General etiquette ??

Can't say I've ever noticed any correlation between expensive bikes/kit and rudeness. Mostly seems to exist in the minds of inverse snobs I ssupect.

I think its nice to do/say something. I always try to nod, wave or if I'm busy just splaying my fingers on my right hand. It costs nothing but I do agree that if your busy a "real" rider will understand if you dont do much. Also, I waved to a guy one day on a ride only to happen upon him again on my return loop only this time he was walking along with a broken chain. Two minutes with my chain splitter and a quick link and he was on his way again. A couple of weeks later we bumped into each other again in one of the local Costa's. He bought me a coffee and a bisquit and replaced the quick link which he had been carrying in his saddle pack. He didnt really reconise me but he reconised the bike. He has since become a mate and we've ridden a few good miles together. So wave, nod,whatever,  you might get a free coffee and a mate to ride with. Politeness costs us nothing but buys us loads. 

i always Nod and/or wave depending on state of suffering/ to all cyclists regardless of type of bicycle they ride

On the flat and downhill I hulloo, up drags I wave, or nod, up serious hills I can't see them through my tears. On the very rate occasions I overtake I'll offer a spportive sound bite, or inane idiom.

On the flat and downhill I hulloo, up drags I wave, or nod, up serious hills I can't see them through my tears. On the very rate occasions I overtake I'll offer a spportive sound bite, or inane idiom.

I always acknowledge other cyclists. about 1/3 will ignore you. And they will be a mixture of the serious and committed racers to people with a basket on their handlebars with the daily shopping. Some peope are too caught up in their own wee world.

The counterpoint to that is that the majority of people do respond.

Maybe I just live in a friendlier part of the country, but on account of this thread I made a specific note of nods, acknowledgements and brief chats made with other cyclists whilst out on our club run this morning and every single cyclist or group of cyclists responded, gave a nod, returned pleasantries or engaged in a short conversation.

On top of this we got a thankyou beep for waving a car past after he had waited patiently for some time to pass, and whilst on 'lookout' as another rider fixed a technical issue at the roadside down a narrow country lane, all 3 drivers who I waved at to warn, slowed down and returned a friendly wave as they did so. Also every single walker / runner returned a 'good morning' and 2 sets of horse riders who thanked us for our patience and courtesy when passing.

Not all good though, we also got one old boy who pulled out of his driveway as we descended a hill at 30+ mph and then slowed down to turn left without indicating whilst 5 cyclists were frantically braking hard to prevent going into the back of him (very narrow road). Although I suspect he wasn't being unfriendly, just didn't have a clue that we were there. Also 1 van who just had to push past through a village into oncoming traffic, and a completely uneccessary high speed pass with under 1m clearance.

Weather was nice though.

I always say "morning" or "evening" when passing people on my commute. But I see very few people on my route sadly (farnham to guildford). If they are coming the other way, I always raise a hand.

People, I think, get a little too hung about it, I am very happy to see other people commuting on a bike; I wish for more.

Also, you must ask if anyone not riding their steed is ok. Them's the rules! A tube costs peanuts and could get someone home....

It goes without saying that I did this a lot less when in London mainly cod there's hundreds of "us"!

btw - isn't it great seeing the weight drop off when you start regularly riding! Chapeau!

I must admit to a Pavlovian reaction to cyclits, I say 'Hi' to all of them, I can't help myself.

This is despite knowing that some riders I see regularly will never respond and that groups from certain clubs ride as though all other road users are invisible.   Another rule of thumb is that clubs with 'Clarion' in their name are friendly.

I ride on roads that are used by riders from British Cycling and Sky (before they moved) and those riders always returned a greeting, I used to wonder whether they were instructed to by their PR dept.   So it amused me to be blanked by a club hack when when I'd had a wave from an Olympic medalist or a Grand Tour rider.

Also, I must admire the knowledge and powers of observation of those people who know what brand of clothing another rider is wearing and/or how much their bike cost.

Im always reminded of this Robot Chicken sketch with the whole waving at other riders thing https://youtu.be/LowVhCfLm68?t=34s it at least makes you smile remembering it if some people ignore you out on the road and they will you get the whole range of people with cheery greetings,nods,waves, right through to people staring blankly through you.

but I always nod,or raise my hand, say hi if I can,just have to recognise its not always possible if you are distracted by traffic or hazards in front of you

Every cyclist I have ever seen on the road in 5 years in Scotland nods or waves back. An extension of the hand sometimes in the drops instead of removing it and always a head titl or wag. 

