naisme

Out riding yesterday on my fixed gear, I'm doing a pretty good clip. I hear something over my shoulder, I give a glance at the shawdows dancing on the pavement, seeing another biker had latched on my wheel, I pushed it a little harder, cranking 53x18, I hear some chain slap as he tries to stay on my wheel. I didn't hear anything for awhile, and wasn't seeing his shawdow, so I let up a little, and this guy on a geared bike rolls up "Hey you only have one gear." He offers, mystified.
"Yeah, it's a fixed gear." I say looking over at his well ridden Trek 5500 with (is it) Spinergy wheelset. My HRM is beeping at 147.
"Fixed? It looks like you're stuck in a high gear."
I smiled and explained a little more about my setup.
He shrugged, "Mind if I pull?"
"Go right ahead." I said and fell in behind him. I don't know how fast we were doing, we were headed into a Southern crosswind, his pull was fantastic, and we were flying. I took a couple pulls, and my commute was suddenly coming to a quick close. My new friend hadn't ridden the bike paths and didn't know how they connected. I showed him.
When it was done I was a half hour early for work, and had put in a great ride, it was a pleasure to find someone that was willing to put on some pain. I could see it in his face, that good pain that says yeah, that's what I'm out here for.
We parted company. I suppose we'll see each other out there again, maybe he'll be on a fixed gear, and maybe I'll be on my roadie. It was a special moment, a time we all share once in a while.

operator

Things like this are always good to hear.

55/Rad

Everytime I run into somebody who even looks reasonably fit and serious, this is the outcome I hope for. Unfortunately, more often than not, it turns out different. They aren't willing to work or have a hard time getting past the initial "measure up" greeting.

Of course, some of it is my fault. I am competitive to a fault. But I see these encounters more as a way of testing and measuring myself and less about having to beat the other guy. But it's very difficult to communicate this in a nice way - how do you get someone to understand that, although you just buried them on a climb, you enjoy riding with them?

It sucks because there are a few people at work I would love to ride with but they keep telling me no as they feel they would slow me down, etc....

My wife says this to me all the time and I really need to work harder on it - "hubby, your a poor loser and a worse winner...."

Thanks for the good example.

55/Rad

timmhaan

how can someone who owns a $3500 bike not know what a fixed gear is?

Istanbul_Tea

Thinking the same thing here.

Maybe the same folks who buy $3500 bikes and don't know who LA is?

Istanbul_Tea

I'm sure you wanted all of that to be a description of some deep, meaningful truth about what makes you tick as the good person I'm sure you are...


that said-


it reads in a way that just absolutely screams, "I'm a complete & total D!@khead".

Of course I can find empathy for you, after all, how do I explain to someone on an Internet forum for bicycling that they are a self-absorbed Wannabe when they've just posted something that's so pompous that they just wouldn't get it?

jarhead#42

Go lance
Jar

cyclingshane73

Good story "naisme".

I had a similar experience a few weeks ago heading home into a really strong headwind I think the weather said it was gusting at like 35 km/h. I hooked up with another roadie, (she was good looking too! ). And after stopping for a light I said hi and told her I didn't feel like fighting the wind after a pretty draining day at work, so we took turns pulling for about 10k until we went our separate ways. It was a pretty cool experience and left me with the strength in my legs to tackle a few short climbs on the way home.

Istanbul_Tea

Did you see who I was quoting TO in my reply?

BTW, even though I know you intended to use your spacebar between "person" and "a"... that's pretty funny and fairly insightful!!

shaq-d

yeah, it's great when you hook up with riders. this happens on sunday morning rides especially, it seems. just this past weekend i was doing a slower long ride with my club, so i sped a bit and was on my own for a while, then ran into two guys going at a fair clip, and joined them. hung on their wheel the whole time, had a little bit of chatting, was fun. one of these days i'll be fit enough to do some pulls... but in the meantime it's fun to hang on to fast people. it's over before you know it -- and then i think to myself, damn, i shoulda pulled, i don't feel all that exhausted... my day is coming soon when i can share the load heheh.. the best groups to join are groups of 2-4, they all know each other and ride real well.

sd

Tree Trunk

Hey, I loved reading your thread. Cool story! It's great when you find someone on your commute that will spice up the ride and help you to improve. Here's hoping you bump into that guy again.

Tree Trunk

Wow, do you realize that your criticism is just a self-absorbed, probably more, than the person you are criticizing? Try biting your tongue next time, please. That was offensive and inappropriate.

With that said, I am just committing the same offense I am criticizing you for.

55/Rad

No Tea, I wrote it to piss you off. I'm pretty good aren't I?


I'm sorry it reads that way to you. To everybody else, it reads "I can be a dickhead sometimes but I'm working on it. Thank you (to Naisme) for setting a good example."


I reiterate, I did it specifically to piss you off - here's another attempt - why don't you go call your ex-wife and ask her about YOUR communication/comprehension skills?

F-Off poseur.

55/Rad

Maelstrom 

Why does someone need to know what a fixed gear is. An obscure drivetrain very few people ride and almost no shops have. Thats a ridiculous expectation. If I didn't hang out on this site and stuck to my mtb sites I would never know what it is as it doesn't serve a purpose to the way I ride or where I ride. Sheesh...

Congrats on the ride. Sounds like a blast and it is always good to ride with someone you can ride with AND get a little competetive...

Zin

Nice story naisme.

As for the bickering pair.... Please, take it outside.

operator

Ditto this one.