Drive-By Encouragement

Ok everyone: I was wondering the other day as I passed by several bikers, "How do I effectively say hello as a biker and give encouragement but not seem rude?"

I hate it when people honk behind me (usually not cyclists), but one morning SouthernBelle and I were riding and a couple came up in front of us; they were yelling and whistling, giving us the "rock-out" hand signals and just having a good time making a racket in encouragement. Susan did not look up in time and said, "Well, that was certainly rude!" I had to explain.

People yelling at me seems odd and frightening, and a hand signal I don't usually see from behind me.

Help a cyclist out.

I've often thought it would be good if we had a certain "honk" that could say "Hey! Good going!" to other cyclists. Maybe we could make one up here--like medium, short-short-short, long--or something.

Put a share the road sticker on the back of your car. The best encouragement you can give is to drive smart and safe around a cyclist. I do notice when people that pass me are rocking the share the road stickers, it makes me grin and think, 'bet they wish they were riding right now...'

K.

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Originally Posted by Kimmyt

Put a share the road sticker on the back of your car. The best encouragement you can give is to drive smart and safe around a cyclist. I do notice when people that pass me are rocking the share the road stickers, it makes me grin and think, 'bet they wish they were riding right now...'

K.

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ditto this! I don't like people to honk near me. I have not one Share the Road sticker, but 4 plus my triathlon team sticker.

Sometimes, I'll stick my arm out the window and wave after I've passed.

My daughter and I were driving along the MS150 route as it rolled through our little part of Oregon a few weeks ago. We had a great time giving a 'thumbs-up' to riders as we passed them. She would roll down her window, do the 'thumbs-up', and then look back to see some big smiles and a few people returning the gesture. Hopefully it was a good mood boost for them, too!! I know we had a blast. :D

On ALC we'd encounter lots of suportive drivers (and only 1 or 2 idiots) and you can tell the difference. Encouraging honking is a light tap on the horn, like "beep beep beep beep beep beep" :)

If they are yelling riders can't hear what they say but the "cheerful style beep" we know.

That's as opposed to laying on the horn right behind or anywhere near a rider. We all know and hate that. :mad: Even in a large group, century or charity ride you can't assume that sudden noise is not going to freak someone out.

Decorating your car with "Go MS 150 riders" or posting a sign is alright too.

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Originally Posted by Aint Doody

I've often thought it would be good if we had a certain "honk" that could say "Hey! Good going!" to other cyclists. Maybe we could make one up here--like medium, short-short-short, long--or something.

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This makes me think of Morse Code, only for cyclist.

I tried waving but some are just too focused to see it (plus I own a Jeep with plastic zip windows), and also, I have a Jeep with plastic windows and try not to decorate it with stickers.

Maybe I should get a spare tire cover with tri or share the road on it...

It took me a few to realize you were talking about people in cars:o

I have a share the road license plate, many states have them! Along with it saying you are a cyclist, it gives a little bit of money to go towards road maintenance(at least that is what the money goes for in florida). I also, for some odd reason, stuck a speedplay sticker on my car(couldn't get a very religious,but small, sticker off from the previous owner, and this covered it up).

I have a bike rack on my car, and I do what I really like when others do:

1) I drive as respectfully as I can...a wide margin out and around, or if I am in the oncoming lane, I get way over to my side to give oncoming traffic lots of room to go around the cyclist, etc.

2) If I have time, I stick my arm out the window with a thumbs up sign.

I know that when I'm riding, I hate any kind of honk...the cheerful kind, too, really. When I see a car give me a LOT of room, especially a car that has a bike rack, and especially a car that will just get the heck around me (not go super slow just behind me forever), I know they are sympathetic without any special wave or honk.

Just last week I was slowly making my way up one of my nemesis hills when a car came by and the passenger yelled, "You're awesome, keep pushing!" At first it scared me so much because I was in a zone and was not expecting to be yelled at, but then I realized that they meant well.

I agree with the others who mentioned the Share the Road stickers and licence plates. Also, I think its nice to chat and give some encouragement when both the car and the cyclist are stopped at a traffic light.

What a great thread!

I always wonder what to do when I see a cyclist. I considered honking or yelling, but they would most likely not know it was a good kind. Besides, I wouldn't want to startle them and they fall, etc, etc.

I really like the bumper sticker idea. Now, I need to go and get one.

Best encouragement I ever got from a car...it passed me with room to spare and then the 7 year old daughter leaned out the window and shouted, "Allez! Allez! Allez!"

