Leave no one behind

Flasheart

My cycling buddy and I were out this morning and we were overtaken by a peleton. We both decided it would be fun to tag along and see how we did against club riders. Certainly helped that the tail end was populated by women in lycra. We were keeping up fine ...until we hit the hills. I was doing okay but my mate was slowly but surely dropping back. Not wanting to leave my mate alone I dropped my pace and waited for him to catch up. As it was a rather long zig zagging grade we soon lost sight of the group.

A couple of miles later we caught sight of the tail end of them so we pushed it and caught up.
Then of course came the next big hill. We had purposly gone this route as there was a lot of hills. We stuck ourselves at the rear and started to climb and it was going great , not struggling at all..then my mate started to fall behind again ...so I dropped back yet again. He said to me when we got to the top that I should have done the climb with the peleton as I was able to keep up easily and I could have waited for him at the top. I said that I didn't want him strugging up there all alone.(I thought it would be demoralising for him).
I didn't resent doing what I did as I reckon he'd do the same if I was struggling and that's what mates do.
Am I alone in this sort of thinking?

Garz

Flasheart wrote:

Am I alone in this sort of thinking?

No.

But if your that bothered by it, just clarify the possibilities before you ride. At least then your mate(s) will know why your burning off and not get offended.

Monty Dog

I expect it was a sportive or group ride - most road races would simply be too fast for you to hang on. Please don't try that in a road race and you'll get short thrift from the other riders and the marshalls - event organisers go to a lot of effort to arrange for the event, get sanctioning and insurance - if you inadvertantly cause an accident, you put other riders and the event at risk

Flasheart

It was only a group ride. If it was a sportive or race we wouldn't have considered tagging along. Not hard to tell the difference really, no numbers , the pace and speed, no marshalling, no signs. Just a Southampton cycling club out for a group ride.....

Anonymous

I would have left your mate trailing in your wake as you crushed him with your enormous display of Quad Power.

You know, toughen him up a bit.

kingrollo

Common courtesy - I am sure most cyclists would do the same thing. You can't invite someone out for a ride then drop them...........unless this was agreed before the ride started.

hopper1

I'd have left your mate for dead, just to keep in touch with the tail enders of the group... Ladies in lycra, I believe you mentioned!!!!

freehub

2 choices.

Leave your friend behind... observe attractive eyecandy right on your front wheel.
Drop back and wait for your friend... loose sight of attractive eye candy.

Which one?

northernneil

depends who you are with ... some of my mates I will drop like a stone so I can bask in my awesomeness at the top of the climb (and some of mine would do likewise), however, if out with the missues then I am the best lead out / pacer she could ever have up a hill

Anonymous

You should have dropped your mate, glass cranked at the back of the bunch, took no turns at the front and then dropped the group on the next hill.

You have NO friends as soon as the wheels start to turn.....

mrushton

northernneil wrote:

depends who you are with ... some of my mates I will drop like a stone so I can bask in my awesomeness at the top of the climb (and some of mine would do likewise), however, if out with the missues then I am the best lead out / pacer she could ever have up a hill

+1

acidstrato

dmclite wrote:

You should have dropped your mate, glass cranked at the back of the bunch, took no turns at the front and then dropped the group on the next hill.

You have NO friends as soon as the wheels start to turn.....

lol you just get shouted at for doing that in anything above a cat3/4 race

so unless your alberto contador and can just leave your team and do it all yourself I wouldnt

I would have dropped back for a mate too, but then i would have called him gay, if good looking woman in lycra isnt reason enough to give it your all then you need a good slap!

Anonymous

acidstrato wrote:

dmclite wrote:

You should have dropped your mate, glass cranked at the back of the bunch, took no turns at the front and then dropped the group on the next hill.

You have NO friends as soon as the wheels start to turn.....

lol you just get shouted at for doing that in anything above a cat3/4 race

so unless your alberto contador and can just leave your team and do it all yourself I wouldnt

I would have dropped back for a mate too, but then i would have called him gay, if good looking woman in lycra isnt reason enough to give it your all then you need a good slap!

eeeuuwwww, get you...

whyamihere

I prefer to use the mountain biking method of keeping together - Hit climbs and descents as fast as you like, and wait to regroup at the end of sections.

acidstrato

lol hey some riders can get really nasty!

Velonutter

I think your all forgetting something...Honour.

If you and your mate go for a ride together, then that is what it is, nothing wrong being competitive like sprinting for lamp posts etc. but the glory bit should n't count.

