bugnot

So today I decided to name a phenomena that I get to experience a good bit in Chicago. I call it "dashing", or if referring to an individual, I call them "The Dasher".

"The Dasher" is the rider who, at one of the many stoplights in the city, must weave around other stopped bikers to get to the front. As the light turns, the dasher hammers to get up to cruising speed. The dasher is then passed by the rest of the riders as they gradually get up to speed (all of whom have a faster pace than the dasher).

Today my dasher was a middle aged man on a mountain bike. I passed him once while going at my average, nothing special, pace. I was the sole biker stopped at a light a little ahead. He, while obviously knowing that my pace was faster than his, weaved around me and stopped just ahead of me. Green light > DASH!!! >> 50 yds later, I have to pass him again...not always the most fun in Chicago traffic. This happens 2 more times. The last being near the loop w/ a pack of about 8 of us. Sometimes I wonder if biker behavior is much more courteous than drivers. I guess he wasn't endangering me.

Glynis27

Maybe he just doesn't like intersections and wants to get through them ASAP. I do understand what you are saying though. He really should have let you stay ahead.

Sammyboy

People like that, the second time, you should just blow past them like they're standing still, and not quit pushing til they're 3 blocks from being in sight.

modernjess

If dropping him permanently is out of the question due to subsequent stoplights, and it keeps happening, I'd definitely give them a verbal warning. "Dude. Stay back, I'm passing you on every block it and puts me out into traffic. Stay in your place in line" You gotta do it. As much credit as I give all bikers just automatically, there are many out the with no clue whatsoever.

Look at it this way , you're helping him....

Marrock

And, failing that, bump him out into traffic and see how much he likes it.

Mr. Underbridge

Highly annoying when people pass at intersections and stops. My particular favorite is when they pass me when I'm just getting clipped in, then they start coasting when they get through the intersection. I think that's far worse than the Dasher. Grr....

However - once we're past that and into flowing traffic, if you're taking your good sweet time getting up to speed, I reserve the right to pass ya! I do tend to accelerate pretty quickly in traffic but I can generally maintain a pretty good speed.

Sammyboy

If I pass someone, I feel honour bound to stay ahead for at least a couple of lights.

Bekologist

When I dash, I drop -puts the hammer down- you won't be catching up, trust me.
but I am familiar with the darting stoplight rider.

I'm with modernjess, give them a stern talking to, maybe it will stop the behavior. I've ripped darters a new one before, like ones that have caught up on the outside to parallel me as a lane narrows and a bus is aside us.

Mr. Underbridge

Uh oh, this has risk of turning into another 'commuters racing!' thread. Don't make it a challenge!

Good God, are you kidding? That's one of the dumber passes I've heard of recently. Do some people just completely lack basic situational awareness?

Jarery

If he beat you across the intersection...he won

nashcommguy

He needs to learn the basics of group riding, which is what you became in this situation. You're under no obligation to be nice about it, though itmight help. Just tell him the passing bike goes on the right to the curbside and the slower bike needs to move slightly left. Take the time at an intersection of simply yelling 'RIGHT!!' when you approach him from behind. Unless he's a complete nimrod or an obstuctionist he'll get the message. Most people want to respect the sport, but don't know the rules of courtesy. Invite him on a group ride and leave him to the wolves...they'll straighten him out in a hurry. Took me years of experience and a couple of MOVE OVER ********* in a less than diplomatic way that made me straighten up my act. If after a time if he continues w/t behavior...block him. There's eight of you, right? Yeah, block him...he'll get the message.

jyossarian

Ride alongside the dasher, about a half length ahead of him and scrape him off by riding him into the back of a stopped car. It won't teach him any lessons, but it's fun.

duppie

What sport? He's commuting. He's not interested in a group ride. Why do we always make a race out of commuting in this country?
Duppie

donnamb 

Actually, if someone was contnually yelling "RIGHT!" at me, I would generally interpret that as one of our less mentally stable city riders out and about, and I really ought not get them worked up by acknowledging them. I don't participate in any sports, so I'm not really sure what you mean by all this besides rudeness. People dawdle at intersections all the time fumbling with their shoes and gearing. When the light turns green, I go. If they're not moving, I pass them. If they pass me later, that's fine with me. I guess I don't understand the problem. All I know is that I want to proceed through the intersection quickly and before the light turns red again.

