Mr. Beanz

I'm thinking I should have used a different title as we weren't competing with the guy. Maybe "stupid dangerous cyclist" would have been more appropriate.


This I am guessing is must be my pet peave. I'm doing our friendly ride with Gina and a couple others, Jose and Aimee. We're doing our usual pace, no racing, no aggressive moves towards any other riders. BUT! We see this one guy way ahead of us. The trail is long and flat and you can see for a mile, maybe 2 ahead if you look hard enough, and we weren't.

But at one point we see this dude coming into view. We get closer and closer and I am pulling. I have been for the first 45 miles of our 60 miler as I like to control the pace for Gina, avoiding sprints and gaps making it easier for her to stay with me (fun that way). So maybe 1/4 mile before we catch the guy I ask Jose to take the front while I catch a breather. No problem but I ask him to keep the same pace so he does.

So we roll up on this dude and politely try to pass with a friendly "on yer left". The looks back then sprints away. OK, you're bad! So we continue our pace and this dude fades about 1/4 mile later. OK, no problem, we catch him and begin our pass a second time. You can see in the video we weren't pushing the pace. A second "onyerleft" and we begin the pass. We pass, so I thought only to find that he had latched onto Gina's side. OK, WTF! Fall back but don't freaking bump my wife. I really didn't know what was going on back there assuming we just passed the guy. Next thing I know he calls "onyerRIGHT" and squeezes through, WTF!!

So he does this weak sprint then pulls away like the hero that he is! I feel Jose lift the pace in response so I say "let him go, he'll fade anyway". So Jose backs of the pace and resumes the usual. I'm sort of tickled knowing that he would do something like this as it happens all the time. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a big dude and these hot shots feel threatened when someone of size passes them. Or could it be that they don't like the idea of getting chicked by two gals. Or maybe that Jose looks like a total fred with his compression socks (for vericose veins).

So anyway the dude falls back again but this time he hangs on the back till he recovers. THEN he sprints around again. At least the guy used the left side this time. So he rides off and again I tell Jose just let him go as he's really getting on my freaking nerves by now! We backed off the pace and just let the clown vanish into thin air. Heck, it was way better than having some asshat taking down one of the gals for a trip to the hospital.

I for the life of me can't understand why these asshats insist on interfering with our smooth rides. Heck, if you're fast, then do us a favor and go! If not, then GTF outta the way! Something tells me catching him from far behind means he wasn't fast so he should have just got GTF outta the way so that he didn't hurt any of our riders. Umm, we did a 60 mile ride at a 15.9 average so I guess he felt really special trying to stay ahead of our blistering pace ha ha!

And for those who say it's the trail riders, don't be fooled. When we did our century a couple weeks back, I saw plenty of the foolish and dangerous cyclist behavior on PCH. Like I say, I'm not anti cycling, I'm anti stupid! ;-)

Mr. Beanz

BTW, after watchig the video a few times, I began to wonder what his BMI is!

jsigone

much agreed here and more so on trails

TrojanHorse

MUP Racing! Wooooooooo hooooooooo!

Here's what smart-fading-racer-guy should have done... latched on to the back for 3 miles until he recovered, and then blasted by you guys. The key is, you have to turn off before you can repass him. it's science!



You need to ride on more roads.. it's more interesting when cars behave like that. I did get a peace sign from a harley rider today though, that was cool.

Dunbar

I'm not familiar with the SART etiquette but the first time it looked like the oncoming lane was empty. Why not go WAY around him in the oncoming lane if traffic permits? I don't ride the SART but that's what I do when passing people on the road. It takes all the wind out of the sails of the people that want to be jerks about the whole getting passed thing.

volosong

Fred!

What a creep. If it wasn't for the ladies... Gives Castelli a bad name.

TrojanHorse

Crikey I get passed all the time and I pass people all the time. It does me no good to get worked up about the passers - if I'm already riding at the pace i want to ride at, what good does it do me to try and speed up? It's a recipe for disaster, as Beanz' new fading-MUP-racer friend found out.

