I have a weird mental thing going on when I commute.

If there is another cyclist ahead of me, even a block away, I want to catch and then pass him or her. If there is a cyclist behind me, I don't want to be caught by him. I end up riding pretty hard, even in my "business casual" clothes with a heavy laptop and jacket-stuffed messenger bag over my shoulder.

Panting, heart pounding, sweating hard on hot days, I'll think - what's this about? Why can't I just casually toodle home, not break a sweat? After all, that's what the other commuters are doing (which is why I can catch them . . . as much as I'd like to think otherwise, I'm not actually fast).

Fortunately, I go in early enough that I hardly see anyone else, so I don't have to arrive at work all sweaty.

Are you similarly afflicted? Or are you more inclined to flow with other riders?

yes im the same way.but the way i see it its a great motivator and helps me make my commute a pretty good workout.

Hooray for silly commuter racing!

That said, there are no other bike commuters on the route I use, so I think it's more like I'm racing with the cars. Still kinda stupid, but it keeps me in shape.

I almost always get caught up in the chase. I don't really think much about it. It's like it's instinctual.

I wish there were more people going in my direction during commutes, it would be a welcome distraction.

I love when I look down a side street and see someone going my way one block over. I'll race them from afar and try and build up enough of a lead that we meet when I turn to go in their direction.

Yesterday I encountered the same guy twice because we were going in the same general direction but taking different routes.

Racing city buses can also be fun if you have a bit of a tailwind and the bus makes a fair number of stops.

Some days I love blowing by people, other days I get blown by myself. It all depends on my energy level that day, but if it's high then yes I'm pretty competitive.

Something about a bicycle that brings out the competitor in us all.........

Sure, it's fun to pass the guy ahead of you, but if you can't maintain his pace you're just getting in the way. Plenty of threads here about that.
It's funny.. the same phenomenon can be found with "Minnesota drivers" who cannot stand the thought of another vehicle in front of them no matter how fast they're going.

Sounds like when I use to commute by car. I really wish this wouldn't happen but as long as you all are passing safely (verbal warning) then that's cool. I don't run into many bike commuters but when I do they are usually headed a different direction.

too many people. i'm off for the morning commute and we'll be 6-10 riders deep at the stop lights in the city. too dangerous to race

It's like a sickness. I can't help myself. The worst for me is when I'm sitting at a red light and someone goes by me just as the light turns green. I can't let that go.

Nope, , I guess going to some stupid war based on a politically created fraud,
and surviving, has me savoring the remaining moments..

I love to "race" other slow vehicles or bicycles, but the problem with the others on bikes is that I find they tend to blow stop signs or even red lights, and there's no way I'm gonna do that.

Actually, sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't try to pass others like this, because sometimes you can see their competitive fire light up, and they start to get reckless. I start to feel scared for them if they begin not slowing/stopping enough for safety.

I had a motorcycle ages ago. Raced some one who tried to overtake me in the dark but crashed. Have mostly managed to keep silly race tendencies at bay after that, though they do slip through sometimes.

Been there, done that. Best time was this summer when my wife and I were riding the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes on our Tandem. We passed by a young fellow on his mountain bike, and in my mirror, I saw him take off and start chasing us down. As he got close, we cranked it up a bit and blew his doors off. Lots of fun for a couple of seniors.

I was struggling up the last hill before the office yesterday when another more able-bodied rider just goes right past me and says "Good Morning". Of course, I was cordial and said the same to him, but in the back of my mind I was thinking, was that just a friendly greeting, or was it a jab to make sure I knew he wasn't gasping for air as he just slid right by.
I also get annoyed when riders go past me at a red light and I think they are cheating.
Sometimes I will see one of the 50cc mopeds and take it as a challenge.
I suppose we aren't that far removed from the animals

No, I don't race anybody. No desire to.

Your post has sobered me, but maybe it's for the best. I resolve never to try to "race" others in any sort of setting where competitive feelings may encourage them to take risks, e.g. anywhere around intersections.

There have been times in the past in which I've actively avoided passing other cyclists. I just turn onto a sidestreet so I'm not going by them. I want to avoid them feeling annoyed at being passed or getting drawn into some sort of race that I know they'll lose.

One other thing I have done along those lines is purposefully give another cyclist a huge head start and then chase them down to the point where I'm getting close, but they aren't aware of me yet. Then I brake and ride very slowly for a minute to give them a huge lead on me and do it again. I get the competitive fun, nobody gets irritated at being passed. Maybe that's what I'll have to start doing again.

I don't compete with other cyclists going into work. But I do take some pleasure in attempting to catch (I never pass unless my cruising speed is significantly faster than theirs) people on the way home. Just yesterday morning I caught a 'Bent rider right before the turnoff to my apartment. Never been able to catch one of them before.

I do confess: I totally check out other peoples' setups and whether they have better light systems than me, more expensive panniers and the like, how well maintained their ride is, etc. I judge silently.

No, tis rude. I've watched teens try to race me on the sidewalk and I calmly keep up with them. They get ahead maybe 20 feet then get tired, and I'm still a goin'! Chuga luga, chuga luga! Racing is for idiots who want the Darwin.

When I was young, yes seeing another bicyclist ahead activated the hunt/kill mechanism and I would overtake them no matter how fast they were. But now I just don't care.

Alternate perspective: 2nd Place
it is great fun to take advantage of silly people who want to pretend they are racing me. -let them pass, then suck onto his wheel and get a free pull. I get to control the speed since he'll be constantly looking back and trying to pull away. Arrive at work sooner than normal yet less tired. Of course they get some benefit too; gets to pretend he won the race since I never got back in front.

My experience exactly. I do enjoy catching other bicyclists for fun, but people do tend to use stop signs and red lights to their own advantage. Sometimes when cyclists blow by me when I'm stopped for a sign or light, I make it a point to reel them back in. Sort of a passive-aggressive "you're not as fast as you think you are" taunt.

To do so isn't necessarily a bad thing depending on the reason behind it. I see other other cyclists or cars as a goal/target (as someone else said, a "motivator"). When reaching that goal I look for another but never is there an "I win" moment. In order to win you actually have to enter a race.