Am I a poser or are Roadies snobs???

Well, I went riding this weekend in my favorite ONCE team jersey, no kit, just jersey. And every rider I came across seemed to ignore me when I would say hello or wave. Now, I have had guys on Harleys give me the low wave they are famous for, so I ask, if a guy on a motocycle is willing to extend to me the courtesy of a hello, what is it with us roadies? Now, I have been oblivious to my suroundings when sucking wind doing hills or something like that, but this appears to be more than that. I always loved the look of the ONCE kits but I would not dare ride a kit for fear of some type of Frankinsteins monster manhunt and torture, but I don't see why it is such a big deal to sport a jersey, considering most of these same people will be wearing their favorite football team or hockey or soccer (don't want to leave the euros out) jersey during their next game, WHAT GIVES???

 

Probably a little of both. Some road cyclists are just jerks, others may think you're a poser (depending on how you ride...do you ride like a pro, or are you really slow), others may be very focused on their riding.

Rather long debate on this:
http://www.cyclingforums.com/t41152.html

 

I've found it doesn't really matter what I'm wearing, some other cyclists are friendly and some just ignore you. Don't let it get to you, keep waving and saying 'Hi', you meet some great people that way. And as for the snobby antisocial riders, let them be.

 

i wave if i know the person...if not its kinda weird unless you are riding the same way..
personally when i am out riding that is the only thing i am focusing on..
i wouldnt take it personally

 

A lot of roadies seem to be conceited snobs (myself not included). The more serious they appear and the larger the group they're riding in, the more snobby they seem to be. It's fun (when I'm feeling good) to ride up along side them on my beat-up cross bike (it'd be even better on an MTB) and converse in a normal tone of voice "hey, nice bike" or "beautiful day for a ride huh?" like you're not even working and then accelerate past them. Of course you have to be prepared to turn off at the next possible intersection and recover (okay... nearly collapse maybe) from the effort. But it's worth it.

 

I'd like to pass boudreaux on a ride. Just to see what he'd say. Hooey?

 

There are times I've managed to work myself into a bit of a trance, and unless your right next to me, I may or may not even see you. Usually tho, it's not a snob thing it's just that I'm focusing on something else. I'm in the "I wouldnt make anything of it either way" camp.

I've got a retro 7/11 jersey I like alot. I tend to like the retro stuff more than the current jersey's just 'cuz. I really dont see a difference between wearing a procycling jersey and any other pro jersey, football, hockey or otherwise. Your just showing your support for a team, nobody is going to mistake you for Joseba Beloke (sp), i'm pretty sure

 

I usually do "the mini-wave". Just raise my fingers from my bars. If someone waves or says hello I'll always give 'em the mini-wave.

 

I can relate to that too. It's possible that I've had other riders wave at me and I didn't even know they were there. They probably went by thinking "what a snob"!

 

Big fan of the quick head nod myself.

 

You could ride naked and roadies would still be snobs. Just last night I was on a group ride and noticed several guys that we passed going in the other direction that never so much as looked up. I always at least give a 2 finger wave. BUT, let me add this, I consider myself primarily a mountain biker and many times I've been ignored on the trails when I've said hi to another rider.

Now, here is a story I like to remind myself of whenever I get frustrated about this & the lack of family our sport seems to have. I once was riding off road, on a fire road that was a 4 mile climb up a mountain. I caught up to another rider, pulled along side of him and said hello. He barely managed to say "not a good time to talk right now but hello". I saw him later and he explained that it was all he could do to get up the mountain and I realized that maybe this is why a lot of people I see on the trail don't say anything. At least that's what I like to tell myself.

 

I was riding up a hill yesterday, and I glaneced up at the bottom to see a runner on my side of the road coming down. Note to self don't ride on very right hand side of road. I put my head down and started working up the hill and I look up again a bit later and the runner has decided that it's a good idea to run in the middle of the lane, we didn't hit or anything but I definately didn't have time to wave or say hi.

