I crossed paths with more than 100 bicycles today. The Southern California coastline is a weekend magnet for riders of all ages, abilities and aspirations. The bikes I saw shared many things in common. The obvious: two wheels, handlebars, saddles, pedals. And the human: Lots of riders with blank faces. The coastal bike training parade is one that gets much larger come summer. I hope the parade improves. It needs parade waves. Not a beauty-pageant-winner-on-a- float wave. Just a quick one. Signal hello. Cyclists on Palomar Mountain do it, and believe me, they are suffering mightily as they acknowledge one another.
Why is it that fewer folks would wave while riding the flats, next to Pacific Ocean, with the sun ablaze? Are they unhappy? I’m not sure if this is exclusive to Southern California, but waving or nodding is probably practiced by fewer than half the riders to whom I wave in urban areas. Dare I say, it could have been as low as a quarter of the riders today. In a place where the weather is made for year-round cycling, I find it odd. Some of my buddies say it’s traced to the fact that nearly everyone is from somewhere else. By default, they keep up their guard in all aspects of life. The bike can be just another. Others speculate that the cause is competition and the sheer number of competitors wearing their game faces. If so, save it for the race, OK? There are far too many traffic lights on Highway 101 for anyone to get animated like Mark Cavendish.
So, here’s my hope: That more San Diego cyclists learn the art of waving. It’s easy, fun and spreads bike mojo. It’s also a nice way to welcome visitors to our fair city. Here are five variations:
- The standard wave - Take hand off bars, open your palm. Side-to-side movement optional.
- Drop a deuce - Left hand out, Make an upside down peace sign. Peace. Out.
- Bar wave – Don’t like taking hands off bars tops? Left fingers up, wiggle ‘em around.
- Tip of the cap - Cycling cap wearer? Classy gesture is to grasp with thumb and index finger.
- Big nod – If you’re really flying, nod your noggin noticeably in direction of oncoming rider(s).
OK. I’ll get down off my art-of-waving soapbox. If you have any feedback about the wave vibe in your hometown, please share with us.
Here’s today’s Garmin data. Came up 10 miles short of my goal to log 120 miles. Last 10 miles were in the dusk/dark on the Highway 56 bike path. All base miles are good miles. I enjoyed the ride, wind and all. The storm front dropped its last drops about 11 a.m. Hope your training is coming along nicely in advance of spring.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
It is interesting to hear that the flat vs. climbing behavior in your backyard is the same as in mine. When I ride the canyons two things happen: 1) much fewer riders 2) always an acknowledgement. Contrary on the flats, i.e. miles of Pacific Coast Highway on which you could pass tens and tens of riders before you find the one kindred soul to acknowledge a greeting.
I found a similar behavior when I was commuting on motorcycle, riding a big twin. I would received waves from other ‘Twin’ riders only (with the rare exception). In this case one could make the assumption that the ‘kinship’ of riding a twin was/is enough to be courteous?!
Maybe that holds true for the bicycle riders we find in the local mountains, a small group of like minded individuals who understand the pain and suffering which comes with certain climbs. They also know the exhilarating emotions which come with conquering the mountain. The wave acknowledges the shared experience. Perhaps many flat land riders (and there is nothing wrong with riding flat lands) have yet to find the strong bond which exists among riders who step out of their comfort zone ever so often. Waving at strangers might be much more difficult to do for many, than you and I ever imagine.
One can excuse frozen-faced cyclists from smiling when it is cold outside. But on warm sunny days it would be nice to receive a return smile or a wave. But usually no such luck. a small wave is the best I usually expect, with the famous “roadie sneer” being the usual expression. I postulate these folks cycle only as a way to compete, a competition that consumes them to such a point they are incapable of even the smallest human kindness. Thanks for the post, and let’s hope that friendliness can become as popular as cutthroat competition.
I have encountered both on my rides. I’m in favor of a friendly acknowledgment when passing fellow bicyclists. It is my theory that those riders who pass me and make no effort to be friendly either 1) think I’m a poser or 2) are deep in concentration on hitting their goal speed/cadence/whathaveyou. I try not to take it personally. On the flip side, I have received many a head nod or finger twitch from countless number of riders separated from me by several lanes of opposite direction traffic. And I will admit there are instances when I’m concentrating and do not wave at a passer-by. I’m not being unfriendly, I’m simply distracted.
And I would like to see the waving friendliness extended to runners. When I pass a runner while on my bike, I give him the customary heads up, and I appreciate the acknowledgment wave because it means they heard me and they know I’m coming up on their left. It’s a safety issue. We need to be aware that there are other people out there.
Having noticed a similar pattern, here is my thinking: When the cyclists are many and crowded, “wave fatigue” sets in. There are just *soooo* many other cyclists, plus we’re all dealing with weaving around and between the other trail users. It gets complicated… Out in the mountains and hinterlands, there are fewer of us, and we’ve made an effort to get out / up here. We understand each other. On the flats… well, hell, that guy on that bicycle probably *drove* here! And that guy? He’s showing off to his kids, getting all on my side of the trail. I ain’t waving to him! Sheesh!
Here in Boston friendliness is weakness. Or everyone hates me. Both entirely possible.
I might also be invisible.
I’ll always return waves if the other cyclist waves first, and I generally wave without prompting as well. If I’m on a road bike, other road cyclists usually wave back, “serious” mountain bikers on their way to / from a trail sometimes do, everybody else studiously ignores me. When I’m on one of my “commute” bikes, roadies almost never wave back, but then nobody else does either. When I’m on the mountain bike, only mountain bikers wave back. Waves do seem more common on hills than flats.
FWIW, YMMV, TWIAVBP.
What gets me is the “Pro” wanna be who just stares blankly forward and never offers a smile or wave, or anything. I mean, I understand being in the “zone”, but you have to be aware of your surroundings, right? Would it kill you to acknowledge a fellow cyclist while your preparing yourself for the Tour de France you’ll never ride?
Up here in PDX I encounter the extremely competitive more often than not, especially up in the west hills. I tend toward the finger flick wave off the bar, but have also nodded, tipped my cap, and full on waved my hand. What I notice is that those in groups, especially doning matching kits, almost never wave, but simply ‘sneer’.
The lone warrior in full Burley winter gear with fenders is much more likely to return my salutation or even initiatie it at times when I am suffering too much to do so.
Sadly, it is a testosterone (naturally occurring or artificially injected) soaked endeavor more often than not.
Interesting range of comments. Thanks everyone for taking the time to share. I’m tempted to write a blog post on an amateur act of hilarity frequently practiced around these parts come summer: “The Look.” I blame it on Lance. What would Jens do?