I salute you

mikemac

Well I commute by cycling and on a motorcycle
And on weekends I go on big long spins on the motorcycle and then on the Trek 1200 another day

Meet me on either at the weekend and out of traffic and I wave.
Motorcyclists are a good bunch, you get a wave or a nod of the helmet back, except for those driving tractors Harleys

I also wave on my bike.
Some salute me, some ignore me
Even when doing a lap or two of Howth Hill or the cycle lane to there which many of ye know, I salute and often get ignored, usually by people wearing sunglasses and racing gear

What gives? Maybe I broke some Euro rule.
Feeling hurt

I'll accept it's not always possible to salute on commutes and in traffic but on a weekend spin? Ah come on, that wouldn't happen on motorcycles and cyclists shouldn't be any less friendly

thebouldwhacker

Unfortunatly it happens. I was cycling into Cork the other day, rack and bags on and a boyo was coming out towards me with a club kit on (I wont say which one) I gave him the old raised hand to say hi and not only did he not say hi but he just stared at me while we cycled past each other... I thought that one of my panniers was lose and thats what he was staring at but no, I guess he was stunned that someone not in lycra would say hello.
On my return trip though I met 6 cyclists (lycra but not a club ride) and they all had waves and greetings, much nicer than a drop jaw stare I thought.

I must say the first thing that came into my mind was when your wearing your club gear you really are a rep for your club, if your unfriendly its really not gonna be a good ad for your club. When I'm out on a spin with my boards gear on I always behave that little bit better.

Idleater

Cyclist, motorcyclist and motorist here too and I generally wave at cyclists and motorcyclists.
I think when you meet the same people in or around the same places the acknowledgments increase.
I don't take any offence when a cyclist doesn't wave back when I pass on the motorbike, but the odd time they do and that makes it worthwhile.
I also ask stopped bikes and bikers if they need help etc too. I think that in general It's nice to be nice.

DirkVoodoo

Don't take it the wrong way, but a lot of those guys out in racing gear and sunglasses are out training. It's not the same as commuting, you are either riding on the limit or focused on completing the next interval, waving is not really a prime consideration.

There is also the important element of maintaining your cool euro exterior and obeying rules #1 and #23.

I don't think it's at all a case of being unfriendly, in fact people are very chatty when you stop at cafes (Laragh for example).

Harrybelafonte

I wouldn''t bother waving to anybody on Howth Hill anymore. I spent the whole summer waving like a moron at everybody up and down that hill and along Clontarf into town every Sunday for the whole Summer and TWO people waved back. Everytime I'm in Wicklow most people wave back, no idea what it is on that side of the city. It's all sorts of riders too, not just the Euros. People did ask if I was ok when I was fixing a puncture which softens the blow a little.

Git101

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

I spent the whole summer waving like a moron at everybody up and down that hill and along Clontarf into town every Sunday for the whole Summer and TWO people waved back. Everytime I'm in Wicklow most people wave back, no idea what it is on that side of the city.

Ahh it's the old northside southside thing again..
You lift your arm on the northside and your pocket is picked !!

Harrybelafonte

Git101 wrote: »

Ahh it's the old northside southside thing again..
You lift your arm on the northside and your pocket is picked !!

I meant more north east really I don't mean it to be something to do with the divide, I'm a Northsider myself

Raam

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

I meant more north east really

Ah we ain't that bad

Beasty

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Don't take it the wrong way, but a lot of those guys out in racing gear and sunglasses are out training. It's not the same as commuting, you are either riding on the limit or focused on completing the next interval, waving is not really a prime consideration.

That's what I'm like when I am commuting! Passed someone coming the other way down the old N1 last night on the way home. I was focussed entirely on the subject in hand. The guy on the other side waved, but by the time I reacted he had almost passed, and all I could manage was a grunted greeting

mcgratheoin

The old head nod is what I use when I'm at pace and taking hands off in time isn't a real option.
I'd wave back at anyone though - might be a little sad but I waved at every kid on the SK route this year.*
I also wave when overtaking (rarely) and appreciate a wave when being overtaken (frequently overtaken, rarely waved at). In fact, I'm on the verge of joining the Boards.ie jersey fraternity just to be yelled at around town!


*Unless there were kids on Seskin or the Mahon Falls - I don't really remember much about the surroundings on either climb....

