Gonna get that guy to smile... dang it.

So everyday I ride my bike into work, only 2ish miles down Steven's Creek Blvd, I pull onto the street just behind a Webcor/VeloAlto bike club rider. It's local riding club and pro team are icons in the area, and their distinctive Green Jersey's to match the Webcor sponsors mission to be a green builder, have been known Nationally and Internationally with acclaimed riders in the Olympics and tours. They often host community/cycling events and have been seen marshaling traffic for memorial rides and other community events. Mostly I think they are great for our bike community.

With that said... it seems that 9 times out of 10, when I approach a light, or road stop with a said club member, they never give me the time of day with a nod, smile or acknowledgment of a fellow cyclists. Sometimes I'm in full gear, high end bike and what-not. Others, like daily on my commute, I may be on my Mongoose Beach cruiser with a basket (for my Macchiato), and in my work clothes... maybe my highest-end (Pink) Giro helmet and Fancy sport glasses would be a hint that I might be a "real" cyclist in disguise? 

This guy is going East on Stvns. Crk. to Stelling with me - at about 5 til 9 each morning. If he doesn't squeeze slowly through a Red light (so not cool for advocacy), or does the common, and I've done before... "fake-right 2 pedals-then left-then right-on-red" trick, to avoid waiting for a light... then he's right in front or next to me. I peer over, ready for a smile... and he stays eyes straight forward, crosses Stelling, and goes left on the cross walk to Whole Foods. (which by the way, he promptly takes his helmet off while waiting for the light to change)

This has gone on for 2 weeks, and I've seen him an average of 3-4x a week, same time and place.

I'll try to get a picture of him on Monday. In the mean time will pull out all the stops... like wearing a mask, funny glasses with a nose,  something to see if he'll say hi to a fellow bike rider, and get over his "I-might-be-better" or "don't-have-time-for-you-more-petty-biking-people" attitude. 

Feel free to send me ideas for breaking this guy into a laugh, getting the universal "nod" of "hey there fellow 2 wheeler", bringing him into community of cyclists- whether a pro racer (he certainly could be)  or encouraging the average joe or jill into riding. 

To be continued!