JoebikerLa

Y'all are so blessed to have other bike commuters to worry about passing...

donnamb 

You're absolutely right, Joebiker, and I appreciate being reminded of that. Thank you.

-=(8)=-

I guess this is another reason Ill never be a 'real'
cyclist.....I think 'drafting' is a joke and stuff
like this will never, ever bother me.

ChipSeal

If you are both going to waiting at the next light, why don't you just relax and follow him at his slower pace?

Az B

I was wondering the exact same thing. All this "get out of my way" crap sounds a lot like the motor vehicle drivers to me.

Az

noisebeam

This is why I line up with motor vehicles or if none take the center of the lane. Then all the other cyclist filter forward or stop to my right. I stay in the lane until passed them. Never been a problem, never had a delay due to slower cyclists at lights.

Al

Sixty Fiver

I have very little experience with "darters" here but I do have fun anyways.

Commuting can be very entertaining and there's nothing more invigorating than utterly destroying hipsters and their brakeless and tapeless high dollar fixed rigs that are better suited for cruising the coffe shops and clothing stores than racing real bikes.

I passed a hipster one of these fixed gears the other day and he was moving at a good clip but I figure that if you aren't wearing some team kit and riding something that's made of carbon, there's a good chance I'm going to be faster unless I'm just kicking back and sight-seeing which I also enjoy.

There aren't many sights on my commute so I usually kick it hard although the hottie on the Cannondale roadie I meet nearly every morning warrants a little slowing down on the bridge and we even get in a little chit chat from time to time...

Where was I ?

So the hipster decided that my passing him was some kind of challenge and he picked up his pace to try and make a race out of things which kept me from moving back into the curb lane in what was some heavy rush hour traffic... his best effort did get him to come almost even with me but I could tell he didn't have anything left to pass me.

So... my option was to slow down and ride behind his slow dumb ass or put the boots to Bridgette (my fixie) and make her earn her keep.

When the hipster caught up to me a number of stop lights later he looked like he was going to cough up a lung and barely had enough breath to tell me what an f-ing nice bike I had and I think he was still looking for that lung when I pulled away.

donnamb 

Well that was very polite of him to say so, Sixty Fiver. The thing is, I don't try to race anyone. I take off at my own pace and continue that way. I'm really not trying to pass anyone - I just do. Then they pass me.

Sixty Fiver

I don't try to race people on my commute either...for the most part I like my commute to be a peaceful and trouble free ride and in the summer I'll leave really early so I can dawdle and have time to stop and have coffee on the outdoor patio and watch the city wake up.

Of late I have been pressed more for time in the am so my commute is all about making good time.

M_S

Yeah, this past summer I'd cut the time as close as possible on my comute, so I was booking it. 'Twas a bummer the one time I got a flat.

If I'm in a rush I hammer out of stoplights If the next light turns red and someone I've just passed catcheup with me, that's okay. I figure I can't contol the lights, but in general going faster will get me there faster.

I really don't mind the back and forth passing most of the time. Cyclistsby nature have mor evariation int heir speds than cars, and thus we can't be expected to all be going just as fast as one another al the time. What I do hate though is when the back and forth passing is initiate when there really isn't room for it and someone gets pushed into a bank of parked cars or worse, the vehicle lane. That is irresponisible and unnaceptable behavior on the part of the passer.

duppie

The most sensible words spoken in this thread yet. Simply accept the fact that people commute at different speeds and different skill levels, as long as neither rider endangers the other. After all, if you get worked up on people not going the right (i.e your) speed, you should really rethink the reasons why you commute by bike in the first place.
Duppie