Of course, I was riding a mountain bike, the road was in horrible shape, there was a stiff headwind, it was cold and I was majorly bonked. But, boy did that cheer me up.

But, I suppose most of you would not encourage your children to hang out windows just to encourage a cyclist...sigh...but it worked!

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Originally Posted by Thorn

Best encouragement I ever got from a car...it passed me with room to spare and then the 7 year old daughter leaned out the window and shouted, "Allez! Allez! Allez!"

Of course, I was riding a mountain bike, the road was in horrible shape, there was a stiff headwind, it was cold and I was majorly bonked. But, boy did that cheer me up.

But, I suppose most of you would not encourage your children to hang out windows just to encourage a cyclist...sigh...but it worked!

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Ha! This reminds me of about a month ago when I was running the main road where I live (more traffic. faster cars, etc.). It was hot and a hard route, and I thought, "If someone I know passes me and honks, I can keep going until I get home..."

My[cool-down] jogging partner came past me to jog and honked her horn!
I'll never doubt again.

I was on my way home up a long incline (not really steep) and I passed
a contractor working on a house. he saw me and said "Enjoy the hill"

of course I said "thanks, I will"

I always slow and drive behind a bike til its safe to pass and have no problem with other cars having to wait with me.

I have pro-bike stickers on the back of my car

I never toot from behind, but sometimes I will give two short toots after I have passed - sometimes I wave.

If its a cyclist we know, the boys will sometimes call out a hello to them as we pass.

Riding home today I slowed waaay down coming to a pedestrian crossing, until I could see that the 2 teenage dudes in the beat-up old car approaching were going to let me over without me having to stop altogether (which I'm legally supposed to). I dipped my head at them to acknowledge the nicety, and then yelled "thanks!" as I crossed, since I noticed their windows were open.

Sure enough, the next minute I got two short toots, and I had to think of this thread :)

(Of course it MAY have been because I was wearing my shortest shorts and a tank top, plus hotshot sunglasses disguising the fact that I'm old enough to be their mom... :D One can always hope.)

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Originally Posted by lph

I'm old enough to be their mom... :D One can always hope.)

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As a teenage boy said, in a recent episode of Monk, to a hot older woman when she reminded him she was old enough to be his mother, "But you're not."

You might have got the toots without the sunglasses!

:)

Bump.

I have come up with it: the new drive-by encouragement symbol for all cyclist.

We even have ones for MTB'ers. Ok, you twirl your finger around in a circle in the air as you drive by people one their cycles. Then they know you also cycle. ("OOOOO")

MTBing people will use a more "peaked" method of the twirling, using figures such as this with their fingers: "^^^^^".

You may all thank me tremendously.

Or they may think you're trying to say they're crazy :p

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Originally Posted by zencentury

Or they may think you're trying to say they're crazy :p

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That is exactly what Southern Belle said, but I disagree! If we band together and teach one another about the new symbol of cycling unity, we can give signals to one another in peace. Without honking horns. Or yelling.

There is definitely something to be said for not YELLING during a ride. Several times I've about jumped out of my skin when my co-ride leader yelled, "TURNING RIGHT!!" while on a ride. A simple point of the hand would have been sufficient. Sorry for the thread drift....:o

I was thinking of this thread last time I drove our car... and passed a cyclist, and suddenly felt an urge to yell "hey, I'm not really LIKE this, you know! I ride a bike too!!" :D

But when I'm on a bike I don't really think much about the drivers around me, as long as they give me a little room and don't act aggressively I don't feel the need for any more interaction.

So I was thinking that maybe we want to give drive-by encouragement mostly for our own sakes, because we'd rather be thought of as cyclists than as drivers... :p

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Originally Posted by lph

So I was thinking that maybe we want to give drive-by encouragement mostly for our own sakes, because we'd rather be thought of as cyclists than as drivers... :p

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I think you hit the nail on the head with this one. I think it is more for our own benefit than the person on the bike. Kind of gives us a sense of belonging.

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Originally Posted by lph

I was thinking of this thread last time I drove our car... and passed a cyclist, and suddenly felt an urge to yell "hey, I'm not really LIKE this, you know! I ride a bike too!!" :D

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Me Too!!

I feel a combination of feelings when I see someone cycling...
...anger and envy - why am I stuck in a car, this is sooooo unfair!

...pleasure and almost pride - yahoo, someone is out there and making us visible and having a great (I hope) ride... if I can't at least someone is

...guilt - I am soooo embarrased to be seen in a car. I feel the urge to slow right down, explain myself and make a cycling connection