Gerryattrick

I was out for a ride on a local trail today. I'd done about 14 miles with a few to go, when two youngsters shot past and shouted something like "out of the way old man". Well talk about red rag/bull so I thought I'd show them what experience can do.

Pretty soon they were 50 yards ahead so I started ramping up the effort. Within the next 200 yards I'd pulled that back to 25 yards, then they must have noticed I was catching up. Within the next 200 yards the 25 was back to 50 and they started getting further and further ahead.

I gave up.

Growing old sucks.

stanman13

Next time just shake your fist at them and yell "Get off my lawn!" It's very effective.

Retro Grouch 

Yeah, but you have to remember to yell quick before they get too far ahead to hear.

350htrr

That's when I would have shifted to level 2 on my E assist bike and stayed right behind them (about 50 feet) when they speed up and let them beat on themselves as to why they can't drop me...

Wanderer

Next time, don't move over.......................

Hangtownmatt

Relax. Enjoy the ride.

Matt

mymojo

I fully expected you to dial it up to 400 watts and give them "the look".

Gerryattrick

If I had caught them the only look I could have given would have been of someone in need of an ambulance.

It was a reality check. One more thing I can't do as well as in my twenties or thirties?

B. Carfree

But at least the older we get, the faster we were.

qcpmsame 

Smile (you are out riding) wave to them and wish them the best and keep riding. Their time will come and Karma has a way of turning around to bite you, hard. They are just young, immature and poorly raised, don't stoop to their level. If you keep training however, the time for their come-up-ance (sp) may be sooner than they want.

Bill

Wanderer

LOL, only in our dreams................... I'm still tryin to catch that old guy, and I'm only 67.

One of these days, though, he's gonna get IT!

cranky old dude

Those hot-shot kids usually have shorter legs, smaller lungs, and crappy bikes. If they stay on the same course as you for any distance your steady pace will often result in passing them up. At least that was my experience today...I came upon the poor kid about two miles after he blew by me as he was stopped and catching his breath.

Dudelsack 

If it was on "a trail", or MUP, they get major d-bag points for racing on it.

If it were on a MTB trail or the road, the only correct response is, "Sorry boys, this is my Z2 recovery ride".

BlazingPedals

+1 to what Dudelsack said. Bike paths aren't for racing. The speed limits on MUPs are just one of the many reasons why I don't to trails.

As they say, youthful exuberance is no match for old age and treachery. My bents are like a secret weapon, because everyone knows that bents are slow. Some of the area racing clubs will show up for Helluva Ride. I'm equal-opportunity, I pass 'em all. Really frosts their cookies when an old guy on a bent passes them, drops their best sprinters, and then disappears over the next hill.

digibud

"being in the way is my job like being an ass@#$ is yours!"

Biker395 

Or ...

"Eh? What'd you say, sonny? Speak up!"

locolobo13 

2-3 yrs ago I finishing up a 15 mi ride I zoomed past a kid (15 or 16) on a BMX. I was on a MTN bike. Wasn't really going that fast (maybe 15mph). But was pushing to make the next light. Within a block of the light the kid passes me on his BMX and blows by me.

For the next couple of miles we paced each other. I realized I could pass him, those BMX bikes aren't really meant for racing, but didn't. We were both stopped at the last light before I got home and grinned at each other. I was impressed the kid could keep up with his bike.

StephenH

I was out riding around White Rock Lake the other day, passing everything in site. I actually started feeling young and fit, and yes, fast! But about then, somebody that actually was young, fit, and fast passed me up and made it look easy. So I felt old, fat, and slow again. On the bright side, that's not just age, as I'm probably in about as a good a cycling shape now as I've ever been.

rumrunn6

next time shout "F-U PUNK!"

it nevers fails, whenever I think I'm doing good, I get passed. that's fine but they don't have to be a-holes about it.

stapfam

Just keep them in sight for the next 25 miles and you will find they will need a rest at the top of the steepest offroad hill. That's your chance to blow past them and keep going till the next downhill where your superior offroad skills will blow them away.

Connell

Why just this last Sunday I cruised by a couple of young guys. They had expensive looking bikes, all the kit, everything. Just blew by them, I did.

Mind you, they were sitting by the trail while one of them fixed a flat but even so...

digibud

I had a fun encounter on a race when a young gal passed me on an uphill section where I was dying. With a smile she said, "good for you, old man" without a hint of sarcasm. I smiled and kicked her, knocking her over. Oh...no..actually I didn't. I was hurting too much to lift a finger . She was just one of many who passed me that day but the way I figure it, everybody but the winner is slower than somebody else on any given race.

Dudelsack 

*snort*

fasthair

OP this made me laugh!

So I'm just starting to ride home from work and just gotten on the trail about a half mile from my shop so I'm not even close to being warmed up. This youngster blows past me and I think whatever. As I'm riding along I can see him disappear around different corners ahead of me. About a mile on I decide of I see him when I round this next corner I'm going to try and pull him back or as I like to think of it, catch him. Sure enough as I round the turn I see his back wheel disappear around a corner ahead and off I go. As I approach the turn I last saw him I figured there would be no way see him until I round the next bend. Much to my surprise there he was limping off to the side of the trail. It appears this young buck didn't know that when a trail is damp skinny little road tire and sharp corners don't go together very well I slow and ask if he is ok to which he responds with a rather embarrassed yes. I smiled and motored on.

Two week later same corner this time it's two cute girls standing on the side of the trail. I STOP this time to make sure they were okay. They asked how I knew they had crashed? I just replied I've seen it before.

fasthair

Gerryattrick

I guess I've come to terms with the fact that, while I may be reasonably fit for a 65 year old, there's no way I can match a fit youngster.

I may be faster than some youngsters, but only the rubbish ones. But at my age I'll take what I can get.