Passing commuters

[quote="OzCableguy"]When you're doing intervals and come up behind a seasoned commuter and have
to pass, how do you do it without looking like a [censored] trying to race?
QUOTE]

Why would you look like a [censored] ?? If you are that paranoid about it just shorten or extend your interval appropriately.

Or better still if they are that seasoned ask them to lead you on a "REALLY" long interval 🙂

Get up out of the saddle, pedal as hard as you can then sit down as you pass
them, a simple 'morning' or 'afternoon' as you blast by usually has the
effect.
Jock

"OzCableguy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
| When you're doing intervals and come up behind a seasoned commuter and
have
| to pass, how do you do it without looking like a [censored] trying to race?
|
| --
| www.ozcableguy.com
| www.oztechnologies.com
|
|

"Jock" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Get up out of the saddle, pedal as hard as you can then sit down as you
pass
them, a simple 'morning' or 'afternoon' as you blast by usually has the
effect.
Jock

heh. Yeah, I guess it's no big deal what they think really, but sometimes I
wonder what crosses their minds when a big fat bloke on a mountain bike
whips by huffing and puffing for all I'm worth only to have them catch me up
a bit further down the road once I've backed off again. Worse still is when
they catch me up right when I'm about to do another sprint. It must scream
"[censored]". 😉

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com

In aus.bicycle on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:03:50 GMT

OzCableguy said:

heh. Yeah, I guess it's no big deal what they think really, but sometimes I
wonder what crosses their minds when a big fat bloke on a mountain bike
whips by huffing and puffing for all I'm worth only to have them catch me up
a bit further down the road once I've backed off again. Worse still is when
they catch me up right when I'm about to do another sprint. It must scream
"[censored]". 😉

I seldom see another rider, so probably won't have to deal with the
problem.

If I do I had best have both hands on the bars, riding past someone
while leaning back with one hand negligently dangling is probably
screaming "[censored]" even louder.

Especially if you slow dramatically on hills...

Zebee
- who has done Melville St 3 times in a row now! still slower than
walking.... Dunno how I'll go on a hot day.

OzCableguy said:

but sometimes I
wonder what crosses their minds when a big fat bloke on a mountain bike
whips by huffing and puffing for all I'm worth only to have them catch me up
a bit further down the road once I've backed off again

As you pass them shout out "come on lard ar$e" 🙂

"OzCableguy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

heh. Yeah, I guess it's no big deal what they think really, but sometimes
I wonder what crosses their minds when a big fat bloke on a mountain bike
whips by huffing and puffing for all I'm worth only to have them catch me
up a bit further down the road once I've backed off again. Worse still is
when they catch me up right when I'm about to do another sprint. It must
scream "[censored]". 😉

Hehe - last night I called in at the Mountain Goat Brewery for the 10th
anniversary celebrations and ended up catching up with Bikesoiler over 5 or
so beers. I left there just before 7.30pm, negotiated past the security
guard on the door and the line of people waiting to get in (the place was
packed), and rode home on my singlespeed mtb along the Yarra Boulevard until
the Chandler Hwy and then on the Yarra Trail home from there. As I was
coming over the second last hill on the Boulie (just before crossing the
Fwy) I was overtaken by a young guy on a roadie out for a training ride (no
backpack). I let him go past, then just as I got to the bottom of the last
hill (just after the Fwy) another young guy went past me (also no backpack)
and he looked like he was putting in the big ones to smash past me up the
hill. I decided to crank it up a bit and so I stayed about 5m behind him
all the way up the hill - I made sure he knew I was there because he only
had a couple of white flashers and I had the 2 x 3W Cree LEDs on the bars
and another 2 x 3W Cree LEDs on my helmet and I made sure that I kept the
helmet light trained on his back the whole way up!!! He tried to get out of
the saddle a couple of times to drop me but I was able to stay with him (My
SS runs a 38 x 16 gear). He was clearly buggered by the top of the hill and
I was having a bit of a chuckle to myself - I then let the gravity turbo
kick in (steel bike + 102kg Gags + approx 8kg backpack + slicks pumped to 65
psi + hubs only repacked and adjusted last week) and I went past both of
them on the downhill without having to turn a pedal.

I guess you could say that was how not to overtake a "seasoned commuter" -
hehehehehe. You have to keep them young whippersnappers honest every now
and then.

