Not all fellow cyclists are that friendly, I’m finding. I always let on with a cheery hello, a hopefully noticeable nod of the head or a raise of the hand but I get blanked by about a third of all other cyclists. Maybe there’s a bit of a cycling hierarchy thing, going on here. Family groups are generally friendly and so are couples. Younger single males are often less communicative. Is it because I have straights, not drops? Is it because I have a garish, baggy yellow top and not figure-hugging black? Is it that my helmet is ancient and not streamlined? Is my bike easily recognisable as a bottom of the range item, even though it’s a Boardman? Or, am I not moving fast enough or looking purposeful enough, like I’m not communicating an appropriate level of commitment? When we ran an old VW Beetle almost everyone with a similar car exchanged a wave or a beep. On reflection, that created a rather nice feeling of togetherness and shared identity. I shall just keep trying.
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