Racing another cyclist while commuting

[Moodyman]

I ride my normal way. If that allows me to catch up to a slower cyclist, then I will overtake. But I don't raise my effort level to catch up to someone.

In my early cycling days, I caught up to a slim Lycra laiden roadie. At the lights we got chatting about where he was going and he said he was finishing off an 80-mile hill training ride and was just spinning to warm down. I was on my 12-mile commute. My smugness evaporated.

 

[glenn forger]

It's all bad behaviour on the roads.

Cycling faster than someone else is bad behaviour? Come off it.

If they:
ignore zebras
rlj
ride on the pavement or otherwise breach protocol you win by default. Downhill overtakes don't count, and neither do overtakes as you slow to turn off. They don't count. No siree.

 

[Big Nick]

I don't overtake that often!

On the odd occasion I do I only pick up my speed a bit when I get parallel to their back wheel so I can get past quickly so we aren't riding two abreast

I would say its hardly a race unless the cyclist you're passing has picked up their speed in response to you, if they haven't they probably don't give a crap you've passed them!

 

[Kies]

cycling racing is a waste of mental energy. You have no idea how long the other rider has been riding, nor the distance left on his commute.
I would rather look at the lovely ladies walking by :-)

 

[DWiggy]

a scalps a scalp, doesnt matter if there old, girls, kids or if they are on a 100miler....its still a scalp! lol

 

[Soup890]

Imagine if this was car drivers chatting about their behaviour on the road, you'd all be outraged.

Zzzzz

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Imagine if this was car drivers chatting about their behaviour on the road, you'd all be outraged.

Justifiably. The motorists are driving machines with some major damage potential, so your analogy is badly chosen. I never lose track of safety when I occasionally compete against another cyclist.

 

[steveindenmark]

I am just wondering how many of you actually TALK to these other cyclists.

Now that would be something worth posting on here.

Steve

 

[sidevalve]

Justifiably. The motorists are driving machines with some major damage potential, so your analogy is badly chosen. I never lose track of safety when I occasionally compete against another cyclist.

Ahh. So as usual it's ok for cyclists to break the law but no one else. Sounds a bit like the "oh no officer I wasn't speeding by that much" excuse, after all YOUR machine might not do too much damage but the vehicle that has to swerve to avoid you might. Like I've said before if you can't ride within the law don't start crying when someone else breaks it. If you want to race go to a track.

 

[Mugshot]

Ahh. So as usual it's ok for cyclists to break the law but no one else. Sounds a bit like the "oh no officer I wasn't speeding by that much" excuse, after all YOUR machine might not do too much damage but the vehicle that has to swerve to avoid you might. Like I've said before if you can't ride within the law don't start crying when someone else breaks it. If you want to race go to a track.

Which law has been broken?

 

[Mugshot]

Oh grow up. Cycling faster than someone else isn't what's being described. If you'd ever been barged aside by a silly commuter racing oaf on a bike who's living in his own little fantasy world you might be a bit less forgiving.

Can't remember seeing anybody describe it as you just have, must have missed that bit.

 

[glenn forger]

Ahh. So as usual it's ok for cyclists to break the law but no one else.

Break what law? There's no law against overtaking cyclists.

 

[glenn forger]

Oh grow up. Cycling faster than someone else isn't what's being described.

That's exactly what I'm describing. I dunno where you got "barging people out of the way" from. You seem to be arguing with voices in your head.

 

[glenn forger]

Ahh. So as usual it's ok for cyclists to break the law but no one else. .

It's not against the law to overtake another cyclist.

 

[glenn forger]

That's a very dull and implausible anecdote. What's it got to do with the thread?