"On your right"

secretsam
secretsam Posts: 5,098
edited August 2017 in Road beginners
End of the Chiltern 100, had enjoyed the ride. Last section was a narrow road, say 2 bikes' width. Timed for KOM/QOM. Of no interest to me as i was shattered, but any number of thrusty club jerseys came roaring up, yelling "on your right" at everyone and steaming through.

Twunts. I get it that they're keen, fine, but everyone else paid to take part without being bullied.

High Wycombe CC - you take the prize for c0ckwombles of the day. A gang of 3-4 riders smashing through. Idiots.

It's just a hill. Get over it.
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Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    Don't see any problem, sportives are quite competitive... if you don't like those folks (and I don't), then you should look at Audax rides instead.

    Did you do the full 100?
    left the forum March 2023
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Nothing to see here....move along...
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Don't see any problem, sportives are quite competitive... if you don't like those folks (and I don't), then you should look at Audax rides instead.

    Did you do the full 100?

    Was going to but dicky Achilles so fid the Medio, which was pretty hard.

    I have nothing against people pressing on, but piling through groups of riders like they're obstacles...no.

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Imposter wrote:
    Nothing to see here....move along...

    Oh, sorry, not allowed to express an opinion?

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    Don't be so precious FFS.......

    ;)
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    it's like that at all sportives... as above, I suggest you look at Audax rides
    left the forum March 2023
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    If it was an event 'timed' section then you could have second guessed what was likely to happen.... yes?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    SecretSam wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    Nothing to see here....move along...

    Oh, sorry, not allowed to express an opinion?

    You are allowed to express an opinion - and I am allowed to comment on it. That's how internet forums work.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,130
    Smashing through? Really?

    It was a bit narrow for something with a prize attached, I thought.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Smashing through? Really?

    It was a bit narrow for something with a prize attached, I thought.

    Agreed, waaay too narrow

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,594
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    PBlakeney wrote:
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
    I see what you did there

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • craigus89
    craigus89 Posts: 887
    Bullied? Lol

    You say it was timed for KOM but are complaining that people were going quickly past you.

    That makes sense.
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    They're letting you know they are there. Nothing more to it. You'd probably complain if they came past you with no warning at all. :roll:
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    Makes me laugh when people enter a timed group ride and then get upset because some people ride fast near them.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • essexian
    essexian Posts: 187
    The OP is correct as, at times, groups do ride too close and too fast by other cyclists. It's rude and frankly, if it was a car doing it to them, they would not like it. Indeed, being hit by a club rider doing 50kph is as likely to knock you off as being hit by a car at the same speed.

    So yes, its a time section and of course some people want to try and "win" but if you want to race, get a licence, pin on a race number and go race. Do not enter a mixed ability ride with other people who are not as capable as you; not as experienced as you and who are out simply as a way of testing themselves....that's the whole idea of Sportives: a test of your own ability against yourself! If you want to test yourself against other, as I have said: GO RACE!

    As for doing Audax: most club riders would not stand a chance against audax riders. Not in the speed stakes but simply in the ability to keep going. How many members of the club mentioned above will be doing the LEL next month? Not many I would wager. Audax is for people for whom going fast is no test of their ability.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    essexian wrote:
    So yes, its a time section and of course some people want to try and "win" but if you want to race, get a licence, pin on a race number and go race. Do not enter a mixed ability ride with other people who are not as capable as you; not as experienced as you and who are out simply as a way of testing themselves....that's the whole idea of Sportives: a test of your own ability against yourself! If you want to test yourself against other, as I have said: GO RACE!

    I have a lot of sympathy with this view. It's the cycling equivalent of people turning up to track days and thinking that they are racing. The truth is that track days are nothing like races. Not even close.

    People rock up to sportives with a massive range of skill, capability, experience and equipment. It's an entirely different environment from a race. And, sure, there might be timing and timed stages but it's for fun.

    And just like the sad people who turn up to a track day and think they are "racing", those that turn up to a sportive and think they are racing are just as sad. MTFU and race.

    ETA - and if you need to take KoM with the help of your club mates towing you, then it's a pretty hollow achievement.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    SecretSam wrote:
    Timed for KOM/QOM. .

