Road greetings

[bacarver]

Something new has happened to me this summer. Motorcylists have started giving me their cool "Hi" wave when I'm riding my road bike. Maybe they've done this over the years but I never picked up on it. I've felt that I'm in a completely different world than them. But, the first time one of them waved at me, I felt so respected and accepted as a fellow member of those who travel the roadways for recreation.
I need to create my own unique bikie wave. It's hard for me to do it the way they do. Gotta put some thought to it.
Ya never know when I may need one of them to give me a helping hand or vice versa.
Barb

[Tri Girl]

I know what you mean. When motorcyclists give me a wave, I feel "cool".
I usually just give my usual wave of acknowledgement: lifted fingers off the hoods or bar ends. I like their wave- the down low hand out, but I agree that it's too hard to do.

Let us know what you decide on.

[KnottedYet]

I lift the fingers off the hood and nod. Sometimes I do it first and get the motorcycle wave back, so I think they see it ok.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I always wave to motorcyclists. I nod my head and lift my fingers up of one hand. I say to DH "They are our Brethren (Sistren?)....it's all of us united, trying to not get hit by cars".
I find about half of them wave back.

[Bad JuJu]

Maybe it's because I was a cyclist first, but I always do the bike wave to cyclists when I'm on my motorcycle. Don't always get it from m/c riders when I'm bicycling, but some do.

In many ways, we are in different worlds, but we also have lots in common, the main one being our resistance to drivers of cars who don't "see" us, don't respect us, and often don't want us on "their" roads. Because we're all out there claiming our space in spite of the "cagers," I like to show my solidarity.

[short cut sally]

I've encountered moto-riders that will sometimes wave..but I agree that recently there seems to be more waving going on, or smiles and nods from the riders. I usually lift my left hand off the bar or hood to wave or just keep the palm of my hand there and lift my fingers..

[redrhodie]

I think that in most cases, car drivers aren't out to get us for not being one of them, but are just reacting to us as they do to all other slower moving vehicles. I often get cut off, tailgaited, etc while driving my car (at the speed limit!). I think it's easier to take it more personally while on a bike because you're more exposed, and so it is more dangerous. Car drivers don't necessarily see this difference, especially if they don't cycle. They don't know we're avoiding obsticles they don't need to worry about. They don't know what it feels like to get buzzed. They just see us as another thing slowing them down. If I were in a car slowing down another car, I'd also get some kind of negative reaction, and it would probably be done with even more intent and aggression.