, some of them still cant fix their bikes(closed down my service centre-garage):D

Give them my salute, its a bit old fashioned but effective and you only use two fingers, and dont forget the smile.

I used to acknowledge most but with work and sometimes the situation it was not possilbe. not practical to do the leg wave, as so many of my motorbike buddies do, on a fixie. my friend is so focused(or daydreaming) that he never says hello.

No matter what we do, theres always going to be muppets who think they are better. ignore them or beat them.
ride safe
dotC

Hungrycol

Some times I just don't see other cyclists on the other side of the road and I'll keep my hands on the bars when I'm going over uneven ground, often, or cornering. I don't salute commuters cos I'd never have both hands on the bars for any length of time with the amount of them on the road esp during this recent spell of good weather. I will say a "Good morning" or "Hi there" when passing a fellow drop bar cyclist. Having said this I didn't this morning :rolleyes: twice! Oops.

el tel

When I'm out I'll lift my right hand off the bars slightly and give a wave to anyone who passes on a bike in the other direction. If I know them, or if they are close enough I shout 'Alright?!' If the other cyclist is a tourist with all their touring gear on board I make an elaboate show of lifting my right arm right up and give them a big thumbs up as I have a tonne of respect for them and they seem to appreciate the gesture.

The only people who never reciprocate a wave are mountain bikers or cycling noobies on el cheapo bikes (you know the type, the people who wear big fat white trainers and wear shorts in the winter).

zorkmundsson

el tel wrote: »

The only people who never reciprocate a wave are mountain bikers or cycling noobies on el cheapo bikes (you know the type, the people who wear big fat white trainers and wear shorts in the winter).

stop following me!
and i do reciprocate the wave.
on a slightly off topic note, did anyone around glencullen/sally gap area come across a bloke in a tweety bird outfit? he was hanging around a house a couple of miles past johnny fox's. odd.