CliftonGK1

Yesterday I got into (what I first considered) a silly commuter race on the Sammamish River Trail while riding home. I turned into the park and onto the MUP and maintained a moderately quick speed, but I've been using my commute as brevet training so I tend to push it a little more than I used to. I was rolling around 18 - 18.5mph at the time.
The MUP had quite a few cyclists heading my direction, so per my usual, as I pass someone I have my 5 second "Hey how's it going? Some weather, eh?" conversation. Most people are fine with this, we bid each other good day, and they're well behind me and content with that fact.
It happened that there was a guy on a knobby tire, front suspension MTB pouring what looked to be 100% of his effort into keeping a 16mph pace in front of me. Maybe the wind garbled my words, because what I know came out of my mouth as "Good afteroon, how's it going?" must have reached his ears as "A pox upon you and your mountain bike. The challenge has been cast, if ye be man enough to accept." I rolled past him and a few seconds later heard the telltale *click-clunk* of the gears as the gauntlet was thrown down. Normally I would just continue and ignore it, but I didn't feel like playing leapfrog with a guy I assumed would likely pass me and then back off the pace. So I waited until he had built up a good head of steam and was gaining on me before picking up the pace... 19.5mph for a quarter mile and he's still there. 20.5mph for another quarter mile and he's dropping back but digs deep and surges forward for a couple dozen yards. We round a turn into the breeze and I'm now questioning if this was really a good idea. 21.5mph and I bring my hands from the hoods to the drops. If ever this guy was wondering if I'm serious, that was probably a good indicator; I look down at the computer and we're closing in on 23mph and this guy has been only 5 yards off my wheel for a good while now. With about 400 yards before I'm to my trailhead exit, I drop it down another cog and open the throttle; the guy finally fades back at 26mph. Twenty farking six!
How long could I have held that speed? Maybe another quarter mile, same as the kilo sprints I've been working on during my inbound commute. Could I have recovered at 20+ to hold that guy at bay if I hadn't needed to turn off the MUP? Maybe not, since I typically recover at 17/18mph.
Congratulations crazy MTB guy; you gave me a good, fun race for those few miles it lasted.

Sawtooth

LOL, great story! Thanks for posting it. Who knows, maybe he was a serious roadie well versed in drafting, etc and decided to catch a free ride.

Mr. Underbridge

Man, this guy was spotting you about 2 square inches of rubber, knobs, a front suspension, and a head start...and it took you a mile to drop him?

I'd say he covered the spread on that one!

Sawtooth

I would actually love to be the chaser in that scenario. I usually just come up on other riders and pass them so quickly there is no interaction other than my cool-guy-harley-wave. Oh, except for Slurpee Girl. She kicked my A the other day

unixpro

That's pretty funny. Sounds like a good time. 26 is really moving, especially on that kind of a bike!

Not to threadjack much, but whatever happened to people even just announcing that they're passing anymore, let alone riding alongside in a friendly manner? Recently I've been somewhat startled by guys passing at a very good clip without any warning at all. OK, these aren't commuters generally -- they're roadies in full kit with nothing else on, so they're probably training, but still. And they're not passing with a safe margin either; I can feel the breeze.

corkscrew

I got passed yesterday by some guy on a trek road bike. I was on my road bike but had a rack with loaded panniers. He passes me with out so much as a hello. I ended up cycling a mile out of my way (Missed my turn down 5mile, and diverted down Cloverdale) just trying to catch up to him.

Stupid "grey hound chases bunny" instincts.....

rnorris

Great story! I don't have a chance against most of the riders who pass me on the flats, but there are two long climbs of a mile plus each on my commute home and I often catch people there on my 28 lb. commuter with disks. It's fun.

CliftonGK1

More than a mile. And it's not like he was ever close enough on me that he was drafting and taking it easy, either! This guy opened the gates of Hell to fire his boilers. It was totally nuts! When I first rode past him he was already huffing and dripping sweat, when we hit 22mph I really didn't think I'd see him in the mirror check, but there he was.
I give the dude majour credit. It's gotta be tough to ride a bike with such huge cajones.

jyossarian

For some reason, this story reminded me of the knave stories from a few years back. There's some obvious differences, but basically it boiled down to two guys on very different bikes racing each other.

clancy98

except one was imaginary -- correct?

Sawtooth

LOL, thanks for the memory! Those were great. Right up their with the Scofflaw https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...light=scofflaw and anything submitted by RyanF

wunderkind

Wait a minute, you are riding a road bike and the dude in a MTB with knobbies kept with you all this time?
It's like a guy in a Corvette telling his mates how a dude in a Ford Explorer with Geolander offroad tires keeping up with him on the road.

