Fifty Plus (50+) - Man did that feel good!!

Yesterday afternoon I decided to put 50 miles on the odometer of my current favorite bike which is a hybridized Schwinn MTB. For reasons I don't understand, I like this $189 "department store bike" better than my Cannondale or Trek. At about mile 30 of my urban stop-and-go ride, I pulled up to a stoplight behind two guys 30-40 years younger than me, skinny and fit looking, (I'm 63) in full roadie garb, hi $$$ probably carbon fiber road bikes, etc. etc.

I make a point of eye contact and a friendly smile and wave to everybody I encounter on a bike -- man, woman or child -- no matter WHAT they are riding. So one of the Lance Armstrong wannabes looked back and I gave him a friendly smile and wave -- which he completely ignored.

I always try to come to a city intersection staged for take off, down a couple of gears, pedals positioned for launch etc. I don't use clips or cleats. When the light turned green I was ready. I was hauling ass when I immediately passed them -- fumbling with their cleats it looked like and basically standing still. Me on my pawn shop department store hybridized MTB, full upright riding position, no clips or cleats, steel-toed workboots, t-shirt, blue jean shorts w suspenders and 63 years old. That's nice, I thought, but they'll catch up in a block or two. WRONG!! When I turned off a few blocks down the street I looked back and they were so far behind I could hardly see them. :) :)

Don in Austin

That does feel good, but you need to remember they could have been at the start or finish of their ride; or in between intervals, or a recovery ride...

Last time I did a group ride I lead most of the way to the hills. I am a Clyde and old
and they dropped me like a bad habit when things got steep. Up until that moment I thought things were going well:lol:

One of my favorite stunts is to goad people into a race just to lay back and watch 'em go. Great fun with sporty cars but it works with bikes too.

On the other hand, no matter how fast one is and how fancy their equipment, they should never ever under-estimate the speed power and skill of an old denim clad steel toe booted rider, lest they get their tails dusted.

That does feel good, but you need to remember they could have been at the start or finish of their ride; or in between intervals, or a recovery ride...

What's a recovery ride? I don't think I have tried one of those. :) :)

Don in Austin


Last time I did a group ride I lead most of the way to the hills. I am a Clyde and old
and they dropped me like a bad habit when things got steep. Up until that moment I thought things were going well:lol:

I've put away riders in full kit and been put away by riders in strap in toe clips and t-shirts. I've dusted riders on my commuter when I am wearing my "business casual" office cloths and tennis shoes. I frequently get dusted by one old guy with what must be at least 18" of flowing gray beard on the local MUP. I have learned not to gloat any more - there are always many more faster than I. Although I have to admit that it does feel good whenever you crest the hill first - leaving others in your wake, enjoy the moment while it lasts - your turn to get dusted will come.

That does feel good, but you need to remember they could have been at the start or finish of their ride; or in between intervals, or a recovery ride...




Doubt it- When I was riding MTB's- I rarely got recognition from roadies. And just face it- as a 20odd youngster on a good bike- you ain't gonna let and old git on a cheap bike beat you anywhere.

What's a recovery ride? I don't think I have tried one of those. :) :)


That's the ride you make the day after you had two slices of pie

I've put away riders in full kit and been put away by riders in strap in toe clips and t-shirts. I've dusted riders on my commuter when I am wearing my "business casual" office cloths and tennis shoes. I frequently get dusted by one old guy with what must be at least 18" of flowing gray beard on the local MUP. I have learned not to gloat any more - there are always many more faster than I. Although I have to admit that it does feel good whenever you crest the hill first - leaving others in your wake, enjoy the moment while it lasts - your turn to get dusted will come.

I get dusted all the time. There are lots of faster riders and faster bikes out there. I accept that with no problem whatsoever. The issue here is that while waiting at the red light when one of these guys happened to look back and I made eye contact, he totally snubbed my friendly smile and wave. How hard is it to raise one finger and/or nod? My informal survey of other bikers I encounter indicates that the more expensive the roadie bike and gear the less likely a friendly greeting will be acknowledged.

My informal survey also indicates men are more aloof than women.

Lots of exceptions and your mileage could vary, of course.

Don in Austin

Doubt it- When I was riding MTB's- I rarely got recognition from roadies.

I know. What's up with that? I figure we're all in it together -- us vs. the motoring public.


And just face it- as a 20odd youngster on a good bike- you ain't gonna let and old git on a cheap bike beat you anywhere.

But they did get passed. I think it was due to their fumbling with the cleats, but I kept expecting them to catch up and they never did.

