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The ‘nod’

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  • March 8, 2017 at 3:25 pm #26869
    Simboid

    One of the many little things I love about cycling is the ‘nod’ exchanged between us as we pass, each on our own journey short or long , painfully pushing or lazily coasting along.

    It briefly lifts my spirits, making the sore legs and headwind temporarily disappear. It harks back to a time most motorists have no memory of, unless you’re cool enough to drive a VW ‘split’ and makes you feel part of the gang, that you’re sharing an experience with a total stranger.

    It takes many forms, from the full ‘Good morning, sir’ to the single raised digit, but it is always appreciated.

    Having upgraded from an ali rim brake bike to a GT Grade carbon with disc brakes, fat-ish 30mm tubeless and a slight flair to the bars the ‘nod’ has virtually stopped. This is most noticable with the middle aged, beardy, paunched (Amongst whom I include myself) local roadies.

    The new bike’s faster and more comfortable. If anything I’m more of a ‘proper’ cyclist than before, both having committed more cash and spent more time riding recently, but the old cameraderie is largely missing. 

    Have I crossed some invisible line? Am I no longer in the club? Are disc brakes that offensive? Is cycling really that cliquey? Am I just in a Grumpy Old Man area (Leicestershire)?

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  • March 12, 2017 at 8:57 pm #888615
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    bbir

    No you have not crossed a

    No you have not crossed a line.  Just acknowledge anyone riding a bike – bimbling along, head down against the wind, aero bars – whatever – just say hello even if they dont respond you know you have done the right thing.

     

    March 11, 2017 at 11:40 pm #888613
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    barbarus

    unconstituted wrote:
    Truth.

    unconstituted wrote:

    Truth.

    March 11, 2017 at 10:47 pm #888611
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    Anonymous

    I had a drop bar fixie – got

    I had a drop bar fixie – got nods. Changed to flat bars – no nods. In fact I could swear I was invisible. 

    It’s the same nonsense on motorbikes. Ride a sportbike, sportsbike riders nod, get on your enduro bike and you disappear. Harley wankers ignore everyone but Harley wankers but nobody really cares about that as they’re just jokes anyway, pay loads of money to ride something that does nothing well. 

    March 11, 2017 at 2:24 pm #888609
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    mtbtomo

    I mostly acknowledge other

    I mostly acknowledge other riders, but at the same time I sometimes wonder why I do it.  I suppose it feels like there is perhaps already enough grumpiness and hostility in the world already.  But then I don’t wave to other Skoda drivers when I’m in the car, or other pedestrians carrying shopping bags…..

     

    I don’t care about the response I get.  Those people who don’t respond, might just be riding their bike for a purpose, like doing the shopping or commuting – they might not feel part or want to feel part of the cycling community – whether they’re wearing stuff or riding a bike that could mark them out as having made a choice to buy proper kit rather than a bso.  Or the other rider might be concentrating on the traffic, the road, on a training effort or whatever. 

     

    Aside from this thread and the time I’ve just thought about it, why do people worry about it?

    March 11, 2017 at 1:28 pm #888607
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    Zermattjohn

    Interesting thread. I live

    Interesting thread. I live right on the edge of the Peaks, and around here almost everyone nods/waves/whatever, even the Sky boys (not so much the Team GB guys – I assume it’s because they’re terrified of their bosses back at HQ..).

    It’s less than 20 miles to the centre of Manchester, and there’s seems to be an invisible line a few miles down the road from where, when commuting, you’ll not get a nod. Possibly it’s because no-one really wants to be riding to work, or they’re already pissed off with the fools sitting texting in their cars, and they’d rather they were riding the other way towards the hills, but there’s a real grumpiness with some cycle commuters – I’ve given up with the nod when riding to or from work.

    I might have to re-assess this when adding some extra miles on the way home now the weather seems to have hit the heady heights of double-digit degrees…but will the rucksack give me away?

    March 10, 2017 at 5:20 pm #888605
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    dottigirl
    Al__S wrote:
    all you “I diligently nod or wave to anyone else on a bike” types should come to Cambridge, you’ll give yourself RSI or whiplash

    Ditto SW London and Richmond Park. 

    However, I still say ‘hello’ to some, especially if I’m overtaking them or it’s quiet. Only polite, innit?

     

    March 10, 2017 at 2:32 pm #888603
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    Jimbomitch
    Simboid wrote:
    Unconstituted & The_Kaner,

    I’m like you, I’ll carry on saying hi regardless just in case it’s you or people with a like mind that I’m passing.

