I was chasing a middle aged woman up the slopes this week. She maintained her lead until it kicked into 8% and I think the e-motor gave out and she dismounted.

Sex does not matter, When I get dropped its always the same mixture of feelings, dissapointment at getting passed, awe of the fast bicycle, and desire to go faster. When I get dropped I almost always pick up my pace, not to try and keep up, but because I know that's where I want to be. Hetting dropped helps me find that little reserve of strength to train harder so I can get there some day.

What does that mean?

dont care who is passing me

Pretty much my thoughts. If they pass me they are going faster.

I had to stop this morning because someone needed direction and when I started again, another rider caught up with me and then kept on my wheel. Didn't ask, just started wheel sucking. He did however say thanks for letting him being lazy when we parted though

Ha! That's happened to me a few times on my commute. I'd be going up one of the big suspension bridges on my route, and dropping some reasonably fit looking people, when suddenly a guy dressed in full rain-gear on a chunky-looking hybrid with two loaded panniers would cruise by me. At first I was astounded by the guy's power....then I saw the tell-tale battery on the seat post and breathed a sigh of relief....

There's always somebody faster.....get over it...

I started this morning's ride at a normal comfortable pace, along with my wife. Some riders came huffing by and there was no talking. Shortly later (1min) another group - zoom. And a few more. Maybe passed by 100 bikes in the first 5 min - but no-one was talking. There were a few disc wheels and TT bars and everyone was very serious. I knew this because of the silence. Folks who talk a lot are not serious cyclists. My wife and I were talking and I believe they heard us and knew we were not serious.

Turns out it was the Amtrak Century where they ride from Irvine to San Diego and take the train back and we started near the front of it. As we warmed up, we sped up. The wind was good, it was a flat section and we started passing some of those that had passed us. Maybe we were caught up in the rush, maybe not, but there was no "pack" and while we were holding a steady moderate speed it felt as those that "re-passed" us were doing so at a much higher higher rate of speed than the first time, and certainly than our speed (pace for the serious cyclists). Then those folks, 50 or so yards ahead, would settle in and pretty much go our speed - just in front of us.
I asked my wife if that would have been the case if I wasn't old and over sized and she wasn't some women. Her response was I think too much about that stuff.

Every time I get passed I sprint and put a frame pump in to their spokes.
Kind of pain the but carrying so many frame pumps, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Wow! Hats off to AstroDust for some seriously good trolling. You guys went 7 pages and he still hasn't responded to his thread.

That depends, did they have mirrors?

I used to ride with a 50+ woman who was faster than most males on the road. She got RA, so sad! She used to say on a climb, "Sorry to pass you, Honey. I just have more experience at this." She loved giving them the "H" word. She would chatter away non-stop, until whoever was in front would seriously pick up the pace. We called 22-23 mph "shut-up speed" because she'd stop talking and get serious. We could all hear her, up and down the line. Fun times.

But yes, almost every experienced rider who passes accelerates during the pass, then slows back down. Not for ego but for safety. Because of this, it's easy to catch a wheel if one accelerates slightly toward the end of the pass. If I'm coming up on a friend at speed, I always holler "accelerate!"

[MENTION=78894]Carbonfiberboy[/MENTION]. she got RA? What does that mean?

Ah. Rheumatoid Arthritis. There is no cure other than eventual death, rather sooner than usual. She's a trooper though, still active as possible.

From what you wrote above I knew it wasn't something good. Very sorry to hear that

Well then, all you purists should come on out to the track and enjoy. It's the most fun you can have with or without clothes.

Lol because he said "young woman" instead of "fellow rider"? What a joke! Now a guy can't even recognize there are even two different sexes without taking ****? He didn't say" i got passed by a chick... I must be getting old". You my friend may be the sexest if that's what YOU got from his post. Have a nice day.

Thats hilarious!

Yes, always. But, I vastly pass way more cyclists than I get passed. Many cry when I pass them. Some are defiant and don't take it well. Some bow in reverence to my superior power.

Everyone is at different aspects of their ride & life in the current space time continuum so someone passing is meaningless unless you agree to a specific time and place which is called a Race. At this point you agree to be on the same level in terms of start time, mileage, ride type (rested for competitive) and everything else that would be synonymous in a current space time continuum.

off topic: I guess this isn't a zombie revival, dug up after only 9 months underground. At what age does a thread go from old to zombie?

Lol, this is the greatest thing I've ever read.

IMO aanyone who measures their ride or enjoyment by passing or being passed needs to rethink that.

Leapfrog.

It happens, sometimes I am guilty of playing.

Nothing to rethink, its easy enough to opt out.