Jawgap

Not sure what it is about Howth / Sutton / Clontarf - I cycle it regularly and by and large you get a friendly response to waves and good mornings, althought I've found it to be a pointless exercise if the person you're greeting is on a TT bike - I presume they are concentrating and for obvious reasons are not pre-disposed to lifting their hands away from the bars.

recently, I did have one chap, who I said good morning to, look at me then accelerate away!! I felt honourbound to suck his wheel all the way to the Garda station before jumping out and overtaking him into Fairview.

If it is a DNS / SS thing, then it's obviously the wannabe OMG merchants from the pseudo SS that is Howth, Sutton and Clontarf not acknowledging greetings from people they perceive to be too skanger-like:)

ROK ON

Did a spin out to Howth and onto Malahide, Swords and back of airport the other night. Met a fair few cyclists out, trying to get in soome miles on probably the last balmy night of the year. Everyone nodded or waved. Not sure its a NS thing. Maybe the other cyclist the OP met just didnt like the look of him/her/it.

Harrybelafonte

ROK ON wrote: »

Did a spin out to Howth and onto Malahide, Swords and back of airport the other night. Met a fair few cyclists out, trying to get in soome miles on probably the last balmy night of the year. Everyone nodded or waved. Not sure its a NS thing. Maybe the other cyclist the OP met just didnt like the look of him/her/it.

Not a DNS thing, just that particular route.

poochiem

I'm from the country I wave at everyone, sometimes just the massey ferguson finger-salute. I rarely bother nodding at other cyclists....I've been jogging/running in countries around the world and dublin is the only place I don't get the micro-salute back from other runners.

markcroninbsc

dublin is just full of ignorant bastards.

justo

feelingstressed wrote: »

Well I commute by cycling and on a motorcycle
And on weekends I go on big long spins on the motorcycle and then on the Trek 1200 another day

Meet me on either at the weekend and out of traffic and I wave.
Motorcyclists are a good bunch, you get a wave or a nod of the helmet back, except for those driving tractors Harleys

I also wave on my bike.
Some salute me, some ignore me
Even when doing a lap or two of Howth Hill or the cycle lane to there which many of ye know, I salute and often get ignored, usually by people wearing sunglasses and racing gear

What gives? Maybe I broke some Euro rule.
Feeling hurt

I'll accept it's not always possible to salute on commutes and in traffic but on a weekend spin? Ah come on, that wouldn't happen on motorcycles and cyclists shouldn't be any less friendly

I cycle the Clontarf track and Howth hill. What's your hog? I'll salute you next time.

rp

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Don't take it the wrong way, but a lot of those guys out in racing gear and sunglasses are out training. It's not the same as commuting

I get it, they're leisure cyclists, just out riding for the fun of it.

NeedMoreGears

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

I wouldn''t bother waving to anybody on Howth Hill anymore. I spent the whole summer waving like a moron at everybody up and down that hill and along Clontarf into town every Sunday for the whole Summer and TWO people waved back. Everytime I'm in Wicklow most people wave back, no idea what it is on that side of the city. It's all sorts of riders too, not just the Euros. People did ask if I was ok when I was fixing a puncture which softens the blow a little.

That was probably me!

I generally wave at people on that route although only to people on road bikes and wearing lycra - it just seems to confuse everyone else apart form one very fit looking runner I see most mornings around 0745. Generally get a wave back - once the mighty Raam gave the old finger bang one day near Biscayne in Malahide (my two travelling companions were too confused to do anything other than say "that was quite a complicated looking wave - are you a member of some secret society")

Question: how big a wave do you give? - just a upward flick of the hand while still holding the handlebars or more like your ma waiting for you after your first day at school?:)

Raam

NeedMoreGears wrote: »

Question: how big a wave do you give? - just a upward flick of the hand while still holding the handlebars or more like your ma waiting for you after your first day at school?:)

Get off the bike and hug them. It sounds like some folk could do with it

High Nellie

"just the massey ferguson finger-salute" - Yea, that's what I usually manage, but I'd say a lot of fellas 'just don't get it'.

There was a lot of griping about riders not saluting spectators on the Etape Hibernia, Maybe some nerd out there can figure out how many kilo-jules (or watts or something) would be used up in 10,000 hand waves spread out over six hours.

I must send a griping message to Dermot Dignam - those Rás fellas never salute me when I go to the bother of goint to support them every year.

I'm only joking (or trying to). Nottin wrong with a frienldy wave, or nod, or word, or massey-ferguson finger. But if the other fella is wrapped up in his own thoughts and world I wouldn't let it get to me