Here in Devon we always acknowledge other cyclists and sometimes they even respond. We see quite a few eBikes around and usually we stop and have a chat. Mostly we are cycling on Sustrans routes so you would expect to meet a good number of cyclists out for pleasure rather than commuting and with time for a natter.
We are family all of my sisters and me-but are we???
- Thread starter mountainsport
- Start date
Lol. That would be nice - sadly,
1) one group of cyclists envies us because they'd probably secretly love one but for one reason or another think it's demeaning, woosy or something only for physical invalids - or else too much money;
2) another group looks down on us ... after all if we can't assume the tuck position, ride in packs, keep a steady cadence and keep up in a Peloton we surely have no business being on two-wheeled contraptions ? ;
and
3) many people can't tell you're riding an eBike unless they look closely so don't recognize you're an eBiker... until you overtake them (then see point 1 above) !
So we really ought to be pleasant to each other
. It's very different in London than out in the countryside, but in fairness most cities are the same these days. Many people are so self-absorbed that they hardly register others let alone interact with them... unless they've had a few drinks - in which case it's an argy bargy or an alcohol-induced affability with their fellow man / woman which lasts till their blood alcohol concentration reaches a certain level or the booze runs out, after which it's tears (women), the grumps (men), sex or kip
.Alex,Lol. That would be nice - sadly,
1) one group of cyclists envies us because they'd probably secretly love one but for one reason or another think it's demeaning, woosy or something only for physical invalids - or else too much money;
2) another group looks down on us ... after all if we can't assume the tuck position, ride in packs, keep a steady cadence and keep up in a Peloton we surely have no business being on two-wheeled contraptions ? ;
and
3) many people can't tell you're riding an eBike unless they look closely so don't recognize you're an eBiker... until you overtake them (then see point 1 above) !
So we really ought to be pleasant to each other
It's very different in London than out in the countryside, but in fairness most cities are the same these days. Many people are so self-absorbed that they hardly register others let alone interact with them... unless they've had a few drinks - in which case it's an argy bargy or an alcohol-induced affability with their fellow man / woman which lasts till their blood alcohol concentration reaches a certain level or the booze runs out, after which it's tears (women), the grumps (men), sex or kip
Just give me the go ahead to skinny dip in the river Thames then let us see what happens next,all eyes will be on me.There is no excuse for this action.
Mountainsport.
.. if you feel you must ... ... but it's a bit nippy and from what I've seen of Londoners you may find no-one takes a blind bit of notice till the cops show up with an emergency hypothermia blanket and a pair of handcuffs !And a fishmonger on standby to purchase some of my latest catch.
Mountainsport.
I dont think it is wrong or strange to have a comradery amongst e-bikers, but it has been a rare occurence for me to come across another comrade e-biker on my travels. I do remember when I owned a Robin Reliant it was generally accepted that you would always flash a fellow owner as they passed in the opposite direction.
You may wind up catching a few ... the eel population in the Thames crashed to dangerously low levels so plenty of hungry fish about !
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The thread was maybe started light heartedly, I don't know....but this is a subject that comes up time and time again on motorcycling forums.
Quite frankly I find it a real pain in the ar*e to be expected to nod / wink / acknowledge every bleedin' motorcyclist I see coming the other way when I'm out on my Burgman 650.
The roads are treacherous enough without distracting yourself constantly trying to scan the head of oncoming bikers (and up here in the Peak District on a sunny day that would be one every 5 seconds or so) to see if they are nodding to you or not.
According to the various forums, many do. That is they look for and acknowledge head nods and try to precipitate head nods from other riders.
Possibly explains why so many of them die on the rides around here in accidents involving no other vehicle.
Its always interesting to have a chat with someone with whom you have a common interest but I'm afraid scanning the world for people passing in the opposite direction for some common theme, especially if you have only one, is likely doomed to result in disappointment at least.
As for all those bikers who insist on nodding at me - get a life! I'm too busy trying to preserve mine. I still see many of them though, but I hope none of them will succeed in distracting me enough to cause my death.
While I'm on some sort of a roll here...it's the bleedin' same when you go on a walk around the local reservoir...about half the people going the other way will say something and the other half nothing but you spend the entire walk concentrating on whether you should say something to every tw*t who appears from the other direction or whether they will say something to you instead of just enjoying whatever peace and quiet you can glean from your excursion.
No doubt I'm in a very small minority but I find the whole thing just tedious .............!
And in general I don't think of myself as antisocial, maybe others do.
JimB
Quite frankly I find it a real pain in the ar*e to be expected to nod / wink / acknowledge every bleedin' motorcyclist I see coming the other way when I'm out on my Burgman 650.
The roads are treacherous enough without distracting yourself constantly trying to scan the head of oncoming bikers (and up here in the Peak District on a sunny day that would be one every 5 seconds or so) to see if they are nodding to you or not.