Gags

Gags said:

"OzCableguy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

heh. Yeah, I guess it's no big deal what they think really, but sometimes
I wonder what crosses their minds when a big fat bloke on a mountain bike
whips by huffing and puffing for all I'm worth only to have them catch me
up a bit further down the road once I've backed off again. Worse still is
when they catch me up right when I'm about to do another sprint. It must
scream "[censored]". 😉

Hehe - last night I called in at the Mountain Goat Brewery for the 10th
anniversary celebrations and ended up catching up with Bikesoiler over 5 or
so beers. I left there just before 7.30pm, negotiated past the security
guard on the door and the line of people waiting to get in (the place was
packed), and rode home on my singlespeed mtb along the Yarra Boulevard until
the Chandler Hwy and then on the Yarra Trail home from there. As I was
coming over the second last hill on the Boulie (just before crossing the
Fwy) I was overtaken by a young guy on a roadie out for a training ride (no
backpack). I let him go past, then just as I got to the bottom of the last
hill (just after the Fwy) another young guy went past me (also no backpack)
and he looked like he was putting in the big ones to smash past me up the
hill. I decided to crank it up a bit and so I stayed about 5m behind him
all the way up the hill - I made sure he knew I was there because he only
had a couple of white flashers and I had the 2 x 3W Cree LEDs on the bars
and another 2 x 3W Cree LEDs on my helmet and I made sure that I kept the
helmet light trained on his back the whole way up!!! He tried to get out of
the saddle a couple of times to drop me but I was able to stay with him (My
SS runs a 38 x 16 gear). He was clearly buggered by the top of the hill and
I was having a bit of a chuckle to myself - I then let the gravity turbo
kick in (steel bike + 102kg Gags + approx 8kg backpack + slicks pumped to 65
psi + hubs only repacked and adjusted last week) and I went past both of
them on the downhill without having to turn a pedal.

I guess you could say that was how not to overtake a "seasoned commuter" -
hehehehehe. You have to keep them young whippersnappers honest every now
and then.

Gags

Haha... As Oz put it, they we're probably thinking "[censored]"! :-)
LOL!!!

In these situations I always assume the guys I'm passing are on their
way home from a 100 k ride with a few hill repeats thrown in. That's
be the only way I could pass!!

Gags said:

... He was clearly buggered by the top of the hill and
I was having a bit of a chuckle to myself - I then let the gravity turbo
kick in (steel bike + 102kg Gags + approx 8kg backpack + slicks pumped to 65
psi + hubs only repacked and adjusted last week) and I went past both of
them on the downhill without having to turn a pedal.

I like it a lot. ;-)

My favourite is when I'm commuting home on Aaargh[1] and I get passed
while I'm stopped at the pedestrian lights by a poser/wannabe who
blows the red. They've usually opened up a 100m or so gap by the time
I get a green, and on the rare occasions that manage to catch them
going up the long hill I make sure to call out "Put in, lad!" as I
sail past. ;-)

BTH
[1] http://www.smallsolar.org/BTH/budgetbike/

Gags said:

I decided to crank it up a bit and so I stayed about 5m behind him
all the way up the hill - I made sure he knew I was there because he only
had a couple of white flashers and I had the 2 x 3W Cree LEDs on the bars
and another 2 x 3W Cree LEDs on my helmet and I made sure that I kept the
helmet light trained on his back the whole way up!!!

Poor guy, he probably couldn't see the road in front of him because it was always in shadow. When a rider I was following found out that my Cree light had a low brightness setting (0.7W not 4W), I was asked to next time use it when following so he could still see the road in front. Oops.

Passing commuters can be a bit of a strain, but getting the toilet
seat down afterwards is the hardest part.

IGMC

Graeme

BT Humble said:

My favourite is when I'm commuting home on Aaargh[1] and I get passed
while I'm stopped at the pedestrian lights by a poser/wannabe who
blows the red. They've usually opened up a 100m or so gap by the time
I get a green, and on the rare occasions that manage to catch them
going up the long hill I make sure to call out "Put in, lad!" as I
sail past. ;-)

Oh... BT... you've just made my day... I SO HATE those [censored] who blow
a red and have had about 5 of them in the last week where I've been SO
eager to bad mouth them as I come past a few seconds later, but I can't
work out the best thing to say to them. I mean, I'm really glad to see
people out on their bikes and would hate to see them squished under a
car, but they are such [censored]!

A few weeks ago there was a guy riding in front of me southward on
Adelaide Ave. Just as I caught up to him he quickly darted across onto
the other side of Adelaide Ave (80 kph zone both ways, three lanes each)
so that he could ride the WRONG way along the cycle lane to get onto the
bike path. I met the [censored] again on the bike path in Woden (why he
didn't go the same way as me is just bizarre!!!). He then proceeded to
race me (well, he sucked my wheel) all the way to Wanniassa, thinking he
was top [censored] every time he passed me. I have to add that he only managed
to do this whenever we got to the lights where I would stop and wait for
the green but he would slip through. He was nearly flattened twice. I
waited at one set of lights for around 30 seconds but still managed to
stroll past him on the uphill. I was SOOOOOOO angry with the idiot but
didn't have the right words to drill him with. I'm open for some useful
input on the subject. I'm keen to speak to this guy. He's giving good
riders a bad name and putting his life in danger.

