The "Nod"

The cyclist’s nod is an acknowledgment of a kindred spirit, of souls suffering towards a similar goal. It implies a similar level of devotion to the sport, a willingness to betray accepted social norms for the life of a cyclist. This is a vaguely-defined set of criteria more accurately measured by stating those qualities which will result in me not nodding at a fellow cyclist.

Those qualities are as follows, in no particular order:

• Your chain is squeaking.
• Your helmet is missing or is on backwards. Obvious exceptions to this rule are if you’re wearing a hair-netor a cycling cap (backwards) and are riding an Italian or Belgian steel road bike, preferably with your brake cables springing up from your brake hoods directly to your frame, or if your name is Charley Mottet.
• You are wearing tights on a day that knickers will do, or shorts on a day when you should wear knickers or tights.
• You are riding a recumbent.
• You come blowing by me on a climb and your legs are not shaved. There are exceptions to this rule, but I have to know you personally in order to issue exceptions.
• You are hammering needlessly.
• You don’t look cool. This makes me sound like a jerk, but lets face it, this is an important part of cycling: once you reach a certain level of familiarity with your bicycle, you almost automatically will look cool.
• You annoy me in some other way that is not outlined here. This could be anything from falling into my gaze when I’m tired or otherwise cranky, to motoring by me on the Lighthouse on your fixie.

I think that covers it.

As posted on Velominati

If you ride you'll find humor in this.