Just my opinion, I value my mates and always will, I don't score points off them and they don't off me!.

JMHO

Anonymous

Tongue firmly in cheek when I post....

Never left a mate behind, always re-group, don't actually believe someone posted what to do. :shock:

roger_merriman

whyamihere wrote:

I prefer to use the mountain biking method of keeping together - Hit climbs and descents as fast as you like, and wait to regroup at the end of sections.

yup tend to do that, unless I'm being mother hen and clucking at some one.....

bobpzero

Flasheart wrote:

Am I alone in this sort of thinking?

no even pro tour riders have to. just ask your friend did lance leave levi on the Giro d'Italia Stage 16 mountain climb?

zedders

NapoleonD wrote:

I would have left your mate trailing in your wake as you crushed him with your enormous display of Quad Power.

You know, toughen him up a bit.

+1. ''Kill them.''
When I first started out I was left trailing in my mates wake! I didn't like it. But it is a good thing in the long run because it makes you want to be faster.

I have noticed with one of my mates, if I slow down he slows even more! My average drops like a stone in water! So now I just keep going on the hills and slow down on the flats and slowly wait for him to catch up. I love it when I hear him give a line like: "Feeling a bit rough today zed!'' Without a doubt he would do it to me if he could.

He doesnt' realise it just inspires me.

mikeyboy12345

Some of you guys make me glad that I've no cycling mates! That way I can go as slow as I like and not feel bad about it

cougie

It depends what you're doing really - if its a gentle pootle - then you stay together - but on a training ride it does split on climbs and regroups over the top.

Aspman77

hopper1 wrote:

I'd have left your mate for dead, just to keep in touch with the tail enders of the group... Ladies in lycra, I believe you mentioned!!!!

A real mate would understand you chasing the 'view'

PostieJohn

NapoleonD wrote:

I would have left your mate trailing in your wake as you crushed him with your enormous display of Quad Power.

You know, toughen him up a bit.

Is the right answer.
I've been off the road for a while.
The other weekend my mate dragged my sorry censored up every climb we did.
It still didn't stop me from tucking in on the home sprint and taking him with 300 metres to go.
In hindsight I probably shouldn't have cheesy grinned him as I went past.

amochrie

Personally when Im out with my mates I always choose newbies who arent as good as me. Then when we get to the first hill I totally destroy them. When they catch up I tell them how great I am and suggest they never ride with me again, go home and cry in the mirror...hey thats just the kinda guy I am.

So in answer to your question you should have dropped back to your mate on hill one, told him how you dont appreciate being accompanied by losers, burnt him off, caught up with the group, burnt them off too and raced for glory to the end. And done a big skid to celebrate.

Flasheart

Some interesting responses I have to say. No doubt tongue-in-cheek a few of them.
Last thing I want to do is discourage him from riding with me and we do get on great. At 43 I'm no spring chicken, but Pete is 48. I'm about 2 stone heavier than him and I have asthma so all things being equal he should drop me like a stone on the hills and the flats. I have to say he has gotten more noticable power in past few months, but I can out climb him and out sprint him.
By nature I'm very loyal and struggle to bring myself to leave a mate behind. It may be the Aussie "Digger" in me.

teagar

Smash him, and then wait at the top, preferably eating an ice-cream.


You still ride home with him but can bask in the glory of being better.

It's more fun if there's a little rivalry!

Anonymous

teagar wrote:

Smash him, and then wait at the top, preferably eating an ice-cream.


You still ride home with him but can bask in the glory of being better.

It's more fun if there's a little rivalry!

ESSENTIAL-

You must give him 'the look' for at least two seconds before accelerating.

incurab1e

my mates have an understanding that we always meet at the top, or on the downhill - we're all out training so if one of us has to wait for another then its not really training. We all decided that together

and it gives you a good excuse to call them fat at the top.

Garz

NapoleonD wrote:

ESSENTIAL-

You must give him 'the look' for at least two seconds before accelerating.

NapD your a b'stard my man!

teagar

NapoleonD wrote:

teagar wrote:

Smash him, and then wait at the top, preferably eating an ice-cream.


You still ride home with him but can bask in the glory of being better.

It's more fun if there's a little rivalry!

ESSENTIAL-

You must give him 'the look' for at least two seconds before accelerating.

Spot on.


Optional:

Claim you were looking to see where that 'other' cyclist was. Clearly you weren't.