I was riding with a few friends a few months ago and we were setting a barn burning pace on SART from Yorba park to the beach. Anything southbound on SART is probably a strava PR from that day, we were flying. We caught up to another group and ended up passing them (they were barely slower than we were) and ended up trading pulls for a while all the way to the beach. Everything was fine - I don't know why more people can't just behave like that. The only downside was that when we came off that last bridge and turned left on SART to head to the beach, I ended up front and figured I should do an ode-worthy pull... oy. My legs are still crying.

Nusince

I really don't get the whole riding the MUP like it's a time trial thing. My plans on Saturday got screwed up so I decided to do SGRT from top to bottom. I averaged 16.5 so sure I was not the fastest rider out there but not bad for a 75 mile ride. The ride down to the beach was nice but on the way back at times it felt like every weekend cat racer was out trying to set the club record. I had one group of riders pass me at least 3 times (it becomes almost comical to get passed by a group and then see them pulled off to the side of the road multiple times).

Acquaspin

But I thought you had seen most everything the cycling fauna had to offer and yet such instance got you wound up pretty tight. Out of curiosity, was Gina equally annoyed by the incident?

BTW, I'm just imagining the story of the guy at office coffee break today: " I'm just at the end of my Sunday century ride and decide to do a few intervals to wrap things up, suddenly I get this heavy weight freight train trying to pass ME....gosh, what's the world come to, then i decided to .... guys, guys, where are you going? my story doesn't finish there... guys...guys "

Mr. Beanz

We do allow plenty of room for passing. With 4 in our little line, you can't see the back but I am actually to the left of the leader and the gals are even further left than I. So we had plenty of room for a safe pass and the guy knew we were there (4 times with a couple of courtesy calls).

FTR, Gina does not like when some dude hugs her side and keeps her from completing a safe pass. As you see in the video, there are at times riders in the oppostie direction. Aimee is actually more annoyed about these side huggers than Gina. Especially after the last incident about 5 months ago when we passed very wide (middle of opposite lane) and the dude swerved and bumped elbows with me, then hugged Aimee's side. Like I said, we're averaging nearly 16mph and these dudes want to race us?

RichardGlover

The SART was always good for cycling without having to worry about asshats in cars; now I guess you have to worry about asshats on bikes.

bbeasley

Next time let him know you're "that Mr Beanz.... the master of the GMR". Maybe it will sooth his ego enough to let him fade gracefully.

I would have asked permission to latch on and enjoy a good mini group ride!

Acquaspin

Bummer, hopefully these incidents become less frequent so it may not discourage them from riding.

eja_ bottecchia

When in doubt, refer the offending rider to The Rules:

Rule #38
Don’t Play Leap Frog.


Train Properly: if you get passed by someone, it is nothing personal, just accept that on the day/effort/ride they were stronger than you. If you can’t deal, work harder. But don’t go playing leap frog to get in front only to be taken over again (multiple times) because you can’t keep up the pace. Especially don’t do this just because the person overtaking you is a woman. Seriously. Get over it.

Mr. Beanz

True! Seems Lance won some interest and attracted more riders. We ride a bit later than most so we avoid a TON of traffic but every now and then we get one. I understand everybody wants to ride and has the right, but why interfere with others? I've had many times where others ask if they can hang on, some that don't. Either way is no big deal but these that make things dangerous for the group suck.

Sometimes we start an hour earlier and my garsh it is a madhouse! Not because of the beachcruisers, hikers, or dog walkers, but the cyclists! There are a ton and that only means that there is a bigger chance that stupid riders are present. That goes for the large groups, racers, wannabes, rec riders, posers, freds etc.

Mr. Beanz

Sounds reasonable! Bumping our riders and getting in the way isn't!

Mr. Beanz

Yup Aimee won't ride with anybody else. She says she likes the way we ride and trusts us, there is a reason for that. We ride steadily and safely.

Aimee is very strong when she's in form. So at times we will unleash here. She'lll kick butt up the road then we regroup. But she never takes a wheel or interferes with other groups.

Mr. Beanz

Zactly. Seriously, I have had guys hop on then get pissed while shouting every name in the book after getting dropped by Gina on one of those short little undeerpass climbs (holding our pace). Pretty funny actually. Throw a girl in the group and guys fall to pieces.

I've had guys pull up to me at water stops and start making excuses as to why they couldn't keep up with Gina.

