CrimsonEclipse

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jyossarian

Like the bumper sticker says, "I may be slow, but I'm ahead of you". Or is it, "Don't like my driving? Call 1-800-EAT-POOP"

ottawa_adam

As a matter of pride (and part male ego, I guess), when I make the effort to pass someone, I'm going to be sure to stay ahead, at least for a few km.

mrbubbles

Happens all the time. I've seen silent races happen from time to time as well, like two guys see each other eye-to-eye and go at it (with completely different bikes as well, I saw a fixie versus a MTB Klein once, it was a good laugh).

Industrial

It's so rare that I see anyone else riding a bike on my commute it's automatically a race! But only if I'm going home from work, when I'm riding to work I generally try to sweat as little as possible.

So if you're riding in rural new hampshire at midnight along my route, watch out! chooo choooooo! Which is another way to say I never get to race anyone. I just get passed during the day when I'm riding to work. People must think I suck.

Tapeworm21

I commute by bike everyday, but I also ride for sport. When I'm in my full kit, people assume my life is one big bike race. Had a dude pass me on a steady climb on a hybrid type bike the other day. Passed my buddy and I, and then he turned around back down the hill. I was mystified. We were on mile 8 of 85. That's not exactly our sprinting section.

However, to their defense, when I was younger... I was the same way. I always tried to pass people on my bike. Never did it occur to me that MAYBE they were on mile 70, while I was on mile 10. I always thought, "I'm 14 and I'm passing these older guys! I'm so tough!" Now I'm 26 thinking, "just pass me already. I'm going 12 mph on the flats." Distance > Speed.

I'll also add, the "commuter" is way less likely to wave to me than a Euro-lookin roadie while I'm in my spandex. What gives?!

becnal

As a serial wheel-sucker, I'm happy to have someone willing to slog it out in front of me.

scooterbeans

No one passes me, mile 10 of 70 or mile 70 of 100, doesn't matter. If you pass me, it's probably because you're doping

climbhoser

Half of my commute passes through a state park that is surrounded by yuppie haven, and is, by default, also roadie haven on a sunny day. Few cars, great weather, nice rolling flats and I see probably 100 riders or more on my way through.

Inevitably I end up in a race with someone, though not through my instigation. I'm the one guy with the blinkie, the panniers, the day-glo illuminite jacket and not in full road kit on a spendy 2008 roadie. Though I did race a guy on a fixie once, I'm almost always teh only guy with one gear.

As such I spin the same every day. I've found that it's my perfect pace, so I'm always right there with it. Lucky, people are good natured and usually strike up a few words, like "Wow, I've got a way nicer bike than you and you're kicking my butt!"

It's pretty funny when I tell them I have one speed, to boot, forty-fifty lbs. in my sacks and I'm on my 25th or so mile for the day out of 40 that I will have done when I get home. I only got passed once for keeps, and I believe the guy was going at most 1 mph faster than me. Quite funny

Artkansas 

I had one of those in my last California commute. He'd pass me and slow down to the point where I'd have to coast a lot and I'd be late for work following him. If I passed him he'd try to keep up so I had to keep pedaling hard, but he could never keep up so it was no question of who was the faster rider. But if I made a gap and resumed my usual pace, he'd work hard to pass me and then slow down.

Day after day, this nonsense continued. Truth was, I hated that job and I wasn't really into riding fast to get there. Nor did I relish having to re-prove a point on a daily basis. So if I saw him, I'd just take an alternate route. Even though it was longer, it was still faster than following him. And more pleasant.

Bill Kapaun

I had a similar incident yesterday. Some guy that I judged to be about 55 with a ponytail decided to pass this 60 year old. Quite a few red lights that we had to stop at and he'd sprint across the intersection when the light turned green. I'd just do my normal acceleration/cadence and catch up in about 1/2 block. Whenever I was close to him I'd start whistling some impromptu tune just to let him know where I was (I'm a horrible whistler) AND annoy the hell out of him. He turned off after about 8 blocks. I was tempted to follow him, ala Dennis Weaver in Duel.

savethekudzu

People do this in cars too. Some folks just can't stand not to be out in front.

JeffS

Same as this thread... to make himself feel better?

CommuterRun

Pass him again...and then lead him on into chasing you until he explodes. (BWAAAHAAHAHAHA)

maddyfish

All you need for a bike race is 2 people, 2 bikes, and someplace to ride.

billbass

Remember the great chase scene in Bullet ? Picture Steve McQueen on a road bike, and two hitmen on a tandem...Imagine firing a 12 guage from the back of a dually....Ahh, forget it!

I ride a little faster than x-mas!

StephenH

One reason I like having a speedometer on a bike is to help me hold a steady pace. Otherwise, it's just sort of human nature to speed up when someone's in front of you and to slow down when they're not, which leads to exactly the kind of thing you're talking about.

It can also be really irritating, on a bike or in a car, to get behind someone that's going 0.0001 mph slower than what you would like to go. You can stay right on their tail. Or pass them really really slowly. Or speed up, pass them, then slow back down to where you think you were. And in the meantime, the guy you passed has sped up by 0.0002 mph, meaning he's now wanting to go 0.0001 mph faster than YOU.

Strelnikov

The other day while riding home from school, I found myself behind a guy who was going at a decent pace. I thought it would be rude to pass him, so I slowed down a touch and rode behind him. I don't think he noticed me for quite a ways, and it was nice to slow down a bit but I didn't want to spook him by saying "hi" since he looked pretty focused. I finally ended up passing him on a hill because he was slowing down and didn't say anything then since it was a hill and we were both pretty focused.

Then the other day I was riding to the store from school with an empty 3-gallon water jug strapped to my rear rack. At a light, this biker rode up behind me and said "your water bottle is empty." I thought it was the best hello I have ever received.

dobovedo

+1 I've watched semi drivers do it to each other as well.

Caspar_s

I have had someone yell "What's the point?" at me. I finished checking for traffic, crossed the road, and then realised he thought I was racing him and looking behind to see where he was. I was just riding home.

Do you wave first? I always return a wave/nod if I see it - quite often commuting I'm either thinking about work, or wishing I didn't have to go into work and could just keep riding somewhere else, so I might not even see.

That and most roadies don't acknowledge me if I do wave so why bother.

legstwelve

I used to commute to work through the city on my road bike and would often encounter fellow cyclists, most often twenty-somethings on front/full-suspension mountain bikes that they obviouslly only ever ride to work or the shops. Quite often I would encounter a unique breed of cyclist, every time I would pass them they felt the need to stop in front of me at the next set of lights. They'd take off slowly at the lights and I'd overtake them again, queue this happening over and over again and me pwning those n00bs.

johann435

As a former 400 mile-per-week rider, I never had that erge and can't really say why someone does something like that other than for fun. I always road my own way and stayed within my ability. Maybe they were testing themselves, maybe it's ego, hard to say on a generality, but, I just ignor their behavior. Let them win the big one, in their head, and you just keep doing what you have fun with...

huhenio

Most goofy behaviors I c'halk them as "the observed trait might have been a useful one while when we where hunters/gatherers

BikeManDan

But..but...Queen made it so clear that you obviously need scantily clad women for any bicycle race (specifically with bells)

infecto

What bothers me even more is when people pass me on 55mph+ roads (riding in large shoulder) without saying anything. Always gives me a slight scare and generally hate it because often to shoulders are filled the debris and I ride to avoid it and not the person who is silently passing me. If I am on a path or any type of other road I stay straight and narrow but its hard on rough roads so it really irritates me when people pass me without a warning.