(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!"
(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!"