I used to ride with a 50+ woman who was faster than most males on the road. She got RA, so sad! She used to say on a climb, "Sorry to pass you, Honey. I just have more experience at this." She loved giving them the "H" word. She would chatter away non-stop, until whoever was in front would seriously pick up the pace. We called 22-23 mph "shut-up speed" because she'd stop talking and get serious. We could all hear her, up and down the line. Fun times.

But yes, almost every experienced rider who passes accelerates during the pass, then slows back down. Not for ego but for safety. Because of this, it's easy to catch a wheel if one accelerates slightly toward the end of the pass. If I'm coming up on a friend at speed, I always holler "accelerate!"