Originally Posted by
TRaffic Jammer
How can you be sure though, til you try? Bring on the Tour de Rush Hour.
Haha, I'm saying; if I've seen them in motion prior to stopping, if they almost completely dismount their bikes or if it's an old chinatown lady* with grocery bags hanging from either handlebar - I usually don't feel like a gigantic dick**.
With that said, I normally do wait for people and think it's hilarious when dudes roll up to pass at a stoplight only to be passed by me less than 10 seconds after the light goes green. If they pass me and keep going (read: they are clearly faster) then I guess I don't care enough to let it actually bother me.
Funny little story about dudes who just NEED to race you; in the fall a friend of mine were out on the lakeshore trail near the beaches... moving at a good pace, chatting as we rode and we started to get closer to an older guy on a mountain bike... as he heard us getting closer he started to pick up speed but we were still (unintentionally) gaining on him... once we get really close he looked back at us angrily and then just started givin' 'er.
Being a dude with a moderate competitive streak, I gave chase and quickly caught up to him... this guy was seriously hammering, grunting loudly, pedaling frantically at it and I think I said aloud "are you seriously grunting?" which I thought was hilarious but it only fueled his desire to smoke us... and smoke us he did! He started going super hard, super fast, I'd underestimated my unintentional opponent - I just couldn't keep up... it was both hilarious and humbling at the same time.
Next season, lakeshore silver fox, your ass is grass!
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*Say what you will about any of us, these are the real hardcore cyclists in the city... Rain, sleet, snow - they don't give a god damn...
**Yes, I'm aware how that sounds. Sexy.