Passing the roadies
04-13-12 | 07:52 PM
#126
Riding like its 1990
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 11
From: IE, SoCal
I do notice roadies passing me when I commute occasionally. I do notice some CAT 6s passing me by pumping what I would imagine at least 400W considering the slope and weight of him with his bike. The desire to chase down of course surfaces but fades away real quick now a days. I typically have a lot more of distance to go than these people and it IS my relaxation time after all 
Riverside eh? If its guy on a black Surly SS with stickers then yes... I do put out 400W! And yes, I did just pass you!
maybe not but I commute home 1/2 road and 1/2 SART
04-13-12 | 08:14 PM
#127
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,682
Likes: 4
From: Above ground, Walnut Creek, Ca
Bikes: 8 ss bikes, 1 5-speed touring bike
Hardest part is that sometimes I shave the legs for a nice weekend club ride and then someone calls me up for a mid week mountain bike ride before my hair has fully grown back in. How embarrassing. At least when I pull on the skinny jeans for some helmetless fixie riding they don't notice my shaved legs and my commuter beard still looks appropriate.
It takes a lot of planning to fit in to every group.
It takes a lot of planning to fit in to every group.
Last edited by hueyhoolihan; 04-13-12 at 08:25 PM.
04-13-12 | 09:37 PM
#128
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 237
Likes: 0
From: Nova Scotia, CANADA
Bikes: CCM 21 speed big box special.....
First bike ride out with my friend and she was laughing at how slow I was going "bike walking" she called it but I didn't mind because she has a nice ass so I let her lead. Losing isn't always a bad thing boys 
04-13-12 | 09:43 PM
#129
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 437
Likes: 3
From: Chicago, IL
Bikes: Surly Steamroller FG, Trek 800 SS MTB, Omega Tandem Sport
Exactly... I absoloutely despise this...
Especially all the people (they're always on mountain bikes) who use all their strength and might to pass me... Only to run out of strength and not even be able to pull away, but instead... slow down significantly.
I had one woman do this to me today... She was in some mountain bike with a rack and full panniers... She passes me... She keeps on a pretty good pace. I thought to myself "okay... nice.. You can sustain 30km/hr on a mountain bike with full panniers. You must have mighty legs.".
She didn't keep it up very far though. Maybe about 1/2 a block. We hit a hill... She stands up to pedal with all her might. Mean while... I pass her on the hill without even getting up off my seat.
I even made it a point of coasting behind her without pedaling... lol
She probably did it because she got offended that I passed her earlier at a really fast speed...
Why do people take it so personally? I'm faster then you... Big whoop. If you're gonna pass me, you better keep up that speed for the rest of your trip. Otherwise Don't waste my time. Because I always end up tailgating them until I find enough space to pass them.
I could tell this person was chasing me the entire time after I passed her. PRobably taking advantage of every red light I had to stop at... and also taking advantage of the momentum she got while I was waiting for a red light. lol
Especially all the people (they're always on mountain bikes) who use all their strength and might to pass me... Only to run out of strength and not even be able to pull away, but instead... slow down significantly.
I had one woman do this to me today... She was in some mountain bike with a rack and full panniers... She passes me... She keeps on a pretty good pace. I thought to myself "okay... nice.. You can sustain 30km/hr on a mountain bike with full panniers. You must have mighty legs.".
She didn't keep it up very far though. Maybe about 1/2 a block. We hit a hill... She stands up to pedal with all her might. Mean while... I pass her on the hill without even getting up off my seat.
I even made it a point of coasting behind her without pedaling... lol
She probably did it because she got offended that I passed her earlier at a really fast speed...
Why do people take it so personally? I'm faster then you... Big whoop. If you're gonna pass me, you better keep up that speed for the rest of your trip. Otherwise Don't waste my time. Because I always end up tailgating them until I find enough space to pass them.
I could tell this person was chasing me the entire time after I passed her. PRobably taking advantage of every red light I had to stop at... and also taking advantage of the momentum she got while I was waiting for a red light. lol
In all seriousness, I don't pass people unless they are going less than the speed I've been holding for miles. If I pass you, so be it. I've passed other commuters who **** out and sprint for a couple hundred yards to retake me just to slow back to original speed, that is just silly. It is not a race people!
04-13-12 | 11:47 PM
#130
Dharma Dog
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,073
Likes: 2
From: Vancouver, Canada
Bikes: Rodriguez Shiftless street fixie with S&S couplers, Kuwahara tandem, Trek carbon, Dolan track
Exactly... I absoloutely despise this...
