calyco

Indeed, the more the merrier.. as long as the lane doesnt get too clogged heh. I saw a big guy recently about 250+ lbs on a beater bike zoom past everyone on the hudson river greenway. I thought to myself wow, good for him.

I would say I am middle of the pack/above average, passing 7/10 people on my daily route. Ive been riding about 4 months but daily. Thoroughly enjoying my recent upgrade to 700x25 armadillo slicks. It is kind of fun to pass the guys suited up in the full kits on a hybrid , the ones that are trying that is. Then again I also get owned by the racers, (what looks like) messengers and regular joes in shorts. I try to keep up with them which is fun. Now I definitely dont judge a book by its cover, I get my ass handed to me by some of these chicks out there. Least it makes for a great view when you are behind them trying to keep up

WonderMonkey

I'm sure some people are jerks about passing but I think for the most part someone is just trying to push or entertain themselves.

noglider 

I should post a video of the Hudson River Greenway (bike path). You will be surprised at the volume of traffic on it. People will have different paces, so it's not at all obnoxious to pass.

cobrabyte

I'm probably the least competative cyclist ever. I could care less who is faster than me. That said, if I am enjoying the pace I'm at, and someone ahead is riding at a slower pace, I will pass them. On more than one occasion, said slow rider has decided to pick up the pace and pass me just to get ahead again. I find that seriously annoying, you can see them struggling to maintain a pace they aren't comfortable at...just to save face? I wonder if it's the same folks that drive 50mph on the highway and all of a sudden kick it up to 65mph when you get in the left lane to pass them?

InOmaha

Sometimes, if someone passes me on my morning workout I'll try to keep up with them to see what their pace is like. But I won't struggle to pass them because I know better then to out-pace my ability 10-20 miles from home. And like you said, I don't want to annoy someone speeding by and then slowing down. Keeping pace with a faster rider for a longer time is more challenging than passing them.

I won't get that close to them either. Just like I don't get right up on someone's tail when I'm standing in line at a store. It's kind of creepy.

RubeRad

FCN = Fredly Commuter Number, on a scale of one to Portland?

mslattery

Just because a roadie like me is wearing a full kit doesn't mean I'm riding at tempo pace. I commute to work on my carbon bike so I can join a group training ride at 6pm. I ride slowly in the morning to avoid sweating. Heavy duty steel bikes pass me from time to time. I always say hello and often try to start a conversation.

MattFoley

https://www.itsnotarace.org/fcn-calculator/

HydroG33r 

Awesome! I was going to pass a small asian girl once on a mild incline (probably a few percent for a kilometre or so); soon as she saw me pulling up beside her though, she took off ahead of me! As I wondered what was wrong, I noticed the electric assist package on her bike...

I have no problem (well, maybe a little lost respect ) with people who choose to use e-assist on their bikes. I hate it though when they try to get competitive with me, riding solely on leg power.

Love that you were able to pass this guy :-)

RubeRad

Oh sweet man, thanks! I'm not sure if I should rate my CrossCheck as "4. Roadies with hairy legs – like men" or "6. Touring Bikes (Mud Guards)", since I do have drop bars and hairy legs, but I don't have fenders. Depending on that, my final FCN is 7 or 9. Also, I just this week replaced my panniers with a kittier, so I think I should get +1 or +2 for that!

eja_ bottecchia

Ouch!!!

GP

I let a tri girl pass me every morning.

RubeRad

For the view, I presume?

anthonybkny

most roadies i run into around here (well at least they dress the part) are fairly weak. if i get passed by one, i will usually catch up and follow closely and make them push to an uncomfortable pace. once they tire, i just coast past them. you people have to understand, it isnt your bike, or what youre wearing. its the engine people!!! i challenge any of you turds with my "hybrid" bike!!! saddle up stretchy pants, lets do this!! lol

jdswitters

The GF and I were riding our commuters into downtown last night and got passed by a young bearded and tattooed man on an extracycle radish, with two kids on the back deck. One of them was in a home made wooden chair. For all I know he made have had the bags full of organic groceries too. I told the girl we were just passed by a two wheeled minivan.

alan s 

I passed a guy and his wife/girlfriend one morning on road bikes, me on an MTB. I overheard her asking him how I could be faster, and he looked over and said it must be those "special wheels." Got a good chuckle out of that. Up to that point, he must have been telling her that road bikes are the fastest thing out there. I should have slowed down and explained it was the engine, but didn't want to make him look silly.

GP

That plus she's faster.

caloso

https://www.usacycling.org/buy-a-license.htm
https://www.bikereg.com/Net/events/Ro.../Mid-Atlantic/

spare_wheel

Hi Anthony,
You are clearly new to competitive cycling so I'm going to give you some tips on how to win a race: show up, sign up, pay the fee, get a number, and lose a lot.

ThermionicScott 

Were you being creepy at all?

CommuteCommando

Around here most of the roadies are pretty fast. (faster than me at least). Some are posers, and a lot are like me; old and fat and gaining on it.

I, a full kit roady, pulled up to a light when up comes a thirtyish kid on a decent hybrid. I think he was out to smoke a full kit roady and passed me at about 15 mph. I let him, then kicked the hr up to 140 then passed him and pulled away slow but steady. A mile later I looked back and he was about 500 m behind.

zacster

I took an extra lap of Prospect Park on the way home today, and as I was cresting the little hill on my commuter/mtb with rack/pannier and a laptop a couple of roadies zipped by me. I wasn't going to let that happen so I took off and kept pace with the lead guy. I could tell from the look on his face he's thinking "WTF is this old guy on a mtb doing passing me as I kick my butt." He kicked it up a step and I just kept right with him. Of course, I was about to blow up, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. He only dropped me when some idiot runner started running diagonally across the road (3 lanes, closed to traffic) right into my path without ever looking up, fully aware that there were bikes coming at him. I had my 600 lumen light on strobe too. He'd have been dead if we were cars.

caloso

I believe the preferred 41 phrasing is "dial it up to 400w."

zacster

That would be R600DuraAce. I bought a pair of wheels from the guy, and he is actually nice in person.

CommuteCommando

Two things would have to happen before I would put it that way. First I would have to cough up enough dough for a power meter, then I would have to start taking myself more seriously than I do.