Hey any of us could be a fred then... get sick with a bad cold or stomach flu, and I guarantee you will become a "bad rider" real quick.

My old heavily modified Norco commuter was a bit of a sleeper. The bike was rescued from the garbage heap and my friend and I threw on old Suntour touring running gear and new Shimano Bar-cons. Also, found some beat up 700c wheels and chucked them on. Good heavens, that bike was quick even loaded with panniers. Too bad I sold that bike to friend of mine when I moved to another province.

Try it sometime . I just built a fixie and I feel so much faster on it... Of course it has thinner tires and weighs 20 lbs less than my commuter. And it has the advantage of not having a computer, so I don't know how fast I'm ACTUALLY going. But it feels fast .

I had one "Joe" who would just lose it if I passed him. He would kill himself to ride my wheel. I thought he was going to drop dead at every light. He would pull up next to me with his mouth wide open and his eyes jumping out of his skull. The light would change and he would kill himself to keep my pace (MAYBE 18mph). I was cool with this cat till he hit my rear wheel almost causing me to eat sh*&. When I told him not to pace me so close, he told me to drop him. I sprinted ahead, turned around, sprinted past him, turned around... I did this for like five blocks. When he saw that I could sprint away from him and then come back and do it again WHILE he was riding his @ss off... he got the picture.

I'm not proud that I spanked some fool on a Trek hybird. That part was easy. I'm happy I taught an @ss a lesson.

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Just recently I was casually riding in a local park just cruising along (in jeans, T-shirt, and tennis shoes), when a guy on a brand new Felt road bike with his full team "kit" passed me as we started a hill. I said "Hi" and kind of waved but he just glared at me and stood up to (apparently) really put the hammer down. I increased my speed some and easily kept up with him on the hill, all the while comfortably seated and pedalling at low rpm while he was standing and cranking so hard I thought maybe I had stumbled upon an organized race I hadn't heard about. We were only going about 17. Then on the down hill he continued his frantic pace, glancing back occasionally only to see me right behind him. I thought about passing him but it would have just been awkward for us both.

Its good to hear these mph speeds, makes me realize that I'm actually pretty fast.

So with all these stories of who dropped who, I saw something on my ride home today that is fitting:

I pull up to a red light at one of the busiest intersections on my commute (Good Hope and Green Bay for locals). I realize that I'm rolling to a stop along with two lawn sprinkler installation trucks from competing companies, an ACME pickup and a Toro van. I laugh to myself thinking they should race. The ACME guy must have the same idea, cause he "rev revs" his engine and looks at the Toro guy. Toro guy waves him off and says "this thing's geared way too low, I get bigger jobs than you." The ACME guy (and I) chuckle. Light turns green and the Toro guy lays rubber and takes off like a bat out of hell. The ACME guy (and I'm) laughing our *sses off.

I guess the Toro van was a real sleeper. He sure dropped the ACME dude!

I'm a strong rider, but I don't get sucked into trying to keep up with roadies who are just as strong, carrying half the weight and geared better for the high end. One guy passes me every morning, I just wave and say 'mornin' as his lightweight, thin-tired, carbon racing machine blows by my bastardized Bianchi or my beautiful, but stout, Fuji. I don't ever see him when I am on my bad weather bike though...wonder why?

I never see anyone on my commute. I wish i did. Its fun to try and catch someone faster than you, especially if they are on a road bike.

I inevitably try to drop everyone I see on the street, but I find my better experiences come from just hanging out with other people riding through the city. For example:

Tonight I came up to an intersection with construction on the other side. As I was rolling up to the cross-yellow and getting ready to [wattage comment], some dude on a full suspension mountain bike who was already there and waiting for the light to change looked over at me. Since he was at the intersection first I nodded him through and dropped behind him. The guy took about two pedal strokes and then broke out a wheelie that went straight through the intersection and past the construction barriers. That had me laughing my ass off so I pulled past him, got up to speed and did a ridiculous fishtail skid to dodge around a parked car.

Two guys being jackasses on their ride home, and a lot of fun too.

... then I dropped him. *eye, tiger, etc.*

For some odd reason, I never have issues sleeping.

Heh, a roadie caught at mile 3 of my 11 trek to work. He was wearing ankle weights, never saw that or heard mentioned before. I beat him to the beginning of the Busway Max mup path in Naranja. About three miles up the path he finally passes me again. My bike an mtb with Schwalbe Marathon rear tire, Eggbeater platform pedals, Sette spd sandals, Nashbar weird handlebars hiking shorts, tee shirt seatpost rack with big tool bag for my clothes, lunch and bike stuff.

Two miles after he left the path just ahead of me, I flatted the front tire. Thankfully, the roadie had given me the time I needed to change tubes and still get to work on time!

I have only seen 1 cyclist going the same direction. I didn't try to drop him, but was ahead of him, since we were on the sidewalk. Too dangerous. I just said hi at the next light.