Especially all the people (they're always on mountain bikes) who use all their strength and might to pass me... Only to run out of strength and not even be able to pull away, but instead... slow down significantly.
I had one woman do this to me today... She was in some mountain bike with a rack and full panniers... She passes me... She keeps on a pretty good pace. I thought to myself "okay... nice.. You can sustain 30km/hr on a mountain bike with full panniers. You must have mighty legs.".
She didn't keep it up very far though. Maybe about 1/2 a block. We hit a hill... She stands up to pedal with all her might. Mean while... I pass her on the hill without even getting up off my seat.
I even made it a point of coasting behind her without pedaling... lol
She probably did it because she got offended that I passed her earlier at a really fast speed...
Why do people take it so personally? I'm faster then you... Big whoop. If you're gonna pass me, you better keep up that speed for the rest of your trip. Otherwise Don't waste my time. Because I always end up tailgating them until I find enough space to pass them.
I could tell this person was chasing me the entire time after I passed her. PRobably taking advantage of every red light I had to stop at... and also taking advantage of the momentum she got while I was waiting for a red light. lol
Especially all the people (they're always on mountain bikes) who use all their strength and might to pass me... Only to run out of strength and not even be able to pull away, but instead... slow down significantly.
I had one woman do this to me today... She was in some mountain bike with a rack and full panniers... She passes me... She keeps on a pretty good pace. I thought to myself "okay... nice.. You can sustain 30km/hr on a mountain bike with full panniers. You must have mighty legs.".
She didn't keep it up very far though. Maybe about 1/2 a block. We hit a hill... She stands up to pedal with all her might. Mean while... I pass her on the hill without even getting up off my seat.
I even made it a point of coasting behind her without pedaling... lol
She probably did it because she got offended that I passed her earlier at a really fast speed...
Why do people take it so personally? I'm faster then you... Big whoop. If you're gonna pass me, you better keep up that speed for the rest of your trip. Otherwise Don't waste my time. Because I always end up tailgating them until I find enough space to pass them.
I could tell this person was chasing me the entire time after I passed her. PRobably taking advantage of every red light I had to stop at... and also taking advantage of the momentum she got while I was waiting for a red light. lol
When I was racing, a good portion of the time spent on my bike was at a moderate speed (the high-volume days), or at a slow speed (recovering from the sprint or interval session I had just concluded). The only time I actually went FAST would be in group rides or in actual races. Why would I want to waste energy going fast when there's no money at stake? So it was always funny when guys who obviously couldn't ride (you can tell at a glance if the rider has THE TECHNIQUE) would pass me. I'd be doing maybe 27 kmh, so I'd roll it up to get on his wheel and see how fast he was going. Ah, 35 kmh. No, 33 kmh. No, 30 kmh. Oh no, now he's going slower than I had been going when he passed me! Well, I'd better get past him and resume my 27 kmh.
I would say that looking effortless on a bike is worth more than going fast. You look at some of these guys, and they are in their top gear when they pass you. And they're topping out at maybe 40 kmh. In their top gear! Real racers in their top gear will be doing over 50 kmh, or in a full sprint. So, no, I am not impressed at all by these rather insecure young guys (and now women are getting into this as well - they have this notion that guys don't respect them so they have to show these guys...sheesh!).
No, guys that get pleasure out of passing every other cyclist on the road are guys who have never really raced. And they're not really cyclists; they tend to run red lights and stop signs, so they are peds on bikes. And I don't think they ever would race because they are insecure, and they are afraid that if they ever did enter a real race, they would find that their biggest fears are indeed true!
Luis
04-13-12 | 11:59 PM
#131
Motorcycle RoadRacer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,826
Likes: 4
I admit it, everytime I see someone on the road ahead of me, I absolutely have to pass them. It always starts with a bike silhouette in the distance that I MUST catch up to before they turn off. At this point it's pretty much a given that if they stay on the same street for long enough I will catch them, and I know deep down that it's an empty victory because they never even know I'm racing them until I'm about 10 feet behind them, with a huge momentum advantage.
Just the other day, I was going about 10 miles an hour, cruising, when some guy on a couple thousand dollar Cervelo or some other uber light race bike, fully kitted out, aero helmet, full 9 yards, flew past me without so much as a warning. He didn't get too close, but I couldn't stand the smug look I was imagining on his face.
