Cyclists to fear

DonDaddyD

On the commute what type of cyclists do you fear?

Whether its for SCR reasons, or basic commuting we all come into contact with a type of cyclist that will on average do something to irrate, demoralise or scare us on our commute.

What type of cyclist is the bane of your commute and why?

Cyclists I fear.

FG/SS - They are demoralising because they seem to pedal effortlessly on a gearing far higher than mine while I'm desperately trying to find a gear that's comfortable and of 20+ gears, I have none.

Old man on the steel frame tourer - I've overtaken him, I'm powering along. I'm younger, fitter and better looking. So how is it whether up a hill or along a straight I've ridden like the clappers to catch and overtake and the old fart can maintain 20mph+ perfectly for his entire commute regardless of incline, road conditions or the weather. Is he some physical anomoly.

Roadbike with flatbar, other hybrids and slick tyre mountain bikes - I've spent my money on what should be my very fast bike. This means by design my bike must be faster than all other types of bikes other than ones of its ilk. So why is it the crappy hybrid or the 'comfort road bike' is able to keep up and potentially go faster than me. Have I bought a duff bike?

Knobbly tyre mountain bikes - There is nothing worse than being on a bike that is designed to go fast and be overtaken and dropped by a thick-set guy whose bike was designed to be the complete opposite of your bike. Nothing, but these guys are out there.

My own Carbon Fibre bike - Every cyclist at the lights knows I'm on a shiny new carbon fibre bike. I'm dressed in lycra and I have wraparounds and clipless pedals on. I must be awesome. Everyone waiting at the lights - who I've previously seen on the commute before and who very rarely ride above 15mph - suddenly wants to compare themselves to me on my Kuota. Once those lights go green, balls out, teeth gritted, sprint and I couldn't bare being overtaken on my Kharma....

Kieran_Burns

I fear no one






















I'm crap. All should fear me. :P

Deadeye Duck

The middle aged folk on their kid's bikes riding around with their knees out to the side looking like they're on a monkey bike. Fear them because they can have all the balance in the world one second, absolutely none the next.

The kids on MTBs who will use road pavement walls and roofs if they have to, as long as they don't stop. RLJ, you name it, they'll do it for fear of their own that if they drop under 4mph, they'll explode.

kingrollo

Has to be old blokes on sit up & begs - that go past you up hill !

Deadeye Duck

Oh also fear the failing track-stander - known for their ability to suddenly sprawl ontop of you at any given moment, with their front wheel twisting sporadicly, it's only a matter of time before they are formally introduced to the tarmac.

gtvlusso

Fear the idiot that hops off the kerb onto the road and into me.....

blu3cat

I fear.....

The man who wears a blue anorak and rides a very old and battered tourer.

He does about 8 mph and never stops en route - no really never.

I have seen him rlj straight into a box junction with traffic coming from the right and coming from the left, he just swerves around the honking cars.

He also goes virtually my entire route home, and so I encounter him at least once a week. I think he may have special powers.

I am surprised that none of the SW London people haven't seen him.

I am afraid maybe I hallucinate him

cjms85

DonDaddyD wrote:

On the commute what type of cyclists do you fear?

Roadbike with flatbar, other hybrids and slick tyre mountain bikes - I've spent my money on what should be my very fast bike. This means by design my bike must be faster than all other types of bikes other than ones of its ilk. So why is it the crappy hybrid or the 'comfort road bike' is able to keep up and potentially go faster than me. Have I bought a duff bike?

I think I fall into this group with my Cube SL Cross Comp. A very nice bike, and for the most part I can keep up with or overtake a good number of roadies.

As for whether you've bought a duff bike, no you haven't, its just that people learn to make the most of what they've got. Therefore if you've got a heavy bike and want to go fast you have to be fitter than someone on a light bike who wants to go fast. Simple really.

DonDaddyD

cjms85 wrote:

As for whether you've bought a duff bike, no you haven't, its just that people learn to make the most of what they've got. Therefore if you've got a heavy bike and want to go fast you have to be fitter than someone on a light bike who wants to go fast. Simple really.

Absolutely, I don't think I've bought a duff bike, I meant it figuratively....

Jamey

I fear preachy cyclists and people who can't keep a straight line while I overtake them.

ince

BMX, if they are in the cycle lane (I have seen it) they seem to need to use the whole width to tack up the road. Also be aware that just as you come to overtake them they can switch direction faster than you can blink and pull acoss you to dissappear up side road, ally, wall, or other items that can be bunny hopped over.

janiem

I fear Pikeys. I refuse to commute on my carbon bike beacuse I'm terrified some pikey will mug me for it at the traffic lights.
There's a lot of pikeys ooop North you know.

Oddjob62

Anyone who is faster than me, but not quite fast enough to leave me for dust, because i can't help but push my limit using them as a pacemaker. 10 minutes later i'm coughing and wheezing and praying for them to turn off my route.

sarajoy

Most of these: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/20 ... _ter_1.php

Jamey

Oh, I forgot to mention Fast Courier Guy (tm)... I see him quite often, i think his route joins mine at about Mitcham and then it's the same all the way back to my house, but I only know this because I've seen him at different points along the route, I've certainly never managed to keep up with him for more than a few minutes.

Fairly tall and lithe, rides an old red road bike, long hair in a ponytail that's slightly curly, usually wearing shades with a blue courier bag slung across his back that has one of those neon panels with the name of a bike shop but I forget which one.