    WHAT !!!!! .... club riders were going fast in a timed section ... GNNNNNRRRRR BASTIDS ... how dare they, its a timed section they should all queue up behind you because you are not interested in the timing of the timed section.

    Its a sportive FFS ... I blame the organisers, cleary there will always be some people that want to race, they cant stop that, so perhaps they should have sections where people can go fast and everyone knows it ... they could even time the section as well so you know how you stack up ... perhaps they should call it a TIMED section

    :mrgreen:
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    fat daddy wrote:
    SecretSam wrote:
    Timed for KOM/QOM. .

    WHAT !!!!! .... club riders were going fast in a timed section ... GNNNNNRRRRR BASTIDS ... how dare they, its a timed section they should all queue up behind you because you are not interested in the timing of the timed section.

    Its a sportive FFS ... I blame the organisers, cleary there will always be some people that want to race, they cant stop that, so perhaps they should have sections where people can go fast and everyone knows it ... they could even time the section as well so you know how you stack up ... perhaps they should call it a TIMED section

    :mrgreen:

    Most of these events are timed start-to-finish.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Timed closed road sections within a Sportive = competitive.

    There's one local to me - not been up it during the sportive though- it's single track - so if you've got 2 riders side by side then it's pretty tight for a 3rd to get past.

    "On your right" is a pretty normal call - sportive, timed section or whatever - it's just a headsup that riders are coming past - they don't need to pass closely though - but it's a good warning for those being overtaken so they don't suddenly swerve out (without checking). It's just a call to say "Hold your line" ...

    One issue I've come across is those not particularly good at climbing or wanting a fast time up a hill don't always sit in to one side (left preferably) - but fill out the whole road - thus blocking it for the faster riders - last years RL100 up Leith Hill was a good example of that - the whole road was chocka with people going just slightly different speeds to everyone else.
  • Can see both sides here tbh.

    People want to go fast, get a good time etc, but as others have said it isn't a race as such. You have to expect slower, less confident riders and treat them with some courtesy. We all started somewhere.

    In short - try and stay out of faster riders way if you're slow, try not to intimidate slower riders if you're fast. Not exactly rocket science.
  • Slowbike wrote:
    One issue I've come across is those not particularly good at climbing or wanting a fast time up a hill don't always sit in to one side (left preferably) - but fill out the whole road - thus blocking it for the faster riders - last years RL100 up Leith Hill was a good example of that - the whole road was chocka with people going just slightly different speeds to everyone else.
    At which point you just have to sit up and accept you're not getting a decent time that day. It's not the end of the world.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,130
    It was basically a path up through the grounds of Penn House, so barely single track. I couldn't really see the point when you have Strava for the proper climbs.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Slowbike wrote:

    One issue I've come across is those not particularly good at climbing or wanting a fast time up a hill don't always sit in to one side (left preferably) - but fill out the whole road - thus blocking it for the faster riders - last years RL100 up Leith Hill was a good example of that - the whole road was chocka with people going just slightly different speeds to everyone else.

    Because it's a sportive - a fun ride. If you want to ride with people who (broadly) know what they should be doing, ride in a race. It's no wonder there's some nasty accidents in sportives. If there's someone in your way, just suck it up.

    Like Ugo, one of the reasons I just can't be @rsed with sportives these days is because of those people that think they're on the pro tour. It's just sad. "Competitive"? Who did this club think they were competing with and on what basis? It's a bit of fun within the sportive.

    I think it's funny on here: someone posts to say that they trying to achieve X or Y on a sportive and everyone says it's for fun - just enjoy it or do a proper race. Then someone else comes along and says people are treating it like a race and there's a load of comments to say of course they do - it competitive. There are some who argue both :roll: Let's make our minds up...
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Slowbike wrote:
    One issue I've come across is those not particularly good at climbing or wanting a fast time up a hill don't always sit in to one side (left preferably) - but fill out the whole road - thus blocking it for the faster riders - last years RL100 up Leith Hill was a good example of that - the whole road was chocka with people going just slightly different speeds to everyone else.
    At which point you just have to sit up and accept you're not getting a decent time that day. It's not the end of the world.