I'm riding a slightly too big for me Giant Option, made of steel, with a rack and a milk crate full of work supplies, wearing khakis, sneakers, and a big baggy wind resistant coat.
I immediately gunned it. I caught up to him about 100 yards later, and decided to just draft for a while since he was going 26 MPH. He turned around looking for me. (He was on the right shoulder, and looked over his right shoulder, so I know he wasn't looking for traffic, he just wanted to see how far behind he had left me.) Imagine the look on his face when he saw I was stealing his draft about 1 bike length behind him> I looked over, and there were two people in a pickup that thought it was just as halarious as I did that I was on him. So as soon as he saw me, I said "You're pushing 30, keep it up, and overtook him, the whole time, doing whatever I could to not let on that my heart was about to explode.
I got lucky in beating him, because right after I passed him, he turned left. (Skipping across 2 lanes to do it.)
Never had a prouder moment in cycling or fitness. I still see him on my ride every now and then, but he's usually going perpendicular to me, so I don't get a chance to spank him again.
Just the other day, I was going about 10 miles an hour, cruising, when some guy on a couple thousand dollar Cervelo or some other uber light race bike, fully kitted out, aero helmet, full 9 yards, flew past me without so much as a warning. He didn't get too close, but I couldn't stand the smug look I was imagining on his face.
I'm riding a slightly too big for me Giant Option, made of steel, with a rack and a milk crate full of work supplies, wearing khakis, sneakers, and a big baggy wind resistant coat.
I immediately gunned it. I caught up to him about 100 yards later, and decided to just draft for a while since he was going 26 MPH. He turned around looking for me. (He was on the right shoulder, and looked over his right shoulder, so I know he wasn't looking for traffic, he just wanted to see how far behind he had left me.) Imagine the look on his face when he saw I was stealing his draft about 1 bike length behind him> I looked over, and there were two people in a pickup that thought it was just as halarious as I did that I was on him. So as soon as he saw me, I said "You're pushing 30, keep it up, and overtook him, the whole time, doing whatever I could to not let on that my heart was about to explode.
I got lucky in beating him, because right after I passed him, he turned left. (Skipping across 2 lanes to do it.)
Never had a prouder moment in cycling or fitness. I still see him on my ride every now and then, but he's usually going perpendicular to me, so I don't get a chance to spank him again.
04-14-12 | 04:30 PM
#134
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 0
From: Henderson/Las Vegas NV
Bikes: Giant Defy 2
04-14-12 | 04:35 PM
#135
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 0
From: Henderson/Las Vegas NV
Bikes: Giant Defy 2
I was doing my best time yet for a 40 mile run in the Las vegas Tour de Cure this morning. I was smokin' when a high school chicky poo dusted me on a pink Schwinn hybrid. Then all her other chicky poo girlfriends did the same thing. Humble sucks.
I've got a really fast bike but its got a really slow motor.
I've got a really fast bike but its got a really slow motor.
04-15-12 | 11:59 AM
#136
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 22,676
Likes: 2,642
From: CID
Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)
04-15-12 | 01:02 PM
#137
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
First of all, I'm not too fast on my road bike yet. I was out on a rather flat MUP yesterday averaging 22 kph for a ~2hr ride. I had a couple of hybrids pass me, but not for a sustained effort. I caught them all eventually. Conclusion: it's easy for most people to do high speeds over short distances, so it doesn't bother me if I get passed. I have personal goals related to my average speed maintained over a certain amount of time and am happy to improve!
City riding is a different cup of tea. In the city I go at very moderate speeds, I don't filter, I stop for lights, etc. so getting passed constantly is par for the course, doesn't matter what bike I'm riding. It's super annoying because all these filterers and light jumpers pass me, and then I get stuck behind them when it is safe to get up to speed again.
City riding is a different cup of tea. In the city I go at very moderate speeds, I don't filter, I stop for lights, etc. so getting passed constantly is par for the course, doesn't matter what bike I'm riding. It's super annoying because all these filterers and light jumpers pass me, and then I get stuck behind them when it is safe to get up to speed again.
04-15-12 | 03:07 PM
#138
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,846
Likes: 20
From: Fort Worth, TX
Bikes: 2006 Specialized Ruby Pro aka "Rhubarb" / and a backup road bike
Some of us just have inner competitive spirit which isn't backed up by any real physical talent or with motivation/time/energy to train.
Still, if going a little fast is fun, then by logic going much faster will be much more fun.
Doing short sprints helps me work on my strength/speed.
It's fun chasing people to see if you can pass them. It's more fun than structured intervals just going against the clock.
