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Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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27 comments
You do mean ride bike with consideration to be more precise, any berk can ride a bike but there's a significant number who don't/won't consider others safety or simply show a bit of courtesy that often goes a long way toward the former and makes life a whole lot smoother for everyone.
I've managed to obtain actual footage of Don cycling (sorry, Don):
4hk5eag.mp4
Rules according to don simon in reverse order.
#2 Ride bike
#1 Enjoy riding bike.
#0 numer of fucks given to what others think.
Waving, nodding etc is alive and well in north Northamptonshire, I can confirm. Although a chap in all black blanked me this morning.
If the chap all in black looked like this (see below) - count your self lucky that he ignored you!
SthSD_2.jpg
It costs nothing to wave and / or nod at fellow cyclists.
Unfortunately common decency is rather quickly becoming a thing of the past in many walks of life.
BTBS: Let us not start another helmet debate!
It is worth noting though that clubs with affiliations to governing bodies will be forced to include policies that stipulate riders wear helmets when participating in club organised rides. This is for insurance purposes which are obtained with the affiliation.
As noted let's not get bogged down with another helmet debate. I'm merely advising of the reasoning behind clubs insisting on helmet use.
It is also worth saying that if people have their own governing body membership, which would likely include a 3rd party insurance and possibly legal assistance, they should check the small print. It could be the case that no helmet use invalidates that element of legal cover in the event of an accident.
Alas the governing bodies have to pander to the demands of the insurance industry when offering cover to their members and clubs have to pander to the demands of the affiliate governing body when drafting policies for participation.
Obviously feel free to ride with a club that does not affiliate to a governing body but this does raise other discussions that probably should not be explored on this thread.
But simply going for a ride on UK roads means that any affiliation has no bearing on attire, what you think a group/club ride means you have to wear a helmet, I don't think so, this isn't racing!
He's basically contradicted himself by saying wear what you want but if others are wearing X (helmets in this case) and that's what they normally wear then you should be forced to do so also otherwise yu can't take part.
Why is that? Why is it that helmet wearing groups/clubs force others to bow to their will or be excluded, it certainly isn't the other way around as I pointed out and as I also pointed out it's a big issue with participation because the wearing of helmets signifies a dangerous activity.
So, why do groups/clubs who want to wear helmets exclude others who wish not to, how/why is that something they cannot tolerate, it's certaoinly not insurance is it!
I am a grinning bufoon that waves at/to all and sundry.
I get miffed by the '1000 yard stare' folks that believe themselves to be elite cyclists and no-one else matters...there are a few, but not too many down my way.
...and I'm not on about those who may be lost in thought or have familial burdens to ponder upon...just the absolute arrogant types that feel it is below them to acknowledge other road users...especially cyclists being friendly.
I never tyre (pun intended) of waving at people...I've even been known to wave/nod/shrug the shoulders at club members coming the opposite direction on our TT nights...I'm never gonna set the world alight with my times, but may as well enjoy the pain and suffering for that half hour or so...
Back in the 60's club groups would wave at each other and pais or singles would say hi.
I thought it WAS a UK thing as it doesnt happen in Australia. Must be a Generation thing.
All doing 40kph pus instead of enjoying the scenery.
Geraint Thomas waved at me a few years back. He lived in Altrincham and trained on the Cheshire lanes.
It amused me to be acknowledged by an Olympic gold medalist while being ignored by club hacks.
I fink that..... The wave density does significantly vary by region. If someone will fund me I'll do a proper study wiv graphs and everyfink.....
Most of my miles are done in a 50 mile radius around Bedford and in my experience a wave, nod or discreet finger raise is the norm (& heaven help you if you get stopped by a puncture - the number of passers by who stop with offers of help can get embarrassing). A while back I found myself trundling around Surrey & Kent's North West frontier and any acknowledgement was rare.
