When I ride alone I prefer to be by myself.

Back when I was racing, a "sandbagger" referred to anyone riding down a category, like a Cat 2 riding in Cat 3 races. It's less obvious in the Masters categories, as they tend to be more age-based. So you get Cat 2 Masters riders (often in their 30's) in the same race as the Cat 3 and 4 Masters (40's and 50's). The result is that the Masters races can often be faster than the Cat 3 races. At criteriums, you'd get Masters riding in two races - their category, and their age group. Maybe even three races, with the Cat 2 40+ masters riding in the 30+ races as well.

I guess I do some subtle sandbagging when I ride my fixed gear bike in century rides. But then I consider my age and the steel fixie to be more like handicaps, riding with younger guys with their expensive carbon fiber pro race bikes. The age and the fixed gear helps justify my wheelsucking, and the energy saved helps me get up the climbs with the faster guys. It's actually tougher to show up with a pro-level race bike, because then you have to justify it...

Luis

Everybody has something to prove, right? It is frustrating to run across those goofs who try to make themselves look good by downplaying their condition or ability. Golfers are notorious for padding their handicaps to get into an easier flight, but hell, what do you win? I just ride and enjoy it.

Marc

I thought that was against the law or something.

Technically, you want to steer into the contact and lean away. The reason most people go down when touching a front wheel is they steer away from contact which causes the bike to lean into contact. Once your center of gravity moves towards the contact and your bike is leaning there is no way to correct without turning your wheel. The problem is someone else's rear wheel prevents your wheel from turning so you end up going down.

If you steer into the contact and keep pressure on the wheel it's easy to move your CG away from the contact and the bike will naturally turn away.

I try to sandbag whenever I can, telling people I'm old, fat, on heart medication and such. Unfortunately it's all true although on a slow recreational ride with friends I can occasionally win a race or two if nobody else knows they are racing against me.... I am often able to win races against old women and children on multi use paths when they don't know they are racing me.... They may wonder why both my hands go up in the air as I pass them and I yell, "...and the crowd goes wild!!!" but I just smile inside as I scream past them at a steady 14mph...

They need sandbaggers and sand bags in Fargo ND, right now , the Red River is out of its banks again..

a sign of spring Floods and Tornados.

I was accused of being a sandbagger just last month. A contract client had us out for a round of golf in the Bahamas. After telling him I hadn't swung a club in ten years, I spent 30 minutes on the practice range, then birdied the first hole. Yes, I got that stare down reserved for sandbaggers. I really hadn't played in 10 years. I just forgot to tell him about growing up working on a golf course with free lessons and captaining my college golf team. :p

This was my reaction, too. Who cares? Why is this even an issue?

Dudelsack - those videos are priceless.

I confess that I'm a sandbagger, but it's not done to psyche out others - it's because I have low expectations. Many many rides I tell myself that I'm not really up to stay with the fast group - my recent training hasn't been that diligent, or my legs are rubbery because of yesterday's ride, or I have health issues. Or I'm looking at the other riders and remembering when some of them left me in the dust.

And so I begin the ride with some trepidation, fearing that I'm going to get dropped or telling myself that I should avoid being near the front so that when the fast group takes off, I can just let them go.

But then the ride begins and quite frequently, the adrenaline kicks in and I end up riding hard and maybe even at the front. I didn't mean to mislead, it's just that I surprised myself.

What can I say, I'm a heretic!

Marc