trekker pete

Yesterday afternoon's scorecard read 1-1 for me. First I played the role of dropee. Worst possible spot too.

It was a very straight flat couple mile long stretch through a tobacco field. I was putting along a little beat from my 12 hour work day, when I look in my helmet mirror. Uhh ohh. Roadie, 6 O'clock . Looks like he's closing pretty good. So, I called down to the engine room for a little more steam, dropped onto the aero bars and dialed up the cadence a bit. The bogey was still closing, but not as quickly. Eventually he pulls along side. Nice ride. Carbon fiber, the funny looking rims that make it look like you have big fat tires. We said hi to one another. I hopped into to his slipstream and I am fairly certain I could have lingered there for a bit, but, his right turn came up quickly.

I then backed it down to normal cruising speed, wondering, what if.... what if I wasn't 20 miles and 12 work hours into my day? What if I didn't have these cursed parachutes...uhhhh, I mean panniers trailing along behind me? I'm guessing that if I was fresh and pannierless, this guy would have reeled me in anyway, but, he would have at least had to work at it.

Then came my turn to player dropper. I make the turn onto main street in the center of town. Ahhh ha!!! Bogey 12 O'Clock. I pick it up a little and find that I am reeling in my prey rather quickly. Possibly even quicker than I had been not 10 minutes earlier. Sure feels good to be on the other end of this encounter.

My victim looked over his shoulder when I was about 50 yards back. He gets up out of the saddle and starts hammering it. He's not gonna give in without a fight!!! But, it's too late. He is out gunned.

I smile and say how's it going as I buzz by the 13 year old kid on a bmx bike with a backpack full of heavy looking books. Victory is mine.

Yeah, I know, not much of a kill, but, I'll takem where I can get'em!

CCrew

LOL. I still like JoeyBike's scoring method. +2 for every one you pass, -10 for every one that passes you. You're a -8 on his scale

That's ok. Some days I'm about -90 This morning I was about +16. I will say that it's almost as good as intervals in so far as training is concerned. It's fun closing on that one in the distance!.

MikeR

If you want more victories you gota do like I do to increase my chances - ride past the handicapped exit of the old age home more often. I Smoke'm!

abstractform20

im a road noob and by no means great, but the other day coming from work its about 100 degrees and im going along the trail at 17mph. there are people on both sides and i pass some teenagers and whatever on. im shouting out my on your lefts, and i come up to a guy on a mountain bike. i give my on your left and pass him. 30 seconds later this guy speeds along side of me and passes. i dont think so. i wait to pass because there are jogger in the other side and a stop for car intersection coming up. he sees me right behind him the whole time and he is out of the saddle going 120%. not gonna beat me on that bike. so i pass him about 10 seconds later and he is still trying to stay ahead. never saw him again. his legs may have exploded and he died...we will never know

somedood

I hope you gave him the "You just got served foo!" look!

no motor?

Last year I got a double like that when I went past a 5 year old and Dad while the kid was on his new bike taking his first ride. It was pretty cool, and I hope I didn't spook him when I passed him at about 4 mph.

BigDaddyPete

The flip side is, I passed to kids yesterday, one on an X-mart mt bike and one a lumbering 400lb behemoth on a bmx. 2 miles later, I flat and they come cruisin' by wavin' and smilin'. They did stop and ask if I needed help though. How does that one work in JoeyBike's point system?

gmule

I dropped a pedestrian last night on my way. Poor guy jumped right out of his shirt as I went by. I rang my bell several times but in his drunken stupor he looked up and looked right but never left. I wish those guys would wear lights or something when they are walking home at night. Of course the WOOOOOSH sound was pretty cool as I went by.

Mr IGH

You guys amaze me. Here in the NW Chicago suburbs, in my 2nd year of communting, I've rode past maybe 20 commuters coming the other way and once met one riding my direction. He worked at the Schaumburg Motorola Campus and said overall there were maybe 10 commuters at Mot, 2-3 on a good day. In my 400 person office building, I'm the only bike in the bike rack.