According to the various forums, many do. That is they look for and acknowledge head nods and try to precipitate head nods from other riders.
Possibly explains why so many of them die on the rides around here in accidents involving no other vehicle.
Its always interesting to have a chat with someone with whom you have a common interest but I'm afraid scanning the world for people passing in the opposite direction for some common theme, especially if you have only one, is likely doomed to result in disappointment at least.
As for all those bikers who insist on nodding at me - get a life! I'm too busy trying to preserve mine. I still see many of them though, but I hope none of them will succeed in distracting me enough to cause my death.
While I'm on some sort of a roll here...it's the bleedin' same when you go on a walk around the local reservoir...about half the people going the other way will say something and the other half nothing but you spend the entire walk concentrating on whether you should say something to every tw*t who appears from the other direction or whether they will say something to you instead of just enjoying whatever peace and quiet you can glean from your excursion.
No doubt I'm in a very small minority but I find the whole thing just tedious .............!
And in general I don't think of myself as antisocial, maybe others do.
JimB
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You may have point there Marc...I was following a car the other day and there was a little dog on the parcel shelf doing exactly that.
JimB
JimB
Truthfully, I only do it if I'm feeling feel disposed and it seems right. Usually when the person I'm nodding to is female and either young and attractive or dignified and mature, or (without gender discrimination) elderly and from an era where fewer bikes were on the road to be nodding to (and then only when there aren't other bikes around). Waving in at least some of those circumstances might easily be misconstrued as somewhat forward and inappropriate of a young man such as myself !
I certainly don't go around thinking about whether I should acknowledge other people. Sometimes it happens sometimes it doesn't. Depends what mood I'm in !
I certainly don't go around thinking about whether I should acknowledge other people. Sometimes it happens sometimes it doesn't. Depends what mood I'm in !
If you want to be treated as invisible to the Lycra brigade try riding a recumbent trike, about 99% will act as if you are not there, unless you are about to overtake in which case they will kill themselves to try and stop it happening
On the E-bike I get a greeting from most riders ebike, lycra, MTB.
JimB, if riding ever became the chore you describe I will stop riding.
On the E-bike I get a greeting from most riders ebike, lycra, MTB.
JimB, if riding ever became the chore you describe I will stop riding.
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Cheers,to you too hech let's all raise our tin cans LOLwell who'd of thought it, such a breadth of opinion about saying hullo, well seen it's saturday night and tension is running high on the forum, it's nice to be nice is all, cheers, hic, etc, hech
Have a nice day hech
Mountainsport. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I think that us chaps, cognizant of the fact that far too few women ride ebikes, should do our duty to do everything we can to rectify this gender imbalance. This is why I make a point of addressing a particularly warm friendly smile towards every lady I pass. Other than from the odd grump, the response is satisfactory and indeed on occasion can be deemed welcoming.
There’s obviously no point in bothering with blokes; moreover they might get the wrong idea.
There’s obviously no point in bothering with blokes; moreover they might get the wrong idea.
You are correct AlMel...and what's more a 'Glasgow Kiss' could ruin your entire day
I have to admit that I'm fascinated by the psychological element of this. Maybe it's obvious but what is it within us that drives us to give and seek recognition from particular individuals or groups?
Why, for example, would we just acknowledge people with electric motors on their bikes and not other cyclists? Apart from the fact, as Alex has already pointed out, you often can't see that a bike's electric until you're passing it. Would there be sub-cliques who only acknowledge others with Sram dual drive or Nuvinci hubs (slim pickings there, I might join that lot).
Do we risk upsetting other owners of ebikes who have left theirs at home and come out for a walk?
This whole subject is so fraught with the danger of people feeling snubbed and being emotionally scarred for life maybe we should just include everyone and acknowledge, I don't know, lets call them 'other people'.
Going back to AlMel's point (and I think Alex too admits to being a cycling lethario
)...there is the issue of how such 'moves' will be received by the young things the subject of our attentions. Approaches from Brad Pitt lookalikes like Alex and AlMel will no doubt be welcomed but unfortunates like me will have our ears ringing with screams of 'dirty old man' or worse. 'Ows about that then? In the meantime is someone going to get some badges made for this group....how about the Pedelec Massif or Hells Angels e-Bike Chapter?
JimB
It's kindred spirits Jim. It's not only seeking recognition so much as showing recognition and appreciation of someone else who has made same choice in life. That another exists is in turn a validation and reinforcement of our choice, and thus is a form of reflected praise for ourselves. Sometimes the driver for that need can be insecurity, the unwillingness of most to be the first with anything, different from others. However, this last factor is less likely with e-biking in the UK since it is such a minority activity, attracting those who don't mind being different.
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