Commuter Racing - my comeuppance

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Kestevan

Last of the Summer Winos
Location
Holmfirth.
My ride home features a long steady hill, probably 2 miles at 4-5% with traffic lights at the bottom, and a downhill at the end.

I usually make a point of trying to catch and pass anyone I can see when I pass the lights before they reach the brow of the hill :biggrin:

Last night, I saw a mountain bike thingy 1/3 way up, and duly set off in pursuit. My legs were burning, I was breathing through my ears and could hardly see through the sweat on my glasses, but slowly I reeled him in.

As I closed, I thought, "Jeese, this guys moving, and that looks a heavy bike.... and he doesn't look like he's trying". Bugger was riding an electric bike :biggrin:

I slowed 10yds off his back wheel to get my breath back, then passed him with a cheery "Evening" as though nothing was amiss.
Whizzed down the downhill section as fast as possible, turned off into my road home and frantically tried not to pass out or throw up.

Morall of the story is either: wind in the Macho bull-toffee and stop commuter racing.... or Wa-hey I caught him anyway, bring on the next victim.

Can't decide which one :whistle:
 

adds21

Rider of bikes
Location
North Somerset
Scalping an electirc bike, uphill has got to worth triple points.
 

4F

Active member of Helmets Are Sh*t Lobby
Location
Suffolk.
Kestevan said:
Morall of the story is either: wind in the Macho bull-toffee and stop commuter racing

Impossible, I am old enough to know better but despite my best intentions of taking it easy the moment I spot someone ahead then it is game on :whistle::biggrin:
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
I'd go for the latter my self. But that's only cause I took an incline faster than a guy on an electric bike & he seemed to be struggling somewhat. :whistle:
 

Gains

New Member
lol nice one - particularly breathing out of your ears, i think iv started that too on occasion!:ohmy:

iv not got the fitness yet to seriously commute race (the lack of people on my side of the road is also a major factor) - just getting to the top of the hills is a win in my books thus far!:wacko:
 
That's happened to me when I was a superfit triathlete - as I painfully inched closer to the overweight German Hausfrau I started to seriously doubt my eyes, until I realised it was an electric bike. Oh the relief.

It's definitely the second moral.
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
Second.

Before you posted that, I thought you were a vacuous waste of bytes, an inconsequential blip on an otherwise mission critical forum. The dummy switch on a Nuclear arming control panel. The Gordon Brown on a Lib/Lab coalition. Now reading this, you are my new hero. I will build a shrine to you when I get home, and follow your ever move with wonder and amazement.

Can I have your twitter address, signed photo and life story, please? I may even write a sycophantic biography of you.
:ohmy::bravo::wacko::bravo::bravo:
 

Wobblers

Euthermic
Location
Minkowski Space
BrumJim said:
Second.

Before you posted that, I thought you were a vacuous waste of bytes, an inconsequential blip on an otherwise mission critical forum. The dummy switch on a Nuclear arming control panel. The Gordon Brown on a Lib/Lab coalition. Now reading this, you are my new hero. I will build a shrine to you when I get home, and follow your ever move with wonder and amazement.

Can I have your twitter address, signed photo and life story, please? I may even write a sycophantic biography of you.
:ohmy::bravo::wacko::bravo::bravo:

Do I detect a smidgeon of sarcasm there, BrumJim??? :smile:

As for giving up commuter racing - don't be silly! Scalping an electric bike is definitely a "wahey moment"!
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
McWobble said:
Do I detect a smidgeon of sarcasm there, BrumJim??? :ohmy:

As for giving up commuter racing - don't be silly! Scalping an electric bike is definitely a "wahey moment"!

More like hyperbole. You KNOW what I am like in "The Race". We scalped them kids on the BMXs good and proper the other evening, heh?

(Don't mention the man on the TT bike.....)
 

perplexed

Guru
Location
Sheffield
I cycled into the city centre the other day, and caught up with a rather attractive young lady.

I couldn't seem to raise the desire to pass her. But I spent a happy half a mile behind her before she turned off! :smile:
 

Vincealot

New Member
Location
Coventry
I scalped a Leccy bike uphill once and told the rider he needed a bigger engine :blush:

I set off for work at 4:30am now and unfortunatly dont see any other cyclists in the morning apart from 1 ninja going the opposite way.
 

palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
I scalped an electric bike once. I was putting a fair bit of effort in, he was pedalling gently. And wearing wellies.
 

al78

Guru
Location
Horsham
perplexed said:
I cycled into the city centre the other day, and caught up with a rather attractive young lady.

I couldn't seem to raise the desire to pass her. But I spent a happy half a mile behind her before she turned off! :tongue:

Did you raise anything else :smile::biggrin:.
 
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