Oi! Vanity overtakers - Cease and Desist

onumnos

This used to be a pet peeve of mine but hadn't experienced it for yonks when along comes two in one ride.

I ride a straight-bar fixie for fitness purposes only, I'm not a racer or poseur (or hipster!) or anything like that and ride at a similar tempo averaging 18-19mph over the whole ride, so not slow but nothing like racing speeds.

The pattern is always the same, I hear a bike about to overtake me I look over my shoulder and there's a gentleman (never a lady) of a certain age (middle aged and up into pensioner territory - this isn't ageist btw I hit 50 soon). Riding an expensive nice bike and clad in club/team colours.

Said individual always says something breezy, like mornin! nice day for it or some other banality but in such an easy manner with no apparent hint of effort being expended so as to suggest this pace is absloutely no effort for them, just breezing along in the sunshine.

Except this pace only lasts to the next set of lights when suddenly they have no urge to go anywhere quickly at all.

First bloke did this, gets about 100 yds ahead slows for lights and stops, I stopped behind (I could have timed it to jump him at the lights but I thought this would be sad and frankly, douchey). Lights change, guy rolls slowly forward, I follow expecting him to shoot off, nothing. Seems to struggle clipping in one side, OK no prob, any-time soon he's going to light it up....er, no. We're only just accelerating get's about 100yds and we're doing about 11mph, a short sharp climb is coming up. Get a move-on I think. Still nothing, on a fixie you don't wait for hills to come to you so I attacked the climb passing him. Of course a few moments later as I'm spun-out on the descent he sails past.

Later in the ride, 2nd bloke sails past on aero bars same easy plattitudes, he has ***** TT Association on his shirt, he appears to maintain pace...I think "There's a genuine guy...." till he gets to the lights. I know the lights well and slow to get to them for the change, I have no intention of passing him just for him to drop me seconds later and make me look an arse. But I've never seen such an asthmatic push off in my life he only seems to gain momentum in slow motion. I think maybe he didn't change gear for the stop? but again he slowy accelerates to an easy pace and stays there. I'm now thinking WTF?? I stayed behind him for about a 1/2 mile just to see if he upped his pace but he didn't, I was silently praying for him to turn off my route which he did thankfully and as I was pretty sure if I overtook him he'd have done the same again.

The worst cases are those that drop into your front wheel after a "this is my recovery pace" overtake to then ease up and cause you to react to the slowing in pace - a special place in hell awaits these people.

I have no esteem issues about being overtaken by anyone - I usually admire the speed but once overtaken I want to see them dissappear up the road or leave a nice gap.

Why do grown men do this?

MountainMonster

You never know how far they have travelled, and what sort of training they have done already before coming past you. When I come home from town after work I give it gas until I get to the roundabout near my house,then I slow up and poodle along for the last 1/2km or so.

Finlaz22

They probably see you're on a fixie, and think back to the thousands of £ they've spent on their "steed" and how they should probably have a divine right to overtake 8)

ed_j

Maybe they're doing intervals

volociroldster

OP - why don't you just go past at the earliest opportunity. If all you say is true they may have emptied the tank in catching up with you in the first place.

jgsi

Such a none issue.

rolf_f

Finlaz22 wrote:

They probably see you're on a fixie, and think back to the thousands of £ they've spent on their "steed" and how they should probably have a divine right to overtake 8)

They probably see you're on a fixie, and think back to the thousands of times they've been stuck behind a fixie as it moves off the lights at a glacial speed before topping out at 15mph

thegreatdivide

And the point of this topic is?

smidsy

thegreatdivide wrote:

And the point of this topic is?

For the OP to wrap up his boast of average speed in some sort of 'justified' manner

napoleond

When I do intervals (especially when on my TT bike) this happened a lot. I'd fly past then when recovering they'd overtake me again. Non-issue. Through experience you come to realise that people have different agendas on their rides.
I have no qualms about being overtaken.

markos1963

Troll alert

goonz

What was the point or punchline to all that?

racingcondor

Consider stopping alongside at the lights?

bompington

As a highly qualified mathematician, I would like to point out that it is possible to prove scientifically that if someone overtakes you, it is because they are going faster than you. If you overtake them, then you are going faster than them.

I hope that clears it up.

ic.

If somebody was out doing there own thing, intervals, fartlek etc BUT you couldn't see them and it didn't involve you in anyway, would it still annoy you?

bigpikle

IC. wrote:

If somebody was out doing there own thing, intervals, fartlek etc BUT you couldn't see them and it didn't involve you in anyway, would it still annoy you?

chris_bass

i posted something similar to this and got hammered for it!!

people should learn from my mistakes!

seanoconn

Chris Bass wrote:

i posted something similar to this and got hammered for it!!

people should learn from my mistakes!

So you did and yes they should

7 years commuting home and yet to be overtaken 8)

imposter2.0

News just in: some people ride faster than others.

chris_bass

seanoconn wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

i posted something similar to this and got hammered for it!!

people should learn from my mistakes!

So you did and yes they should

7 years commuting home and yet to be overtaken 8)

pride comes before a fall!!

thefd

Chris Bass wrote:

seanoconn wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

i posted something similar to this and got hammered for it!!

people should learn from my mistakes!

So you did and yes they should

7 years commuting home and yet to be overtaken 8)

pride comes before a fall!!

