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...felt the same when i change my commuter from drops to flats so i could use mtb bike hydro's brakes in winter...
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There's too many cycle commuters now on my route to say hello or wave to everyone.
Like you said, in the past you were pretty much guaranteed that any other cyclers were hobbyists where as now it's just a valid form of travel.
I still wave to riders when I'm on longer open road rides. They are still guaranteed hobbyists*.
My only observation with people riding road race bikes wearing all the gear on their commute is they feel the need to gun it everywhere and need to be in front (sweeping generalisation, obviously) .*EDIT: I don't only wave at hobbyists. I wave at anyone who isn't in a car essentially.
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about 90% of commuters would give some form of acknowledgement
You're not in London if 90% of commuters are acknowledging you.
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I was gonna say the exact opposite. I've just moved out of London and have been surprised that I've had two full kit roadies wave to me on my single speed riser bar monstrosity on my 5 min cycle to the station; I've literally never been nodded or waved at in the 6 years of commuting in London so it was a pleasant suprise. Had no idea it was a thing until you just said this!
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anthonyj
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@aniki
(tongue in cheek) Do roadies have something against people with straight handlebars?
To be clear, I've been riding for just over 30 years and back in the old days when cycling as a hobbie was still very niche, it was generally accepted etiquette to acknowledge other cyclists.
Now I accept that nowadays things are different to say the least but here's what I've noticed.
Until a couple of weeks ago I had drop bars on my Cinelli Vig commuter. I would say about 90% of commuters would give some form of acknowledgement, albeit a "good morning" or a wave or a nod or a hand gesture.
I decided to try out riser bars. Since then that 90% has dropped to about 10%. Saturday morning I passed 6 roadies who all just stared at me in a state of confusion. I then passed a 7th on an uphill stretch who was obviously so put out that he felt the need to sprint past me with an inch between us at full pelt just as I was stopping to use the cashpoint.
I can only assume his emotional response was something along the lines of "Oh the indignance of being passed by someone 'not on a real bike'! How embarassing!"