Commuting - Bicycle vs. Ferrari Bicycle Win

As I was coming back from a long commute, I was riding down Commonwealth Ave as my matter was. I came up to one of the light and stop at a red light where alongside me was a Ferrari. (I do not know model numbers or year, so bear with me.) When the light turn green, the man burn rubber down the street to the next red light, I just caught up at him at the next light. This time instead of burning like he did last time. He stay with me for a few meters then burning rubber. I toke this as a challenge. While in most normal situation, I would have no chance. Along this street there are a lot of lights and a lot of traffic, so I start pedeling like a demon, we stood neck and neck until 3 miles down. He hit a red light while I was making a right turn. I know I know if we had a strip he would have beat me, but I take a little pleasure in knowing I "beat" this guy would was appartently challenging me (he would make eye contact with me every time one of us pass the other). Anyway, I leave it up to you to ridicule, congratulate, or make any other related comment you have about racing in traffic where the oppenent is a car. Peace.

The joys of cycle commuting in the 'red light districts'. I race the UPS trucks nightly. This week I held one off for three blocks of steady greens! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

---- pant pant ---- gasp gasp ---- wheeze .... cough ....

In college down at WSU, I used to hunt city buses for training. Learn a city bus route, find the bus, try to gain a lap on the bus on its own route. The Express loop was pretty easy, three laps. Pullman's "D" route was my nemesis, though... aaaack, hill after hill after hill, and a much longer route too.

I raced a guy on a yamaha R6 once and like 5 lights later, I looked at him and he looked at me and we kinda nodded. Then I said, how many horses you got on that thing? He was like, 120. I looked down at my crank and I was like, "yeah, well I have about half right here."
We both had a pretty good chuckle.
Honestly though, where exactly is the pride in beating someone with half a horsepower while you're driving a ferrari with 400? Let alone getting beaten by a guy with 1/2...

good job, eh?
i often sat on the bus and watched cyclists 'take' us over and over again. now i sit in my car and watch the same thing. *i want outta this*
i would have died laughing to see that one!

Hehe... Yeah, I do the same thing. What really puts a smile on my face is when somebody pulls some chucklehead move to blast around me and then gets bogged down a block later in traffic as I zip through splitting the lane. See ya, sucker!

I love that stuff! Pretty much in the dense, lights every block, urban environment, the cyclist has a good chance of catching up or staying ahead of traffic for sure.

I get to play leapfrog on occasion with a guy in an aston martin who must live in my neighborhood; He always looks a little pissed so I think its more fun for me than him!

Going up a hill, a motorcyclist passed me and stopped at the red light at the crest. The light turned green, the downhill was in front of us. The motorcyclist kept to the 25 mph limit, I didn't. I passed him on his left.

And this was BEFORE Armstrong did the commercial in which he pulled up next to a motorcyclist. (I posted it (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=694956&postcount=5) in these forums.) Maybe Nike owes me a fee for taking my idea.

Of course, I guess this gives me a couple of VC demerits, but it was worth it.

We had a high profile rush hour race here in Riga sponsored by a velo courier company. It was a velo courier vs a profesional driver. The race was from the center of town to the 'burbs, about 12 km in all. All traffic rules had to be observed, ie no running red lights, etc. The bike won by 6 1/2 minutes.

Go John Henry!

Go John Henry!
Huh?

John Henry versus the steam hammer. Only John Henry dies from the strain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_(folklore)

Alongside me was a Ferrari...

Anyway, I leave it up to you to ridicule, congratulate, or make any other related comment you have about racing in traffic where the oppenent is a car. Peace.

Probably only Rubino, ya wouldn't have beaten Shumi. LOL

I do have any fancy tires like that. I am now using some 1" Performance GTK2 tires. If I was using my nice bike, he would not have had a chance. Yet, if I was using my nice bike I would not be carrying as much stuff as I was. hmmm... oh well.
Also I will take Shumi on, so set it up. Remember we have to be in traffic through.

