Nope, I would have laughed my ass off.

I've got mt bikes and I've got road bikes. I'd rather run uphill on the lighter road bikes and their easier spinning lighter wheels/tires.

Rich Pinto calls this tossing a grenade, and I found out about it after I'd had fun doing it a few times on my Corsa. What you do is adjust your speed to slowly go by a paceline. Once you go past the front of the paceline, gap them by 50-100 yards, then slowly wick your speed up, most the time the paceline falls apart around 27-30, as the strong riders want to chase and the slower guys can't hang. By falling apart they loose any aero advantage that they have and you smoke them.

Of course the drool factor of a Velokraft is pretty high, so of course they want to race seeing all that carbon fiber.

Seeing how 80% of your energy is used to overcome aero drag. So, to go fast, you either have to put out more power or decrease your drag. I switched to a Bacchetta Corsa, and use it for commuting, I stay aerobic and pretty much pass every bike I come across. You did find the downside to commuting, and that you are either pushing it because you have to be there in a certain time, or you see a carrot up the road and push it to catch/pass said carrot and start looking for the next one. Since I've got my power tap, 200-220 watts has me doing 23 on the flats at 125-130HR, and I can stay at that output all day.

On one of our Thursday drop-fests our commuter friend joined us on his squeaky Trek MTB and full backpack. He led the group most of the way, dropping roadies like bad habits. Then turned around and went home.

This is one reason I started commuting.

OK, I usually ride in fairly slowly to work in the morning, 175-220 watts. I get passed on a bike trail (doesn't happen often ... because it's not crowded ... I'm not fast at all) by some young guy on a race bike.

Since I'd never been passed before, I said ... OK, time to step it up. We motor on for another 2 miles (about 22 mph) and my heart rate is above 160. I'm working hard with two loaded panniers and my old heavy winter commuter. I finally catch him at a stop light. Between my huffing away (he isn't), I say, "I usually try to take it easy getting to work in the morning but you aren't going to let that happen are you?". He cracks up and we ride together for another couple miles and he tells me he already had 10 miles in before he toasted me. Ughhh To be mid 20's again instead of mid 40's. He whipped my ass fair and square.

If you're passing them, they're "Freds", not "roadies".

I got a guy I call the Phantom that passes me sometimes in the morning this guy just blows by me, all I can do is ring my brass bell at him. I did get to talk to him one morning as I was just pulling onto the first road we share on our commute. He has been riding for years where as I started commuting in June and rides about 14 miles to my 7 one way. I like my panniers and backpack and blinkie light and if that makes me a Fred thats ok cause I love to ride no matter what. Now when the wife and I get on our roadies we make up for the slowness that is my commute. Its all good as long as we are up on two

Yeah, they gotta pass me before thay can say they are dropping roadies...I am the minimum standard which all roadies must exceed to be a roadie. Best be careful though, I cheat and blow snot rockets.

haha yeah, me too. but oh well; i am still learning

i love this thread! very entertaining. i'm a big fan of the sleeper and hope someday to be one, because i'm too much of a nerd to ever be a carbon-fiber roadie.

Na, you just go hi tech on them. This is a true geek carbon fiber go fast bike, use the aero advantage.
Not much of a sleeper, but man, you can pass with such a huge speed difference. It climbs very well also.

I had a guy going slow on a an old cheap mountain bike the other day. I cruised by and he tried to keep up with me. I had to push it a bit harder to drop him, but it wasn't too bad. I managed to avoid standing up. (I ride a decent MTB with slicks).

I've never quite managed to drop anyone on a road bike yet- but I can almost keep up with a few guys on them now.

haha WOW! good point. i've never ridden any kind of recumbent before; i should try one out. looks like something i would wreck spectacularly though

Na, not hard to ride at all. I've got almost 4000 miles on mine in the last year. Hardest part was starting uphill on an incline. Other than that, no problem. It does take a bit of getting used to, but it's a good 3-4mph faster for the same effort. Not all recumbents are equal though, just like regular bikes, there are performance ones, utility ones, and a lot has to do with the engine.

On my commute a coupla few weeks ago, a beautiful young woman who works in the next building over turned into my bicycle path. I caught her quickly and happily slowed to ride along beside her for a leisurely chat.

Been cursing meself ever since for not noticing the time and not managing to just ride up on her again...

LOL, did it look like this?



Used to do 40K a day on her, 5X a week. Man I surpised a lot of people, especially the guys on regulated 50cc scooters

This morning a teenager tried to drop me as I passed through Betania. I came up from behind in and he decided to make it a race. He was riding a cross bike that was probably 100 dollars new - I am riding a Cannondale F900 (2,000 USD) - I am sure my bike is lighter than his and I probably am twice his size.

We are on a rock road so the key is finding the line. I didn't want to just blow by him so I would let him in front a bit and then catch up - just seeing how fast he could go - oh, he didn't have suspension either and you REALLY need it for those roads at any speed. I let him choose the better (smoother) line and stayed on the pegs.

So, here we are moving along pretty good and a hill comes up. End of the fun, he dropped back so fast that I thought he blew a tire or something! I gave him a cheerful "Buenas Dias" and went on my way.

Since he was riding to school, I suspect he arrived a little sweaty - and had a story to tell. He had to tell the truth since there were witnesses to how he took on the old gringo... and lost!