It helps when fatigue has set in and motivation lags.
I like to pass people pretty quickly and get back on a good line. This is especially true on MUPs where I'm crossing over the center line to pass. So yes, I do accellerate to pass then slow down once I have good clearance.
Sometimes I just want to get away from a rider ahead who is acting squirrely / safety hazard / creepiness.
Sometimes I just want to get some momentum to ride into a hard uphill when I have a lot of commuter stuff on my bike. Did I just pass somebody? I didn't notice and I don't care.
Sometimes I am just passing somebody because I have a broad range of speeds on my commute routes (5mph uphill, 35mph downhill, 17mph flats) and I am in the terrain where I go relatively fast.
Sometimes I just get mood-altered and can't control the urges to chase. It's much more fun if they will play too. The time goes by faster playing a friendly game of cat and mouse. The game is over if somebody breaks traffic rules or rides unsafely.
My rides are about my personal goals. I can't control what other people do or usually know what their ride intent is, what they brought to their ride that day. Most likely if I do know, I am quite humbled.
Still, if going a little fast is fun, then by logic going much faster will be much more fun.
Doing short sprints helps me work on my strength/speed.
It's fun chasing people to see if you can pass them. It's more fun than structured intervals just going against the clock.
It helps when fatigue has set in and motivation lags.
I like to pass people pretty quickly and get back on a good line. This is especially true on MUPs where I'm crossing over the center line to pass. So yes, I do accellerate to pass then slow down once I have good clearance.
Sometimes I just want to get away from a rider ahead who is acting squirrely / safety hazard / creepiness.
Sometimes I just want to get some momentum to ride into a hard uphill when I have a lot of commuter stuff on my bike. Did I just pass somebody? I didn't notice and I don't care.
Sometimes I am just passing somebody because I have a broad range of speeds on my commute routes (5mph uphill, 35mph downhill, 17mph flats) and I am in the terrain where I go relatively fast.
Sometimes I just get mood-altered and can't control the urges to chase. It's much more fun if they will play too. The time goes by faster playing a friendly game of cat and mouse. The game is over if somebody breaks traffic rules or rides unsafely.
My rides are about my personal goals. I can't control what other people do or usually know what their ride intent is, what they brought to their ride that day. Most likely if I do know, I am quite humbled.
Last edited by nkfrench; 04-15-12 at 03:12 PM.
04-15-12 | 05:33 PM
#139
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 593
Likes: 1
From: Denver, CO
Bikes: 2012 Specialized Crux, Schwinn Mesa
nkfrench has a good point its much more entertaining to catch and pass someone than to do interval training; and really you get the same end effect. Usually if I pass someone going a good speed 16+ mph I will at least attempt to maintain a speed a few mph over the speed I passed at for the remainder of my ride or until I hit one of my pre set stoping spots. And yes for longer rides I do plan my stops at certain spots.
04-15-12 | 09:31 PM
#140
curmudgineer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,417
Likes: 113
From: Chicago SW burbs
Bikes: 2 many 2 fit here
I go [almost] as fast as I can [almost] all the time. I can go faster when there is a [roadie-ish] cyclist in front of me, or one behind me that I recently passed . I realize they are not out there to race me, but that doesn't negate the motivation that they unwittingly offer. I certainly bear no ill will to roadies, God love 'em. Stale green, as well as amber lights are a big motivator also. I get my best workouts when there is a big headwind that just completely pi$$es me off.
This has been a very entertaining thread.
: Rock-on, OP! 
[disclaimer] I fully realize, any "roadies" that I've kept pace with, or passed, were either not competitive racers, or if they were, were not "trying".
. I realize they are not out there to race me, but that doesn't negate the motivation that they unwittingly offer. I certainly bear no ill will to roadies, God love 'em. Stale green, as well as amber lights are a big motivator also. I get my best workouts when there is a big headwind that just completely pi$$es me off.This has been a very entertaining thread.
: Rock-on, OP! [disclaimer] I fully realize, any "roadies" that I've kept pace with, or passed, were either not competitive racers, or if they were, were not "trying".
04-16-12 | 10:46 PM
#141
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,267
Likes: 7
From: NA
Bikes: NA
the only time i do not ride like an absolutely f***ing lunatic is when i am riding with my girlfriend or on one of those *boring* social rides. i would love to race but i just can't be bothered to spend money riding with a bunch of rich cat 4/5 newbs ... so its cat 6 and/or alley cats for me!
