Why overtake?

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shouldbeinbed

Rollin' along
Location
Manchester way
I'm no racer and happily pootle along in my own little world at my own pace. I once went past a bloke and his wife, said evening to them both, as you do, she said hello, he got out of the saddle, caught me up and proceeded to yell, we've done 10 miles already its not that easy you know, before slowing off back to his wife.

didn't have the heart I'd already done 15 miles to be at that point.
 
OP
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lozcs

lozcs

Guru
Location
Wychbold
He is inexperienced. Year of self-ego-boosting have led me to develop a nearly infallible technique for overtaking:
  • If you overtake someone who is clearly not able to respond, such as a 10 year old child on a BSO, just enjoy the moment.
  • If you overtake someone who might be able to respond, turn off the route as quickly as seems sensible. You have won.
  • If you overtake someone who is clearly much better than you, stop in a few yards and pull out your mobile phone. They will overtake but as you have stopped it does not count. This is a score-draw.

^_^

There's a guy on my route, rides a fixie, he's really really fast - he's never overtaken me (but only because I've not been out before him) I've struggled a few times to catch up with him in the distance but never managed it though and one day joined the route at the same time so had a nice chat then I drafted him for about a mile and a half then as I was then a mile and a half from home I returned the toe and pulled in front - big mistake - one of the best lessons about the feectiveness of drafting ever - by the time I got home I thought I was going to cough up both lungs..
 

Ciar

Veteran
Location
London
I have only been back since december, but in all honesty i prefer other riders to pass me, I like the fact that they are motivating me to improve my fitness, but i won't be racing them, cause i cant be assed ;-)
 

Lyrical

fen x
Location
LANDAN
It's win-win.

The scalper gets a kick when he scalps.
The scalped get a kick when they rock up to the lights behind the scalpee.
 

Peter Armstrong

Über Member
He seemed to be the one that decided it was a race - I was too concerened with a banging head and dehydration to even think about racing.xx(

He started slowing within about 2 mins of passing me - I would never pass a cyclist if I thought within half a mile they would pass me again.

How would you know that? how would you know what the other guys doing? How do you know that your faster than him, he mite have just be taking an easy few mile.

its Paranoia! I over take people all the time and they retake me, if I’m on my favourite stretch of road that I like to blast, or come to a hill that I may take easy. I would do exactly the same thing regardless of another rider being there. Or sometimes get taken on a hill then over take them because I go onto my drops in an aero position.
 

Twilkes

Guru
I'm not sure about all this saying hello and waving stuff; and then the hello-ers getting all offended because the other person doesn't respond. When I'm going to work I just want to get to work, don't think that we're mates just because we've both got two large round things between our legs.
 

Andrew_P

In between here and there
I did this once, had spent so long in the draft almost freewheeling that I had forgotten there was a massive headwind until I had already started the overtake move...

I did hold them off <just> but had to put a massive effort in and was relieved when the lights turned red where I turn off. We had a laugh about it at the lights when I explained.

Plus I always feel a bit awkward sitting in someones draft for too long taking it easy.
 
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lozcs

lozcs

Guru
Location
Wychbold
Bloody hell, he may have been concentating and riding hard, somtimes you cannot say hello, your just making presumtions.

*you're

I win....
 
OP
OP
lozcs

lozcs

Guru
Location
Wychbold
I'm not sure about all this saying hello and waving stuff; and then the hello-ers getting all offended because the other person doesn't respond. When I'm going to work I just want to get to work, don't think that we're mates just because we've both got two large round things between our legs.

I didn't think we could be mates, and I know that some people think it strange that a stranger might say hello (not just because they are both on bikes) - I wasn't offended that he didn't respond to a hello - as I said, I just thought it made him look a knob.
 
It's normal. He probably didn't even realise he was giving it more than normal when he was catching up with you, until his aching muscles/lungs told him and he slowed down again. It's for this reason I try to ease off slightly when I see a cyclist ahead - that way I still normally catch them, but then know I've still got the engine running fine when I pass them!

Also, some people are just rubbish at hills!
 
I thought I was a competitive person, but some cyclists take it to a new level!

I was out for a casual ride on Saturday with a friend of mine. We overtook a cyclist who looked quite proficient, just simply because we were riding at the same pace throughout. As I passed I said good morning, and he reciprocated.

Half a mile later, he comes storming past us both.

Half a mile later, he's crawling along again.

I can only assume he was competitive, and was offended that we'd overtaken him. Bizarre behaviour.

Personally, I know I'm an amateur on a very average bike. I am not interested in racing people!


Could be doing intervals for training?

Edit: Somebody already posted, teach me not to not read the rest of the thread before replying.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I often pass people who start slowly at junctions - why should I sit behind them if they are going to crawl off and not be ready to go when the lights change - then the minute I hit a hill or have been going for a while I start to slow so I expect to be re-overtaken. It doesn't bother me - I know they are faster uphill than me - same way as I'm a quicker starter than average perhaps.

In fact sometimes I hate it when they sit behind me ... they seem to stay there for a bit - making me feel like I have to make a bit of effort when all I want them to do is overtake and disappear.
 
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