    I did ... I found a wheel to sit on (on the left) and sat on it - there were a couple of points where I was below what effort level I thought I could be putting out - but my time gain would've been minimal so I didn't worry about looking around to come past.

    Mind you - with numbers it's the same in practically any sportive - even the european ones - having had to walk up some of the TdFlanders climbs - sheer numbers meant there was little room to cycle.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,238
    Slowbike wrote:

    One issue I've come across is those not particularly good at climbing or wanting a fast time up a hill don't always sit in to one side (left preferably) - but fill out the whole road - thus blocking it for the faster riders - last years RL100 up Leith Hill was a good example of that - the whole road was chocka with people going just slightly different speeds to everyone else.

    Because it's a sportive - a fun ride. If you want to ride with people who (broadly) know what they should be doing, ride in a race. It's no wonder there's some nasty accidents in sportives. If there's someone in your way, just suck it up.

    Like Ugo, one of the reasons I just can't be @rsed with sportives these days is because of those people that think they're on the pro tour. It's just sad. "Competitive"? Who did this club think they were competing with and on what basis? It's a bit of fun within the sportive.

    I think it's funny on here: someone posts to say that they trying to achieve X or Y on a sportive and everyone says it's for fun - just enjoy it or do a proper race. Then someone else comes along and says people are treating it like a race and there's a load of comments to say of course they do - it competitive. There are some who argue both :roll: Let's make our minds up...

    Presumably this accounts for the ‘waves’ in ride London.

    I mean, they time you and rank you, so race or not, plenty of people want to go for a good time.


    I don’t see anything wrong with gunning for a good time in a sportive.


    On a semi related note I read an article the other day on why marathon times in the US are slowing.

    https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... PHjCPH6mVQ

    Here too: https://www.outsideonline.com/2127116/g ... can-runner

    And basically fewer people are doing these kinds of events for time and more are doing it just to ‘participate’.

    Nothing wrong with either, but in cycling, in my experience anyway, the level and time commitment for racing is just too high for me, but I still like to gun it fast with riders of a similar pace. I already do that on the club run but something like RL is a chance to test yourself out beyond your mates. I have a target time in RL because a) that’s what my club mates are saying I should get given what they got last year (nothing like a bit of competition to get you motivated...!) and b) it’s a challenge. I can knock out 100miles on shut roads fairly easily, so why shouldn’t I go for a faster time? Nothing wrong with that.

    Just don’t be a d*ck about it, either way.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    I don’t see anything wrong with gunning for a good time in a sportive.

    Just don’t be a d*ck about it, either way.
    Exactly ...

    I wasn't going for a fast hill climb in RL last year - so I stayed out of the way - I was aiming for an overall time though - so would've been a bit annoyed if I was held up by slower riders - providing there was room for them to keep to one side.

    On an open road sportive its not much different - although you just have to take into account that there will be others road users which may affect your time - just have to take it on the chin then ... use that time as a rest and make up time on the next available section...
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Slowbike wrote:
    I don’t see anything wrong with gunning for a good time in a sportive.

    Just don’t be a d*ck about it, either way.
    Exactly ...

    I wasn't going for a fast hill climb in RL last year - so I stayed out of the way - I was aiming for an overall time though - so would've been a bit annoyed if I was held up by slower riders - providing there was room for them to keep to one side.

    On an open road sportive its not much different - although you just have to take into account that there will be others road users which may affect your time - just have to take it on the chin then ... use that time as a rest and make up time on the next available section...

    Agree with both. It's about a bit of consideration. We get intimidated by cars and some riders get intimidated by other riders. If you don't have the time to commit to racing, that's unfortunate and you just need to put up with doing sportives. If I'm on a track day I don't moan because I could have gone a lot faster (and enjoyed myself more) if it was a race.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,238
    RL is a bit different though - shut roads innit.
  • mac9091
    mac9091 Posts: 196
    I don't agree that Sportives aren't races. IMO they are, not against each other but if you intend on going back the following year then you will want to better your previous time, therefore it is a race.

    I do agree that those going flat out should be more considerate and in this case at least they gave you a call.