Waverider82

Question about passing: does this happen to you?

I've been communting in the city (Toronto) to University/Work for about 7 years now. I am usually racing becuase I am usually running late. Plus I like going fast My problem is people passing me without knowing how fast I am going. This has started to happen more frequently as I recently changed my route to go along more bike paths, so I am encountering more bikes.

I have no problem with people passing me when they are going faster than I am. Couriers, roadies - this happens all the time(though I have to admit I am pretty fast for a non-roadie, but thats just my ego talking). My problem arises when I am stopped at a red light and someone who has just ridden up behind me after turning on to the street decides to pull ahead of me at the light. Or else they were way back and when they DO catch up at the red light, they pull ahead. When it goes green they start up, but are infinitley slow. Ugh!

What is going through these peoples minds! I have to say, 90% of the time it is men. I don't know how you can be so overly confident that you pass someone without having any idea how fast they are going, only to slow them down as soon as you start up! Plus this happens a bunch at the bottom of the St.Clair hill (if you live in TO, you know it).

I am not wearing like, jeans or a dress either. I am wearing my bike clothes. My helmut. And I have a pretty nice bike. So what are you juding me on?!


Only once did I confront someone "Hey man, why did you pass me only to slow me down? If you don't know how fast I ride, you shouldn't pass until you are confident you wont slow me down!" He responded by saying that I "shouldn't be riding that fast anyways, in the city it is dangerous" ?!!?

Wow. Long rant. But it has been building up for some time. What do you guys do when someone passes you only to slooooow you way down 2 seconds later?

Waverider82

P.S. I am a girl.

DataJunkie

Happens all of the time. I assume these are the same folks who kept getting in trouble for not standing in line during kindergarten.
As annoyances go it is a very minor thing. I would let it go.
I do have a good chuckle when this happens numerous times with the same rider.

knobster

Happens to me from time to time. The one's that do this to me are the guys commuting on the $2k mountain bike. They usually pass me in the same situation that you state. I'm moving slowly because of a red light or stop sign and they blow by me and then I catch them 100 yds later. They usually buzz me and don't say a word. I usually return the favor. Give them a taste of their own medicine.

genec

Uh, they are trying to slow you down. There are not enough fast girl cyclists to go around... so guys want to slow you down for two reasons...

1. You're embarrassing the guys... you are a girl and are not supposed to be fast.
2. They want your phone number... they are riding slow just to get a conversation started.

uke

Pass them back. Problem solved.

knobster

This is some valuable info here. I bet this is some of the problem. Ego by some of these riders and they probably think you must be going faster than you're capable of so you will obviously slow down soon. They've got to get in front of you so you don't slow them down any further.

CCrew

I say don't worry about it. You almost have the elitist attitude down.

If it bothers you that much, you could do what another forum member did. Just start taking your clothes off. That'll teach them for sure!

-R

tarwheel 

It's human nature. That doesn't happen to me bike commuting because I rarely ever see other bike commuters on my route. However, it happens all the time driving. I drive a small pickup truck and my wife has a Honda. I get passed all the time by doofuses who immediately slow down after they pass. I've never understood it, but I've come to expect it. My wife's car has cruise control, so I know it's not me speeding up after being passed.

vaticdart

Happens to me all the time. I'd say people do it for the same reason people follow too closely while driving, roll through stop signs, don't look before turning, ride/walk two/three/four abreast, and so on.

They're thinking about themselves, not anyone else. It's part of the curse of the fundamentally opaque nature of sentience. There's nothing you can do about it other than stoop to behaving in the same way.

knobster

Same thing would happen to my wife all the time. She drove a Mini Cooper. People would bust their humps to get around her (even though she was going 10 mph over the speed limit) just because they felt some sort of male superiority complex. Happens on the bike as well. I think I've done it on my long distance rides. If I see someone in the distance, it gives me some motivation to pick up the pace and catch and pass them. Sometimes there just isn't much to occupy your mind with on those 100+ mile rides.

Waverider82

Huh. I didn't know this happened to drivers as well. So its some sort of aspect of human nature.