Andy_K 

I've always thought there should be a racing sub-forum for commuting just like there is for road, mountain, cyclocross, etc.

somedood

Jeeez man, you're lucky that the demons he called upon from the depths of hell to keep up the chase did not swallow up your soul becuase of their proximity!

That's way impressive for MTB dude. At a red light I pulled up next to a guy on a Full Suspension bike with gigantic knobbies who sprinted for about 1/2 mile after I passed him while I had to keep 25-26 to slowly extend the gap. I'm at about the same recovery speed as you too, 17/18, so I started to wonder how long I could hold it until I turned off.

There was one time that I tried to keep up with a guy on bicycle with a weed whacker gasoline motor on it. He was holding 28-29mph consistently, and kept looking back at me - I laid down the hammer at 32mph and passed him. My lungs (and legs) were burning, but i kept it up for a little more than half a mile to my turn-off. I was SO glad my turn was coming up though, I didn't have anything left in me afterwards - maybe someday I could power a weed whacker though

That made me LOL

DX Rider

Why do some people take it personally when you pass them? It happens to everyone.

con

Never! Not me! Just try and pass me.

Commuting is sooooo relaxing

HardyWeinberg

He's a lot like you...

CliftonGK1

I think the guy on the MTB was the cycling equivalent of my dad's college buddy who owned a VW Super Beetle with a 911 flat-6 engine stuffed in it. Unassuming exteriour packing a monster punch.

rumrunn6

In the morning I am an animal and will tear up the pavement. By time I get to work I am so pumped up I feel like I can ride through a brick wall and am very disappointed to have to stop. My morning commute has turned into a 13 mile sprint. I wish I had a really nice road bike so I could see just how well I could really do.

My afternoon commutes home are OK and very satisfying, but nothing like the mornings, and I'm usually glad to be done riding when I get there.

oboeguy

Terrific write-up. Enjoyed a good LOL.

I've had these mini-races on the commute, of course, as no doubt a lot of us have. When I know I'm faster than the other party, I sometimes play a cruel game: I turn the other rider into a plaything, pushing, then laying off the pace, getting hopes up, then crushing them beneath my cleat, repeatedly. I could swear I've had the same done to me when I'm the slower rider, so sue me.

cod.peace

The hell it isn't

making

No it isnt, some kid blew by me last week, he was on a SS, I was in the fast part of my commute too, going about 16+, and he blew past me. Least he waved. Damn kids.

Tabor

That is awesome. I rarely kick it up past 18mph and even then I think I usually max out at ~21mph. I can't imagine doing 23mph with knobby tires and front suspension.

EricL

17 miles into my commute and I stop to put away my lights and get my sunglasses on. Do a little back stretching because I've got my messenger bag especially full of stuff this morning and my back is getting stiff. Guy passes me while I'm stretching and heads east on the trail. We're both on road bikes btw. I got going again and caught up to him going up an incline and followed him to the next light. I said "good morning" at the light and he returned the greeting. We go through the green light and start up the next incline and I pass him right away. I'm doing 19-20mph up this thing thinking maybe he can draft me for a while then I'll draft him. I'm pushing quite a bit harder now than I was when I caught him. Nope, he gets up next to me about 2/3 of the way up and over. We're doing 23-25mph and he's just next to me, this goes on for about 1/2 mile so I decide to get some water and shift my bag and he gets in front of me. He gets about 50yds. in front and then I catch him again and pass him. I'm in front for about 1/4 mile then I start heading up the next hill, this one a bit steeper and I'm doing 16-17 and he passes me again. I catch him again right as we get to the next light and I turn off of the trail. This "race" was 4.5 miles. So I know for some reason he just did not want me in front of him which is cool, to each his own. I know that it didn't take nearly as much effort to catch the guy as it did to keep a fast enough pace to keep him behind me. When I was behind the guy I caught up doing my normal pace. When I was in front I was trying to go fast enough to let him draft me and feel like he was going fast enough. He was definitely racing. I think he was commuting because he was wearing a small backpack. Hard to say. It was 6:40 in the morning. Let's draft next time!

Metzinger

I was out for a training ride the other day when I passed an old lady on a classic Dutch bike. Basket on the front, coaster brake. Flowery hat flopping in the breeze. The whole deal.
She looked like trouble so I put my pump in her spokes.