Saying hello

[tomgrrrl]

Question....when riding the trails and you pass or are passed by other riders do you say "hello" or in some way acknowledge them? I tend to do so, but this weekend, when riding a wide fire trail on Tam it seemed a lot of bikers, they happened to be men, didn't say a word. Now some of them were wearing headphones (yikes) but some just seemed cold.....seemed a generally more unfriendly bunch than usual....

I also tend to say hi to hikers (at least when going uphill)....they are generally more friendly than other riders.

When I am on the road the cyclists seem a bit friendlier to one another....

[spokewench]

Of course, you should say Hello or some other thing! We are all part of a community or at least we should be! If they don't say hi, their loss is what I always say.

Besides it makes for a better overall impression on people if bikers act like nice people. Keep up the good work

[Adventure Girl]

When I am on the road the cyclists seem a bit friendlier to one another....

I find the opposite to be true. If I cross paths with 10 mountain bikers, I would estimate that 8 would wave or say hello (or at least grunt). With 10 roadies, the "hello" count would be more like 4 or 5. Maybe it's because when I'm on my road bike I look like a mountain biker (camelbak, Mtb shoes, helmet with visor) and they know I'm not a roadie!

I grunt, wave, nod or say, "hi" to everyone!

[SadieKate]

A passing roadie has never said to me "Thanks, Sweetheart." Percentage wise, I think mtnbikers talk to others more, but I've had more vocally rude encounters with mtnbikers because I think singletrack just creates more obstacles. The few that think it is appropriate to race multi-purpose singletrack on non-race days and tell you to get the F off their trail because it is a race course . . . well, I didn't axe them to be reasonable. It wasn't worth my time. Just don't axe about the bodies at the bottom of the ravine, OK?

[Adventure Girl]

I didn't axe them to be reasonable. It wasn't worth my time. Just don't axe about the bodies at the bottom of the ravine, OK?

Thread hijack alert!!!

You know when people use the word "axe" instead of "ask" (or "axed" instead of "asked")? Well, when these people are writing, do they also write "axe" or "axed" as SK did in the above quote?

When I hear that, I just want to scream, "Burk burk burk!!"

[SadieKate]

Well, as you know, I went screamless through an entire contract negotiation with a client's attorney over use of our trademark (according to the attorney) "Axe A Nurse." Do you suppose I can put on my resume "ability to maintain great poise even in the face of repeated malapropisms"?

[Kitsune06]

I don't think they actually type 'axe' but... from what I've seen, when people who say 'axe' for 'ask' type on forums it looks like this:
"OMG! Duz sum1 no wat type a bike teh rockhopper iz? I think itz specalized, but wat do i kno???!!!1 but it RAWKS!!!!1111"

*clutches head and tips over at the thought of regular mtb forums*

[Adventure Girl]

I don't think they actually type 'axe' but... from what I've seen, when people who say 'axe' for 'ask' type on forums it looks like this:
"OMG! Duz sum1 no wat type a bike teh rockhopper iz? I think itz specalized, but wat do i kno???!!!1 but it RAWKS!!!!1111"

*clutches head and tips over at the thought of regular mtb forums*

Kitsune06 -- U R 2 funny!

[yellow]

Back OT, ladies!

Maybe it's because when I'm on my road bike I look like a mountain biker (camelbak, Mtb shoes, helmet with visor) and they know I'm not a roadie!

It's the CamelBak, I'm convinced. I wore one this weekend on my 112 miler in 90+ degree heat and was uniformly snubbed by all the roadie boys. The evil yellow hoped they suffered dehydration. The sensitive yellow felt like a roadie poseur (and I'm not even really a "mountain biker"). Note that 95% of these kitted out boys DID NOT pass me on the big climb. The one that did was about 20 years old, I think.

[crazycanuck]

Good topic!!!

This same question was addressed in a recent Australian Moutain Biking magazine & it seems we mountain bikers are the friendliest bunch on the road/trail etc. If i can scan the article i shall post it for you.

I always say hello to folks on the trail. I don't care if you're a downhiller hucking or just a normal rider like myself. All the riders (mtn bikers) we hang round with are pretty friendly and make an effort to say howdy!

I always thought it was polite to say hello to anyone whilst jogging, biking, swimming etc

I dress like a moutain biker on my road bike & still try and say hey to anyone that passes me. Then again i act like a mtn biker on my road bike as it's just extra training.

c

[sarahkonamojo]

Funny,
I dress like a road biker on the trail. I think they snicker at me.

Saying hello just makes me feel good especially if they helloer says hello back. Many times on the road the hello is very subtle-raised fingers or head nod. Except for when I'm going downhill. I just smile...
sarah

[chickwhorips]

when i actually lived around people i always said hello/hi (some form of kindness). wasn't always returned. depended on what mountain i was on. the "to good for you people" never said much, but the other "every day" people would say hi.

now everyone waves at me from their car, and considering i'm one of two people with mtb in town, i still swear they look at me like i'm crazy or think "wow wish i was modivated to do that". i think its still more of a "crazy" look.

[Eden]

This question has come up before, if not here on other boards. I've always thought that we just have too many cyclists around here to be saying hi to all of them, so today I decided to count. I only counted cyclists coming towards me that would see a wave or nod and not the ones that I passed. Well - I counted about 190 cyclists during the hour and a half that I was on the road (and would guess the real number was more like 200 as there were times when it was crowded enough that I felt I needed to give all of my attention to traffic) and no I did not wave, nod or otherwise greet all of them.

[fatbottomedgurl]

I see so few cyclist out there on the trails that I always say hi, and tell them how many girls are behind me. I do the same for the hikers and runners. Haven't run into horses more than once but they are friendly too. We Dirtchix have a lot of stop and chat time and often someone will come along and chat too.

[mimitabby]

This question has come up before, if not here on other boards. I've always thought that we just have too many cyclists around here to be saying hi to all of them, so today I decided to count. I only counted cyclists coming towards me that would see a wave or nod and not the ones that I passed. Well - I counted about 190 cyclists during the hour and a half that I was on the road (and would guess the real number was more like 200 as there were times when it was crowded enough that I felt I needed to give all of my attention to traffic) and no I did not wave, nod or otherwise greet all of them.

Good grief, Eden
where were you riding this morning with 200 other bikes? It could only be the BG trail?!