Commuting - Lets Play The Commuting Game - Dropped or Got Dropped

I played this game on my 20 mile commute home today.

Dropped or Got Dropped

Rules.
1. Moms & Dads pulling a kids trailers or on family rides don't count
2. Kids under the age of consent don't count
3. Old bums with milk crates tied to thier bike don't count

Basically adults in good shape on roadies, commuters, recumbant or mountain bikes count

I was riding my 21 lb 1970's Falcon commuter, full fenders and saddle bag with about 11 pounds of laptop & books. I even mounted a bell because I was getting tired of yelling "On your left" as I pass folks.

I dropped 5 and got dropped 0

Victim 1 & 2
About 5 miles into my commute, two guys in thier 20's on a couple of nice road bikes. They saw me coming and picked up the pace. Oh yeah? Hammer time! They put up a good fight but at about 7mile mark. BAM! See ya! Dropped. I cold hear the lead guy gasping like his lunges were going to explode as I passed him.

Victim 3
At about 8 miles in, a lady commuter on a mountain bike. Easy prey. I slowed to stay behind her a bit as there was some oncoming traffic. Also, she had a very nice bum. She said Hi as I passed and gave me a ear to ear grin for the next 4 miles.

Victim 4
At about the 12 mile mark, a dude on a mountain bike with saddle bags. Crept up on him like a panther on a injured gazzel then BAM! Attacked on a small hill and took him before the top. I even dinged my bell as I passed him. Bwaaah ha ha ha ha ....

Victim 5
At about to 18 mile mark, another commuter on a road bike. He had 1 saddle bag too. He came into sight as I rounded a corner. He was about 1/3 way up the biggest climb on my commute. (I live in a area called Panorama Hills) I could tell he was labouring as he was spinning on his triple ring granny gear. My legs were a bit cooked by this time but I hammer out of the saddle and 2/3 from the top. BAM!! Mark number 5.

That was fun, especially the first two marks. Maybe I should get back into racing.
How was your commute?

Tequila.

I dont see many people on my route at 5am. But I passed a guy who works at the same place as me. He has a cruiser with a few gears but I passed him about 1/4 mile from work. Had a slight tail wind all the way to work so I went by him prety fast.

On the way home I had to fight 20mph winds and 30 mph gusts all the way home but I still managed to pass a few average joes on bikes.

Old bums don't count, but cute bums do... hmmmm... I wonder where I'd fit in that?

Maybe I should get back into racing.
How was your commute?

Tequila.

Yeah, maybe you should get back to racing. My commute was great! I was cruising along with plenty of time, enjoying the ride, you know? Then this fool blows by me ringing his bell, which I appreciated cause I was kinda lost in the moment of the ride, but then he's got this smug look on his face like he accomplished something, and he's laughing. Not sure what that was about. Got to work with plenty of time to get changed and enjoy my coffee before I clocked in. Decided to hammer it on the way home and averaged a little over 15 on my 32 mile commute. Didn't see the clown on the old bike on the way home.

Yeah, maybe you should get back to racing. My commute was great! I was cruising along with plenty of time, enjoying the ride, you know? Then this fool blows by me ringing his bell, which I appreciated cause I was kinda lost in the moment of the ride, but then he's got this smug look on his face like he accomplished something, and he's laughing. Not sure what that was about. Got to work with plenty of time to get changed and enjoy my coffee before I clocked in. Decided to hammer it on the way home and averaged a little over 15 on my 32 mile commute. Didn't see the clown on the old bike on the way home.

LOL!! Thanks! That made my evening.... almost made me shoot red wine outta my nose.

Hmm, I can only remember being passed by roadies. Maybe that's because I think 15mph is a nice cruising pace, and closer to 20 gets nice breeze going (but then I live in town so my longest errands are an 8 mile round trip). Being a university town it's mostly cruisers and roadies. I think when I was first starting out I was passed by someone else on a MTB. I tied a wooden crate to my bike last week, so I guess that adds insult to the injury a 30lb (or so) tank and rider can do.

Since these pass-or-be-passed threaded started, I've made it almost a point to be passed, then just stick a little bhind (out of drafting range) *some* of the roadie riders in particular. I've had a few MTB guys go steaming past as well... but in most of those cases, I don't have to increase speed, as they drop in just ahead of me.

The score this morning was: One roadie with backpack and computer pack over the shoulders, in lycra. The wind scared off everyone else heading in my direction.

Old bums don't count, but cute bums do... hmmmm... I wonder where I'd fit in that?
Cute bums ALWAYS count. Where would your bum fit? Gotta a picture? (Ahem.... only if your a girl. Otherwise, it would be a little awkward and any comments given must be take in the ut-most heteral way.)

BTW: I don't usually play this game. I think it was the first two guys that put me in the mind set.

Tequila

I dunno if I am of the age, but tonight before I went in for some basic review training, I pasted 4 guys and got passed by 2...

Elvish

I dunno if I am of the age, but tonight before I went in for some basic review training, I pasted 4 guys and got passed by 2...

Elvish

What did you paste them to?