If you are getting nothing in ways of a greeting I can only assume you are in full leather motorbike gear, dressed as margaret thatcher or jimmy saville, or wearing a flouro mankini at that weight

 Cyclists can be an odd lot. If you don't have gossamer carbon or the latest gear there are some who treat you like something found - under their shoe - whereas others will give you a nod, a wave a "Hi there" and so on.

All year cyclists tend to be warmer towards their fellows because they know how it is to cycle in the biting wind, driving rain and hail.

Circumstances also tend to dictate. Once lap of Richmond Park, for example, would render you hoarse, with whiplash and RSI on a busy day.

I'm a friendly old duffer on my proper steel Ridgeback. Always happy to greet my fellows and always happy to help a fellow cyclist in distress because one day it might be me in their situation.

Cycling is for life and in mine I've met all sorts but the tendency is towards the cheerful, excepting for when it's just plain impractical.

I always nod and 95% of the time it is returned with a smile. Most people overtake me and it is nice to have a quick chat and sometimes an offer of a tow which I accept willingly.

I cycle in the New Forrest a lot and bid the horse riders, walkers and the dog walkers good day also and the vast majority return the greeting, after all we are all there for the same purpose aren't we? Fresh air, fitness and Great ice cream.

Some will say Hi or nod back while others who don't are misery guts, tired, didn't see you, had a bad day or focuses on the road etc.

Don't take it personally.

On a motorbike everyone nodded.

Not every car driver, pedestrian says hi or nods.

I'll nod or wave to anyone on anything if I'm not head down and trying for a section time or something. I'm probably a bit odd in that I still ride a BMX at 40+ so mix with a more varied crowd than most roadies.

The MTB lot are getting a bit cliquey though IMO as I've noticed if you don't turn up in VW transporter or an estate car you seem to be instantly doing something wrong. I also ride a hardtail which seems to be a sign of peasantry, even if you finish a run right behind someone on £5k of bike. 

I just went of for a spin on the road bike tonight with t-shirt and shorts on a got blanked nearly to a man, when yesterday I'd been part of the gang , as I had the 'right' kit on. 

Then again it's always been like this since I only had a Raleigh Burner and not a Mongoose or Diamondback. The bike's been a status symbol for ages now and you've got Wiggins fans similar to Rossi fans in MotoGP. 

When out and about when I pass a cyclist and there is eye contact, there's always a gentle nod and a smile to acknowledge the other.  Those cycling in a group for a club ride, or alone tend to respond, however those riding together with 1 or 2 others from a club, are generally so time focussed they ignore the rest of the world.  One of our local clubs is worse than the others, and it seems they as a club are aiming to get all teh KOMs on Strava in our area.  

Most are pretty decent and will recognise other cyclists..

I am nearly always clad in Rapha on a bike worth more than my talent deserves.

I nearly always weigh a bit more than I should.

I nearly always raise a hand, nod or "good morning" to fellow cyclists passing in either direction.

I nearly always don't care if my gesture is reciprocated.

I nearly always pause to check if someone apparently stuck needs help.

I nearly always get irritated by sweeping generalisations and behaviours associated with stereotypes that aren't true but seem to get perpetuated by half-thought opinions on social media.

I nearly always try not to judge people by their behaviour but judge me by my own.

Somtimes I may do something that irritates someone else or makes me look like a c**k.  I nearly always didn't mean to but I am human and sometimes make mistakes.  What it doesn't mean is that everyone else who looks like me, is the same age as me, wears the same gear as me, rides the same bike as me  or drives the same car as me will make that same mistake all the time!

Generally yes, I even talk to people if the oppprtunity arises.

Certainly more often on a bike than to other people on the bus, or to people I happen to be passing who are also wearing spectacles or blue Adidas Samba shoes or whatever.

Basically do your own thing and don't get hung up on other people reciprocating or not.

I wave or nod so often that I actually annoy myself, but I was raised that way.  Re: all- or almost all black, that's me, head-to-toe and bike too.  I don't think I'm especially cool.  I just like it very much.  But mine's mostly Twin Six and Morvelo.

I generally smile and nod with a small accompanying wave, and more often than not get some sort of response - I seldom actually say anything to cyclists coming the other way, but lots of people do. I'd say it's more common for people out on a 'proper bike ride' to greet me as opposed to more casual cyclists (though I'm much closer to the latter end of the spectrum), but it really is a mixed bag. I'm certainly guilty of silent wheelsucking on occasion, though the last time I did offer to take a turn at the front I was promptly windblasted back into oblivion, so my companion eschewed any further 'assistance' and pressed on, while I tried and failed to get back onto his wheel. Oh well.

It's always nice to be acknowledged by others, even if it's a cursory nod. The same applies when I'm out running, although reciprocal greetings are much rarer then, so on the whole I'd say cyclists are a pretty friendly bunch.

I've been road cycling for over 50 years. I got my first road bike back in '62. I've always made a point of acknowledging other cyclists with a wave/a nod/ a good morning/afternoon/evening/ hi there - depends on the conditions or what I'm doing what kind of acknowledgement they get. Sometimes a wave is out of the question so it's a verbal greeting.

Most tend to reciprocate. I've got to say, I never felt the other persons attire, be it Castelli, Rapha, Altura, etc. etc, made any difference as to whether they responded to you, or not. I don't go in for stereotypes. A couple of guys always in black Castelli (it's smart, I wish I could afford it) in my area always wave when they see me. There's a guy I see regularly riding a hybrid who pretends I'm invisible.  Cyclists are either friendly or they aint. You'll find the grumpy, cheerless types in all walks of life - and a lot of them cycle too.

Nowt wrong with full Castelli gear, it's just much better than the DHB stuff I used to buy and I can't bring myself to pay Rapha prices!

One random etiquette point that really bugs me, people who climb (slowly) two abreast.  I understand the whole riding two abreast thing - though I don't particularly agree with it.  But doing it on a climb, ignoring faster riders behind you - often forcing cyclists into oncoming traffic / the wrong side of the road - strikes me as bloody rude.

If you are going to dawdle, then do it single file.

If I pass you when you are riding single file you'll get a "good morning", if you are riding double and not paying attention - then it will be a curse "coming through" (the English way of saying get out of my bloody way!).

I sometimes wonder if people just aren't noticing a little wave or nod or something?

Whilst people enthusiastically shouting "MORNING!" across the road is pretty rare, I almost never come across anyone who doesn't make some sort of acknowledgement, although it's often pretty laconic, like a little bike version of the 'outback wave'. 

I pretty much always nod and say "Hey" and that's it, perhaps it can be missed sometimes?  Or maybe people in the Midlands are friendlier than some other places!

I always say hello or wave on a Sunday morning run. Sometimes returned, depends on how much they're taking in around them. Also sometimes fail if I'm suffering on a climb too much, apologies to anyone who missed out. Also sometimes if I'm concentrating on the road ahead I might not notice until too late. Also say good morning to joggers, horse riders, gardeners, dog walkers etc. Helps them to realise cyclists are human beings too.

In London commuting there's too many people and theyre too busy trying to get to work alive to chat.

I also walk a lot, and me and the other half reckon that the only walkers who don't say hello or at least nod are those who just walked from the car park. Anyone who's out for a day walk will say hello. Sometimes quite chatty.

I often ride in full Rapha gear and wave at other riders, provided that I'm not in London, where you'd never touch the bars. Some people don't wave back. Ho hum. Maybe it's because of my choice of jersey, in which case they're sad.

I've just spent six weeks cycling around Valencia; the custom there is a head nod. The likelihood of the gesture being reciprocated decreased the closer one got to the city.  Up in the mountains, everyone, even walkers, would shout a cheery "buenas" or "animo".

Now I'm on Mallorca, surrounded by overweight Brits on rented high-end carbon.

Nobody waves, but then they're all wearing Rapha, so what do you exp... oh.

I live is south wales and years ago you used to know by sight most riders and would always wave but since cycling got popular I get blanked a lot more often and I'm more likely to get a hi from a mtber than a roadie. Sad really but now I don't bother unless I know them or they say hi first. 

I'd do a quick nod/tip of the head if the road is of poor surface quality.

Otherwise it's a hand/finger raise (index finger) or thumbs up.

I couldn't give a toss if the 'opposition' is a 'FKW' or grumpy peloton of clubmen...I'll acknowledge everyone..if they deem it's too much trouble to return the pleasantry...well that's their problem....

I'm a lone wolf 99% of the time, Billy No (Club)Mates...and I have discs on my road bike, maybe that's why they don't return the salute...

Of course when I was on that old fashioned rim brake technology it was the same...maybe it's just me, why!!!, WHYYYY??? WHIIIIYYYYYYYY!!!!