What really puts a smile on my face is when somebody pulls some chucklehead move to blast around me and then gets bogged down a block later in traffic as I zip through splitting the lane. See ya, sucker!
Those are my most savoured moments :beer:

Oh, and since cars and buses are no opponents for an aggressive biker in city traffic, I've been thinking about trying to race the underground here. Pretty long line, and I s'pose the trains get up to 50mph, but then they stop for 30+ secs after a minute... I'd start at a street corner with a friend at the end of the line. He goes down and gets on the train, I shoot off, run every light, scare the ***** out of every ped and we see who gets to the other end first. Should be pretty close, as a friend of mine has already beaten the train once (half the length of the line). Metro is supposed to be the fastest vehicle in a city, so it'd be way cool to beat it on its own line:D

The one I always liked was when I would pull onto 2nd Avenue downtown, taking enough of my lane that no one could get alongside me. And while sitting at the red light, I would watch my mirror and see someone driving up behind me in my lane.

I would often see them spot me and make an abrupt lane-change to the next lane over (there are three lanes), thinking I would wobble feebly off the line at the green light, and be an easy pass. So it was rather satisfying, in an evil kind of way, to do exactly the opposite: at the green light, I'd be most of the way across the intersection before they could even move their foot from the brake to the gas, and then keep the acceleration on all the way to the speed limit (or beyond).

I sure miss my road bike, it's harder to justify my avatar using the mountain-commuter bike. But I still do my best... :D *evil laughter*

John Henry versus the steam hammer. Only John Henry dies from the strain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_(folklore)

Not everyone read books as a child. Good use of it as a reference though.

That's why Woodie Guthry and Johnny Cash sang about him as did many others. :)

Reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson in a car VS a marathon runner, through rush hour London. Runner won by five minutes or so.

Those are my most savoured moments :beer:

Oh, and since cars and buses are no opponents for an aggressive biker in city traffic, I've been thinking about trying to race the underground here. Pretty long line, and I s'pose the trains get up to 50mph, but then they stop for 30+ secs after a minute... I'd start at a street corner with a friend at the end of the line. He goes down and gets on the train, I shoot off, run every light, scare the ***** out of every ped and we see who gets to the other end first. Should be pretty close, as a friend of mine has already beaten the train once (half the length of the line). Metro is supposed to be the fastest vehicle in a city, so it'd be way cool to beat it on its own line:D

I take it you've seen Kontroll!

I take it you've seen Kontroll!
Um, yes, but I didn't really like the film... You've seen it in Washington? How'd you like it? Pretty gloomy underground we have here, eh? That's why I bike-commute:D

Love racing those metal plated idiots but my favourite challenge was to race someone travelling from Victoria to Kings Cross via tube.

They had set it off by asking where we should meet as they were bound to get there way ahead of me. I replied that I would be gracious and wait for them at the exit from the Underground. Anyone who knows Central London will know that there is no clear route between the two points. However my encyclopedic knowledge and ninja skills prevailed by about 30 seconds and the prize of coffee and cake was mine.

one of the things that i love about bike commuting is the joy i get when a driver stuck in traffic looks to the side just as i cruise by (keeping a close eye out for side view mirrors...ouch)

for those familiar with Toronto, i once was able to keep pace with a Tim Hortons delivery truck from Avenue Road and Bloor all the way north to Avenue Road and Lawrence. the look on his face when he realized i was the same biker who had passed him down at Bloor was awesome

damn...double post

sorry

Since I ride a "vintage" bike bought for $200 and upgraded for $100, I'm often tempted to challenge some convertible sportscar showoff to race "for pinks". Haven't had the guts to do it yet.
RGC

Not everyone read books as a child. Good use of it as a reference though.

Sad.

Thumbs up on beating the Ferrari on CommAve. Glad he saw you too.

From my experience, in this city the middle age men in fancy cars (Mercedes, BMWs, etc) have been the biggest *******s in their cars.

This time it was a young one. I guess my age. (do I have to be associate with that?) It appears he was trying to impress the female in the car. If I was not already committed I might have ask her who she wanted afterwards. LOL