You certainly don't see many on the roads these days as the newest Coupes are now 21 years old . I've had my Coupe about 4 months now & I had a guy in my local petrol station come up to me & say how much he liked mine, which was jolly kind of him .

My bike is a hybrid, good enough for me, it’s all alloy so light enough. I bought it second hand from somebody who rode it a couple of times then stored it in bedroom, they were moving away to Glasgow and wanted rid, I practically stole it, brand new it looked not a mark on it. I played the old man routine and said I’ve only managed to save £180, asking price was £200, even at that price it was a bargain. Once the twenty pound notes were in view, I had my new bike.

To be fair up here in the sticks there are not many who don’t acknowledge you, females will always wave and say hi, I think they feel sorry for me, an old geezer on a bike huffing away… When I come to think about it, the flashier the bike and outfit, it’s less likely a friendly gesture ensues. None of this puts me off though. I do enjoy a trip on the bike in the countryside, there are a few stopping off places to see and grab a coffee and a goodie. Deserted roads for miles at times, gives me thinking time and keeping fit as well..

It's the same here in South Wales. To be fair, some will acknowledge you, others don't. But definitely loads of snobbery about the bike and gear.i deliberately try to avoid looking too MAMIL and sometimes wear MTB shorts on my road bike (I know, outrageous - it will probably make headline news).

I started as an MTBer too around the same time as you Sub. It's definitely less snobby, though there are some idiots who tear up the woods without a care for other users. But these are a minority. I've got my 2011 era full sus Giant and a 2012 Specialized Road bike. Both are mid range aluminium rather than carbon.

My next challenge is to try and avoid getting an electric MTB.... Is it just cheating?

Welcome back Dr Jeeva. Good on you for getting back to coupe ownership...let alone the same one that you previously owned! Well done

Sweeping statements but the 'new breed' of road cyclist (not so much MTB in my experience) are mostly rude, arrogant and seem to piss off every other road user. I have MTB'd since Uni in Manchester 1990, MTBing to me appears to consist of a far more relaxed and inclusive bunch of riders although this too has recently gone equipment crazy. Still MTBing but now more of a roadie since 2006, the dynamic of MTBing is not reflected with roadies in my experience...who collectively like to judge by bike, apparel, pedals, weight, unshaved legs etc on the bike and social class, job and salary off of it.....or maybe that's just the SE.

I guess there are people who care not whether you are cycling, driving a niche car etc like them and therefore don't feel the need to nod or wave.

I no longer club or group ride....mainly solo and the odd ride or alpine trip with a mate. French roadies are more inclusive, I can say that I think after 15yrs in Morzine.

Female roadies solo or club run seem to buck the trend round my way.....nod, wave and a hello.

Have had Lancaster Ins on and off for 30yrs.....recently over the last few year's my experience has not been good at all with regard to admin on NCD (they lose or remove it everytime), fees for private plates (didnt pay) and constant spamming via SMS, call and email at renewal time. This was for both of my MGs.....I would not use them.

Ah Mrs, don’t worry about me, I’m fine I’m only out and about when the weather is fine. I feel far safer up here in the Highlands than say, anywhere South and over populated.

Jim - I feel for you. I used to commute 25k/15mls each was all year round. In the middle of winter, on an MTB on studded ice Spiker tyres, my greatest worry was coming off and nobody finding me. I had an app on my phone that, if it detected no movement for 5 mins, would text my position to a number of people.

As for different customs, in U.K. , if you see someone stopped beside the road with their bike, the norm is to ask if they need help. I learned in NL that the expectation is that you flag down help for yourself. On a particularly fast training ride, I was flagged down by a guy jumping out in front of me. Having provided the required assistance (spare tube and CO2 capsule), before I’d even packed my stuff up, the guy was in his bike and off without a backward glance! I was told this was quite normal.

2 yellows spotted by Chepstow racecourse on the weekend.

One driving away from the racecourse and a gorgeous plus in the carpark.

Sadly, I was in the panda so my waving and flashing at the first one probably had them overly confused.

Really really strange to see 2 in different locations in the space of 1 minute.

Wow! Back to the Future!
More updates over time!

Yes - sat in the cupboard - no idea what to do with it!

Not Spam Bob!

Re-fitting is a beast of a job, I remember it well ggrrrrr