Why can't you overtake a club bunch without them taking it as a challenge?

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spire

To the point
I went out for a decent solo ride on Saturday (what a beautiful day) and came upon a bunch of club riders going along at about 18mph, which was just too slow for my mood.

I positioned to overtake thinking 'groan, I know what's going to happen,' then smiled as I went past, saying nothing.

Inevitably this was taken as a challenge, and after a while they put on a burst then settled back down to 18mph, so I overtook them again.

The pattern then repeated. Although it was quite fun, on the third occasion they just glared at me.

If you don't want an extended conversation is there anything you can say that's not perceived as a challenge?
 

zimzum42

Legendary Member
I often have this problem on my Brompton in Majorca.

I'll be trundling to the shops to pick up some Paella ingredients when i come across these pro team riders blocking up the road on their 'training runs'.

They don't half whinge when I breeze past, what with their shaven legs you'd think they'd have other things to worry about
 

stevenb

New Member
Location
South Beds.
Haven't had it happen to me yet...some club riders completely blank me and my mate when we're out.....yet we always say hello and smile and wave etc.
I'd just hang on the back of them and drift along....save energy...when they spot you then blast it and say Ciao...:smile:
 

jashburnham

New Member
They hate it don't they - especially the London Dynamo gang we see round these parts. I've never had one of their riders respond to my cheery "'morning" as I sidle past them... grumpy sods.
 

RedBike

New Member
Location
Beside the road
I have no idea. I've never been quick enough to over-take a chain gang.

Now and then I pass groups of riders clearly out for a lesuirely ride; but they never attempt to keep up or re-pass.
 

dudi

Senior Member
Location
Ipswich, Suffolk
I've only ever seen one chaingang out on the roads round here... and they were in the opposite direction. got a cheery hello and a wave from most of them...

Looked like I was going faster than them... and no, it wasn't a uphill-downhill thing.

I do enjoy overtaking the lone cyclists on my route out to work though... not sure how serious they take it, but I like to keep my average speed up... it's good to overtake on a long flat road... especially as I am riding my fixie at the moment... which doesn't really lend itslef to opening up the taps on a long flat road...
 
you should have said hello or similar when you passed.if someone passes us and says hello we leave them, if they say nothing then it can be taken as a bit of an insult and they get chased down.don't know how it's viewed in other parts of the country.
although there were only to of us on the ride home from a tea stop, we caught and passed a lone cyclist, said hello and caried on.later he came flying past saying nothing, we let him get 100 yards before a long climb into town.
my son said lets rip his legs off, but i said ride steady we'll catch him easily, i could tell from his riding style .we got behind him and my son wanted to pass and drop him.
being a bit of a git i said no, sit on his wheel and talk a bit louder, so we ride easily whilst he kills himself trying to keep a speed up.
if he'd just have siad something when he passed we'd have let him go and not have sat on him watching him suffer.
 
I think it depends on the typre of clubrun - I'm not into racing, despite the constant needling from the club racers to join them, I just like riding my bike and having a chat to people who don't get bored when you start talking about tyres/wheels etc.

If someone passes us on either side of the road most members will wave or call out, and there certainly isn't any chasing down. The race boys however are a moody bunch - training and everything is a race to them, so if someone goes past they *must* chase them down etc etc.
 
OP
OP
spire

spire

To the point
I've tried:

"Morning!"

"Hello!"

Just smiling.

Always seems to be taken as a challenge.

Don't really mind, and it's often fun, but most groups settle back to a slower pace (presumably to cater for their slowest rider), so the process repeats itself, which can become tedious.
 

jashburnham

New Member
Fricking London Dynamo got in the way again on Saturday. I'm tooling round Richmond park with a mate when they decide to overtake and them immediately drop their speed again forcing us to overtake, at which point they get cross and overtake again completely spoiling our rhythm, so frustrating, and they never ever warn you when they pass. My buddy go so fed up that he ended up sitting in their bunch and having a "word" with some of them.
 
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