Dude, I was trying to keep up with your wife but she's pretty strong and I couldn' keep up cause I had a cold last month, I'm 50 and have 3 grandkids!

Funny, Gina had no idea she was racing!...BTW, Gina's 50, kidney transplant and 8 grandkids!

Rong

I don't get it either. Being over 50 now and 80lbs overweight I know I'm not going to win any speed contest. I got 66 miles in last Sat. and was thrilled to death to get in my second ever metric century, but my time sure isn't anything to gloat over. On the way out to the turn around point I kept having a guy in a red jersey that would start closing in on me and then would get stuck at a road crossing only to catch up to me again. Finally he just about latched on but being new to riding I'm not used to that and it was kind of unnerving so when we hit a long upgrade I motioned him to go ahead. I got to the end of the trail and saw him over to one side so went up to talk to him. I laughed saying I was wondering when he was finally going to pass me because I'd kept seeing him behind me. He commented how fast I'd take off from the lights, and then laughed about glomming onto my rear and zoning out on the flasher I had on the tail end. The end result being we both had a good laugh over the past 20 miles.
I had any number of speed racers go by and gladly gave them an extra bit of room and let them know when they'd safely passed. Hell I'd even give em a, "looking good!" shout as they hammered by, and more than once it was a woman who left me in the dust. If I was going by someone else and I could see they were struggling like me (usually going up a hill) I'd make some encouraging remark and wish them a safe ride.
I'm out riding to have fun and get my fat A$$ off the couch, and the only person I'm trying to prove anything to is myself. People like the guy in this story... well I just don't have time for them.

Besides that's the kind you just chuck a stick into their spokes (just kidding)

nerys

I don't get bothered by aggressive riders. I have not ridden in years changing that this week.

but at 400 pounds if 150 pound rider wants to "bump" me its going to be like hitting a brick wall. IE I "might" feel them and they are certainly going to feel the ground. so by all means go ahead be aggressive. I will just ignore them like any fly on the windscreen.

I learned road rage (cycle rage?) is just not worth stressing over :-) though I don't think he was being "nasty" just aggressive.

many see a pass as "competitive"

you see it driving too. I drive a Geo Metro. I tend to drive slow (saves gas and lots of it) but when I want someone to move its really easy.

I just try and pass MAN does that get them moving. it seems people REALLY don't want to be seen getting passed by geo metro's :-) all I need to do is "signal" to pass and vroom off they go :-)

its a natural tendency to be "aggressive" like this. as long as it does not go beyond that just let it go. ignore him.

if he side rides you just politely ask him not do that please. go in front or go behind but don't ride along side me please.

Mr. Beanz

Agressive doesn't bother me, sucking on the back doesn't bother me, passing on my left doesn't bother me.

Getting passeed then hugging my wife on the side, then passing me on the right while we're not expecting it or not knowing he's there bothers me. Dangerous riders bother me, not fast aggressive riders.

chefisaac

We get so many people around here who do not say "on your left". It doesnt bug me when I commute per say but on organized rides, be it club or a big organized ride, it does piss me off.

Mark Stone

You all need to live and ride in a city like mine - El Paso - where, if you're out on a ride, it is 99.9% likely that you are the only bicyclist within a ten mile radius. In one week of riding in Denver (out of the 5 or so years there) I would say or hear "On your left" more times than in 30+ years in ELP combined. And not because people won't say it - it's because they don't exist!

OiS

Wow, what a turkey! I can't understand the logic of racing past you if he knows that it is a special effort from him that means he will surely be caught again! Seems like a few cards short of a full deck.

Options that come to mind if I am in a similar scenario:
1. Just let myself be passed
2. Let myself be passed, and then try to hang on the back of the whole group for a bit of a pull
3. If I have sat on the back for a bit, race on past you all, to the front, while saying "my turn at front for a bit eh"
4. If I have sat on the back, but we part ways before I have taken a turn at the front, be sure to try to yell out a "thanks guys, have a good one!"

By the way, here in Singapore, I have never had anyone yell out that they are passing, it is just not the practice here. I myself don't do it either, although I will often say a "good morning" as I pass someone, but that is about it.

Mr. Beanz

That's what I figure to be the best case. If the dude hopped on front for a pull of one mile, then hopped back in line, he'd be a buddy.