Too old to scalp?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

lejogger

Guru
Location
Wirral
Not so much to scalp (but partly :evil:) twice yesterday I actually rode a longer route home and into work because in the distance I saw a cyclist and catching them was more important than continuing on the usual route!
The first looked like a fellow clubmate from a distance... it took me about a mile and a half to finally get on his back wheel, (by which time I'd already realised it was just a random roadie), gave him a cheery shout of 'good morning' at which point he gave me a blank look, nodded, and then turned off down a side road!

On the way home down a very long straight stretch I saw a blinking light in the distance, so despite being a slight drag into a head wind I got low and punished myself for about 3 miles until I finally caught up at a roundabout. To be fair we had a great chat while the lights were on red, giving each other bicycle compliments and cursing the wet weather, and then we wished each other well and went our separate ways.

I really must be desperate for like-minded company!
 
OP
OP
wintonbina

wintonbina

Über Member
Location
Bournemouth
Not so much to scalp (but partly :evil:) twice yesterday I actually rode a longer route home and into work because in the distance I saw a cyclist and catching them was more important than continuing on the usual route!
The first looked like a fellow clubmate from a distance... it took me about a mile and a half to finally get on his back wheel, (by which time I'd already realised it was just a random roadie), gave him a cheery shout of 'good morning' at which point he gave me a blank look, nodded, and then turned off down a side road!

On the way home down a very long straight stretch I saw a blinking light in the distance, so despite being a slight drag into a head wind I got low and punished myself for about 3 miles until I finally caught up at a roundabout. To be fair we had a great chat while the lights were on red, giving each other bicycle compliments and cursing the wet weather, and then we wished each other well and went our separate ways.

I really must be desperate for like-minded company!

Sounds like me:becool:!
 

Nebulous

Guru
Location
Aberdeen
I'm in my early 50's, I've tried a few TTs, have done 1 road race and have worked helluva hard to get a bit faster. There's nothing I like better than chasing someone down on the open road when out training. My commute however is pretty short, very stop start with some crappy junctions and I rarely get the opportunity to take anyone on. I'm also fairly cautious in heavy traffic.
Earlier this week I needed to stretch my legs a bit so took a slightly longer route home. I'm in a red box at the front of the queue at a traffic light when this guy comes down the inside of the traffic pulls out on my outside then goes through a massive palaver of setting up his bike- just right. I look over nicely painted steel bike, leather toe straps, leather bar tape, right leg of his trousers rolled up, twitching to go. Light changes, his arse goes up in the air and he's off before me. About 3 cranks and I'm level with him, another 3 and I'm pulling ahead, by the time we've done 300 metres to the next lights I'm 30 metres ahead without moving from the saddle. I'm feeling slightly satisfied - that's that, when what does he do, but go through the whole rigmarole again. Sets his pedal, twitching his handlebars - slightly annoyed now I head off a bit faster and the next set of lights is green so I give it a bit of welly and don't see him again.

I was slightly baffled that he was left high and dry on the outside, with me in a cycle lane, yet he didn't just pull in behind me the second time.
 

snorri

Legendary Member
A cautionary tale.
I had to give way to an older gentleman at a junction, not wishing to rudely speed past where the route was quite twisty, I held back a polite distance with the plan of overtaking when the route straightened out. The route did eventually straighten out, but by this time was up on a riverside dyke and exposing us to a considerable head wind and catching up proved considerably more challenging than I had anticipated. I never was able to catch up on this guy until he stopped about half a mile ahead of me outside a roadside cafe. I arrived quite breathless and he was cool as a cucumber and pointed towards the electro assist on his rear wheel. :rolleyes:
We had a pleasant chat, I'm sure I made his day^_^
 

avsd

Guru
Location
Belfast
A cautionary tale.
I had to give way to an older gentleman at a junction, not wishing to rudely speed past where the route was quite twisty, I held back a polite distance with the plan of overtaking when the route straightened out. The route did eventually straighten out, but by this time was up on a riverside dyke and exposing us to a considerable head wind and catching up proved considerably more challenging than I had anticipated. I never was able to catch up on this guy until he stopped about half a mile ahead of me outside a roadside cafe. I arrived quite breathless and he was cool as a cucumber and pointed towards the electro assist on his rear wheel. :rolleyes:
We had a pleasant chat, I'm sure I made his day^_^

God bless technology ^_^
 
Top Bottom