Saying Hi on the Bike Path

"recycled" wrote:
*How about being asked for directions? On one ride I was stopped twice by
cars who wanted me to tell them where to go.


Yeah, happens to me all the time. Since you're on a bike, they assume
you must live in the neighborhood.

Art Harris

"Art Harris" wrote in message
...
"recycled" wrote:
How about being asked for directions? On one ride I was stopped twice by
cars who wanted me to tell them where to go.


Yeah, happens to me all the time. Since you're on a bike, they assume
you must live in the neighborhood.

Thing is, I was on a highway in the middle of nowhere farmland. There was no
neighbourhood.

On Aug 29, 9:17*am, Art Harris wrote:
"recycled" wrote:
*How about being asked for directions? On one ride I was stopped twice by
cars who wanted me to tell them where to go.

Yeah, happens to me all the time. Since you're on a bike, they assume
you must live in the neighborhood.

Art Harris

I get that a lot too. Usually while climbing. I've told people I'd
be happy to give them directions at the top of the hill, and they
usually comprehend that climbing is harder on a bike than in a car and
oblige. Occasionally they get mad and speed off, but that's their
problem.

If you're really not in the mood, you can just tell them
"shhhhhhhhh... they're listening!" with your crazy face on.

I just realized I never responded to this, and I had wanted to.

wrote:
Dane Buson wrote:

I don't tend to have this problem on hills since people can't draft,
as you say. I just pass at my normal pace, say "on your left"
pre-pass, "Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening" (as appropriate) during
the pass. Sometimes I'll get someone who is somehow offended I
passed them and they'll race up the hill ahead of me for a while.
But they don't try and draft me.

Why do you prefer to ride alone over a pick=up riding partner? The
way you describe it, you find your precious bodily strengths to
precious to share with others, which I see as selfishness. I have for
years, and even today, picked up interesting riders to whom I caught
up. As I rode south to Santa Cruz today on a 200km loop, I met a
rider from Berlin (D) who was touring the coast. We had a great time
just as so many other times. Towing other riders is an effortless
addition to riding alone and if you can give someone a lift, do it.

I have had similar experiences when I'm out doing longer rides. But
about 80% of my riding is just going back and forth to work. A lot of
it is stop and go, poor sightlines, up and down hills, etc. and I
really want to pay attention to what's going on around me and not worry
about anyone else. I don't have time to talk to them usually (since I'm
almost always running late) even in the sections where it's okay to ride
side by side.

Plus they're almost all wheelsuckers who never take a turn, latch on
without asking and take off without a word if you slow or they reach
their turn. Like I said, I have had some nice rides with people I run
into. I've made new friends and helped people and been happy about it.

But that's not what happens most of the time.

--
Dane Buson -
The problem with engineers is that they tend to cheat in order to get results.
The problem with mathematicians is that they tend to work on toy problems in order to get results.
The problem with program verifiers is that they tend to cheat at toy problems in order to get results.

Dane Buson wrote:

I just realized I never responded to this, and I had wanted to.

I don't tend to have this problem on hills since people can't
draft, as you say. I just pass at my normal pace, say "on your
left" pre-pass, "Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening" (as appropriate)
during the pass. Sometimes I'll get someone who is somehow
offended I passed them and they'll race up the hill ahead of me
for a while. But they don't try and draft me.

Why do you prefer to ride alone over a pick=up riding partner? The
way you describe it, you find your precious bodily strengths to
precious to share with others, which I see as selfishness. I have
for years, and even today, picked up interesting riders to whom I
caught up. As I rode south to Santa Cruz today on a 200km loop, I
met a rider from Berlin (D) who was touring the coast. We had a
great time just as so many other times. Towing other riders is an
effortless addition to riding alone and if you can give someone a
lift, do it.

I have had similar experiences when I'm out doing longer rides. But
about 80% of my riding is just going back and forth to work. A lot
of it is stop and go, poor sightlines, up and down hills, etc. and
I really want to pay attention to what's going on around me and not
worry about anyone else. I don't have time to talk to them usually
(since I'm almost always running late) even in the sections where
it's okay to ride side by side.

Plus they're almost all wheelsuckers who never take a turn, latch on
without asking and take off without a word if you slow or they reach
their turn. Like I said, I have had some nice rides with people I
run into. I've made new friends and helped people and been happy
about it.

But that's not what happens most of the time.

Unless you have an invisible force field as protection, you might get
attacked by the same people who have been throwing rocks at me for
claiming that many riders have self esteem problems and are unsociable
these days, in contrast to the riders I knew, shown on Ray Hosler's
web site that Carl Fogel referenced. Those were kinder gentler days
and some of that attitude is still alive an well, although it is
gradually being displaced by the new "me me me, look at me" mentality.

I generally thank the lead rider for a good pull if I turn off or get
dropped.

Jobst Brandt