When I see another commuter, we're both so surprised we even make eye contact

no motor?

I'm pretty close to you, and passed the first commuter I've seen going my way last night. I've seen a few others but not when I've been riding, it does make you appreciate seeing someone else bike commuting when you see them doesn't it?

rumrunn6

too funny, reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer takes karate lessons with small kids

but congrats anyway!!

MNBikeguy

LOL....
I've got one of 'those' guys I see on my commute.....
Seeking the holy grail of "blow-by's" so he can get all puffed up and notch his fenders for another sucessful drop.
Here's the rub....
You've got to MAINTAIN that pace. I'm entertained weekly by the guy that "drops" me than crashes and burns 50 yards up the road. I swear he's going to eject a testicle trying to keep me from re-passing him. I'm no speed demon, but at least I'm consistant.
Where does THAT fit into Joey's point system?

CCrew

Ahh, but the beauty of Joey's point system is that that's not a wise move... ya have to maintain that pass. Because the +2 I get for passing you isn't worth the -10 I get if I can't maintain it

nvincent

Nothing wrong with fattening up your record with wins over tomato cans. I get passed all the time by roadies and bike messengers, but I own the food delivery guys and the old-timers cruising on their 3-speeds.

pityr

I like coming up behind someone that wants to go. If they are strong then it gives me someone to chase. Makes for an entertaining morning. Most the people I pass are on heavier mtn or hybrid bikes so its not really that hard to zip around them. Every once in a while I happen across a roadie that is using the commute as a training run. Those are fun. The last one to truly drop me only did so cause he ran a red light I don't think I'm that fast but I do strive for about a 20MPH computer average on my 15 mile commute.

fredgarvin7

Man, here's one from last month. I'm riding my Schwinn Jaguar IV with a pair of 2 liter bottles on my rear rack and a bag hanging from each handlebar. I see a hybrid about 50 yards ahead riden by an old guy. (At least a YEAR old'rn me). Sooooo, I run him down and keep him in my rear view mirror for at least a mile enjoying my triumph as long as possible. Last year riding my road bike I smoke 3 teenagers on mt bikes. I then tell'em I'm over 50 and a SMOKER! "Lay off the X box, the Nintendo, the Ipod , the web, TV, and stop TWITTERING, and get you some exercise!" Of course they have no way of knowing it's the BIKE and not the old fart that got 'em.

BurnMyEyes

LOL.

I have one from last Friday. I saw a guy on a hybrid about 50 feet in front of me. I cranked my legs into overdrive and dropped him, on the uphill no less. I was proud that I was finally able to conquer this hill. I went on my way, and about 5 minutes later, I saw him pull out of a business park about 50 feet in front of me! -8 for not finding the same shortcut. To this day I can't figure out how he did it.

breakaway9

Nice I am glad I am not the only one that does this.... I have found I can catch/drop 90% of the commuters I run across except this older guy that rides a probably 70's road bike converted into a fixie, he rides in cut off jeans, an old tank top and flip-flops... The first time I ran into him at a light I jumped in front of him and smoked him... (or so I thought) about three blocks later he came wailing by and just says "nice looking commuter there"... Now when I see him at the light I just wait my turn and let him get up to speed...

CCrew

I got behind a shapely young lady this morning on a climb. I could have dropped her in a heartbeat, but there was something about being behind her (i'll let you imagine) that made me just not want to pass.

Did I fail?

JoeyBike

You gotta be careful around us old guys on vintage rides wearing street clothes. We are setting you up!

MNBikeguy

I'd give that 'failure' about 145 points.......

Jonahhobbes

When will people stop riding on roads with mountain bike tires?

rumrunn6

I've seen that picture before
nothing like a beautiful woman

MikeR

No short cut. That old dude passed you so fast you never saw him.

imi

I had a guy I couldn't believe today... I closed on him slowly on the flat trail, finally caught up to him and matched his speed (14 mph) to give him a good morning nod... he looked totally relaxed, just cruising along on his morning... RUN!!!