operator

I usually wave. Unless i'm in the city with lots of traffic. In fact i've hardly ever waved to any roadies in Toronto.

TexasGuy

I usually never wave. I almost always nod though, to cars gettingready to pull into an intersections and to cyclists. It is my acknowledgement.

And my apologies to anybody who could not extract that i was not calling them snobby when i used the therm "seem to be". Regardless of why you do it, it comes off as being snobby/leetist. Just like I am not offended or care whether somebody returns or initiates a nod/wave - don't bee offended if somebody else may think that other riders who don't seem to be snobby/leetist.

SandySwimmer

I've just started biking recently and discovered a route that a lot of serious cyclists go on. The better shape and the more they ride, it seems, the more they say hello. I absolutely love when people wave and say hello. It gives me an extra boost and makes me feel 'included'. I've been trying to wave, but sometimes on the downhills I am trying to keep my hands on the breaks because I am still pretty nervous as a rider. And, when I am climbing a hill, I am huffing and puffing and so focused on not passing out that I forget to acknowledge.

Every other person is the friendly one, I think they see me as snobby. Right now, it's self-preservation. It encourages me to continue to ride and to get in better shape so I can be friendlier on the road.

Miniklobb

i never wave first but if someone waves to me i'm friendly

superdex

I'll wave, but the low-down, hand barely off the handlebar kinda wave. (Is that technically the "Harley wave?"). If I can't get my hand off the bar for one reason or another, I'll at least nod. It's been pretty rare for me to not get a nod/wave, even from hammers coming the other way. It's especially nice when a fixie or commuter returns/initiates the greeting. Funny, though, I get less waves/nods/hellos from women, initiated or returned. Maybe I should be careful lest I get maced

puddin' legs

An acknowledgement is a simple courtesy, not an expression of human solidarity. I ride alone much of the time these days and really enjoy it for the reasons you mention ( I like to think of it as riding by myself rather than against! ), but it takes nothing from the experience for a quick wave, nod, or hello on my end.

lokerola

I usually nod or give the "low, fingers-only" wave. Most people acknowledge back. There are a few that are hammering along and don't even notice my hello, so it's no skin off my back. The one's that do crack me up are the snooty people who aren't hammering, make eye contact, see you wave, and then keep right on going. And just to be clear, the snooty ones and the nice ones come in all flavors and ride all sorts of bikes - I can never tell who's going to be nice and who isn't based on how they dress or what type of bike they ride (not that I give this any conscious thought while I'm riding....)

superdex

or what happened this past weekend: I'm at the bottom of a hill (a stop sign and left turn), out of the way, waiting for some folks (you know who you are, I came back up the hill to find ya), and a group makes the turn, and go from chatting and smiling amongst themselves to stern stink eyes all around staring me down as they pass. WTF?

OPC

I nod to just about everyone I run across on the road/trail. Whether I'm passing, being passed, or going in opposite directions. That's just me. It's an acknowledgement and I have no expectations.

But, it is not rude of them to not reciprocate. If they acknowledge, great. If not, that's ok, too. It would be rude if they told me to F-- off or flip me the bird. But silence is not rude. My waving or saying hello does not place a social burden on the other person, in my mind. I don't do it for what I'll get back, I do it for what it means to me.

Cheers.

José

ETQC

Obsessive Compulsive Waver, I take that from my dad. My wave is usually left hand, palm forward, shoulder level, which seems to be the norm around here. Won't wave when I'm standing up to get uphill, but then I usually nod in an exagerated manner. Else, when I'm really pushing, I just look forward, and I won't see people.

When I glance and see people even for a fraction of a second, I usually look back and nod formally, else I find it rude, even when done to me. I don't mind not being seen, but when there is eye contact but no acknowledgement, it's just weird. Rare, but weird. It's not like a little bit of a nod will hurt you.

Passing people, I wait till my front end is clear, turn my head back, and give a friendly "bonjour", it's not dangerous and keep the roadie reputation clear.

Mind you, I'm in Canada, we don't lock our doors and are a buch of bear-hugging hippes, so take it with a grain of salt.

sjjone

I do a finger wave, and since I know 80% of the cyclists I see, it's usually returned with a nod, finger wave, or verbal greeting. There are guys I chat with at group rides who I know to be non-wavers, so I don't bother waving when I see them out alone. Sometimes this town is just too small...

Guest

Folks out here are pretty friendly. I'll get a wave, a nod, a smile, etc., and I'll return the gesture. But if someone does nothing, I'm cool- some people just want to ride and aren't on for the happy hour social. Sometimes, that's how I feel too. There's nothing wrong with not waving, and there's nothing wrong with waving either.