I decided if I ever accidently did this to someone else I would foce myself to go fast (even until I puked) or else pull off into a random driveway ("yep! I live here!") so as not to slow them down.

Thanks for the advice guys.

CbadRider

The only time I will pass someone in front of me when the light turns green is if they are too slow getting started - drinking from the water bottle, not paying attention, can't get clipped in, or something like that where they are just stalled. However, after I pass them I stay as far as possible to the right side of the road so they can easily get by me if needed.

europa

The ones that annoy me are the ones that fly past you then have to slow down because they can't maintain the speed, slowing you down. It's an ego thing.

Richard

trekker pete

If you got a nice looking can, there's no way in hell I'd pass you. I'd lurk back there and enjoy the view.

Mr. Underbridge

Just so you don't assume it's a guy thing...it happens to me too (I'm a guy). Or if you want to assume it's a guy thing, just figure we always think we're faster than *anybody* out there, not just the girls. Bottom line is, it's definitely not just you.

It's usually a minor annoyance to me - if they do stuff like that, I just drop them, since if they're holding me up at 15, they're not likely to be able to do 25+.

The only time I get pissed is when one of those idiots almost clips my front wheel while being a doofus. It's almost happened, and one of these days when one of them manages to send me down, I'm getting back on the bike, tracking him down, and jamming a stick in his spokes.

BroadSTPhilly

I'd drop 'em like they were standing still.

Nota bene: It is important to does this while sitting backwards on the saddle because then you can given them a good rasberry as you pass by.

surveyor

Or you could just wave them by. I am extremely competitive as well, but so what if someone is faster than you on your commute?

I know that I won't always be at my best on my commutes, especially if it is at the end of the week and in the afternoon. While very few people pass me and stay ahead of me on my commutes, I notice that all of them have been folks who are not commuters. Frequently they have just jumped onto the MUP from an adjoining subdivision, while I have just gotton on the MUP after dodging traffic on major roads for 45 minutes.

I don't really have too much of a problem with people passing me up at the light, or jumping the gun to get in front of me on a MUP when the cross-street clears. It just means that I get to pass them up yet again. After two or three of the "on your left" routine and a sidelong look or two, they usually get the hint.

Waverider82

Hey Mr.Underbridge:

Yeah, I figured there might be some guy-on-guy ego action on the roads too, but I wasn't sure.

Although it bugs me, I think you are all right. It is a an attribute of that 'over confidance in abilities' that many guys seem to posses.

And of this I am quite jelous. Girls don't have this. We tend to me more realistic (or even underestimate) our abilities. Guys it seems like you are able to take so many physical risks becuase you think you CAN actually do it!

I know males statistically have a higher instance of accidental death but....it may just be worth it. You guys have no fear.

Waverider82

No, I have no problem with someone being faster. But I would have a problem with myself if I passed someone, only to realize I was then slowing them down. I would feel like an overconfident slime ball! And I would rather pull off the road rather than eat my pride...la la la..

MNBikeguy

Why get annoyed?
As others point out, it's their ego's insisting on a need to pass.
No need to comment. The fact that you dropped them like a bad habit is humiliation enough.
Silently revel in your superior ability, knowing that maybe next time they won't be so quick to assume 'the little girl needs to move out of the way'....

Pedaleur

Ugh. Don't get me started on the little old lady who did this three lights in a row the other day. Pulled right in front of the same 5 other cyclists only to putt-putt-putt in front of us and make us pass her again.

On the other hand, it does happen so much that I just have to laugh. Most of the time.

DataJunkie

I had a couple ladies just chatting up a storm barely paying attention do this over and over. Eventually I decided to lay back and enjoy the view. Of course a mile later they went a different direction. D'oh!

Chris516

Indirectly, I know what you mean. I hate it when, I am on a two-lane blacktop with two solid yellow lines. Yet, Motorists insist on passing me.

Today, On my way home, I was passed by an SUV on a road like the one previously described. I caught up to him and, passed him. I didn't see the look on his face when I passed him. But, I wanted to give him, a taste of his own medicine.

ChipSeal

As they pass you while waiting for a red light, just challenge them to a race! They may still be slowing you down, but it won't be because of lack of effort!