Missed Connection?
I was out last Thursday doing my usual weeknight loop, but this time I was going solo (normally my wife and I ride together, but she had to work late). I decided to see what kind of average speed I could hold while "unencumbered" by a riding partner who is typically slower than me. Along my route, there is a 7-8 mile stretch of uninterrupted pavement that is a dedicated bikeway (although it does see the occasional walker/jogger).
So, I turned from the roadway onto the bikeway and start to spin up. I hit 20 mph pretty easily, and before long I'm cruising at ~24 mph with moderate effort. After a few minutes, I come to the next bikeway entrance, and I see another cyclist in full kit (white 'The Velo' jersey), but he's clearly slowing down. I sit up and slow to around 18 mph as I pass, but I don't make a big deal of it. He is pulling off the trail when I go past.
Once I was clear of the bikeway entrance, I get back in the drops and start to spin up again. As I'm getting back to about 22 mph, the White Rider spins past me, probably doing 28 mph. I think he kind of looked back at me, but it was getting dark at this point. It didn't take long before he disappeared around a bend, so I shrugged it off and went back to my pre-planned workout. Then, maybe 5 minutes later, I see his tail light ahead of me and his white kit reflecting my headlight. I'm not sure what to do if I end up catching him, but that worry gets blown away by a literal monsoon that rolled in and turned my ride into a survival fight. I got sand blasted by the wind, pelted with sideways rain, and ended up running over some goathead thorns that would later cause a flat. I made it home just as the front wheel was getting spongy, but holy crap was that a thrilling storm!
My question for the board: was this Rider in White trying to goad me into some competitive riding? Was he flirting with me? Should I have asked for his Grindr handle? Or was this all just much ado about nothing in my head?