Koffee

jrennie

I give a head nod or wave to pretty much every cyclist or nice motorist I pass, other road riders usualy return with the same but bike commuters(mainly x-mart mtn. bike riders) tend to ignor the gesture.

poopypants

LOL Indeed!
One of the reasons I love Vermont so much. Other bikers always seem to acknowedge each other up there, they do 95% here in CT but up there, cars, even the blokes in the big arse pickups all give you p-l-e-n-t-y of room and wave. Even had rough as guts harley-type guys wave to us out on the road in our lycra while up there. We take weekends and get up there to ride when we can just because of how cool Vermonters are.

Ant

Well, it's not like I'm going to start hating the people who don't wave I was just curious about the bicycling ettiquite. I will continue to wave to everyone I see...it's not like it's bad to be friendly.

Sincitycycler

I always aknowledge on oncoming biker out in the canyons. If I'm tucked in my aero bars , I still glance over and give my fellow biker a mini "Heil Hitler" kind of wave where I just uncurl my fingers and flatten my hand forward, kind of the way a security guard may stick his hand out in from of you and say "halt". It's a little safer than giving a full-blow beauty pageant wave...

Doid23

I nod all the time and say hey or how'r you doing. I always recognize drivers with a wave or thank you if they wait for me to pass, slow down and don't stalk me if I take the lane for some reason, etc.

That being said, I ride the road about 95% of the time, and run into other cyclists infrequently. When I was on the W&OD the other night, I think I strained my neck nodding all of the time, it seemed like all I did was nod. That got old real quick, especially when only about 1/2 the people acknowledge back. So if I rode the W&OD a lot, I can see how I'd maybe stop waving/nodding.

EventServices

Quick nod.
When it's not reciprocated, I just figure the guy is in over his head with a death grip on the bars. "I...can't...let...go!"

Definitely aknowledge any driver who gives you a break. Usually it's a Hawaiian hang loose sign.


I rode a crotch rocket/sport bike for 12 years and it's preetty well-known that they NEVER wave at Harleys, and vice versa. However, Gold Wings/AARPs get waved at by everybody.
But I always enjoy seeing the woman on the back of the Harley waving at a sport bike.
I imagine the scenario when they get home and he finds out that she was waving at sport bikes the whole time, "You mean to tell me that you been wavin' at them pansies all day?"

woodboy

Once again you've lowered the bar. Thanks

cyclezen

Always wave, make eye contact, toss a smile, toss some words if in a mind to.
Havin too great a time ridin to not let it out.
...I'm in the hooks, sufferin a big gear and trainin, cause I'm such a ****ty timetrialist - I still give a wave and a smile. hand off the bars? no worries, competent enough to not go on my ear.
I see a kid on a tricycle - smile and wave.
I see the same old gent (older than I) quite often on the same section of bikepath. Now to the point I can see his smile a long way off. We toss quick quips at each other as we pass. His latest to me "steady there Old Man!". What a hoot.

some just ride by. no worries, the day and the ride is still just the same - good or best, tough or easy. The kharma comes back no matter to whom it goes out to.

We are who we make ourselves to be
I'm a rider

ovoleg

I've waived to people I see riding on the opposite side of a 4 lane street. If I look left and see nother guy look left, I'll wave and they usually wave back. I've said hello many times but sometimes people are just weird.

I was passing one guy and I said, "good morning", he grumbled to himself lol. So some people are just weird

webist

I don't make it a priority over exercising due care while riding, but I do wave, nod or otherwise acknowledge others on the road.

When I decide to wave or otherwise acknowledge someone, I know I am about to do that. When waved to though, I may not be prepared to safely or comfortably respond. The same may be true of the other soul.

I do not intend to create reciprocal obligations nor am I offended in the least when another rider elects not to oblige me to react.

Mr_Super_Socks

on my daily commute, I will occasionally talk to someone, but there are an awful lot of riders, so it's a little overwhelming to try and greet them all, even with two fingers off the bar - kinda like trying to wave at each person when you get on the subway or a bus. anyway, people don't so much do it around the city, but that's a ny thing, not a bike thing.

when I ride out of the city, it changes a bit and on weekend rides I do at least two fingers off the bar. usually get some sort of acknowledgement.

the more riders you come across on a route, the less likely you are to wave at each one. I encounter as many as 50 riders on a 4-mile commute, it's a little silly to wave at everyone. makes you feel like Barney.

Eatadonut

Unless I'm in the middle of a sprint or something, I always wave and say hi to other bikers. The commuters and the recreational riders generally don't say hi back, but the roadies almost always do. Maybe all the Italian makes the more casual riders nervous

It's the exact opposite on my commuter, I get a nod from random bikers, but the roadies won't even look at me. Punks. Still sporting some italian, but I suppose my low-end Bianchi is not on the same level

skinnyone

A wave or a nod...