Im remember when i first started riding, id be screaming along at a woping 45mph on my 50cc and any biker i saw no matter wat they were on would give me a thumbs up or nod to aknowledge me and i would return the compliment.
Now 8 years on when im riding my 525 i give a nod/wave to any bikers i see no matter what they are on, even people on peds, yet id say about 60% dont nod/wave back and the majority of them are people on big bikes who i would expect to be more inclined to aknowledge me back rather than those on small bikes who may just be starting out or only ride because they cant yet get a car.
When your parked up at the side of the road bikers dont seem to stop or slow down to make sure your ok anymore either.
Is it just a London thing? Everyone’s too busy concentrating to do it?
I’m still a n00b, so I nod at everyone - bikes, peds, trikes… I even nodded at a fella walking along the road carrying his crash helmet - he looked very surprised!
I do find that I probably only get get a return nod for every three or I do…
I nodded to a learner on my first day out on my new bike after passing my test, all clad in my new leathers. He gave me a massive grin. I felt like a massive fraud!
Two-up bikes seem to nod more than most, I’ve found. Anything in that?
Most proberbly. I stopped for some lad once, turned out he was fine but my chain came flying off just before i stopped so i think it was good i was stopping or it could have done some serious damage to my engine
I’m an ‘L’ plater (on a bike not a hair dryer); I always give a nod but quite often dont get one back… I understand its not cool to nod at ‘L’'s but we all have to start somewhere!! I will continue to nod at all bikers regardless of their reponse because I’m nice like that; its always a good feeling when you get an acknowledgment back Hopefully one day I’ll be a proper biker like the rest of you
Yes it’s becuase your a girl and all men like to play the knight in shineing armour! Problem is whenever i’ve done it the girl has always known far more than me, which is a little embarrasing!
I got a few nods when I was on L-plates, too. Made me fairly swell with pride, I tells you!
The icing on the cake was on the ride back after passing my test - my instructor, the other guy and me all got nods and a thumbs-up from a guy filtering the other way.
I’ll always nod, I think - and make a point of acknowledging learners. It’s a nice thing to do!
seem to be anybody on their commute can’t be ar5ed to nod but at weekends and the further away from the big smoke you get the the ratio of nods creeps up.
saying that though on sunday whilst waiting at box for the sparrows fart ride out there was a solitary biker on an R1 in the car park at 7am naturally i nodded and nodded and almost did a dance trying to get a reaction fr him to no avail. OK i thought it must be my aftershave…he rides off only to return 5 minutes later to this time studiously avoid eye contact with both myself and poutywombat…
It’s true that people don’t nod in London - I guess it’s because there are so many bikes about that you’d end up nodding your head off! Also, London is a big impersonal city - and that aura rubs off onto everyone, including bikers. I reckon we still help each other out in accidents though.
I always seem to get blanked by the riders of BMW’s and Cruisers! I get the impression that they consider themselves a race apart!
London impersonal surly not, reminds me of when I came off on hampstead road ending up on the pavement avoiding a skip lorry. It was rush hour, and the commuters on the pavement just stepped over me rolling around in agony. How I chuckled to myself afterwards.