Don in Austin

<Yawn.>

I've always wondered why guys (and some gals) egos are so much on the line when they're on their bikes. I was sitting on the wheel of a guy on a full carbon Specialized time trial bike as we were at around km 185 of a 200 km brevet that we were going to finish in under 7 hours; we had been smoking the course, and now we were in the final part and getting into survival mode. We were both in full kit (I had leg warmers on) and I was on my 42x16 old steel fixed gear track bike with brakes. We stopped at a light, and as we were getting going, I noticed a guy on an mtb, casually dressed, no helmet, was riding behind us. We continued at our easy tempo, and this dude blasts past us, turns and looks back, and then makes a left turn a couple of blocks up the road. I just had to laugh. He probably thought that he had dusted a couple of racers on really fancy bikes, and that he was Mr. King Cool. He didn't know that out in the countryside, the guy on the TT bike had dropped me when he put the hammer down and was cruising along at 44 kmh trying to catch the tandem that eventually finished in about 6 hours. I only caught Mr. TT because he'd taken a wrong turn and got back on the course behind me.

Anyway, for those of you who like to go around dusting racers in full kit, I would like to inform you that racers in full kit are pretty easy to dust because most of the time they'll be recovering from the weekend's racing, they're coming home from a hard interval session, or they're riding casually chatting with their teammates and could care less about non-racers with no understanding of riding REALLY fast and who have something to prove. If you really want to try dusting racers, try following them on the actual interval session (lots of repeats at over 50 kmh), or doing hill repeats (you would never believe bicycles could be driven uphill so fast and in such high gears), or on the group training rides when they decide to put the hammer down.

Even when I'm riding to work, I won't get pulled into street racing. The most I'll do is just sit behind the guy and catch a nice draft, and then I'll thank him for the tow.

I think cycling, being perceived as a solitary sport (although it is very much a team sport at the highest levels), tends to attract loners and those with few social skills and little desire to improve upon them. I know that my first inclination, when I'm riding by myself, and if someone waves or says high, is to just blow them off, or mutter FU under my breath. No offense, I just want to be left alone. If I'm in a really good mood, I'll say hi right back, or wave. When I'm on the tandem, my outgoing stoker takes care of all the greetings and waves for the both of us, leaving me to what I want to do: just drive the tandem and not be bothered by all the phoney social niceties. "Catcher in the Rye" was one of my favorite books in high school.

Luis

<Yawn.>

Those things are catching!

Don in Austin (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=169509) said:

"My informal survey also indicates men are more aloof than women."

+1

What is maddening is that now that I'm an official geezer, pretty women of all ages smile back at me. :)
They never did that when I was young and available! :(
With one notable exception and I grabbed her and held on with both hands! :love:

I find Fred behavior totally Fredelicious and most generally amusing. However, on the road, I try to stay out of their way. I prefer them infront or behind but not near me. Who wants to be crashed out of a season by a clueless Fred?

Threads like this require these... courtesy of Pcad.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/Fredcedrin.jpg

Me on my pawn shop department store hybridized MTB, full upright riding position, no clips or cleats, steel-toed workboots, t-shirt, blue jean shorts w suspenders and 63 years old.

Please take a picture of yourself in your riding clothes and post it here. :roflmao2:

Just giving you a hard time. :)

Please take a picture of yourself in your riding clothes and post it here. :roflmao2:

I did that a while ago. See the thread: "I do everything wrong."

Sorry its not with the Schwinn, posed with the Cannondale.

Scroll to the bottom of the page.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=580682

Don in Austin

Just giving you a hard time. :)

You are more than welcome to. :)

Don in Austin

Don I have to ask how fast you can spin the big ring on that MTB of yours. :eek: I am impressed if you can drop a group of rodies that easily. I couldn’t drop any of the women in our club with my MTB let alone the men. Well we do have one guy I might be able to stay with but none of the women. What tires did that thing come with? Tell me you didn’t out run them with Knobbies. :twitchy:

I've always wondered why guys (and some gals) egos are so much on the line when they're on their bikes. I was sitting on the wheel of a guy on a full carbon Specialized time trial bike as we were at around km 185 of a 200 km brevet that we were going to finish in under 7 hours; we had been smoking the course, and now we were in the final part and getting into survival mode. We were both in full kit (I had leg warmers on) and I was on my 42x16 old steel fixed gear track bike with brakes. We stopped at a light, and as we were getting going, I noticed a guy on an mtb, casually dressed, no helmet, was riding behind us. We continued at our easy tempo, and this dude blasts past us, turns and looks back, and then makes a left turn a couple of blocks up the road. I just had to laugh. He probably thought that he had dusted a couple of racers on really fancy bikes, and that he was Mr. King Cool. He didn't know that out in the countryside, the guy on the TT bike had dropped me when he put the hammer down and was cruising along at 44 kmh trying to catch the tandem that eventually finished in about 6 hours. I only caught Mr. TT because he'd taken a wrong turn and got back on the course behind me.

