Walk a mile in their clipless peddled shoes

I has been said that,"Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you'll be a mile from them, and you'll have their shoes." 

Or something like that.

Us runners are a friendly bunch.  It is tough to go out for a run on a local trail without getting a wave, a nod, or a hello.  We are quick to make friends and to offer advice to new runners joining our ranks.  I have run on my local trail so often that when I am not there for any length of time, many people ask me what was wrong when I return.  After my last injury kept me off the trail for a while, I had to explain about 10 times that I was out with an injury, while sucking in lung fulls of air because I was out of shape due to said layoff. 

I nod and wave to the runners and walks I see and usually have a word or two with the regulars.  But not the Bikers.  I have been operating under the assumption that most bikers are rude, stuck up or both.  I mean there are the few that return my wave, but that is the exception not the rule.  Not to mention the guys who zoom past you about 3 inches away from your shoulder shouting, "On your left," loud enough to make you jump three feet to the right.  Even people I know seem to act a little different when they are on their bike.  I have just decide not to wave or nod at the bikers, because it will most likely be wasted energy.

Well now that the Clipless peddled shoe is on the other foot (lets see, do I know any other shoe puns), I think a little differently.  To understand these cyclists you have to get an idea of their situation.  First of all, while us runners and walkers love the trail...Cyclists need it.  I mean even though we don't want to, we can run on sidewalks and if we are running on a narrow road we can always retreat to the shoulder if a wide load comes by.  These things are not so easy to do on a road bike.  While many bikers brave the roads and the traffic to get a workout in, I'm sure they also appreciate the safety of the trail from time to time.

As for friendliness, lets look at it from both sides.  While running you can see things long before they happen. 

I'll often see one of my friends coming up on the bike while yelling, "Hey Chris, how's it going," as I wave franticly. 

Then when they don't acknowledge me I just assume it has to do with that uppity bike syndrome.  Now however I can see it from the other perspective and it goes something like this:

Me on the bike zooming by at 25 mph:  "What is that idiot doing?... and did he say my name...Hey, Maybe I know him," as I am now about a half mile away.

So it is less to do with unfriendliness and more to do with speed and time.  While on the bike I still try to nod as I pass by others.  I'm afraid if I risk a wave I might swerve and crash into them...I'm pretty sure they would rather me be rude at that point.  And when I do nod, I don't know if I get the timing down right...I might get the nod off before I pass them or I might be nodding like a complete idiot to no one at all.

So these bikers might be the friendliest people in the world...it is just really hard to be friendly at 20 mph.  (Who am I kidding, I'm still closer to 15 mph).  As a matter of fact, I got a crash course in friendly bikers when my chain broke last weekend.  I passed a bunch of people while hobbling along side my bike.  Everyone of the bikers asked if I needed help.  Only one of the runners stopped to ask what he could do:  He explained that the same thing happened to him last month.  Even though he was running right then...he was really a friendly biker.