LOL!! Thanks! That made my evening.... almost made me shoot red wine outta my nose.

Glad to be of service. To be honest I don't commute. Commuting is for people who work, and work is for people that aren't married to women that can't cook.

Cute bums ALWAYS count. Where would your bum fit? Gotta a picture? (Ahem.... only if your a girl. Otherwise, it would be a little awkward and any comments given must be take in the ut-most heteral way.)

BTW: I don't usually play this game. I think it was the first two guys that put me in the mind set.

Tequila

Get it out of the gutter. I'm a bloke... looks like milk-crate duty for me. :(

Glad to be of service. To be honest I don't commute. Commuting is for people who work, and work is for people that aren't married to women that can't cook.

You're a house-husband???? How did you land *that* gig?

Great idea for a thread!!

Pure joy is blasting past someone on a skinny road bike on your real-steel Schwinn cruiser up a hill, whistling some nice classical music to show you don't need the air, actually, right about then......

Pretending to race during a commute is a little like playing air guitar--there's nothing wrong with it, as long as you don't think you're really a rock star.

Pretending to race during a commute is a little like playing air guitar--there's nothing wrong with it, as long as you don't think you're really a rock star.
What? Are you saying that the Discovery Channel or T-Mobile Team isn't going sign me even after they see me blowing the average commuter off the road? Say it isn't so! Awww... I've been wasting my time!

Oh well, at least I get a much better workout by pushing myself to not get dropped.

T.J.

I just started commuting this week, and only passed one guy. He was on a department store full suspension MTB with knobbies going up a hill. Kind of a shallow victory, really.

I passed some joggers...yes, they all had cute bums. My commute is mostly the reverse of everyone else. I do get dropped more than I drop, however. Oh well.

I have never been passed on my commute. I rarely see more than 2 cyclists a day.

I'm still laughing after a re-read! thanks

Can't wait to see the update.........

I don't get to cross-paths with other commuters, I always feel like I'm the only one. Perhaps a roadie here and there from time to time, specially now the weather is getting better, but even IF cross a path with a roadie, they're usually going the other way.
Corsaire :(

I think I was about 4 and 0 this morning, but don't really keep count. Just because you pass someone doesn't really mean anything though, unless they are trying not to be passed. Don't get too cocky about passing all those people. Most of them could probably go faster if they wanted.

The satisfaction comes from not being stuck behind someone that's slowing you down.

Cute bums ALWAYS count. Where would your bum fit? Gotta a picture? (Ahem.... only if your a girl. Otherwise, it would be a little awkward and any comments given must be take in the ut-most heteral way.)

Tequila
:(


Get it out of the gutter. I'm a bloke... looks like milk-crate duty for me. :(


Aww... come on Rowan, post a pic of your bum anyway, I'm sure the ladies on this board will enjoy it. ;o)

T.J.

You're a house-husband???? How did you land *that* gig?

It was an accident really...we were both active duty Air Force, I went over for the first Gulf War, and when my enlistment was up decided that 6 years was enough, especially looking at the prospect of returning frequently given my career field. So I left the Air Force. Went to work part time, and my wife got assigned to San Antonio less than a year after I got out of the AF. So we get to San Antonio, and the economy there was such that paying for child care would eat up most of my part time income. Wages there just weren't what they were in Virginia. So I stayed home, took care of the kids. I've made money on the side doing woodwork for several years now, and I will occasionally commute to the shop, which is about 10 miles, but I can't carry either wood or finished work on the bike. I do it when I can. Anyway, it's worked out pretty well, although the kids are getting older now so possibilities are opening up.

So far I've only passed one guy, but he probably doesn't count since he had a flat and was walking his bike :-) (and looking for his cell phone, which had apparently fallen off somewhere in the preceding 4 miles). I've only seen like one or two other bikes and they were going the other direction.

Tom: Househusband AND you get to do woodworking on the side? Sounds like my dream job :-).

Tom: Househusband AND you get to do woodworking on the side? Sounds like my dream job :-).

It's good work if you can get it!

I'll start with a motivational picture

http://siebrecht.us/~grant/images/glocktalk/cycling_babe.jpg

You'd pass that?

I'd risk getting to work late.

Exactly the same for me.
Al

I never get tired of seeing that photo :D

Will some extraordinarily slow cyclist please move to Charlottesville, Va. I'd like to pass someone on my commute someday and feel the thrill of victory.

I passed some joggers...yes, they all had cute bums. My commute is mostly the reverse of everyone else. I do get dropped more than I drop, however. Oh well.

Another DC reverse commuter. I do the reverse commute on the W&OD about twice a week between Capitol Hill and Chantilly, Virginia. It's 35 miles each way, but I must confess I usually piggyback on the metro in the morning. Climbing the Custis trail at 5:30 a.m. is a great workout, but a little more than I need at the start of a 35-miler.

I used to love playing with you guys... I didnt start work until around midday giving me plenty of time to get a decent ride before going home and then doing my commute. Its so much fun to let some renegade on an old bike with full panniers go past me to prove a point because I train in full gear and then sidle up behind (not so close as to draft, that would be disrespectful) so that they feel you and then you get the peek over the shoulder or under the arm... and then they go for it. And I stay there, increasing pace along with you... and then you get to work hot, sweaty and stinky and I go home giggling all the way... Since when was commuting a race anyway?