 

It has been my experience...which I can relate to almost any social exchange where I live (Sonoma County California-Wine country)that the bigger the poser the least likely a wave. I have ridden past guys on the same ride every day all summer and they always say hi. I have gotten in the middle of the VINEMAN Triathalon and they all said hi (oops-that was a mistake). Many of them even asked if I needed help when I stopped and waited for my wife. I have had every manner of cyclist, and farmer for that manner styop and ask if I was OK while repairing a puncture...even though I ride a flat-bar road bike.
Then there is the guy and his wife out for their Sunday morning constitutional. Brand new Trek kits, and Madone's with 100 miles tops on them. They won't say hi, but I don't have to worry about them much, neither looked like they'd be out this sunday. Anyway, if you are always friendly...don't worry about the snobs, just memorize the bikes they ride and when you see them with a puncture, just laugh from the belly...thats Karma

 

Yeah, like everyone else said, its more a matter of simply being like life I think -- some people say hi, some dont, some are snobs, some arent. If you're riding alone, or even in a group, it shouldnt matter what you wear. Some take a sort of crusading approach regarding that, but as long as you arent riding in a club with strangers or in a race or a meet of any sort, imho, it shouldnt matter. Just ride, be happy and dont worry about it.

 

I am a big fan of a combo move...it's half mini-wave and half headnod.

When i first started riding(3mos ago) i was rocking a jersey from a local bike joint and i noticed that i was getting ignored and treated oddly by the guys and gals with the nice rides. So i switched to a tight-fitting T, and people are nicer to me. I don't know what it is about the jersey, but i guess it just wasn't my style either. My friends were giving me a lot of crap about wearing all spandex, so i do a cotton/spandex mix(cotton on top, spandex on bottom.

so...that's my story

Aaron

 

I too am a fan of the combo. Currently I'm riding an MTB on the road, and pretty much say hi to everybody. It's 50/50 whether or not a roadie returns the salutation. I'll be interested to see how that changes next month when I get my road bike. Middle aged women pretty much never say hi. The ones with the helmets pushed back to protect the hairstyle, anyways.

This one guy though...came up behind me and blurted "on your right!" and went past me, furiously spinning. I acknowledged and said hello, no response. He just kept spinning furiously away from me; so much wasted energy, and the motions were so violent he couldn't keep a line. He kept drifting into traffic, and was very nervous about road debris. Twitchy. Still, he was faster than me on my MTB, but that's one guy I'm looking forward to seeing again next month, with 10-12 fewer pounds underneath me and half the rolling resistance.

 

Most roadies out here (in sunny Las Vegas) wave just because they are so happy to see another roadie! Especially on days like today (110+ degrees)...."it's a dry heat"

 

Here's my "Bastard Roadie" Experience. I was at the Portland Bridge Pedal last weekend. I was previously boxed up in a group of slower riders and the buddy I had come to the event with had gotten a head of me by quite bit. So the first openning I saw I broke out of the pack and flew to catch up with my buddy. So I catch up with him, a little worn out by this time and of course the route now leads up a hill. So having just sprinted to catch my buddy I'm not nearly as fast as I would have been up this hill, but still not the slowest by any means. Then this guy...this BASTARD comes up from behind and says to me "It'll sure be fun on the way down, huh?" and then continues to climb past me on his newer Trek OCLV-whatchamahoozit (I'm pushin good ol' Tange #1 Steel by the way, and I don't even own a jersey) I obviously must have blew past the guy while chasing down my friend.....the GUAL! hahahahaha

P.S. I'll admit though, I'd never buy one, but I'd LOVE to have a Bianchi jersey in that trademark Bianchi green...just for the color!

 

I frequently pass cyclists going in the opposite direction on small backroads, and I always wave. I've noticed that the most "done up" ones (with the team kits on) are the least likely to wave back.