puts me off joining a cycling club..

[Blue Hills]

You did it all wrong. Let them expend their energy catching you up, then just as they're sensing victory put a spurt on and keep them behind. They'll be too nacked to do much about it for a while, by which time you can assess your options for a) speeding away, b) keeping station just ahead of them, or as a last resort, c) casually pretend you've arrived at your destination and pull over. Option b) is my favourite, and I feel the most dispiriting for the victim.

Very inventive drago, but surely the best response is to just ignore it/them, enjoy your cycling the way you were before they appeared. With folks playing games, the best thing, unless it does you harm you care about vis-a-vis others, is to let them play them.

 

[Tin Pot]

I tend to agree. Any 'serious' club, is full of Castelli wearing bellends. Male and female.

Ah, the old Us vs Them tactic.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I go out with the slow group of my club http://www.northlancsrc.org.uk/ so we rarely pass anyone. I think i'm in the minority that acknowledges cyclists travelling in the same or opposite direction, the others just seem to ignore them. Mind you,i have been known to wave at what i think is a cyclist when it turns out to be a motorbike.

Specsavers???

 

[G3CWI]

however instead of passing and keeping their speed up, they just sit in front of me! it was obv important for them to overtake me, but to then slow back down just yards in front of me.

Were there wearing radios? In my mind I imagine that when they were behind you, their DS radioed to say that there was only one slice of cake left at the cafe. Naturally they speeded up. However on overtaking you, the DS radioed to say that a little old lady had just had it, so they slowed down again. Happens all the time here.

 

[Crandoggler]

Ah, the old Us vs Them tactic.

It was a generalisation. Mainly of the Oxfordshire and Berkshire area.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Specsavers???

Some of those high viz bikers and scooterists look just like cyclists from a distance,

 

[mark st1]

It was a generalisation. Mainly of the Oxfordshire and Berkshire area.

??

 

[Wobblers]

Yeah and some decent clubs .....

This is Thursday's club night, 3 different groups: Mellow, Medium, Quick.


View attachment 134464

Mixed bag of mellowers .....


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Post ride recovery product in the clubhouse .....


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Free chip butties!


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I don't see any rain - I take it you weren't there then, FF?

 

[Fab Foodie]

I don't see any rain - I take it you weren't there then, FF?

Mmmmm .... you going to Bognor perchance?

 

[craigwend]

Yeah and some decent clubs .....

This is Thursday's club night, 3 different groups: Mellow, Medium, Quick.


View attachment 134464

Mixed bag of mellowers .....


View attachment 134463


View attachment 134465


View attachment 134466



Post ride recovery product in the clubhouse .....


View attachment 134467



Free chip butties!


View attachment 134468

Off topic - but an excellent & funny Ramones T-shirt

 

[bladesman73]

it was the dismissiveness of their actions that miffed me. funnily enough whilst they sounded smashed at the top of the hill i was as fresh as a daisy and was about 2 metres behind their train . i shouldve overtaken them but didnt want to ruin their day being done by a non club member, and dash their hopes of being the next quintana

 

[Wobblers]

Mmmmm .... you going to Bognor perchance?

I believe the customary response is: bugger Bognor! I'll probably be on the Newhaven ride the week after, assuming I can find what I've done with my CTC membership card and number.

 

[Globalti]

so im out today cycling up a hill, i hear puffing and panting behind me then see 4 guys from colchester rovers cc on my right overtaking me. i say a quick hello and they ignore me, ok not a problem as they were going for it. however instead of passing and keeping their speed up, they just sit in front of me! it was obv important for them to overtake me, but to then slow back down just yards in front of me shows they did it purely for their egos! when i overtake someone i make sure i drop them or at least keep the speed up. saddos.

Exactly this happened to me in 2009 when I was a novice road cyclist, after 21 years on mountain bikes. A local club's evening "take no prisoners" training gang came up the hill behind me and the "leader" overtook me then slowed. I was trying to catch up with my cycling buddy who is always faster than me so I found the bloke hindering me and overtook. From then on for the next mile up the hill heading into the wind they sat on my wheel and when we reached the top they blasted off into the distance leaving me knackered. I found the experience confusing and inexplicably annoying and I even posted on CC at the time asking whether I had infringed some unspoken rule of etiquette.

FWIW I rode the Manchester - Blackpool yesterday with GtiJ and a neighbour who is a cycling novice and one local "club" of about six quite portly MAMILs in brand new jerseys blasted past us three times, well over on the wrong side of the road, then stopped further up the road so that we passed them again. It seemed to be more about showing off than about setting a steady pace; I don't think more established road clubs bother with charidee sportives. I also don't normally bother because I dislike spending £19 to ride with a bunch of muppets when I can ride 60 miles somethere I want to go for the price of a coffee and a cake.

 

[screenman]

We have some great members in our club who do not even ride bikes, they should not give you any problems.

 

[screenman]

I think many of you are getting confused with clubs and some club rides.