Oh well, since this is my only chance to bragg ... I have a 35 pound bike with 26 X 2 tires and I pass almost all bikers on my commute (all 1 or 2 of them). I may get passed once a month. I went on a group ride the other week. Everyone else had their fancy road bikes. I stayed at the back of the pack but was still able to pass half of them on the hills. Oh yeah, and I would probably qualify as one of those 'oldies' :)

Actually I think it's a little bit silly being competitive in these situations so I often find myself trying not to do this. When I see a cyclist ahead I will try to catch them so at least I can draft off them. If they're going slower I'll pass them but only if I think I can drop them, or feel like sharing the load.

I passed a guy on a mountain bike today while riding my new fixed gear up a hill. That felt good.

I dropped a woman this afternoon on her adorable blue cruiser. I waved and we discussed the weather for a second before I took off.

When I see someone in front of me I unconsciously pick up the pace to pass them. Also, if I see someone coming up from behind, I will unconsciously start to hammer to ensure that they don't catch me.

It just me or do you do this too??

T.J.

If I see someone in front of me I will always try to catch up to them, which usually means I'll pass them if I do manage to catch up. When I see the rabbit, I've just got to chase it. Usually though, I will gradually pick up the pace and try to close to gap slowly so I rarely end up blowing by folks.

I dropped this delinquent sucker on his mountain bike, riding all lopsided like he was badass (and, immediately before I passed him, dropping his soda bottle on the ground). So, not a commuter, but a polluter. ;) I didn't stop to yell about the bottle, cause it just isn't worth it, but I sped up and passed him close enough so he could feel the vibe.

On a more positive note, one very cute jogger, with a nice plump behind on my morning commute. It was like opening my own little can of Spring - OH, TO BE ALIVE! :)

Here are three commuters I would never think about dropping.

If they're commuters, it begs the question where they work.

wow. usually i try not to race in the city with the commuting thing. but my average speed is pretty fast, and with all the slow fair-weather commuters out i tend to catch and overtake. i've tried to adjust my cadence to people i see a block away, but that never works -- i ride a fixed 52/17 and one pedal stroke makes the wheel really move.

there are some riders out there that seem to look for races, though. i try not to fall for their bait, or fall back so they're out of the way. i don't really need to be racing a quite possibly inexperienced cyclist through nyc traffic. sometimes i just like to be jerk and dust the guy trying to draft.

that being said, on my way in i passed 4 cyclists in my 'hood, around 3 over the bridge, and another 3 or 4 up centre street. on the way back, i passed 4 or so college-aged kids around union square/washington park, 3 over the manhattan bridge, and around 3 getting to my neighborhood.

i'm not counting the old bums with milkcrates in chinatown, per your rules. and i'm also not counting the aged guy with the custom mobile photography rig i see quite often, either. but i happen to respect those guys an awful lot. i see them out there in the rain and snow thinking nothing of it, when all the guys with their nice road bikes decide to drive.

i see them out there in the rain and snow thinking nothing of it, when all the guys with their nice road bikes decide to drive.

Yep... like those six that sped past me today, four in one group, and a pair. Never see 'em when the weather is less than nice.

Here are three commuters I would never think about dropping.

Good thing there wasn't a Police car and a bus full of schoolchildren right there! :D


:eek:

i just hope you guys play the game better than the two morons who passed me this morning (one full team kit with a commuter on a high end roadie in tow) like it was some big acomplishment and then proceeded to ride through the twisty parts of the commute like little girls with me behind them forced to go slow cause i couldn't safely get around.

if your gonna pass, make sure you have the gas to do it right. i'll let you get around me, but then you better keep going! :mad:

Today I didn't want to get sweaty so I decided to ride as slow as possible so as not to break a sweat.

I got passed by one commuter. But I could see another on the horizon. I continued to pedal as slow as possible.

Eventually I approached a hill. He's within reach! He's pushing his bike up the hill! At the top of the hill he gets back on and away he goes down the other side. :( Phooey.

Then, there he is, pulled over on the side, fixing his bike. Victory, sweet victory!

I played this game on my 20 mile commute home today.

Dropped or Got Dropped

That was fun, especially the first two marks. Maybe I should get back into racing.
How was your commute?

Tequila.

Uh OK. If they weren't riding with you (and who knows how many miles they're already rode)....how could you "drop 'em"?

Food for Thought...If I'm faster than you are at the grocery store, do I pass your cart "to feel good"? Actually I pass you because I have a differant goal.

I passed a little girl on a pink tricycle this morning. Yep, I am a badass.

I dropped the city bus yesterday. It required 31-32mph over a 2mi stretch.

Al

I passed a little girl on a pink tricycle this morning. Yep, I am a badass.

That's nothing. I passed 4 kids on trikes, 2 skateboards, a rollerblader, and a unicycle. I am teh best! :fight: