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Here’s a thing. I have increasingly noticed when out riding how ignorant the majority of sportive riders seem to be. Before anyone attacks me, this is my opinion, based on my experience.

I’ve been a cyclist since 1982, when I left school. I’ve cycled hundreds of thousands of miles, commuting, racing, touring, and for pleasure. I ride between 150-200 miles a week, both commuting and Sunday ride too. I am old school. I always say hello to any cyclist, horse rider, pedestrian when I’m out.

But I have noticed a trend. For example, last weekend I did a 60 mile loop through the Trough of Bowland. Once I got to Dunsop Bridge, lots of small groups of cyclists passed me riding in the opposite direction, lots of solo riders too, all with their number tie wrapped to their bars. I would say that approximately 85-90% completely ignored me when I called out a greeting. Not a wave, grunt, nothing. Not even eye contact. I have also noticed another sinister trend which goes hand in hand with sportive routes. Littering the lane were lots of discarded energy gel wrappers. Are they aware that there’s nobody following them to pick up their crap? 

So why be so miserable and rude? And why be a litter lout? Is it a growing trend? Or is this the sort of people who are attracted to sportive rides?

Topic

[Steve K]

One of the many, many reasons

One of the many, many reasons I could never have been a pro is that no way I would pee on the move.

[brooksby]

Rendel Harris wrote:

… I’ve even seen a couple (from a distance, fortunately) trying (incompetently) to pee on the move. …

 

[Rendel Harris]

Sportive riders too often

Sportive riders too often think they have to behave like pros in every respect (ironically of course the pros are now prevented from littering), I’ve even seen a couple (from a distance, fortunately) trying (incompetently) to pee on the move. They remind me of the tennis players one sees on the council courts fist pumping after every winner, or the Sunday league footballers who slide on their knees and pull their shirts over their heads when they score in front of an audience of two bored wives and a dog. It’s all a bit sad really.

[Achtervolger]

I’ll never forget my shock at

I’ll never forget my shock at seeing a rider in front of me at one edition of the three peaks cyclocross race chuck an empty bidon. Not that it would’ve excused it, but it wasn’t as if we were fighting for a top 10 spot and he really needed to jettison excess weight. To my eternal regret I didn’t report him to the organisers.

[wtjs]

I wondered what those signs

I wondered what those signs were out for!

[David9694]

Yes, I’m the surly,

Yes, I’m the surly, unfriendly local, I guess.  I also permit myself the occasional “buy that bike from a shop, did you?” under my breath. 
One also has to be especially wary of drivers who are going the same way as the sportive riders.  
I enjoyed the couple of local sportives I’ve done, but not enough to become a regular.  

[IanMSpencer]

There is a different culture
There is a different culture in Sportives, and as a rider I’ve been on the receiving end of some very poor riding, and sometimes even abuse for daring to ride in the opposite direction on a country lane, causing people to have avoid me minding my own business on the public highway. It’s a shame that Audaxing seems to be in decline, as it just seems more in tune with being out on your bike for enjoyment. Quite a few Sportive riders are there for a challenge, in part not helped by the name.

[HoarseMann]

Looks like it could possibly

Looks like it could possibly be the tour of lancs you encountered. Maybe the glum faces were those 2/3rds of the way into the 160km route, contemplating whether their winter training had been enough to see them through to the finish.

No excuse for the litter though.

[mdavidford]

Re. the littering – this

Re. the littering – this might just be a function of numbers. Unfortunately there’s a significant minority of thoughtless people in all walks. That significant minority of riders on a sportive may be enough to ‘lay a trail’ of litter in its wake, whereas the litter from the minority of solo / small group riders is more dispersed and less obvious – it doesn’t necssarily mean that the sportive riders as a whole are any worse.

[peted76]

I’ve not noticed the litter

I’ve not noticed the litter thing, but I don’t really do sportifs.

However, waving/greetings. Some days it does seem as there are more ‘ignorant sods’ on bikes than others… other riders lack of communication won’t stop me from waving though. Got to keep on passing the love to our fellow brothers and sisters of the saddle. 

[AlsoSomniloquism]

The greeting. Most people on

The greeting. Most people on Sportives might be new to cycling or would be a record distance for them, so they might just be concentrating on riding safely, hence the non-greeting / acknowledgement you are there.

The littering; there is no real excuse. Ocaisionally an accidental dropped item might happen (full gel falling when reaching for one) but if they have managed to get one out and consume it on the move, reaching to put the empty wrapper in the pocket is the easiest manouvre. I have full wrappers in one pocket and leave one for “empties”.

[AlsoSomniloquism]

But to you, it is alot of

But to you, it is alot of people you are responding to, to them it a new cyclist who is soon past.

[cyclefaster]

I’ve done a few sportives and

I’ve done a few sportives and as a mostly solo rider, there are aspects I enjoy and also dislike. 

For the most part it’s a great day out with people who enjoy riding bikes but I can’t stand the chain gangs that treat it like a race and shout at people to get out of their way.  This seems to be more of the case on closed road events from my experience. I can understand if you are in a triathlon for example, and letting a slower rider know you are about to pass, but I’ve seen some very aggressive shouts as a group of people race past like they are in a TTT.

Another thing are people you aren’t riding with who get right up on your wheel, don’t let you know they are there and they criticise you if you dare to brake. 

Can’t say I’ve seen too much littering, but it’s so frustrating when there is no need for it. I manage to put old wrappers in my jersey pockets with no problem so it cant be that hard.  

[David9694]

The relative rarity of

The relative rarity of meeting fellow cyclists powers the friendly greeting – if I find myself meeting a sportive it does wear a bit thin, I have to admit. .  

[Author]

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