To scalp or not to scalp?

[Maylian]

So cycling to work this morning I see a cyclist approx. 1 mile ahead of me in a bright yellow jersey. I got caught at a couple of lights but managed to catch up with him about a 1/2 mile before my turning for work. He was only cruising at about 23mph and I was up to about 34mph so could have overtaken him but would have had to break shortly after for my turning.

Now not sure if the yellow jersey made me think of TdF and I was going to win something but I ended up taking the polite way out and just sitting back a bike length and then turning off since its a sunny Sunday morning. Should I have scalped?...I kind of regret not taking it now

 

[MattHB]

you were cruising at 34mph? jeez

 

[Maylian]

No he was cruising, I was in attack mode

 

[defy-one]

And this was on a 10% incline and suddenly you woke up? Lol

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I passed a couple of roadies* but in fairness I didn't have much on the rack, the tyres were only 32 and the mudguards weren't too wide, the hub gear is only an 8 speed so not too heavy and Reynolds 520 steel wasn't weighing me down that much.


*of which I am one too on occasion.

 

[Nihal]

34mph

Are you sure no cops were chasing you??

 

[gaz]

Only overtake if you can make it stick.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Only overtake if you can make it stick.

You can always stop to take that urgent mobile phone call...

 

[Maylian]

I could have made it stick, just thought it was bad form to then hammer on the brakes 300 yards down the road to turn into my offices.

 

[redcard]

It's quite impressive to be able to make out a cyclist who's 1 mile ahead!

 

[MrB1obby]

It's quite impressive to be able to make out a cyclist who's 1 mile ahead!

And know he was cruising at approximately 23 mph

 

[Maylian]

And know he was cruising at approximately 23 mph

This is the road so pretty straight and no traffic when I was cycling. The 23mph was what my speedo said when I was cruising behind him. But I do have laser vision so can see through things....
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=the...=MKwgbBaWSbGg3aazuI3UBw&cbp=12,357.83,,0,8.84

 

[Sittingduck]

If the turn off was 300 yards after, I would have just gone past him. Plenty of road to use up before the turn, even at warp factor 3. Sounds like you was thinking about it too much - just get out there and ride!

 

[Ian Cooper]

Anyone who thinks this much about overtaking another cyclist while commuting is not paying enough attention to the things he should be thinking about on the road. A commute is not a race.

 

[Berties]

it must of been early i have never seen the avenue look that clear,so you could get any speed up,never been down there on a bike but always feels busy when i have cut down through there to town from Chilworth