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Went for a ride today and at the end in the car park had a very brief chat that went
Nice bike, what is is?
Where did you ride today?
What's your name?
Sorry if you are on here reading this, the bloke was on a big ebike.
It's not the conversation, it was the brevity of it and finishing asking for my name. I've had a similar chat with loads of folk over the years which are broadly similar. There was a bit more, he was chatting about here he had been riding today.
Justifiable paranoia? Clearly over the top paranoia about a normal conversation?
Odd indeed.
Bit unusual but maybe he’s single ?
So where do you live again Martin?
I think you're in the best position to judge the bloke.
Paranoia would be deleting your strava account over it, and not telling a soul.
You never know, the chap may have had some learning disabilities.
Some people are overly familiar and friendly (whether by virtue of general oddness or something more complex).
First two questions are normal imo. Third is weird but might be entirely innocent. Most of us have probably had a funny moment and asked or said something that could have been interpreted as odd by the wrong audience in a moment of sugar depleted post ride blethering.
As for Strava, my default is Followers Only on all my stuff. It's my record not every random on the Internet's (see also Facebook).
I'm not KOM /leaderboard material!
When I read the title I assumed it was that feeling that Strava has moved yet another feature that I used to use from its free version.
I'm sure I was able to see my PB history just last week, but not today.
Are you sure he wasn't asking for your STW "name"
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/off-topic/bumping-into-stwers-2/#post-13633903
Asking for your name is odd.
I've had riding mates for 20 years and I only know them by their bikes.
I think you're in the best position to judge the bloke.
He seemed normal, a cheery enthusiastic cyclist.
Just the question order
I've had riding mates for 20 years and I only know them by their bikes.
On group rides if be able to tell someone about everyone's bikes, much less what people's names were. Bikes have their logos clearly displayed. I'm yet to go on a group ride where everyone had name tags on 😀
Hopefully just another friendly, chatty cyclist. However targeted bike thefts are definitely a thing and people can be quite adept at tracking folk down through social media and mapping sites (some thoughts here). I gather too that it might be possible to get address info. via the DVLA & number plate.
Hopefully all good, but there's no harm in taking it as an opportunity to double check that none of your online footprint identifies you and an address (rides starting from your front door, photos with EXIT gps data etc.) just to be on the safe side.
Like Garage-dweller i keep my strava on followers only. Followers are mostly mates and the odd STWer 🖐️ 🖐️ based on convos on here. I will share with people i meet on the trail, but only if it's a sensible convo about trails, or reps on the beacon, and clear that they are like-minded souls. Some random in a carpark talking about my bike and wanting my name would not qualify I'm afraid
Don't tell him, Pike
Do you look a bit like any well known bicycle riders?
Are you sure he wasn't asking for your STW "name"
This has happened to me lots..... occasionally wearing something branded stw like a buff but often not but clearly fitted the demographic.
Classic STW this! Someone tried to talk to me politely, help!
To me that seems like a perfectly normal chat with another cyclist in a car park. Personally, I wouldn't ask someone their name myself, but if someone asked me it would seem perfectly normal and polite. I doubt they wanted your full name and address just a chat with a like minded individual 🤣
You never know, the chap may have had some learning disabilities.
Yeah and then he made a thread about it.
Classic STW this! Someone tried to talk to me politely, help!
The OP may be from the South or London. We just don't do talking to strangers around here as this news article highlights. 😉
More seriously there have been targeted thefts reported and a bit of verbal chit chat with total randoms can carry some risks.
Instead of asking your name, I’ll usually hold my hand out and introduce myself and then try to remember their name when they reply. But don't worry, I’ll most likely have forgotten it again after 500m of riding and then feel really awkward when we meet another day (or later on) and you greet me.
Did you give him a fake name?
The OP may be from the South or London. We just don't do talking to strangers around here as this news article highlights. 😉
I can sympathise, I'm from North Yorkshire and was recently called a southern bastard by someone from Middlesbrough.
I'm yet to go on a group ride where everyone had name tags on
I suggested our new club jerseys should have the names on the back like footballers but was veto'd.
There's a guy at work, any conversation will be interrupted by a loosely relevant question that deviates slightly from the main thread
"so we went out to dinner on Saturday......"
"do you like eggs?"
Is he called Dave?
Surrey Hills?