andre nickatina

EDITED: this thread was doomed from the start. boy was I a sad and confused soul when i made it.

dirtyphotons

it's only a race if both people are racing. they're letting you win.

skinnyland

I don't generally see roadies commuting at all. Usually, I see them riding after work, or as weekend warriors. A few serious ones go fast, but most of them can't keep up.
Occasionally, one will see me on a fixie and want to test his mettle, showing off the chip on his shoulder.

I don't f*ck with commuters, because after all, they are doing it right (no matter what they ride, at least they're on a bike). I do, however, enjoy sticking it to cocky freds.

Cynikal 

I hate separationists and elitists, whether it a "roadie" or "bike punk". Just ride your bike and nod at others doing the same. It's bike commute day for f&*k's sake.

mattface 

Chances are he was only trying to pass you because you were in his way. If he tries to pass you, maybe it's because you were already going slower than him. All that sprinting away does is show your insecurities. Then again, posting about how you hate to let anyone richer than you pass you does the same thing. As long as you got out of his way, he probably doesn't care.

*new*guy

It's amazing that you can glean so much knowledge about another cyclist's abilities, finances and rides based on these brief interactions.

queerpunk

i don't see roadies on my commute.

sometimes i see them in the park, or on the GWB.

sometimes they're spinning in a low gear.

i assume if they were to sprint or get a really pushin spin going, they'd smoke me in a second. sprinting 30mph on a fix is about my top range; i'm guessing it's not too damn hard to hit that and top it with ease on a road bike.

what's with all the roadie hate lately? i know a few people with road bikes. they're nice people. they drink with us, and gasp! several of them have fixed gears and beat me in alleycats. can't we just drop the stereotypes and for once, maybe, speak from experience?

piwonka

this is funny.
i don't like to ride close to people like that so i would let them sprint ahead and then be happy i don't have to maneuver around them when they do slow down.
i want them to ride faster than me or ride slower than me, but i don't want them close to me unless i have ridden with them and know how they ride.

like the other day, i was cruising along at a nice comfy pace and some guy on a fixed gear sneaks up on my left, didn't say a word. i didn't know he was there. if i swerved left to avoid a pothole or something my rear wheel woulda clipped his front wheel and he woulda gone down. so i saw him said what's up and he didn't say ****, just started pedaling faster like we were racing. i laughed and let him go...
those "fred's" probably view you the same way.

WakeUpOnFire

dumb

Sekt

I enjoy having another bike rider behind or in front. I can pretty much guarantee that anyone who looks like they ride semi-seriously will be faster and fitter than me, so it's good to just try keep pace, or set a steady pace and stick with it.

diff_lock2

I don't overtake people who pass me, i just catch up and match their pace.

Cromulent

Just yesterday, I passed a fixed gear rider. But I was on my fixed gear bike. And then a guy on a fixed gear bike passed me. But then I caught up to him. Then I rode to get some free coffee for Bike to Work Week. Then I went to work. Thrilling story, right?

maxknee

who cares?

Sekt

Just keep it at man. One day you'll make it. One day you'll win at commuting.

Cynikal 

Rad

Natron

Nah I pass most other cyclists on my way to work for two reasons. 1) They all seem to be middle aged women on old 50s 3-speed city bikes who are riding to work at a light jogging pace and 2) I'm always running late and riding at panic-speed so I still have a job when I get there. haha

That said, my much heavier geared Surly is a much faster bike. My starting gear on it is about the same as the gearing on my fixed but, after that, I just click through a couple and am soon passing cars, bikes, whatever, at a speed that would leave my legs a blur on my fixed bike. On top of that, it has ferocious brakes so I don't have to ride more slowly in traffic in anticipation of a potential accident, don't have to trail further behind cars, don't have to slow way before I see where I need to stop. It's not as "smooth" as how I ride fixed but, lord, it's faster.

Tequila Joe

I don't know why either. Your going slower than thier pace, your in thier way, once they pass you , you sprint ahead of them to get in their way again? Lame....

It sounds like you are but you're the only one competing.

Yes & No.

Tequila Joe

Originally, I replied based on the title of the post only, then I deleted this post once I read the OP's entire post and realaized that it was stupid.

Sekt

It's ok, I chuckled at it.

Zurich

Sometimes...but then I catch up to them and say something like "i'm sooo much more of a disaffected hipster than you are mr. roadie..."

False. I'm guessing most people on fixed gears started their cycling career on road bikes...i did.

masterlink

I like to beat up on every roadie that passes me on my way to work, it makes me feel good! I'm far tougher than even the roadiest roadie!

onetwentyeight 

some times i pass them, sometimes they pass me, and sometimes we all stop acting like idiots and paceline each other.

mattface 

Not me. I started on a single speed. With a coaster brake, and a banana seat... and TRAINING WHEELS!

heliumb

Some roadie drafted off me for an entire spin class, yesterday.
You'd think he'd be strong enough to drop me with those expensive shorts on.
What a poser.

Zurich

Snap, you win.

There are a ton of poseurs out there...both fixed and roadies... My fav: the guy with a sick Cervelo in a full CSC kit on the lakeshore. I enjoy trashing him on my roadie, my fixed gear, and my single speed.