04-16-12 | 11:30 PM
#142
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
From: Ventura County, CA
Bikes: 2012 Cervelo S5 Rival and 2012 Speed Concept 9.9 Di2
i ride a couple thousand dollar cervelo to work everyday....35 miles round trip. In the last year I've probably been passed twice, both times by other roadies who were geared for training, not commuting.
still, i know I'm not the fastest guy on my commute, you know why? because i only see the people slower than me when i pass, the guys who are way faster are so far over the horizon I cant even see them. It is that understanding motivates me to get stronger.
what you're doing from a training standpoint isn't horrible - sprinting occasionally duribg your commute makes you really strong really fast...your motivation for sprinting is completely whack though, and passing at speed on a public road while intoxicated is utterly foolish. If that part is true, I pray you are either trolling, or Darwin takes care of yiu well before you get the chance to breed.
still, i know I'm not the fastest guy on my commute, you know why? because i only see the people slower than me when i pass, the guys who are way faster are so far over the horizon I cant even see them. It is that understanding motivates me to get stronger.
what you're doing from a training standpoint isn't horrible - sprinting occasionally duribg your commute makes you really strong really fast...your motivation for sprinting is completely whack though, and passing at speed on a public road while intoxicated is utterly foolish. If that part is true, I pray you are either trolling, or Darwin takes care of yiu well before you get the chance to breed.
04-17-12 | 12:02 AM
#144
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,835
Likes: 1
From: Incheon, South Korea
Bikes: Nothing amazing... cheap old 21 speed mtb
I'll occasionally pace a group of roadies to see how long I can keep up with a road bike on a mid range mtb with off road tyres. Its not usually all that long as the effort to keep an MTB rolling at 40km/h or faster on the flat soon wears me out. I'd rather cruise along at 27-30km/h and enjoy the ride. At that pace I keep going for about 4 hours without stopping, or until I start to run out of fuel...
04-17-12 | 12:20 AM
#145
自転車整備士
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 885
Likes: 4
From: Denver, Colorado USA
Bikes: '86 Moots Mountaineer, '94 Salsa Ala Carte, '94 S-Works FSR, 1983 Trek 600 & 620
When I'm commuting, it's all about just getting there. I might try and chase a roadie once in a blue moon, but for the most part I just cruise and enjoy the ride.
When I do pass someone, I usually say 'Hello' and continue on... of course, I do on occasion try and strike up a friendly convo with the Female riders out and about...
Wouldn't you?
Alan
When I do pass someone, I usually say 'Hello' and continue on... of course, I do on occasion try and strike up a friendly convo with the Female riders out and about...
Wouldn't you?
Alan
04-17-12 | 06:07 AM
#146
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 909
Likes: 2
From: The Path to Fredvana
Bikes: Long Haul Trucker 2010 , Felt Z90 2008, Rans Rocket 2001, Specialized Hardrock 1989
04-17-12 | 02:25 PM
#148
2k miles from the midwest
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,963
Likes: 944
From: Washington
Bikes: ~'75 Colin Laing, '80s Schwinn SuperSport 650b, ex-Backroads ti project...
Coming home from work a few weeks ago, I caught a randonneur going across the Narrows bridge. We chatted for a few minutes before I dropped him climbing the next overpass.
I was feeling good about myself until I put everything together. There was a 300k event that day and he was on his return leg, 12hrs in. And he was on a singlespeed.
I was feeling good about myself until I put everything together. There was a 300k event that day and he was on his return leg, 12hrs in. And he was on a singlespeed.
04-17-12 | 02:42 PM
#149
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, CA
Bikes: Lynskey R230 DA DI2 ENVE 3.4 SES, 6KU Fixie, Cheap Aluminum Slapstick Trainer only bike
Don't really remember seeing CC but will keep an eye out!
04-17-12 | 02:48 PM
#150
Dharma Dog
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,073
Likes: 2
From: Vancouver, Canada
Bikes: Rodriguez Shiftless street fixie with S&S couplers, Kuwahara tandem, Trek carbon, Dolan track
Coming home from work a few weeks ago, I caught a randonneur going across the Narrows bridge. We chatted for a few minutes before I dropped him climbing the next overpass.
I was feeling good about myself until I put everything together. There was a 300k event that day and he was on his return leg, 12hrs in. And he was on a singlespeed.
I was feeling good about myself until I put everything together. There was a 300k event that day and he was on his return leg, 12hrs in. And he was on a singlespeed.
Luis