And... Are there certain items that act as 'triggers' in the acknowledgment? I found myself wondering this when I borrowed my partners Bromoton. I was wearing a T shirt, every day shorts, sandals - and - (with due apologies to those with strong feelings on the matter) my helmet, a Kask Protone. I was surprised at the number of acknowledgements I got from the wearers of Lycra. Was it the helmet that triggered the reactions?
I wave at cyclists at the weekend, but not so much on the weekday commute.
I cycled up ramsbottom rake (25%, hell on earth) the other week and there were a couple of cyclists sat having a rest at the top. I punched the air when I got to the top and they said well done, which was fun.
I tend to Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening myself, to everyone on the offroad bit, a nod or a smile to any cyclist coming the other way on the road.
I give the odd nod to regulars on the commute, and often people out and about in the countryside who look like they're havin fun because generally I am when i'm there and in a good mode - not much of a 'waver' but if someone else does I respond in kind if I see it. Unless they're a miserable sod
What is it with the waving? Do you wave at fellow pedestrians (etc.) when passing?
I might pass several dozen cyclists and wonder if they're all being waved at.
Passing someone in the pissing rain on a sketcky climb/descent will get a nod of respect, but waving at all and sundry. Not a chance...
And if I don't wave back, it's not because I'm a miserable sod, it's because I'm thinking of something else, or maybe I haven't seen you or I'm choosing not to because it's generally a bit silly and on the odd ocassion it's because I'm a miserable sod.
I definitely approve of those rules, but I think the waving rule should only apply outside of cities as otherwise you just spend all of your time waving.
When riding in China I had to rein in my natural urge to wave.
I like
However, I'm guessing that
is something that only works if hardly anyone rides a bike, though. I have never ever been waved at by another cyclist (could just be a British thing...).
Seriously ? I'm a wee bit surprised i'll admit - you ride around/near North Somerset/Bristol don't you ?
Not necessarily, I see quite a few waves and nods (around Bristol and, mostly, W/SW of it) - maybe an urban thing ? (which would make sense I guess)
Yeah: between central Bristol and Portishead are my usual stomping grounds. Maybe I'm just scary and unapproachable...
Just pop a squirrel top on and i'll give you a holler if I see you down PortZ or simlur.
But if I did that I'd be afraid of ending up as one of hawkinspeter's memes...
Blimey, where do you ride? Even in deepest Norfolk, cyclists wave, nod or hail each other. Try going North or West and you might get overwhelmed by the greetings! (City riding excepted for obvious reasons.)
Rule #10 - Don't be a dick.
If only this rule was adopted by a few contributors on this very site..............
Gaimon talks a lot of sense (more so than some around here.) No shaming others, helmet freedom. I like his cheeky attitude too. Despite saying you needn't co-ord his cookie kits are very tempting. Might look quite fly next summer. Maybe help support his early retirement. Very entertaining.
And yet he contradicts himself by coming up with rule 7 which is bullshit and makes no sense whatsoever. if you want to ride why should be forced to choose, who does this interfere with or make less safe? He's obviously a helmet wearer because he wouldn't say that if it was the other way around!
'Sorry mate but you can't wear your helmet on this ride, if you choose to wear your helmet then you can't ride with us', that's what Gaimon has said except in reverse.
BC, sportive organisers, charities, cycling groups/clubs do this all the time and I mean ALL. Basically do as we tell you/wear what we tell you to otherwise you are excluded, forcing others out for simply wanting to ride a bike but not wanting to conform to some unecessary garment rule is utter crap and is part of the massive problem of getting people onto bikes and people taking greater risks/crashing more due too coonforming to that dumb rule!
"Rule #7: If you’re not into helmets that’s your decision, but do respect the policies of who you’re riding with. We don’t helmet shame (adult) strangers we see without them, but don’t show up on the group ride like that if that’s not how everyone else does it"
As for waving, just lol, I'll give a nod /maybe raise a hand if I get a glance or a hi/on your right if passing/being passed, to moped users, wtf.