--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

Bean Long said:

BT Humble said:

My favourite is when I'm commuting home on Aaargh[1] and I get passed
while I'm stopped at the pedestrian lights by a poser/wannabe who
blows the red. They've usually opened up a 100m or so gap by the time
I get a green, and on the rare occasions that manage to catch them
going up the long hill I make sure to call out "Put in, lad!" as I
sail past. ;-)

Oh... BT... you've just made my day... I SO HATE those [censored] who blow
a red and have had about 5 of them in the last week where I've been SO

I had a series of a variation on this on Beach Rd yesterday. I'd
overtake groups of slow riders (ATB 50km riders my guess), get stuck at
a red light and as it changes and I'm clipping in they sail past. Single
riders I don't mind because I can get past them easily again, but the
groups are much harder to overtake, especially some of the scary groups
out the week before ATB. If somebody has overtaken me and obviously much
faster I'll slow down at the red light to let them keep ahead.

Oh well magpie season must be just about over, time to get out to the
hills again.

DaveB

Bean Long said:

... I was SOOOOOOO angry with the idiot but
didn't have the right words to drill him with. I'm open for some useful
input on the subject. I'm keen to speak to this guy. He's giving good
riders a bad name and putting his life in danger.

I usually say something along the lines of.. "you know, that was a red
light back there.. you make us all look like [censored] when you do
that"..

if there's any retort (there usually isn't), ask them why they think
cars should give way to them if they dno't obey the road rules
themselves.

Gags said:

He was clearly buggered by the top of the hill and
I was having a bit of a chuckle to myself - I then let the gravity turbo
kick in (steel bike + 102kg Gags + approx 8kg backpack + slicks pumped to 65
psi + hubs only repacked and adjusted last week) and I went past both of
them on the downhill without having to turn a pedal.

ok maybe I am being a bit over-sensative or something I don't know, but why did you find that you had to overtake him anyway, did it just make you feel better about yourself ?? Maybe the guy had just ridden 200km's ?? Maybe he had been off somewhere doing long hill sprints or something and was at the end of his tether and now he has some-one tail-gating/passing him when he is exhausted.

I see a lot of this especially on beach road, you see someone that is obviously putting in and trying to push themselves and then you get other tossers, drafting for ages and then overtaking and all sorts of cr&p. Like DaveB pointed out, it happens a lot there, but you just have to realize where you are and its going to happen.

I have learn't to deal with it on Beach Rd and usually work out fairly quickly and easily which packs/groups I want to drop in with. The best rides on Beach Rd are when you go out and happen to get maybe just 1 or 2 other riders and you rotate around with each and before you know it you're back home, no talking, no stress, you just know whats going on and it all clicks in.

Graeme Dods said:

Passing commuters can be a bit of a strain, but getting the toilet
seat down afterwards is the hardest part.

Oooooh! Ouchies! LOL! :-)

--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

In article <[email hidden]>,

DaveB said:

I had a series of a variation on this on Beach Rd yesterday.

Ah, Beach Road yesterday. I watched a pair coming the other way slow
down and then ride through a red light, nearly missing a pedestrian
stepping out to cross. The pedestrian let fly a justified barrage at
them -- unfortunately extending it to all of us within hearing, which at
that stage was a fair range -- and one of the pair actually tried to
justify what they'd done.

Yes, this was in Mentone, at *that* crossing.

--
Shane Stanley

On Oct 15, 12:32 pm, Shane Stanley <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

DaveB said:

I had a series of a variation on this on Beach Rd yesterday.

Ah, Beach Road yesterday. I watched a pair coming the other way slow
down and then ride through a red light, nearly missing a pedestrian
stepping out to cross. The pedestrian let fly a justified barrage at
them -- unfortunately extending it to all of us within hearing, which at
that stage was a fair range -- and one of the pair actually tried to
justify what they'd done.

Yes, this was in Mentone, at *that* crossing.

--
Shane Stanley

"nearly missing"? So they hit the pedestrian?

;^P

Tony F

Shane Stanley said:

Yes, this was in Mentone, at *that* crossing.
Shane Stanley

Unbelieveable.......

It is a bit unfair though, I+others got abused by a pedestrian crossing the road because we had stopped and other riders ran the red light. He starts crossing and abuses us, we just looked at each other and in perfect synchornization just stared back at him and said "What are you abusing us for !?"

He grumbled to himself and stormed off across the road.

In article <[email hidden]>,

thefathippy said:

"nearly missing"?

Sorry -- narrowly missing.

--
Shane Stanley