My son came home from college this weekend and I ate too much, just because I do things like that with family.

So this afternoon, after my son headed back to college, I realized I needed a ride to burn off some calories and generally get my head on straight.

On the downhill from a traffic circle, a geared Mountain Biker on a mega-buck bike and the best of lycra passed me and disappeared into the distance.

Nice bike and expensive clothes, I thought.

A little later I came to the hill from Hell, which both my 13 year-old son and my 19 year-old son hate, and, as I started up the hill I saw the mega-buck Mountain Biker ahead of me.

Without trying to do so, I saw myself steadily gaining on him.

I realized I couldn't go any slower on this hill, with only one gear and needing to maintain an efficient cadence, and so I continued to gain on him.

He heard me coming from behind, mostly because I had become one big lung sucking the universe in and out, and, as he looked over his shoulder at me he couldn't conceal his surprise.

It surprised me, too, since I hadn't tried to catch him, but couldn't avoid it because of cadence.

Ha!

Fun.

So, on the way back home I had to go up the OTHER hill from Hell; this one much easier in grade, but about five times as long.

I like this hill because I can just barely stay in the saddle if I totally focus on my spin.

About half way up the hill, ahead, I saw a Mexican day-laborer on a yellow rattle-can-painted Department Store Mountain Bike, platform pedals and all.
He had a lunch box strapped on back, I don't know quite how or to what; and wore a tattered corduroy jacket, no helmet or hat, and bargain store running-shoes.

Again, as before with the mega-bucks Mountain Bike, I steadily gained on him, without trying, because I couldn't go any slower.

As I passed him and said hello, he gave me the friendliest, sweetest smile imaginable.

I went on ahead.

And then, a few minutes later, I saw him coming up on me, on my right.
He had a look of gleeful determination and excitement on his face.

I maintained my pace: as fast as I could go in the saddle on this hill.

He pumped furiously, eyes and mouth wide-open, as if he couldn't believe his speed going up hill, ecstatic at his unexpected performance.

He passed me and pulled ahead until exhaustion overcame him, and then he returned to his "pre-race" pace.

I slowly but surely caught up to him and passed him.

He again gave me that amazingly sweet friendly and forgiving smile, and for that one brief moment we bonded in the brotherhood of STREET RACERS.

hehehe i did a similar thing yesterday, went out for a spin and I live on a nice decent sized hill, as pull onto my street I see a mountain biker, lycra and all, furiously pedaling in his low gear going up the hill, well were he was at was right infront of my house, i decided that I should extend my ride a little longer, started up the hill and toasted him to his surprise he smiled and said hello at the stop sign ahead and complemented my hill climb on fixed

oh man, you guys are rebels. you know street racing is illegal, especially without a helmet!!!!

I'd rather race a guy on a bike than a ****** bags in car. Cars hurt. I have the scars to prove it.

i was maintaining cadence going up a PITA hill heading home the other day, and i saw a girl ahead of me on a beach cruiser mashing up the hill. i realized i was going to pass her, and dreaded it for a second. you know, i'm some macho dude showing off in front of a girl kinda thing. then i realized maintaining momentum was more important than being thought of as a ******bag, so i passed her. gave her a smile and a wave, and all she could do was glare at me. haha, yeah, i'm a ******bag. oh well!

Cool story, I had to laugh

im all kinds of out of shape and i pass people on geared bikes going uphill regularly.
someone in this forum has a sig that says something like 'riding fixed uphill is a full body workout' and its so true.

I love that it didn't end in some sort of aggro-competitive dual. I hate when I get into situations where other people think I am racing them. Inevitably, I get irritated first, that they think I am actually trying to race them, and then before you know it, I get so pissed that I decide, "what the hell" and go for the burn, leaving them in the dust. Feeling a bit of shame for stooping to their level of childish competitiveness, yet naturally a bit of pride knowing that I killed them in their own game.

better passing her, then creepy guy staring at her ass (assuming it was an ass worth viewing)

I find I can beat most people up hills as well. People don't give enough credit to the skill riding a fixed gear gives you when you don't want to walk your bike up a hill and have only one gear to work with.

All of this ************ is starting to get to me...

couldn't have said it better....

I wish we had hills

hey metaljim, how's Austin for one gear? i have friends there who claim they need gears, but i call bull***** on that one. also, how's the yellowbike project going?

cool story. i would like to have seen the mexican's bike.

today i raced a roadie in full lycra riding a giant. this afternoon on my way home from class i raced a industrial technology major on a huffy mountain bike and a chubby girl on a next three-point suspension bike.

i beat everyone.

haha, that's an awesome story.

im smiling

great story

a lot of a good story is in the telling.

well told, and a great story.

dammit, i'm starting to type like ken cox now.

or doofo.

yeah i was going up some hill yesterday and passed a road bike guy. he musta been hella pissed because as soon as i passed him he freaking booked passed me. i didn't care. but he apparently did. my friend and i laughed it off and kept going.


that wasn't interesting at all, sorry.


how 'bout them fires?

nice avatar kyle. that cd is bomb.

gotta love the metal fingered villain.

I got my ass handed to me going up a hill with a very slight grade by a man who had to be at least 65 riding a bum-biked 70's Schwinn. He may have been homeless.

Funny the frequency that people get "mad" at you for riding up a hill faster than them. It's really not that big of a deal.

i agree

but then i get ****ing pissed when i get dropped

luckily there are a lot of old ladies riding hybrids around here to help balance things out