Papa Tom

That's a really good point that I hadn't considered. If the prospect of a good workout or a chance to beat yesterday's time works to get more people out on their bikes in the AM, I'm all for it.

The original poster made a statement regarding not caring about passing or being passed. I am simply trying to support his outlook on cycling.

Beth W

I'm pretty slow, so I get passed tons on my commute to work. I don't mind being passed on the left, but I'll get passed on the right -- between me and the "door zone" -- which always makes me really uncomfortable.

Hyperbole

I feel the same way with people riding bike with loose fenders banging over each imperfection in the road. It drives me up the freaking wall!

I ride fairly quick, even when I'm tired. I only have two speeds fast and stop. Luckily I rarely ride long distance (more than 50 miles) otherwise this might be a problem. I rarely get passed. But, if I do it's no skin off my back that they use PEDs for their daily commute.

LokiWolflord

On my way home, I get passed on the first climb (about 300' over 1.5 miles) fairly regularly since I only average around 8 MPH on that climb. I readily admit that I CCFS, though. 25 years of smoking, 16 years of heavy drinking, 40 lbs of excess weight, and 12 years of sedentary living have taken their toll. I get better and better, but, very slowly. On my way to work, I very rarely see anyone. Usually, it takes me 45 - 50 minutes to ride the 15 miles to work. The ride home is traffic-filled and takes me around 80 minutes.

It doesn't bother me to get passed unless the cyclist doing the passing blows through a red light to do it.

cobrabyte

Sometimes I'm racing the clock if I'm running late to work. Otherwise I'm a 'stop & small the roses' kind of guy on the bike. To me, a bike isn't a piece of sporting equipment. It's an adventuremobile. I like to adventure and explore. Going fast prevents me from taking in the sights and getting lost in the moment when on the bike. It's like rushing to finish a beer. I prefer to enjoy the experience.

Some enjoy challenging themselves and others, and that's cool too. I don't ride for them, though. I ride for me. I've had a few times where a random bike guy will try to egg me on for a little race time. I just shrug and give them the 'not this guy' look. Go get your type A personality boost somewhere else, dudebro.

noglider 

I love the way you put it.

My commute is on the nation's most heavily used bike commuting route, the Hudson River Greenway, yet I don't find it too congested. I love it.

I haven't acted like a competitor on it for a few months. Today, I merged onto the path and saw a "serious" commuter behind me, and I got caught up in the spirit. I rode hard for a while, and he maintained a distance of about 50 feet behind me. I have an eyeglass-mounted mirror, which is how I know. Eventually, I let up, and he passed me. His pace was just slightly harder than I like for myself.

Today's ride

Rick@OCRR

I don't ride that fast (14.0 average) but there are so few cyclists (or bicycle riders) on my commute that passing or being passed is rarely an issue.

On the rare chance that said cyclists or riders are actually going the correct direction on that side of the road/street they are usually on the sidewalk . . . which slows them down a bit. Plus, they are usually on Wal-Mart BSO's which slows them down a bit more.

The vast majority of the time, however, they are Salmon so avoiding a head-on is my top priority!

The one exception on my 400+ commutes was a nice guy on a Cannondale and were the same speed so we just rode along and talked. I've experienced nothing competitive but maybe, one day, where there are more cyclists on my commute route it could happen.

Until then, it's enough of a challenge just to keep myself safe amoung all the uncontrolled variables out there.

Rick / OCRR

GhostSS

On the straights here I usually cruise between 20-22 mph, if someone can pass me at that speed and continue to pull away so I don't have to worry about them again, then great. I just hate it when someone makes a 25 mph effort to pass me, then gas right after so I have to play leap frog with them.

I REALLY hate it when I end up being passed because the other (slower) cyclist decided to shoal and run a red light. So I end up passing the same person over and over again because of their inability to follow road laws.

