BigDaddyPete

Any one else do this? I used to find myself "racing" other commuters, but now I very rarely see another soul on a bike. Any CAT 6 racers out there want to share their stories?

reptilezs

if the view from the rear is good then ill pick up the pace a little for a second look but generally no

dynodonn 

Not so much racing with other cyclists, but I'm constantly racing with urban motorists when working traffic.

James1:17

i like riding on the campus of the local university. i don't attend, but i like drafting behind huge buses, the smooth roads, oh and racing / keeping up with cars cause they can only go 20.

clasher

I routinely pass others while biking, but I just like to go at a good clip -- this is the only exercise I get, after all.

Harutz

Guilty!
The other person generally seems to have the same idea, though.

aley

I like to ride at a good pace, usually 20-22 mph on the long straight stretches. I don't generally try to race others, because I don't generally get passed - most riders on the MUP that makes up the major part of my commute are slower than I am. On the occasions that I do get passed, it's usually by somebody who's obviously out to ride hard.

Occasionally, though, it's one of these racer wannabes who put all their effort into catching me and passing me, then can't maintain the pace I'm riding. So they slow down and I have to pass them. Usually it's over then, but every once in a while I'll have the same rider pass me again, then slow down again. It's aggravating.

FunkyStickman

Not me. Even if I met someone else actually cycling, I am not worried about racing anybody.

Standalone 

totally. deep down, I'm a competitive jerk I guess.

edit: and I sure as heck don't "pull off the road the moment I'm ahead." sheesh.

The guy I usually race has a shorter ride than I do from what I can tell and less of a load. I'm 6 or 10 miles in to my ride when I come alongside him. I've got gears and brakes though, so I guess that evens the playing field.

mechBgon

I confess I'll go into chase mode if I'm on a longer highway commute and see a cyclist ahead. It's a fun way to get some long-interval training. But when I catch up, I may just tail them at a distance if their cruising pace is similar to mine. If they slow down too much on the hills, then OK, I'm coming by with a friendly hello.

Where I get ruthless, however, is when I see someone in my helmet mirror who's trying to overtake me. This means WAR One of my favorite mind games is to disappear around a corner in the twisties and punch it while I'm out of sight. Another is to wait until they've closed most of the gap on a long grade, then smoothly speed up.

grolby

Yes, I can see how being as awesome as you are could be so frustrating at times that you would want to share with us. Not because you want anyone to know how awesome you think you are, no; it's just that being so incredibly awesome can be such a burden at times.

RobertFrapples

https://www.itsnotarace.org/

Seattle Forrest

I do, but much less lately, because there aren't that many other cyclists on the road. I don't take the MUP, where it would be easy to get into a pick up race, partly because it's such a bad place to go fast.

Noobtastic

I passed a guy on a super nice bike on my cinderblock heavy singlespeed ross during a climb a few weeks ago. Didn't even say hi as I passed, it was my moment of victory.

Cyclaholic

I always give them the look as I pass them but try as they might there's yet to be a worthy challenger out there that can call themselves my equal when I dial it up to 400 watts.

aley

It's a tremendous burden, but really I do it as an inspiration for all you little people.

Seriously, I'm faster than most commuters I encounter, and it's annoying to have to pass the same person multiple times. If they want to be in front of me, that's fine - I'm not the fastest guy out there. But don't pass me then slow down - that's just rude.

That Linux Guy

LOL @ aley.

I'm usually the faster cyclist on my routes too. I don't pass other cyclists often and I can only recall getting passed once. The other cyclists I tend to pass are usually just regular joes riding mountain bikes. The one time I've gotten passed was during a climb by some guy out training on his Cervelo carbon machine. I like to ride hard but I'm just trying to get where I'm going; Exercise and enjoyment are purely coincidental.

I have much more experience passing pedestrians.

AdamDZ

Till you meet one of those guys with a rocket engine on their rack and they'll teach you a lesson

People in cars do the same thing: pass, get in front of you, slow down. Seems like some natural instinct to get ahead of the others.

This is the only situation when I would try to "race" them, otherwise just let it go, I'm not in a hurry.

Adam

Cyclaholic

You mean like this guy who only managed 245 km/hr (153 miles/hr)?


I bet his last words will be "just dial in maximum boost for the next run"

RichardGlover

I totally understand. Saying 'hi' robs your lungs of precious oxygen.

AdamDZ

Yeah. Nuts. Isn't it? I'm surprised the bike actually didn't fall apart from the air drag. I wonder if the bike computer actually was able to register that speed or just crashed completely

groovestew

I'll race when the opportunity presents itself, but it was pretty slim pickings this year. In 2009, it seemed like I raced lots, but this year not as much. Nobody seems to want to challenge me, especially since I started commuting on a road bike. I'm not that fast, and I do lose sometimes.

JPprivate

I race, but only if I have a fighting chance - and I usually do, even if I don't 'win' in the end. It's really embarrassing, but there's is this one fixed gear guy, who completely smokes my a$$... I completely gave up. It's a mystery to me how somebody with one stupid gear can be that fast. I guess his knees will be toast in 10 yrs.

noisebeam

I race myself every commute

caloso

Get a license and race for real.