Otherwise, I see a wrong way cyclist in the mornings when I am late. I just take the lane and he rides the sholder of the road.

Here in Denmark, mopeds ride on the bike paths all the time (I think it's legal, but I really don't know). Occassionally I'll drop in behind them and watch while they continue to check they're rear view mirror every few seconds. Neither wise, nor impressive, really, but entertaining.

Then, of course, there are the 40-something women who ride 20km every day. I swear some little old lady on a 'Shopping bike' (think Wizard of OZ) was pacing me on my Lemond up a hill the other day. Don't worry, I threw the bike over the top to claim the KOM points.

In my first ever Cat5 race (a crit) early this spring a 'unattached' rider launched off the front about 2/3 of the way into the race. With a stiff headwind leading into a short climb, everyone let him go 'knowing' he'd be back. Every lap the time gap just got bigger and bigger. He won easy. Turns out he'd recently completed a loaded (trailer and all) ride across America. Wicked strong and knew how to solo for sure. Beware the guy with the bags!

Hahaha, ya definitely. Take anyone who's done loaded touring/commuting, put them on a 16 pound race bike and then get out of their way. There's at least one guy in Toronto who's a messenger during the week and then does the "Donut Ride" every weekend. That's a century ride that a huge pack of roadies does on Saturday and Sunday. So this guy does like 700/week "just 'cause" ... I can't even begin to imagine what his legs must look like, but I've heard some stories about how easily he drops the full kit carbon guys every weekend.

I'm the mightiest and fastest in the land! No one has ever passed me in the last 4 years! Of course I haven't passed anyone else either. In fact I have yet to see another cyclist commuting on my 24 mile R/T route.

<Insert comment about getting off the rollers here.>

I usually see at least one cyclist on my commute. Problem is they are almost always headed straight for me!

Ocassionally a roadie will blast past me and I'll try to keep up. I'd probably be more successful at this if not for my annoying habit of stopping for stop signs and traffic signals.

At least you will live to see another day. Eventually, you will probably pass one while he\she is being loaded into an ambulance.

You'll beat them some day when their knees are blown.

Heck, I'm not sure I'd be commuting on your route either, but if I did, I would definitely be trying to stay in front of you, so your elevated lights would be covering my six!

I love sneaking up on roadies while on my Monkey with 2.3's at 35 psi.

I can sometimes barely hang on for a while, then if a hill comes up I know
I got them nailed (mostly) ..I grew up in a hilly town and my ass is
a climbers ass. freaking strong. anyhow...I will hang with them up the hill
then as it crests I shifts up 2 times and stand up and will stand and hammer
for 1/2 mile or more. it usually blows their minds that I can stand and hammer faster after
a brutal climb. but I train that way. when you get to the top you don't rest but
one or two seconds, then really let the hammer down. if they aren't ready, you
can gain all the gap you need, -then- you recover at high rpm and they are
catching back up a bit, then you are ready to go full bore again. I love it...
especially on fat 29" 2.3 tires. this doesn't work with an organized group roadie ride,
they'd team up and slaughter me in 2 miles....only works with
the occassional 'fit group of roadies' out for a day. I love it and it gets me the interval training
I wouldn't have otherwise.

I always say 'good work' when I pass someone when they made me suffer a lot just to catch and
pass them. if they start the cat'n'mouse...it is a good day all around ! everyone wins. I will
concede readily....then sometimes i take that back and surprise myself and recover when I thought
i was done. weird how the body works. some days you got unlimited power, some days ya don't.

lately I have been having incredible power...but I found out... and have corrected a blood sugar problem
and that has everything to do with that scenario. much less toxins build up when I go Above lactate
threshold, and they flush out faster. so i can do my games and bounce back quite a few times on a ride.

I am loving riding all over again. losing over 45 lbs since december helps a lot too. on the flats it
doesn't matter, but the hills just seem...I dunno...less frightful. I just think keep pedaling don't think about
it the pain is good everyone else hurts too...how bad do i want it. then at the top i turn it way up.

fun fun fun fun fun

I have enjoyed reading the accounts of dropping guys on the commute. I've been a staunch advocate of getting out there and rolling and smoking anyone and everyone I can. Until this past week. I have been fighting age and weight, and did some research, I learned that going balls to the wall wasn't helping me burn fat, I was going anaerobic, and burning proteins and carbs, to burn fat I had to adjust my HRM and not let my HR get over 120. OMG, I have so much built up testosterone from not chasing, and the things I have seen riding "sensibly." I feel like a fool just out pedaling on the 3 speed Raleigh with this stupid smile watching as kitted freaks blast by me on a busy multiuse trail. I wonder where their heads are at to ride at 18 plus just to look good for the roller bladers. If they'd slow down they might be able to talk to some of them too.

Actually higher cadence spinning strengthens knees typically.

Now, sometimes the consistency of fixed gear riding gets to some rider's knees, because they cant get rest when they need it, but if your sporting a SS spinning at 110 rpm, your knees should be fine for quite a while.