Cycle Commuting - racign other cyclists

[prand]

I have this thing, when cycling to work, that if I see another cyclist in front of me I have to catch them and overtake them.

Is this just me? Childishly, I also try to pass with as little puff and visible effort, and a cheery "morning!" as I burn off into the distance.

Every now and then you get someone who wants to play and things become very interesting!

Anyone else sad like me and do this?

[Moose.]

Yup! Had this a couple of weeks ago except the guy I blasted past was fully up for a race I've never cycled so fast for so long! Worst thing about being in the front is you have to set the pace to keep them behind you, all the time never quite sure if they're going to try an over take.

[Parrot of Doom]

I can't do it on the huge tyres I have, but in my road days anything, anything in front was a target to be overtaken.

[Marcellus]

Free wheeling as you wave add to the feel good factor too!!

(but you;d best be able to deliver the insult and stay ahead!!)

[PomBstard]

Its part of the fun of cycling to work. Often cycle with a bunch of roadies on their way back from an early morning outing - I'll be with them at about 6.30am. Usually going up one of the hills I make a concerted effort to stay on the rear wheel of part of the pack. They're on a plentiful display of carbon, titanium and ego, and I'm on a mtb with slicks. Wearing a rucksack. And baggy shorts.

Admittedly, I'm often knackered at the top, and probably wouldn't be able to do it again, but they don't know that.

Also like to race the train over the Harbour Bridge - rail line is right next to the cycle path.

[arryb]

When out for a ride, it is always a race if I see someone And I don't commute on my bike.... Almost killed myself when I decided that one of those slow moped things (about 25mph tops) in France was a good target for a race, I overtook him down the hills, he overtook me up them....this went on for a few miles until he lost me up a hill and then I realised I was 10 miles from where I was staying and had no energy left

[carreauchompeur]

I'm terrible for it, I HAVE to get the win in. More often than not, I blast by someone going to my workplace- And then feel like a bit of a div when they pull up.

[prand]

Ha ha, so it's not just me then! I do tend too leave the filly kitted up roadies alone though becasue that usually ends up in embarrasing results.

[Marcellus]

I had a classic the other day... out for a ride with a friend on one of our usual circuits.... there's a pleasant (I must be ) 7 mile 6% climb... we get to the bottom and I just ease away from my mate (satisfaction itself) then out of the corner of my eye I see a wheel... by 1st thoughts are wtf?? my mate can't climb for a toffee, he's being a tad fiesty... the wheel grows into a full bike with an old(ish) tanned scrawny Frenchman who greets me and asks if I'm up for it..... I tuck in and up we push on... now usually this climb for me is a 12mph 35minute climb.....upto 16/17mph.............. at the 5mile marker he stands up.... I stand and hang on (heart rate shoots to 9% above my theoretical max) he sits and continues... at the next harpin he stands... I buckle... he turns and nochalantly waves............. I crest in 26minutes so well happy.... Frenchman is standing there fully recovered claiming 2 minutes faster!!!

[hugo a gogo]

when I used to cycle to work, my colleague used to just sit 2" behind me the whole way, no matter how fast or slow I went, enjoying the free 'tow'

[amare32]

Don't really race other cyclists if they get past me but on a windy day they are very useful for a bit of slip streaming

[Mr E]

Marcellus said:

I had a classic the other day... out for a ride with a friend on one of our usual circuits.... there's a pleasant (I must be ) 7 mile 6% climb... we get to the bottom and I just ease away from my mate (satisfaction itself) then out of the corner of my eye I see a wheel... by 1st thoughts are wtf?? my mate can't climb for a toffee, he's being a tad fiesty... the wheel grows into a full bike with an old(ish) tanned scrawny Frenchman who greets me and asks if I'm up for it..... I tuck in and up we push on... now usually this climb for me is a 12mph 35minute climb.....upto 16/17mph.............. at the 5mile marker he stands up.... I stand and hang on (heart rate shoots to 9% above my theoretical max) he sits and continues... at the next harpin he stands... I buckle... he turns and nochalantly waves............. I crest in 26minutes so well happy.... Frenchman is standing there fully recovered claiming 2 minutes faster!!!

Heh.

I recall being out with a munch of MTBers. All of us on various examples of big tyred, full suspension hardcore show-off ness.

We're cruising down a towpath having the usual banter and the like on our way to one of the usual stomping grounds when one guy at the back shouts "we'd better stop lads, I need to check the bike".

So we stop, chill for a moment and a nice retired couple pass on what I would call "sit up and beg" type cycles. The ones with baskets on the front.

A cheery hello is exchanged.

The guy who called the stop then explains that they were catching us very quickly indeed, and if he'd not called the stop they'd have belted past us like we were sitting still....

(bloody narrow tyres).

[Parsnip]

hugo a gogo said:

when I used to cycle to work, my colleague used to just sit 2" behind me the whole way, no matter how fast or slow I went, enjoying the free 'tow'

amare32 said:

Don't really race other cyclists if they get past me but on a windy day they are very useful for a bit of slip streaming

Slipstreaming and then not pulling through to do some work is the reason god gave us the ability to blow snot rockets backwards

[JRM]

Oh yes, I totally do this, can't help it, unless they are seriously quick roadies.

My mate commutes on a knackered old mountain bike with paniers all over it, but he's rather a good time trialist in his spare time so loves nothing more than destroying a fully kitted roadie!

[b2hbm]

Parsnip said:

Slipstreaming and then not pulling through to do some work is the reason god gave us the ability to blow snot rockets backwards

Brilliant !!!

But yeah, you're not alone. Anything on wheels is a target.....

[tricky69]

prand said:

if I see another cyclist in front of me I have to catch them and overtake them.

This is the st i was born for ! hahaahah ...also overtaking people on hybrids or even racing bikes with me on my mountain bike with tractor style tryes ! hahaha love it !!

There is this really long hill climb about half way through my cycle, i live for overtaking people on that... nothing worse than struggling up a hil when some git on a mountain bike sails past - FANTASTIC !

[mxrossi]

There's some good reading over on the bike radar forum! 500+ pages of the stuff!!

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12...

[dmitsi]

It seems we all ride the same. That means some of us must be the slow ones.

Deffo not me, I always win. So come on, who's been overtaken?

[tricky69]

dmitsi said:

It seems we all ride the same. That means some of us must be the slow ones.

Deffo not me, I always win. So come on, who's been overtaken?

Are you on a racing bike ?

[Gooby]

I am always trying to overtake the guy in front. It is usually rubbed in my face. Slogging up a 2k hill on what looks like 1000 year old broken cobbles, holes and dirt, feeling all proud of myself cos I was not in the lowest gear the bike has with my heart about to explode when a guy passes me like I am fixing a puncture. If I had breath I would have screamed. Then the next guy went by. The third and fastest was on a steel framed orange fixie with no suspension.

I am still cursing him