General Cycling Discussion - How many ways can one cyclist piss off another?

There I was last night when I came up on a guy who was tootling along around at 10MPH, so I passed him with a "Hey, nice night to be out". No response, just stared straight ahead. Okey dokey, whatever.

Then he discovered his legs and got on my wheel at 20MPH ( which is, admittedly, fast for me, especially at night ) and started sucking my wheel for a couple of miles. Until we got to an intersection with a red light, when he went around me, pulled a left through the light as a car to the right on the cross street was turning left, forcing the car into my lane to avoid him, which of course put me in a direct line for a head-on collision. Thankfully, the driver slammed on his brakes in time to avoid killing me.

Then the driver screamed at me while we sorted out him getting into the correct lane. Meanwhile, the other cyclist tootled on again without a backwards glance.

I think I win the "Meets unfriendly cyclist", "Silent wheel sucker", "Cyclist blows through a light", "Motorist yells at you inappropriately" and "Brown cycling shorts are very functional" award for the day.

Then I went home and had ice-cream.

Might as well keep up the losing streak and buy a lottery ticket. :D

Might as well keep up the losing streak and buy a lottery ticket. :D

I'll just try to be positive and look on it as a legitimate excuse to have a sundae. :-)

There's basically three things that really ****** me off with respect to fellow cyclists:

1) I'm riding along on a busy thoroughfare when suddenly, here comes Lance, salmoning towards me on the wrong side of the street, like he's got some kinda special license or something...This totally ****** me the F off!!!

2) I'm riding along minding my own business when suddenly, without warning, some cyclist just zips right pass me on the left within inches, without at first, warning me that he's approaching on the left....RUDE!!!


3) I'm riding along upon a narrow pathway at a fairly decent pace, when I'm suddenly confronted with three or more cyclists before me, conversing and moving at a much slower pace...Annoying!!!

How many ways can one cyclist piss off another?

Eleventy seven

How many ways can one cyclist piss off another?

Too numerous to count...you should start a carbon vs. steel vs. aluminum thread and watch the fireworks.

Too numerous to count...you should start a carbon vs. steel vs. aluminum thread and watch the fireworks.

Good point.

I'd like to add that I was on a steel bike, he was on an old aluminum Cannondale, and I can't be sure, but I think he wasn't wearing a helmet.

You should have had PIE. That would have made your story authentic. Since you had ice cream it is just (Yawn) another . . .(sleeping)

I don't care what kind of transportation a person is using egos always are an issue. I call it the NASCAR rule! If they only had shopping carts guys would figure out a way to race them, break the rules and cheat death.
Glad you didn't get run over

2) I'm riding along minding my own business when suddenly, without warning, some cyclist just zips right pass me on the left within inches, without at first, warning me that he's approaching on the left....RUDE!!!



If it's on the road and the pass follows the 3-foot rule, then no warning should be necessary. Paths have different rules, and a pass there should always be preceded by a warning. Passing within inches should require a warning AND an acknowledgement!


3) I'm riding along upon a narrow pathway at a fairly decent pace, when I'm suddenly confronted with three or more cyclists before me, conversing and moving at a much slower pace...Annoying!!!

Three abreast? Yes, Grr! If they are 3-abreast and coming at you, they usually just expect you to get off the path, too. One more reason why I tend to avoid paths.

Too numerous to count...you should start a carbon vs. steel vs. aluminum thread and watch the fireworks.

You forgot cardboard & bamboo. :mad:

Three abreast? Yes, Grr! If they are 3-abreast and coming at you, they usually just expect you to get off the path, too.

Yup. And the worst possible combination is 2 boys and 1 girl. Neither boy can drop behind without losing manhood points because that would be yielding the girl to the other boy.

Mrs. Grouch and I once encountered that while riding our tandem. I eventually pulled off the trail to avoid a collision. I actually considered just riding on to let him find out what happens when a single bike runs into 400+ pounds of tandem and rider but I didn't want to pretzel my handlebar.

Yup. And the worst possible combination is 2 boys and 1 girl. Neither boy can drop behind without losing manhood points because that would be yielding the girl to the other boy.

Mrs. Grouch and I once encountered that while riding our tandem. I eventually pulled off the trail to avoid a collision. I actually considered just riding on to let him find out what happens when a single bike runs into 400+ pounds of tandem and rider but I didn't want to pretzel my handlebar.I'd keep a spare strapped to the frame somewhere for just such occasions.