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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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Nah don’t worry about it, it
Nah don’t worry about it, it’s not that. Most riders have a really hard time telling what you wear or ride as they pass by. The % that can and actually treat you based on it are small and have a personal hang-up that you can’t cure.
I’ve been on cheap 400 quid frames in cheapo kit and posh 3600 quid frames with deep section wheels in full Rapha kit all in the same year and the one constant is that some riders are cool and some riders are miserable regardless
None of that has anything to do with you.
Funny you mention this, last Sunday the missus said what a miserable bunch out today, right as I was thinking the same thing. Must have gotten blanked by all but 3 or 4 guys that day. Which is bizarre as most riders are pretty cool out our way and we’re both regulars who wave at everyone, yes even MTB’ers.
That’s just the way it goes, sometimes the die get rolled and you get a lot of inward-looking people are all out around the same time.
Either way, you’re old enough now to be dressing and riding what makes you happy. A little self-flagellation for this moment of weakness and go out and enjoy yourself.
Remember, if you wave at someone and they blank you – you’re the bigger person. Score. But still, remember that the more you look the part, the more intimidating you can appear. Not everyone who blanks you is a dick, some just feel coyed and need you to be warm to them to bring them out of their shell. That’s why you should be the bigger man and always initiate. Well that’s my philosophy anyway and it takes the guess work out of wondering, ‘will I wave or what’ every time you see a rider. I just auto wave/nod/morning everyone. If I ever ‘Yo’ someone, it’s cos I see them a lot and that’s me being friendly.
Now enough of this nonsense
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