Must commuters race each other?

[beanzontoast]

The post on Twilight Zone cycling got me thinking about a couple of recent experiences with what I can only call 'competitive commuters'.

I'm in my 50's and commute to work most days on a tourer at a steady, unhurried pace - not sedate, but not 20+mph either, so I'm not exactly going to be mistaken for a stray from the Tour de France. Several times in recent weeks - today included - I've overtaken other cyclists (people frequently half my age) because they were going more slowly than me only for them to seemingly interpret this as me somehow 'challenging' them or wanting to race. So they speed up and clatter past me, standing out of the saddle, puffing and panting, legs whizzing round in heaven knows what gear.

Why does this happen? What is the point, really?

 

[Tynan]

I like chasing people faster than me, especially days when I'm noodling along in a world of my own, not racing, just following

I do like a race with people that are faster than me, like proper fast

this is London commuting though so shags of bikes and riders on offer

 

[very-near]

Human nature. We are taught to be competitive in school from a very young age.

 

[Cromcruaich]

No point, just human nature. Why did america want to put a man on the moon before russia?

 

[ChrisKH]

Well I have to say I had you down as mid 30's beanz..............

 

[very-near]

Nothing to do with human nature... it was a response to the Russian development of a rocket capable of being used as an ICBM...

But that's OT

The Saturn V rocket was developed specifically to take man to the moon.

They already had the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead anywhere they wanted with the silo based Titan II, as well as their submarine based Polaris. It was all about national pride in the most expensive pissing contest in history.

 

[John the Monkey]

What Tynan said, mostly.

It does annoy me slightly when people try to draft me, and on such occasions I'll generally try to drop them, unless they're people I know.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

S'good training, Beanz!!

I haven't been overtaken (yet) other than by Tharg who sneaked up on me as I was pootling along in my own world... but if I was then I'd try to latch on and only overtake if I knew I could maintain the higher pace... would look a bit silly if you force past for them to catch you immediately.

 

[beanzontoast]

It's the cycling keeping him young, innit....

Oi, Mrs B - are you listening?

 

[Bristol Dave]

There is a thread on the bikeradar forum on this very subject with over 13,000 posts. It includes a scoring system and everything!

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12575770

I don't understand it either frankly. I just do my thing and often get overtaken by an elderly lady with a wicker basket on her bike who goes like the clappers!

BD

 

[very-near]

I can't be arsed to correct you Linf/very-near but you're wrong.

I suggest that you read some serious history books on the subject - Wikipedia doesn't count.

What would they be - moon landing conspiracies for the terminally skeptical ?

 

[beanzontoast]

S'good training, Beanz!!

I haven't been overtaken (yet) other than by Tharg who sneaked up on me as I was pootling along in my own world... but if I was then I'd try to latch on and only overtake if I knew I could maintain the higher pace... would look a bit silly if you force past for them to catch you immediately.

I try not to rise to it, Sh4key, but sometimes it's just so blatant a put-down! I wonder if they're thinking: "Blimey! I must be faster than that bloke! He's got to be 50 at least!".

I suppose if it was down to that, I could see it as a compliment!

 

[hackbike 666]

I have been overtaken many times recently although my fitness is very suspect at the moment.I even pulled out of an invitation to ride the London - Southend last Sunday with work colleagues.

 

[Theseus]

If I happen to pass someone as I am cruisnig along and they then up thier pace to pass me, I will just latch onto thier wheel and let them do the work. Had one chap get a bit upset about it so I told him it was his choice to pass me when he could have just taken the lift off me. All wheels are fair game, offered or not.

 

[beanzontoast]

If I happen to pass someone as I am cruisnig along and they then up thier pace to pass me, I will just latch onto thier wheel and let them do the work. Had one chap get a bit upset about it so I told him it was his choice to pass me when he could have just taken the lift off me. All wheels are fair game, offered or not.

Good point, and drafting / semi-drafting has crossed my mind more than once, but I'm not a great believer in it. Just a chance that a mean-minded cyclist in front could also slam their brakes on in a hurry?