Depressed

[Shorinjidude]

I thought I'd get fitter riding through winter ready to take on all those that scalped me last summer when I first started riding. What with all the extra clothing etc my speed decreased during the winter (though my resiliance to rain went right up!) Last week I was overtaken by two guys in suits and a big girl peddling with kitten heels on

I'm an embarresment to my Shimano's....

How do you ride in a bloody suit? Their not slow by any stretch?

 

[BentMikey]

Some people are just super fast, good genes and probably do more mileage than many of us on here combined, plus focused training. If you've done lots of winter mileage, don't sweat it, your speed will come and you'll be well up on last summer by the time you get to the same month.

 

[downfader]

Dont take it as a failure, you may have done more miles, harder hills or whatever. I pass a lot of people on my way in with the 5 miles I do, a fair few roadies during the summer and spring, but I'll often just see them as either not wanting to race around or they may have come a lot further than me.

 

[gaz]

They may only have 3 miles to go.. so they can go that bit faster.

 

[recumbentpanda]

Fast is lonely

I used to get depressed by being overtaken by people riding grotty bikes who were just a lot stronger than me. For example, last week my not exactly sluggish light touring 'bent was smoked by a guy on a cheap mountain bike with a bent back wheel, and knobbly tires that howled like a swarm of hornets. Then I noticed, a) he had calves like calor-gas cylinders, he was much younger, bigger and beefier than me. Another demonstration that it's not the bike, it's the engine.

Lately however, this has been happening less often. My last couple of rides have had me wondering where all the cyclists were -then the penny dropped. I have been getting a bit faster, thanks to intensive practice. The other cyclists are back behind somewhere, not catching up with me. Suddenly I'm not so sure I like being fast . . . it's lonely at the front.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I have seen this going up the only hill in Cambridge, one guy set off from the lights like his life depended on him getting to the top first.

I caught him, after some effort, then pleasantly shouted over to him that he needed more gears to which he replied, ;come on then' which I did not expect ! and he really started to put some effort in, but I still beat him ! ha ha !!!

The next day same thing, caught guy going mad, and then passed him but I felt him catch me at the next lights and then I heard his gears, I deliberately waited for him to pass me but he never did and I summarily dropped him. I made sure I never looked round either, and when I turned off he was no where in sight.

These sort of races I love em, and they make me work very hard, but its part of the fun which I love !

 

[GrasB]

I have seen this going up the only hill in Cambridge, one guy set off from the lights like his life depended on him getting to the top first.

The only hill in cambridge? Limkiln Rd? Madingley Rd? Hundingdon Rd? My guess would be the latter as it's the only incline in the main part of the town I can think of.

Anyway coming down Madingley Rd. I look over my shoulder to see a guy who's been tailing me since I joined the road & a lorry coming. I slow down to let the lorry pass before the pinch point & the guy goes for it (arriving at the pinch point at the same time as the lorry which had to break for him, great piece of planning that ). As he gets to the bus lane to bypass the traffic lights for the M11 slip his speed drops dramatically & he starts to put effort in as I pass him. I do put a little more pressure on the pedals gently increasing my cadence 95... 100... 105... 110... I do a shoulder check & almost immediately he pulls to the side of the road as though he had a problem.

 

[Debian]

What does it really matter though Shorinjidude?

Everyone is different. I've never been super strong so never been that fast, especially up hills but I have the stamina to keep going all day if necessary.

Don't worry about it, keep going and you'll get faster anyway. In the four months that I've been doing my regular 7 mile commute on an old MTB I've gone from averaging 13 mph to just under 18 mph door to door, admittedly I've dumped the knobblies for Schwalbe BAs as well which helps a bit but I'm certainly a LOT faster and "lighter" than when I started.

Persevere!

 

[summerdays]

They may have slowed down shortly after passing you... I was overtaken yesterday on a stretch of very poor surface - I assumed the guy was fast and didn't attempt to catch him up but found I was anyway... I sat on his back wheel for a bit then couldn't be bothered and over took him. He did manage to catch up and overtake again but only because I stopped for the red traffic light and he didn't.

Look at someone faster who overtakes you as someone you can use to speed you up slightly even if you don't try and overtake them - but recognise those that you are never going to catch (usually skinny lycra clad things).

The one I remember most overtaking me was a really old guy, on an old bike, with a leather saddlebag, uphill. Still makes me smile and hope that I am still enjoying cycling and could overtake someone like that when I'm his age.

 

[Vikeonabike]

Yesterday I scalped a young (17 or 18) lad on his carbon fibre roadie...I went passed him like he was stood on the side of the road eating a muesli bar!

Ok so he was stood on the side of the road eating a muesli bar!
But I still overtook him....

Don't judge your performance by anybody else's only you know if your improving...Doesn't matter if you are measuing it by PBs' mileage or any other way. Just enjoy your riding. My speed has come down from 18 mph average to 14 mph average since my injury and tbh iam just happy to be riding (for now)

 

[Shorinjidude]

Cheers all, feel much better now

 

[Debian]

YW

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

YW

You wuss??? That's not very polite.

 

[chillyuk]

I overtook somebody once.

She said you just wait till daddy takes my stabilisers off.

 

[redjedi]

Don't feel bad about getting over taken or riders pulling away from you.

Our receptionist was giving me an evil look this morning as I walked past. She's very athletic and regularly cycles or runs the 6 miles into work and is a member of the TA so she's no slouch on the bike especially since she got a new one on the C2W scheme.

As I was running late after fixing a puncture this morning, she was coming up behind me at a set of lights just as they were changing. I set off at what I consider a steady pace up the hill into work, but apparently I was disappearing into the distance (I had no idea she was there, so wasn't trying esp hard).

I got to work and had time to hose the bike down before she got there

I'm guessing my fitness is returning after my long lay off, now I just need to lose the extra weight.