BlazingPedals

On yesterday's century ride, I was slogging down a stretch of flat, open headwind, and was seriously thinking of bailing and only doing the metric century. So as I rode, I pulled out my map and squinted at the small print. About the time I decided there's no way I could read it, I noticed a group of 3 bikes in my mirror. I'd passed them a mile back, and now that I'd slowed while trying to read the map, they were redoubling their effort to repass me. I put the map away and goosed the bike back up to speed - or so I thought. About a half mile down the road, I checked my mirror. They were little dots. I'd been going 28 mph. Oops! My first thought was, "Cool!" Then I thought about what it must have looked like to them, and I had to give myself a chuckle. I wonder if they think I reeled them in on purpose, just to tease them?

NOS88

You are not a kind rider!

al-wagner

That's GREAT I wish I thought of doing that...

Grampy™

My hero......

nmichell

Soooo .... does that mean you did the full century

CrossChain

The only thing missing here is telling us they were young, arrogant, and then left behind in shock an awe.

Velo Dog

Twenty-eight miles per hour, into a headwind, by accident?

BlazingPedals

I couldn't hold that speed for too long, so I guess the temporary speed-up was just due to having 'rested' for a minute or two while looking at the map or maybe a few trees blocked enough wind. They were doing 'better than average' into the wind, but I'm sure they'd been passed by more than a couple of other bikes. So maybe younger than me, but "arrogant" - probably not. Yes, I did the full century - without knowing where to turn, I missed the cutoff.

stapfam

One of the joys of getting a bit of maturity behind me I have is that I have been able to do longer rides with better comfort than I used to. I am a mountain biker still- even though the new road bike is getting a fair amount of use. I know what mountain bikers are like and in particular the young ones. They like to put in effort to catch the bike in front. What they do not realise is that in catching that bike in front- they are using energy, which the rider in front may not be.

On my evening rides- I always seem to have an MTB rider or two show me how fit they are. Last one was typical. I had just gone hard for 3 miles and was just in my recovery mile, when I heard the familiar graunch of a mountain bike tyre just behind me. He had joined the trail about 1/2 a mile ago and 100yards or so behind me. As he pulled level I speeded up and we had a chat for about a mile and he had just started out on his 20 mile ride. I just dropped that I had only just started on the road bike from my usual MTB, but I had done 30 miles up to there. All the time we were talking I was pushing the speed up to about 20 mph and on an MTB that is hard to sustain. As we got to a rise, and his breathing was getting a bit laboured, I said that I had better get a move on as it was getting dark, changed up a gear and stood on the pedals. All the way up the hill I could hear his tyres getting quieter as I pulled away from him. Then for the next mile or so I really put on the pressure to stay away from him.

I know I should not do this sort of thing to a youngster, and a mountain biker at that, but That was the 5th. youngster that had tried to show me how good they were on 3 rides and although the others got the same treatment, without the mile of chatting, This one was specially nice as I could see that he was a coccky young rider that needed taking down a peg.

mollusk

Apples vs. oranges. BFD.

FarHorizon

Yeah, but the "Lance Wannabees" don't see it that way if they pass you.

mollusk

What is this "pass you" that you talk about? (It does happen on rare occasions and I don't really care when it does.)

Makeitso

I get passed all the time. I also actually pass others once in a while, I don't care.
The only time in recent history I've achieved 28 mph is down hill (probably with the wind), guess I'm a wimpy 50+er.

Have I mentioned that I love riding my bike?