Cycle path greetings?

A bit OT but whereabouts in Suffolk are you from?
The Big I.

Pretty much overwhelmingly sociable cyclists so far, saying that I'm assuming only the most sociable would go to the trouble of reading this thread and then bothering to respond, so not strictly scientifically rigorous....... recently I've been bonjouring everyone and just adding 'you [fat/mamil/b-twat/cockrider etc] cunt' to those that blank me which are I would say 70% roadies and 30% random other people.

The Big I.

Ipswich? Lolz! Went to Suffolk College back in the day so know it well (good memories).

I like saying hi to people whilst cycling however I can't help feeling like a smarmy dick when I do so when overtaking (although it doesn't happen often).

Club wanks get feck all, whichever direction I pass them in. Counts for mtb clubs who seem to find it necessary to spread themselves across the entirety of the trails and leave no obvious way through when stopped for drinks/pieces/to talk about how knarly they are at the local centres too.

Everyone coming in the opposite direction usually gets a nod, I'll try and respond vocally if they respond to my nod vocally or initiate a vocal exchange.

I'f I'm passing I don't want to seem smarmy (and I'm probably breathing out my arse if I'm passing anyone anyway) so I say nowt, if you pass me and say hi, I tend to utterly crap myself and almost ride off the road.

There's a bypass?

Yeah, depending on what road you are on it can be a bit iffy to see the signs for it but once you know it then you won't miss it. Is one on the other side to make an entire loop(that is even worse signposted) but I tend to just ride this same one both ways. Is part of one of the super highways so look for blue stuff.

Most people in London are too busy trying to get somewhere or overtake each other, to offer greetings. There are now too many other cyclists anyway for that to be realistic.

I usually instigate chat only when locking up, unlocking, or witnessing some dumb-ass antics on the road. Or if I think someone is cute.

Almost everyone gets a smile/nod/hi, except Addison Lee or Mr Black Cab, they get a blown kiss or a nipple rub, along with the smile of joy and enthusiasm.

Most people get a smile, even the weird ones. However pro-muters massaging their their thighs at a set of red lights get a snort of laughter as I just can't help myself.

I think the smile is more about loving the fact that I'm a bike; out and about and smelling the roses, rather then the people you smile at.

Salute / acknowledge anything.

The only rude one I ever gave out,
was to a guy who chose to slalom full power whithout missing a pedal stroke,
through a family spread out wobbling all over a very quiet cycle path.

Two of the kids were less than 10 years old and very wobbly.
He didn't even flinch, made eye contact.
2d row rugby frame, pro cycling kit, eery.

Took my bike to the homeland (Northants), for a countryside ride yesterday morning. Played a little game with myself predicting which of the cyclists I met would return the salutation. Regular/hobby/club cyclists - 100%, fat Halfords afternoon golfers - 0%.

I like a cheery hello and I think a touch of the front of my cap is particularly swarve, but possibly just confusing.

I can't work out whether it's worse blanking someone that you overtake (especially on a hill) or greeting them?
I think one way you look like a twat by ignoring them, but on the other hand you might look like a condescending twat by acknowledging them as you fly by.
I usually end up turning to say something, and the saying nothing, and essentially just stare them down for a second or two, which is probably worse that either of the original options!

If on a hill and they look to be struggling, i normally say something like "I wish this hill would fucking end" etc or "good effort mate not far now", they can take it how they like, however as long as I'm friendly I see no reason for them to take offence. On the flat if I'm over taking I tend to be giving it some so I just give a particularly wide birth and plough on, if they meet at lights or something ill give a friendly nod...

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/the-northerner/2014/jun/12/wanted-cyclist-team-sky-kit-punched-another-rider-on-a-bike-path-in-preston

I prefer to stare at the road until the other cyclist reachest the closest point, then shout 'Allez!' as loud as possible and sprint away.

^ Actually laughed out loud. Totally doing this from now on.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/the-northerner/2014/jun/12/wanted-cyclist-team-sky-kit-punched-another-rider-on-a-bike-path-in-preston

Not on here, woulda been a kidneypunch right?

I knew I'd met you before.

I just say hello to everything, as any fule kno.

^ There be nowt wrong with 'girlies' ;)

Forgot to mention, at this time of year everyone gets an unspoken* 'fair-weather'* as soon as I clap eyes on 'em. Even people that I see bikeen in Januarys.

I say hello to most people òn bikes. If they blank me I call them tossers

tossers

oh, dearie, dearie me, you will scare off that already small base of middle class forum users if your use that kind of language here.

On overtaking, as with many other things, Beryl Burton got this right.

When she set the 12 hour time trial record of 277.25 miles in 1967 she went 0.73 miles further than Mike McNamara, who took the men's record of 276.52.

As she came to pass him, she had some liquorice allsorts in her pocket. She thought "I can't pass him without saying something", and then "I know, I'll give him a liquorice allsort".

As she came alongside him she said "Liquorice allsort?", and Mike simply said "Ta love", and took one.

Class.

I've started bonjouring everyone and the less likely they look to bonjour me back (the more lycra'd up they are generally) the more obviously I bonjour them and I have to say the world is a slightly better place for it, I get lots of genuinely warm smiles and a warm feeling of love for my fellow human etc. I also made a game out of it. If I bonjour and get a response its 0 points, if I bonjour and get no response I get 1 point and if I don't bonjour but get a bonjour it's -2 points, maybe just my brains way of dealing with rejection.

While I'm here I'll relate the story of the other day, while on one of my regular circuits I decided to go for a hill climb which I normally reserve for a geared bike but I was on my fixed gear, I knew I could do it but it is a pretty hard and long hill to climb out of the saddle the whole way, however on this particular day it happened to be part of the tour de france route and it was lined with hundreds of french people all having lunch and having for their sole entertainment some 40 year old guy desperately trying to make it up this hill without breathing too heavily and making it look as hard as it was even if it was nearly killing me, enduring the classic sarcastic cheers and hilarious 'allez allez's for at least a few km. To make it worse when I got home to check I found it was only a cat 4 (the lowest category) of climb......... there are few words that can adequately express the combined exhaustion and embarrassment of that and it took a few hours for the sarcastic smile on my face to fade..........