Anyway, for those of you who like to go around dusting racers in full kit, I would like to inform you that racers in full kit are pretty easy to dust because most of the time they'll be recovering from the weekend's racing, they're coming home from a hard interval session, or they're riding casually chatting with their teammates and could care less about non-racers with no understanding of riding REALLY fast and who have something to prove. If you really want to try dusting racers, try following them on the actual interval session (lots of repeats at over 50 kmh), or doing hill repeats (you would never believe bicycles could be driven uphill so fast and in such high gears), or on the group training rides when they decide to put the hammer down.

Even when I'm riding to work, I won't get pulled into street racing. The most I'll do is just sit behind the guy and catch a nice draft, and then I'll thank him for the tow.

I think cycling, being perceived as a solitary sport (although it is very much a team sport at the highest levels), tends to attract loners and those with few social skills and little desire to improve upon them. I know that my first inclination, when I'm riding by myself, and if someone waves or says high, is to just blow them off, or mutter FU under my breath. No offense, I just want to be left alone. If I'm in a really good mood, I'll say hi right back, or wave. When I'm on the tandem, my outgoing stoker takes care of all the greetings and waves for the both of us, leaving me to what I want to do: just drive the tandem and not be bothered by all the phoney social niceties. "Catcher in the Rye" was one of my favorite books in high school.

Luis
Hi Luis:

I think I went on a few rides with you eons ago with the VBC. You're not as nasty as your post makes you out to be. Say hi to your lovely wife for me.

Regards,
GregT

Don I have to ask how fast you can spin the big ring on that MTB of yours. :eek: I am impressed if you can drop a group of rodies that easily. I couldn’t drop any of the women in our club with my MTB let alone the men. Well we do have one guy I might be able to stay with but none of the women. What tires did that thing come with? Tell me you didn’t out run them with Knobbies. :twitchy:

Took the knobbies off all three of my bikes. It is like releasing the brakes when you do that. The Cannondale front rings were changed out for better road speed. Good modification except I haven't been able to get the front derailleur exactly right. Sad to say, I think I will have to dump the indexed shifter for it and go to friction.

I passed the roadies on my Schwinn. I think they were fumbling with their cleats is what held them up so bad. There are roadies that are fast and fit -- easily twice as fast as me -- and there are roadies who spend a few thousand $$$ on full gear and six months later the bikes are on Craigslist. I guess its the same with MTBikers too.

Don in Austin

You do well speaking in gross generalities.
A master amongst morons so to speak.
Ohno

Don,
I have to agree with part of your post, around here in NJ - I notice very few cyclists wave back when I wave. I say hello to everyone - I'm out there celebrating that I'm on my bike at not at my desk. As for dropping anyone...I pass corvettes and porsches all the time in my 1995 Saab convertible - it means nothing if the other person isn't participating in the race...enjoy your time out there!

Yesterday afternoon I decided to put 50 miles on the odometer of my current favorite bike which is a hybridized Schwinn MTB. For reasons I don't understand, I like this $189 "department store bike" better than my Cannondale or Trek. At about mile 30 of my urban stop-and-go ride, I pulled up to a stoplight behind two guys 30-40 years younger than me, skinny and fit looking, (I'm 63) in full roadie garb, hi $$$ probably carbon fiber road bikes, etc. etc.

I make a point of eye contact and a friendly smile and wave to everybody I encounter on a bike -- man, woman or child -- no matter WHAT they are riding. So one of the Lance Armstrong wannabes looked back and I gave him a friendly smile and wave -- which he completely ignored.

I always try to come to a city intersection staged for take off, down a couple of gears, pedals positioned for launch etc. I don't use clips or cleats. When the light turned green I was ready. I was hauling ass when I immediately passed them -- fumbling with their cleats it looked like and basically standing still. Me on my pawn shop department store hybridized MTB, full upright riding position, no clips or cleats, steel-toed workboots, t-shirt, blue jean shorts w suspenders and 63 years old. That's nice, I thought, but they'll catch up in a block or two. WRONG!! When I turned off a few blocks down the street I looked back and they were so far behind I could hardly see them. :) :)

Don in Austin

I love it. Good for you.