I've tried to keep up with him going over Jubilee Bridge in West Croydon before and it nearly killed me. But then again Jubilee Railway Bridge is the punishing mountain stage of my commute

Jay dubbleU

kingrollo wrote:

Has to be old blokes on sit up & begs - that go past you up hill !

That'll be me then 8)

always_tyred

Jamey wrote:

I fear preachy cyclists and people who can't keep a straight line while I overtake them.

Didn't you know that there is a mysterious magnetic attraction between slow cyclists and fast cyclists. Even if a slow cyclist doesn't leap out of their skin (towards you, obviously) as you scare them out of their bimbling oblivion by overtaking, this force will pull them further from the kerb than they've ever been.

I think that helmet guy from Bath University measured this.

il_principe

DonDaddyD wrote:

cjms85 wrote:

As for whether you've bought a duff bike, no you haven't, its just that people learn to make the most of what they've got. Therefore if you've got a heavy bike and want to go fast you have to be fitter than someone on a light bike who wants to go fast. Simple really.

Absolutely, I don't think I've bought a duff bike, I meant it figuratively....

Perhaps you bought some duff legs/lungs? You need an upgrade DDD!

Greg T

Hannibal Lecter on a unicycle - teriifying.

blu3cat

Greg T wrote:

Hannibal Lecter on a unicycle - teriifying.

Specially when he has a bottle of Chianti sticking out of his backpack and he's following you.

Now where to get some Fava beans. :evil:

LDN-Flyer

Wobbly hi-vis hybrids as they pass HGVs on the left.
Giant calved hairy blokes on MTBs with slicks, and a frame two sizes too small.

Cafewanda

.......... cyclists who under or over-take me so closely they could touch the opposite handlebar on my bike :shock: Just as well I no longer wobble as they fly by (Jamey)

fungus_the_muffin_man

janiem wrote:

I fear Pikeys. I refuse to commute on my carbon bike beacuse I'm terrified some pikey will mug me for it at the traffic lights.
There's a lot of pikeys ooop North you know.

I have to skirt a particularly pikey council estate on my way to work. It's only about 3 streets I have to go through, but after a 12 hour shift and it's all up hill I get my head down and just go as fast as possible. I'm bolloxed by the time I get through and my legs are screaming at me. It's that or add an extra 20mins on my journey so the quicker way wins. Until I get bikejacked :roll: :evil:

oscarbudgie

I worry about meeting Mark Cavendish out training as there's a slim chance he's faster than me over a kilometre.

Stuey01

LDN-Flyer wrote:

Giant calved hairy blokes on MTBs with slicks, and a frame two sizes too small.

8) this was me until I recently got a road bike.

Bassjunkieuk

Isn't this very similar to the nemesis thread? The way I look at it though I don't think I fear any other cyclists or particular types of riders as I think I perform my best when pushed so what have I got to fear except maybe a heart attack ;-) Generally speaking when I'm out riding with someone who is faster then me I find that I can perform much better then I previously thought and so this gives me more confidence.

There have been a few times when I've encountered a certain very rapid chap on my commute that I've had to double check my cycle computer as I've been, relatively speaking for myself, sprinting up a hill just to remain on his wheel and not feeling like my lungs want to explode! Heck I even remember thinking on my maiden voyage around Richmond Park that I really shouldn't be doing some of these speeds up some of the inclines there and even accelerated up a few, spurred on by some riding buddies (thanks JG and IP (formerly JA!))

At the end of the day it will all come out in a glorious battle story on the SCR thread and the ones that you think you fear are always the best :-D

edhornby

old blokes on road bikes.... too right about trying to get past them, it's a killer trying to make it stick as they have about 40yrs worth of training at a set tempo in them....

The Chingford Skinhead

It's dark, it's cold and you've just killed yourself hunting down the fast guy / girl who was in front of you. You've passed them and made it stick but at what cost. They've turned off and you can catch your breath, maybe coast a little but then, but then the cyclist I fear appears....

it could be anyone, but they turn onto your path ahead of you, just a faint terminator eye style blinking rear light to let you know they are there. You decide not to chase them down, no, you're already exhausted and you've another 7 miles to go. Be sensible, use your head MAN! But no, like the bisto kids sniffing gravy the light has caught your attention and the body insists on the chase. You fight it but you've already lost, your candence is up and you're reeling them in.....

Passing them gives you a momentary high. A slight euphoria, now, now you've earned that rest, you ease off and then, oh yes and then the blinking light appears in front, two, three junctions down. This time the body says NO Way Jose but the head takes over and you're off again. And so, if you'll pardon the pun, the cycle begins again....

always_tyred

The cyclist I fear most - DonDaddyD.

I'd catch him up (sorry DDD, but I would) and I fear he'd figure out who I am and want to urgently talk to me in depth about that thing I said about half way through my 1382nd post.

Nightmare.

cjcp

LDN-Flyer wrote:

Giant calved hairy blokes on MTBs with slicks, and a frame two sizes too small.

A.K.A. "The Anomaly". Everyone should fear The Anomaly, particularly when you have a tailwind. If they catch your backwheel, that's it, it's game over.

There's one on my route. He's tall, wears baggy cotton t-shirts, baggy shorts, isn't lean, sweats loads, has massive calves, rides an odd looking single speed flat bar and goes like a bat out of hell.

lost_in_thought

I fear nothing but fear itself.

Oh, and uber-fast hybrids on hungover mornings...