Bike Forums - A Comical Encounter

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ofajen (Post 21743280)

I’ve had a sorta similar response from another rider. This rider goes really fast in aero position out and back on the city/county MUP that connects to the state park rail trail.

On occasion I see him coming out when I’m heading back into town from a ride on the state trail. So, he’ll typically catch up and pass me on his return before I pull off the city trail at the feeder trail heading back to my house.

We both use that feeder route, so sometimes I end up almost catching back up because he seems to slow way down on the feeder route, presumably as a cool down, to a rate even slower than I was riding when he passed.

He must regard me catching back up at this point as some sort of a challenge, because as soon as I get in his vicinity, he takes off again at high speed for the last mile or so to the end of the feeder trail. I don’t think I’m imagining this because he has done exactly the same thing each time and not at a specific spot, but at the moment I get near, which varies of course.

No big deal, but, yeah, people are interesting!

Otto

maybe they're afraid that you'll waive & they'll think you'll expect a gesture in return. The fear might be brought on by the thought of possibly crashing from the lack of grip. When in reality, they don't know that the hard pull is testing the weak cardio valving each time.

Different strokes for different folks.
YMMV

I do a lot of hiking and it's amazing the shape some older people are in. My hero was an 80-something guy I once shared a ski lift ride with when I was in my 30s. I thought man if I could still be skiing when I'm 80 instead of sitting in some rocking chair, I'll be so happy..

Quote:

Originally Posted by friday1970 (Post 21472692)

How many times have I been on rides thinking "I'll take it easy today", then someone passes me and then I think "It's on!".
I'm only 49, but I hope to God that when I turn 70, I can still do this. I fear getting older. I really do. But I read stories like this and I hope and pray I turn out nearly the same.

Too funny. Two days ago I was headed out on an easy day and saving myself for a hard ride the next day. So 8 miles in I see two guys just heading out for a ride from a local parking lot. I am cruzing at 20 and approaching a slight downhill on a right turn where I know I can easily hit 25 and blast by them. So they are just at the bottom of the turn when I smoke them. Guess they were going 18. In not more than 1 minute, one of the guys blasts by me going 23-24 on the flats. Of course I give chase (because I am an overly competitive dumb $h!t) and this guy goes at the same clip for the next 2-3 miles as I keep pace at a distance. He is not slowing so he gets the last laugh as I start to fry and drop down to 18-19 and he quickly disappears into the distance. Never saw the guy he started with. Since I worked so hard to see if he would blow up, I decided WTF and went and did my local half mile 6-8% gradient climb.

I abandoned my hard ride the next day half way through because the legs were still fried and took a shortcut back. Paid the stoopid tax.

so you're break away was successful, and you need a mirror:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flip Flop Rider (Post 21747742)

so you're break away was successful, and you need a mirror:)

Even with a mirror, I'd still do over the shoulder glances. It sends a message to those behind me that I am looking. I hear quite frequently from motorists complaining about cyclists "hogging the lane" that the cyclist never even knew the motorist was behind them. I feel confident that motorists and some cyclists don't recognize when a rider has a mirror.