     

    +1

    Don’t judge what others are riding or wearing…………………..silently judge those that don’t ride.wink

    March 10, 2017 at 11:32 am #888601
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    riotgibbon

    be the change you want to see

    be the change you want to see

    March 10, 2017 at 9:39 am #888599
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    TypeVertigo

    Seems like it depends which

    Seems like it depends which neck of the woods you come from. I normally opt to keep to myself as I generally abhor the loud attention that socializing in Manila entails, and that habit carries over to my riding.

    If I am waved to, I will usually respond, but I rarely initiate. These days, you cannot tell how crazy people are. Philippine streets are also rather crappy (for both riding and driving) so I’d rather put full attention to reacting to whatever potential “incidents” I come across.

    I’d imagine if I was in the UK or some other country, I’d be a little more inclined to initiate the hello wave or nod. That’s just me.

    March 10, 2017 at 8:52 am #888597
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    SingleSpeed

    I had the Anti Nod last night

    I had the Anti Nod last night, it was unseasonably warm down on the coast so everyman and his dog was out with their 2000Lumen retina destroyers 🙁

    It would appear that dimming lights isn’t the done thing, these days.

    March 10, 2017 at 8:47 am #888595
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    Al__S

    all you “I deiligently nod or

    all you “I diligently nod or wave to anyone else on a bike” types should come to Cambridge, you’ll give yourself RSI or whiplash

    March 9, 2017 at 1:27 pm #888593
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    davel
    IanEdward wrote:
    Also I think because everyone is commuting and has somewhere to be there’s a lot of fixed stares looking ahead rather than raised heads looking around waiting to catch people’s eye.

    How do people feel about trying to greet someone you’re passing? I treat my commute like training, and ride a relatively nippy bike (for a commuter) so pass quite a few people on the way. I feel bad but at the same time actively turning to look them in the eye and greet them seems *WAY* overkill…

    Yep, I zone out occasionally, normally when I’m putting some effort in or paying attention to traffic, and I’m only really focusing on my lane and oblivious to traffic going by. There’ve been a few times that I’ve only realised I’ve completely blanked someone when I’m well past their ‘morning’… apologies to those I’ve done that to.

    I always acknowledge, so when passing or being passed I’ll call out a cheery greeting. If nothing else, it’s less awkward than silence.

    March 9, 2017 at 1:15 pm #888591
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    Daveyraveygravey

    I think of it as a salute, a

    I think of it as a salute, a salute to anyone else on the higher plane that riding a bike means.  I don’t discriminate, MTB’s, shopping bikes, TT machines, I nod wave or say Morning to anyone.  Most respond.  

    March 9, 2017 at 8:19 am #888589
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    IanEdward

    I was thinking about this the

    I was thinking about this the other day, I’m always torn on my commute (45 minutes through Edinburgh to Kirkliston) as I meet a lot of others coming the other way, after a while trying to wave or say hello to every one just seems a little silly. Now it’s just a raised finger from the bars.

    Also I think because everyone is commuting and has somewhere to be there’s a lot of fixed stares looking ahead rather than raised heads looking around waiting to catch people’s eye.

    How do people feel about trying to greet someone you’re passing? I treat my commute like training, and ride a relatively nippy bike (for a commuter) so pass quite a few people on the way. I feel bad but at the same time actively turning to look them in the eye and greet them seems *WAY* overkill…

     

    As for disc brakes, try them, you won’t go back.

    Unless you value your eardrums whilst commuting in the wet, can’t wait to get my canti-braked single-speed back on the road so I can ditch the disc braked bike I’m using right now. But that’s a topic for another thread 

    March 9, 2017 at 2:26 am #888587
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    dottigirl

    Stick a massive rucksack

    Stick a massive rucksack/backpack on your back, a very big one, and the nod slump is incredible.

    A couple of years ago, I missed my stop in Cardiff and got off at Bridgend instead, to cycle back to the Vale with a week’s worth of (mostly lycra) clothes on my back. (It was summer, I needed a holiday and my sister has a hot tub in her garden. Perfect recovery after a day of wandering the lanes.)

    I must have passed about 30 cyclists, and I can’t recall any of them acknowledging me. I’ve never felt so invisible to other cyclists in my life. Considering the usual nod percentage in that area is in the high nineties, it must have been the bag.

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