Saving Hawaii

I care quite a bit. It's been months since I've been passed. I'm not sure when it last happened. I ride a lot of oddball hours because I work nights so that's probably part of it. I wish there were more competitive cyclists out when I ride. I don't mind losing but competition is nice. Or even a wheel.

Jim from Boston

I posted to this Commuting Forum thread, "This morning's moron."

bmthom.gis

The only time i try to pass someone is if they are salmoning and on the sidewalk (opposite side of the street, going the same way I am). The place where this hallens...there's a freaking bike lane right there. Dang college kids

noglider 

I just finished Just Ride by Grant Petersen. He says use whatever metric you can think of that shows you to be a winner.

ggpepper

Every morning under this one street light, no matter how hard I peddle...my shadow always passes me. The little jerk!

spare_wheel

i hate it when people ride FRAP or in bike lane at 22 mph. imo, if you can maintain that speed then it's your duty to get out of the way of the vast majority of cyclists who cannot. ride in the big lane when you pass and don't intimidate slower cyclists.

TenSpeedV2

I see this quite a bit surprisingly, and the worst part is that there is a bike lane on each side of the street to use. Still see them rolling up the sidewalk going the wrong way. What is even worse is when they go the wrong way in the bike lane, heading towards you. Must something about college campuses and a lack of common sense.

GhostSS

I'm definitely taking primary on the road. Or I'm using this. It's now technically illegal for cyclist to use the road where a "cycle track" is available.

Booger1

I don't care if your sitting on the handlebars doing a wheelie with one hand,knitting with the other,with your legs crossed on one pedal...and passing me...

LokiWolflord

Hawaii seems like a great place to live and ride! I'm jealous.

cooker

(bump) Poplar Plains Rd.

InTheRain

The OP said he didn't care... then he promptly indicated that he was happy when he passed an e-bike. Most e-bikes are limited to 20 mph with assist in the U.S., 15 mph in Europe. If you're on the flats or downhill... that's not much of an accomplishment. If you're riding uphill, then you should be proud... not that you passed someone, but that you can ride that fast. 20 mph uphill is impressive.

If you're competitive and you are trying to pass someone, it might give you a little smile to get past another rider... however, it's entirely possible that the rider will pass you shortly after your own pass if you can't maintain or the rider is just faster than you... and doesn't like being passed. Most of the time it's not a big deal to me either way. However, if I'm on my road bike and I pass a guy that's 20-30 years younger than me riding a bmx bike... he's never going to catch me unless I have a heart attack.

12strings

In 15 months of commuting, I have seen exactly 2 other people on bicycles...They were both going the opposite direction from me, so no thrill in passing them.

I have to be satisfied with taking off from stop lights a bit faster than cars until the get up speed and pass me again.

rumrunn6

I started commuting on a MTB w knobby tires and got passed a lot, I upgraded to slicks and got passed less, I upgraded to a modern hydrid w 700c wheels and got passed less, I upgraded tires, saddle and swapped in drop bars and got passed less, I upgraded to road bikes and finally ditched all but a few. hmmm, yeah I don't care about getting passed

Buffalo Buff

This was true for me too up until last weekend.

I'm riding around downtown, pass a guy, then get stopped at the next light and he catches up. We BS for a bit, ride about 1/4 a mile together, then go our different ways.

Was pleasant and was actually the first time I encountered another road biker in the wild AND got to stop and chat.

About half an hour later he passes me as I'm fumblin through my phone on an empty road picking a new song to listen to.

I laughed to myself. Finally got passed!

Reynolds 

That's the wise approach to it, but I'm not always able to do it.

rommer25

I get passed more often than I pass others. The best one was a couple of months ago. There were four Roadies riding in front of me when I turned onto the street. I caught the last one in the group and passed him. When we all to to the light, I saw that all of them were in their mid twenties. They saw me, a 65 year old fat guy on a hybrid. When the light turned green, I left first because they were all busy giving that last rider the business.