chipcom 

When I pulled into the lot this morning I was surprised to see another vehicle there pulling down a bike. I usually don't see much of anyone in the mornings this time of year. So after I pulled my bike off the rack and loaded my saddlebags & lights, I rode over and said hi, to be polite. The guy had a fairly nice Trek road bike with aero bars...looked to be set up for Triathalons. He said he was out for a training ride around the 'loop'. I told him that I worked up in Peninsula, which is the other end of the 'loop' and that I'd be happy to give him some company on the ride up. He told me to just go ahead...'I'm training, so I'll catch up to you, but I won't slow down to ride with you'. M'kay fine, l8r dude.

I ain't exactly a speed demon on my little winter commute. I average prolly 16-18mph and I forced myself to NOT push myself harder just cuz this guy was behind me. I saw his little headlight pull unto the road behind my about a quarter mile after I started and he did gain ground little by little...until we hit the only real hill on the route, which is about a half mile from my office. It's a little double-humped thing with a longer, gradual climb on the first hump, then it levels off for 500ft or so, followed by a short steep climb on the second. He was about 100 yards behind me just as I geared down to spin up the first hump and managed to even gain a little ground as we hit the short level portion....but I could tell he was sucking wind pretty hard, so instead of gearing down and spinning up the steep second hump, I shifted up a gear and hammered up out of the saddle. (Is this where I'm supposed to dial it up to 400 watts?). Yes, I admit it, I wanted to make him hurt...and he did, he blew up and ended up walking the bike up the last 100 feet or so. I had already parked my bike at the office and was enjoying a smoke on the porch when he rode by...I waved of course.

LittleBigMan

Oh, yeah, this is the part you really enjoyed, wasn't it? (I was right there with you, man. )

ColorChange

Toast!!! Nice job. Burn his arse. I would have jumped on it right from the get go.

thdave

Something similar happened to me on the golf course yesterday. I was playing with my kid and a college senior, who joined us. He had just graduated (Kent State with education degree) and was heading out the next week to a golf academy to train to become a USGA teaching pro. It was strange--he had some good shots but I was beating him hole after hole. At one point, he topped about 3 in a row. I hated to do it, but curiosity got the best of me and I asked what handicap he had to be to become a teaching pro--he replied a 12, which surprised the heck out of me. Still, even with that, he sure needs some work to shed strokes from his game!

Hey, Chipcom, I thought you had a fixie?

chipcom 

I have a Raleigh One-Way flip-flop, which is set up for SS with winter studs on it now for riding in the snow....as you can see out your window, we ain't got no snow...so I'm on my old reliable beater Bianchi.

chipcom 

Murphy's law....if I woulda jumped on it right off, the guy woulda turned out to be Lance Armstrong and I woulda been the toast.

DataJunkie

What a moron. You never announce that you are faster, you just are. He set himself up for that one. Most excellent job on kicking some arse.

CrosseyedCrickt

it's the fact you were enjoying a smoke when he finally caught up that has me rolling
cigarette, cigar, pipe, or other?

btw, you're my new *******-of-the-month-hero <--- compliment

chipcom 

I guess at 6'1 230lbs, wearing jeans, my ugly J&G wind jacket, a green wool tankers cap and riding an old beat up looking xcross bike with fenders and a huge saddlebag, I don't look like a sewious cycwilist.

To be honest, with as much clothing as this guy was wearing, I figured he'd be pretty overheated by the time we got to the camel hump hill. It was 33 degrees and he looked like the little kid from A Christmas Story, all bundled up like a mummy!

chipcom 

Just a cigarette....though a fattie woulda been nice. I committed to quit smoking by the time I was 50 many years ago...now I'm 47 and the state just banned smoking in all public buildings...so I guess it's time to quit. A man's gotta have his vices, but all of mine are now illegal. Gawd, I hope they never ban chasing women!

CigTech

Nice toast Chipcom. I think you buttered that Toast with the smoke and wave.

ghettocruiser

The words of a man about to be dropped. At that point, Karma dictates he might as well let the air out of both tires and try to catch you dragging a brick.

If he really intended to pass you with a cruel speed differential, the correct phrase is:

"I'm behind in my training, so if I'm lucky enough to catch you I'll know it's because you slowed down"



When will they learn?

thdave

Good to hear this--no doubt you did your civic duty today in giving this kid a good workout coupled with a taste of humility .

ax0n

Who in the F *WALKS* up ANY hill? On every geary bike I've owned, it's been way easier to spin it than to walk. And if I'm about to bonk (that stopped happening a few weeks after I started riding again), then I'm in no shape to walk either.

Way to drop him. I don't smoke, and I'd be LIVID if someone dropped me then I saw them smoking as I rode past. It could easily happen though, as I'm still a noob.

CliftonGK1

Seattle's smoking ban is pretty ridiculous, too. It's not just that you have to go outside... You have to be 25 feet from any doorway, window, or air intake for a public building. Effectively, this bans having a cigarette while walking down the sidewalk, because you'll pass too close to the doorways.

I've managed to cut back to just bumming one of my girlfriend's cigarettes every couple of days (which is a form of aversion therapy since I smoked unfiltered Luckys and she smokes ultralight menthols ) I'm sure that if you put yourself to it you won't have much issue with quitting.
Let's just hope they don't try to ban alcohol (again.) I may be a little grumpy w/o a cigarette, but if someone tells me I have to give up my evening pint, there's gonna be problems.

DataJunkie

Prohibition was an abysmal failure. I am no fan of cigarettes but banning them is idiotic. Just look at the war against drugs. Such a success.
Ban my alcohol and I would riot.

CliftonGK1

It's a similar mindcrushing tactic as what me and some friends used to do during high-school x-c running season. We'd carry an Oreo cookie. For some reason, nothing is more disheartening than getting passed by a guy while chugging it up some hill, and having them look at you and hold out their hand and ask "Need a cookie?"

ModoVincere

Nah....just get a 5 gallon carboy, some yeast & source of sugar and you'd be set. You could make meade, beer, wine, or if your really desparate, just ferment sugar water into alcohol...would be similar to vodka, but a lot weaker. If you know what your doing, you can then use the freezer to make it quite a bit stronger

Man...if I had just known this when I went to college the first time, I could have saved a lot of beer money!

CliftonGK1

That reminds me... I've got to bottle up my latest batch of IPA when I get home.

joejack951

You do realize the difference between banning cigarette smoking in indoor public places and banning the sale of alcohol/drugs, right?

jimmuter

I would love to know what the guy was thinking as he walked past you. That's a great story.

chipcom 

Give the guy a little credit, by the time he got to my office he was riding again. If I were him I'd have been thinking "maybe that guy will let me bum a smoke?"

Speedo

Brandon Gap in Vermont. Going west to east at 90 miles into a century. That last mile is a killer. I've even got a granny.

Sluggo

chipcom 

Come with me to my old stomping grounds in northern NM and southern CO, I guarantee you'll be doing some walking - after you quit puking...at least until you get acclimated to the altitude.

HardyWeinberg

I was reading recently that DIY EtOH was not prosecuted (and possibly not even illegal) during prohibition. I know my great-grandfather had a factory going in his house, but he didn't sell any, just had a lot of parties.

Love the story. Smoking!