keisatsu

I try to nod, sometimes I wave... Most of the time I'm in too much pain to do either...

FrankBattle 

I don't wave at the gym. I don't wave when I'm walking a few blocks in the heart of a [real] city. I don't wave when I'm driving. I don't wave when I'm jogging. I do find that I feel somewhat compelled to wave when I'm on a road bike.

Today, I say just ride. Wave if you're waved to. This thread makes roadies seem a bit needier than the general populace .. all these rules.

roadiejorge 

to wave or not to wave, that is the question.

pgjackson

I've been keeping track. I always wave...about 80% do not wave back.

learnmedia

Just do what you do. Choosing to wave or not because another doesn't reciprocate is poor form. There may be many reasons someone doesn't wave back... including being a self-absorbed ass. It shouldn't have any bearing on whether you initiate though. Wave because you want to and/or feel good doing so without expecting a return gesture.

Steve90068

a couple years ago i decided to start waving or nodding to everyone on a bike. i get about a 50% return

Machka 

It happens all the time. We just got through a thread in the General forum about this same topic, and there will probably be 25 more of them before the year's over. I wonder if "wave" is a word that is too common to search on.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...g-other-riders

androidtt

I'm in the zone bro

I just lift my left hand's fingers from the bar and "wave" with those four fingers. That's how I do my courtesy "thank you for letting me ride through first before you turned right/left mr(s). car driver" too.

When I'm going up a super steep hill, I go into a zone too (especially since today was my first). Painful. I'm not going to smile for anyone during that section of my ride.

run1206

I choose to wave, simple side hand out off the bar a few inches. Doesn't matter to me if they wave back, most don't.

Dean V

I have been riding/racing for about 25 yrs. Back then there were a lot less cyclists, but virtually all of them would wave or say hi. Now it is not so many, but still quite a few.
I don't believe the argument for not waving of "I need both hands on the bars for bike control". Maybe for beginners, but that is all. Otherwise how do you drink or feed yourself? Everyone that used to ride bikes with down tube shifters seemed to be able to take their hands of the bars dozens of times in each ride without crashing!
It would be interesting to hear what those of you that run think. I don't run much, but am fairly sure that they don't acknowledge each other as much as they used to either.

run1206

my last bike had those kind of shifters, was scary when I first got the bike, but got used to it. Even then I'd wave.

twobadfish

Do you wave to cars when you're driving?

guadzilla

36 responses and no one has raised the "sockpuppet" flag yet? I wont either - I like waving threads.

Maybe the guys didnt wave b/c they were listening to music on their iPod and so were distracted?

V.

run1206

sometime i give the thumbs up in my car if I know the person or if he/she has a nice car. always thought it was a sign of respect to other riders in general, even if they wave or not, unless if I'm racing or going training uphill.

PinkBabyMonster

Here in Boulder, no one really waves. I've pretty much just accepted it. An occasional point, single finger lift, or prolonged cold stare are the most one can normally expect. One of the friendliest people I've encountered while riding was a Garmin rider on a climb. Pleasantries, comments about the wind, and then he just floated away.

keisatsu

Back when I had a Subaru WRX I would wave at other WRX's, they always waved back, at least they did when I lived in the bay area CA... Too common a car in the NW.

javal

I´ll add a certain aspect of this; people on modern (alu/carbon) bikes doesnt recognise riders on steel bikes. Any time I meet other folks on older steel bikes we tend to appriciate the fact that we do oldies, a wave or a nod. Perhaps its about age; young riders with attitude hasnt any relations to bikes built in the 70´s and 80´s. Or pace...we oldies ride slow enough to see each other...

Machka 

A common misconception and stereotype.

LesterOfPuppets

When I had the old VW waving to other old VWs was VERY common.

Machka 

When you've got scenery as in the photos below ... all places I've cycled ... why would you look at other cyclists when you could be looking at the scenery??











That ... and sometimes it's a good idea to focus on the road conditions, traffic, our ride, etc.

iam7head

Sure I do, most of the local S2000 owners wave(actually more like giving "v") when they see another s2000 driver.

as far as on the bike, i try to wave or nod to everyone, most of the local guys/girls are very friendly. It's about having fun, if they wave back it's great but if they don't wave back that's okay.

can't get much feedback from the "fixie" hipster tho'

rob_g

That's pretty discouraging.

Good reading this thread, as you see how other people think about it; seems to depend on many variables, I wave when I feel the high of riding in nice weather, and meet people coming in a trail or quieter road - feeling we are sharing that moment.

UCIMBZ

Not everyone is riding casually all the time so you can wave. Some of us are training intensely with a lot of focus.

Grumpy McTrumpy

https://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5714405/

relevant.

Soloist Assassin

This is probably because they are suffering. I usually am concentrating on going fast, and suffering as a result to a level where waiving is hard to do.