JoeOxfordCT

I had alot of stuff to do yesterday so I had to get my ride in early in the morning. I decided to ride north from Oxford where I live into Woodbury to get a couple muffins that my wife likes from this coffee shop I used to frequent (Aylas) when I lived in Woodbury. Round trip would be just under 30 miles. I was also using the ride to further acclimate myself to my new road bike (Motobecane Grand Record triple). I had been riding an mtb w/slicks for years and took the plunge back into a road bike and was still getting used to the differences in riding position and handling.
Anyway, it was a beautiful morning. There was a cool breeze blowing the first leaves of Fall across the road that was offset perfectly by the warm sun. You could smell that Autumn was at our doorstep. I had made my "muffin run" and was now on my way home with a couple miles to go when I saw another roadie ahead of me coming from the opposite direction. He turned down a side road and I decided to follow him. I could take this same side road home too. The side road dips down and then climbs up for about a 1/4 of a mile. I figured I would use the momentum from the initial dip in the road to catch him at the foot of the climb.
I positioned myself perfectly for the catch and was about to "go Lance" on him when I had a change of heart....instead I coasted up alongside him and announced myself. He said hi and we began to talk....where you riding from ?....beautiful day.....We commented on each others bikes. He in fact lived up off this hill a little farther up. We spun up the hill together side by side just enjoying the morning. He got to his turnoff and we bid each other goodbye and then I rode the remaining few miles home alone. It was just one of those mornings.......

Miller2

Thats cool. I used to live in Woodbury and had a good friend that lived in Oxford.

mleess

Nice that you met someone to chat with.

BUT: What is up with all this dropping talk on here? How in the heck can you drop someone who's just pleasantly riding along minding his own business with no idea he's in a life-and-death competition? How many times have I been "dropped" when I'm out doing an easy ride, or winding up the tail end of a 30-mile ride and not even trying to go fast. Or maybe I'm in the beginning of a ride and still warming up.

superslomo

You could always dial it up to 400 watts...

knobster

Yeah, I see that a lot on here also. People dropping other people that don't even know they've been dropped. Most people that post that stuff usually get ripped to shreds though. People here don't want to hear about someones testosterone high.

I don't drop anyone. I ride with my wife mostly and I drop her from time to time, and it annoys me. It annoys me more when she drops me though.

larue

Did you get his phone number?

I'm with the others on this "drop talk." What is the point of dropping people you that aren't part of your ride?

Reynolds 

It's funny - it seems the motto of many here is

DROP THEM ALL!!!

Hitchy

you're a tool...I'm surprised the other bloke could be bothered talking to you...fair dinkum....why would you possibly think anyone would be interested in this post?.....just ride...

Dead Extra #2

The "drop" talk is just a red herring, this is really a shill thread for bikesdirect.com.







Just kidding!

JoeOxfordCT

That was the whole point of my post !!

That instead of worrying about dropping everyone because they happen to be cycling on the same road as you that it might be more meaningful to actually strike up a conversation with someone else who shares an interest in cycling.....that I felt better after talking with him for awhile before riding on than had I just blown by him in a blur......(assuming he didn't catch & drop me )

msheron

Why do we feel compelled at times to blow one's door's off? If one is going slower than me I will pull along side and say hello and keep pedaling my speed. Gald you took the time to say hello and ride with them.

Adiankur

Sometimes, on a MUP, you need to accelerate to pass a group before the group coming the other way arrives, or when the rider in front of you has their radio on and you can't warn them. Passing quickly gives them a little less time to wander over to you, but other than that, your not really proving much. Though I was pretty pumped the day I passed an old lady on a hybrid. man she was moving!!

Scorer75

This morning I'm on my way to work. I took the mountain bike with slicks because I had done the NYC Century yesterday and was aiming for a recovery ride. For the record, 2" slicks on a 35lb. bike are so much more comfortable than an aluminum road bike ridden through the streets of NY at 120psi.

Anyways, a few blocks in front of me I see a guy on a bmx. I can't help but think of all the recent I dropped this guy posts lately and start laughing. I'm laughing so hard people on the street are looking at me like I'm nuts.

So, thank you guys for a great laugh. Oh yea', two blocks later I dropped the guy, if you consider saying good morning to someone as you pass them at 15mph dropping them!!!

garysol1 

Let me finish the above sentance..........

What really happened:
I was about to "go Lance" on him when I had a change of heart. As soon as I started my sneak attack from the rear he must have seen me in his periphial vision. I did not get as much as a wheel on him when I saw him dial up the power meter on his Dura ace equiped R600 to roughly 400w. He then looked at me and said "I am sorry I have to drop you because you look like Lance" . He then stood up and dropped down to his 13th gear and just blasted it up at 19 mph. Unless I had been racing, there is no way I could match his speed.

bbattle

That's what I was thinking, he did slide that Moto reference in there, didn't he?

JoeOxfordCT

....ok, you got me....

garysol1 

Actually your original post is nice. Every single one of us have at one or another seen a rider up ahead of us and we have turned up the wick a little. I know I do. I always say hi as I go past and I appreciate the same courtesy when I am passed. It is nice to slow down and smell the roses some time. Life does not have to be a competitive sport ALL the time.

JoeOxfordCT

Thanks ! That is what I was trying to convey !


I swear sometimes it's like we're dogs chasing cars...
I'll be the first one to admit, many times when I see a cyclist up ahead...my first instinct is to "case" them and see if I can catch & pass them.....sometimes I try & succeed, sometimes I try & fail....but recently I find that's it's just not that important anymore....

theshoemaker

Nice. I love road comraderie. ... makes ours sport much more enjoyable.

Hipcycler

Now imagine that other guy just ignoring you at that point.
Then imagine him doing it in similar situations over the next two years....

That's the making of the legend of the Knave Chronicles of one year ago here at BF!


Good for you....put the testosterone on hold once in a while and just be nice to people. Is that so bad? Does everyone ahead have to be a potential 'drop' just to prove yourself to yourself?

DrPete 

I agree... much more satisfying to save the kills for when you're provoked.

For instance, I was on our weekly club ride yesterday, led by the 4/5 racers in the club. It's open to anyone, so we usually start out slow and then try to get everyone familiar/comfortable with riding in a paceline.

This tri guy joins the ride, pulls up to the front about 4 miles into it, and asks "so, when do the fast guys go off the front?" I explained to him that we try to get the noobs into the paceline, etc., knowing that there were some decent hills coming up that would break up the pack enough. He explains to me that he "needs some real training today" and blasts off the front.

This, of course, precipitates a discussion of how much fun it is to chase down tri guys, and my teammate and I slowly bring up the speed of the paceline and take turns pulling. Within a few minutes we've pulled the paceline of noobs up to tri guy, and my teammate and I promptly drop him on the climb.

So we got the best of both worlds-good conversation in the paceline and quality Knave-slaying.

cooker

Of course, he still got the training he wanted...he was working on solo riding because he's a tri-guy.

DrPete 

See? everyone's happy.

It does beg the question, though--why show up for a group ride?

operator

To look cool

not2fast

Be carefull, it was Connecticut! Where the men shave their legs, and the ladies dont!