Respect on the Road

[marni]

when I am out on my road bike during the week training, and riding solo I try to at least a finger to every other bike rider I see, regardless of what they are riding, The funny thing is that male riders rarely if ever acknowledge me, even when there are only two us out in the boonies, 60 miles from Houston, obviously doing distance training whereas if a woman or women they willunfailinng acknowledge me.

On weekends is I ride with my husband even the pace linen riders will acknowledge if he is riding in front, but that same group will ignore us if I am riding in front.

When I ride with a group of women we average about 50% acknowledgements whether riding out in the boonies on a distance ride, or in the burbs on a local ride.

Being as it is around Houston, I was beginning to suspect it was a Texas good old boy thing, but maybe not.

marni
sa

[cylegoddess]

Here in Oz( Canberra) out in the edges of the suburbs, its mixed. Lots of rider, mostly commuters, roadies and joy riders.
I just smile at everyone, and usually get smiles or nods( roadies) in return.
I do wear full racing kits( tight black stuff) and am on my racing bike( not a great one but isnt a hybrid). I am more apt to get nods from roadies when not using panniers. I think its more like, hey ! your one of us! sort of thing.
A lot of people seem to be surprised that I smile at them, in racing kit( or whatever it is!) when they ride so called normal bikes!