No longer fashionable to say Hello?

[bryanattewell]

I've cycled around much of Britain and had a few trips across Europe, and, very largely, on cycle paths, passing cyclists will greet one another with a friendly acknowledgement.

However last week we were riding the trails in Derbyshire and it seemed that it was the exception for cyclists to respond to or initiate a greeting. This unfriendliness doesn't appear to have spread to my neck of the woods (C2C route through NE England), maybe I encountered a rogue sample of riders in Derbyshire?

Is it becoming uncool to greet fellow travellers these days, if so that's a shame!

[Mark1978]

Which bit of the C2C route through NE England? As I cycle that fairly regularly!

[PH]

It's certainly a fashionable subject, seems to come up more often than most
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=86381&hilit=cyclist+greeting
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=92839&hilit=greeting

[bryanattewell]

Which bit of the C2C route through NE England? As I cycle that fairly regularly!

Hi Mark,

I live in Fatfield, Washington. The missus and myself are Sustrans rangers looking after our local stretch.

Our local group rides every (or almost every) 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, starting from St Bobs crossing Fatfield at 10 am. Rides vary depending upon who turns up, we cater for all abilities, so it could be a short and sluggish trundle, or a faster more demanding outing. Yesterday's ride involved climbing Peth bank out of Lanchester, so a tad more onerous than normal.

[chris_suffolk]

Similar here - no response from many others I have passed in the past few weeks

[MartinC]

I used to live in the centre of Cheltenham, I used to say hello to my neighbours and people I know but not to everyone in town. I now live in a small village in the country and we all say hello to each other whether we know each other or not.

There was a time when most cyclist would greet each other but now there are many more cycling and I can understand why some don't bother. I normally do but it doesn't bother me if others don't. We used to be a small, insular tribe and everyone had much in common. Now we're just one of many people on bikes - probably a good thing. Nostalgia's fun but you can't run the world on it.

[al_yrpal]

Most people respond to a friendly greeting, however Strada Geek flourescent clad roadies are often an exception IME. They dont like being overtaken either

Al

[TonyR]

Your making the mistake of thinking a bike ride is the same as social media

[Mark1978]

Which bit of the C2C route through NE England? As I cycle that fairly regularly!

Hi Mark,

I live in Fatfield, Washington. The missus and myself are Sustrans rangers looking after our local stretch.

Very nice. One of my standard morning rides is Birtley up to Beamish, where the tarmac then runs out so I bail out there.

Our local group rides every (or almost every) 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, starting from St Bobs crossing Fatfield at 10 am. Rides vary depending upon who turns up, we cater for all abilities, so it could be a short and sluggish trundle, or a faster more demanding outing. Yesterday's ride involved climbing Peth bank out of Lanchester, so a tad more onerous than normal.

Oooh the Peth! Always a total bugger that one!

[Audax67]

OP's point noted here as well: there seems to be a growing number of cyclists who are too important/busy/serious/intent on training for their next run to the pub to acknowledge others. However, yesterday I did a loop through part of Lorraine and the folk there were mostly smiling & sunny. Of course, it's August and that means everyone's on holiday in France, so they've got the time to relax and smile unless they're sweating and swearing on the autoroute.

[Merry_Wanderer]

Mrs M_W and I were in Normandy for 3 weeks in July and we exchanged greetings with almost all fellow cyclists. Sitting down eating lunch in town next to our bikes, fellow cyclists and locals invariably took the time to say 'bon appetit' or bonjour. I fund that not everyone says hello back home but maybe English folk are a more reticent lot?

[CliveyT]

Funnily I was thinking exactly the opposite. I don't usually say hello on my usual commute apart from a nod to the 'regulars', but then that's into the centre of Cambridge and (particularly during term time) I'd get a sore throat if I acknowledged everyone.
I cycled down to Abingdon last weekend and with only two exceptions I exchanged greetings with every cyclist I saw (including each one of a train of 7 that passed me)

[[XAP]Bob]

I rarely say hello, because to me that implies the start of a longer conversation.

I *do* say good morning/afternoon/evening innumerable times every day.

[Graham O]

The biggest factor I have found which affects how many "Hellos" you get, is the amount of bend in your bars. I ride one bike with drops and one with flat bars. Drop bar riders say hello a lot less frequently to me on my flat bar bike than they do when I'm on the drop bike. This was reinforced when a friend's husband (drop bar rider) said "don't suppose you get many waves on that bike?" I didn't know what to say to that, nor when he wondered why my bike has mudguards, a rack, a dynamo and wide tyre clearances.

[Vorpal]

I don't think acknowledging fellow cyclists is always appropriate. I give a nod to the folks I see regularly on my commute (pedestrians & dog walkers, as well as cyclists) and people I know. I may ackowledge other cyclists, as well. This is more likely when I am between towns and cyclists are less common, or during the winter, when those of us slogging through the ice and snow share the bond of mutual effort and enthusiasm.

But going into town from home? It would be like acknowledging all my fellow pedestrians in the shopping area of the town centre. It would take lots of energy and attention, msot of it would be wasted, and some of them would think it a bit strange, at least. No more would I acknowledge fellow cyclists in Copenhagen under most circumstances.

On the other hand, if I was touring, I'd likely acknowledge a fellow touring cyclist, even as we both were being passed one after the other by less burdened cyclists. Other cyclists sometimes slow to say something to me when they see me cycling with children and camping equipment.