Maybe the commute is from the house to the garden shed!!!!

chris_bass

TheFD wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

seanoconn wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

i posted something similar to this and got hammered for it!!

people should learn from my mistakes!

So you did and yes they should

7 years commuting home and yet to be overtaken 8)

pride comes before a fall!!

Maybe the commute is from the house to the garden shed!!!!

yeah works at home or maybe he is 72 so retired 7 years ago!?

smbm

I have no problem with people over taking me. I have no problem if I pass them again later. If they overtake me again this is also not a problem. This can go on all day and I will still not have a problem.

Life is too short for me to care about things like that. I enjoy riding my bike.

onumnos

Dearie, dearie me. What a kefuffle....

You post an innocuous 4 pint/bottle of wine rant and look what happens, tut, tut.

There are clearly no "douchey" cyclists, just athletes doing speed-work and the like and I clearly can't tell the difference.

For those asking "What's the point?" may I suggest threads discussing the best fragrance of chamois lube or the correct pronunciation of "Campagnolo" more worthy of your attention.

When you've spent a couple of hours turning yourself inside out and you're hot, dehydrated and hurting you really don't need some "Out of the box fresh" f-witt ... sorry athlete....taking the p**** and blasting past purely for the purpose of taking a scalp and nothing else.

Maybe that's just me. Honestly it doesn't happen much at all, in fact it was the first time in two years and then two in the space of 30 minutes it's just "Rude".

Anyway rant over. Peace and love all.

charlie_potatoes

onumnos wrote:

Maybe that's just me.

I refer the honourable gentleman to the reply Chris made earlier.

Chris Bass wrote:

i posted something similar to this and got hammered for it!!

people should learn from my mistakes!

seanoconn

Chris Bass wrote:

TheFD wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

seanoconn wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

i posted something similar to this and got hammered for it!!

people should learn from my mistakes!

So you did and yes they should

7 years commuting home and yet to be overtaken 8)

pride comes before a fall!!

Maybe the commute is from the house to the garden shed!!!!

yeah works at home or maybe he is 72 so retired 7 years ago!?

So typical of Brits to knock their sporting elite :roll:

WindyG

I overtook a rabbit today and a badger.....ok the badger was dead but I still passed it.
A bird flew past me though no worries I wasn't upset about it

Dorset_Boy

Shouldn't there be separate board for fixie riders? Gears were invented about 100 years ago for a reason.

philbar72

Don't worry about it. There are bigger issues in the world.

lawrences

Dorset Boy wrote:

Shouldn't there be separate board for fixie riders? Gears were invented about 100 years ago for a reason.

There would be but typewriters don't have very good broadband speeds.

alihisgreat

onumnos wrote:

This used to be a pet peeve of mine but hadn't experienced it for yonks when along comes two in one ride.

I ride a straight-bar fixie for fitness purposes only, I'm not a racer or poseur (or hipster!) or anything like that and ride at a similar tempo averaging 18-19mph over the whole ride, so not slow but nothing like racing speeds.

The pattern is always the same, I hear a bike about to overtake me I look over my shoulder and there's a gentleman (never a lady) of a certain age (middle aged and up into pensioner territory - this isn't ageist btw I hit 50 soon). Riding an expensive nice bike and clad in club/team colours.

Said individual always says something breezy, like mornin! nice day for it or some other banality but in such an easy manner with no apparent hint of effort being expended so as to suggest this pace is absloutely no effort for them, just breezing along in the sunshine.

Except this pace only lasts to the next set of lights when suddenly they have no urge to go anywhere quickly at all.

First bloke did this, gets about 100 yds ahead slows for lights and stops, I stopped behind (I could have timed it to jump him at the lights but I thought this would be sad and frankly, douchey). Lights change, guy rolls slowly forward, I follow expecting him to shoot off, nothing. Seems to struggle clipping in one side, OK no prob, any-time soon he's going to light it up....er, no. We're only just accelerating get's about 100yds and we're doing about 11mph, a short sharp climb is coming up. Get a move-on I think. Still nothing, on a fixie you don't wait for hills to come to you so I attacked the climb passing him. Of course a few moments later as I'm spun-out on the descent he sails past.

Later in the ride, 2nd bloke sails past on aero bars same easy plattitudes, he has ***** TT Association on his shirt, he appears to maintain pace...I think "There's a genuine guy...." till he gets to the lights. I know the lights well and slow to get to them for the change, I have no intention of passing him just for him to drop me seconds later and make me look an ars*. But I've never seen such an asthmatic push off in my life he only seems to gain momentum in slow motion. I think maybe he didn't change gear for the stop? but again he slowy accelerates to an easy pace and stays there. I'm now thinking WTF?? I stayed behind him for about a 1/2 mile just to see if he upped his pace but he didn't, I was silently praying for him to turn off my route which he did thankfully and as I was pretty sure if I overtook him he'd have done the same again.

The worst cases are those that drop into your front wheel after a "this is my recovery pace" overtake to then ease up and cause you to react to the slowing in pace - a special place in hell awaits these people.

I have no esteem issues about being overtaken by anyone - I usually admire the speed but once overtaken I want to see them dissappear up the road or leave a nice gap.

Why do grown men do this?

So what you're saying here.. is that everyone should sprint away from Traffic lights?