Bah Humbug

Those people drive me nuts when I'm doing my long drives. Sit on cruise control and constantly have to get by them.

Mojo31

Our local freeways all have 70-75 mph speed limits. That means people are driving 80 to 85 in a lot of places. It gets hairy really fast when there are people out there who do not know how to drive that fast, and there are an awful lot of those.

We were on some roads last weekend with 80 and 85 limits, and saw quite a few running around 100 mph. That's scary.

big john

California is 65 statewide with a few exceptions @70. To have people who don't know what they are doing going 80 or higher on the freeways in the city is a recipe for disaster.

Eric F 

My typical freeway travel is 80mph in the left lane, which is usually the same as everyone else is going.

big john

It can be done safely but people are cray cray.

Eric F 

Agreed. My 80mph isn't bobbing and weaving through gaps. If the surrounding vehicles aren't traveling at a similar cruising speed, I adjust accordingly.

jonathanf2

You're the type of riders I like! As long as there's no negativity, I enjoy the increase in pace. Sometimes I get dropped by riders who are stronger, other times I'm the one doing the dropping. When I do get dropped I'm encouraged to train harder and become faster. One thing I learned is that cycling is a sport of attrition, if you're hurting so is the other rider. It's all about who can tolerate the pain better.

I once caught up to a a strong rider with a good uphill climb lead with maybe 1/2 a mile (I could see him from the bottom hillside), so I picked up the pace to catch up to him. When I finally reached him, he didn't want to lose his lead to someone who came out of nowhere. My original intention was just to catch up to him, but he ended up picking up the pace so we both went all out on the climb. By the time we hit the switchback he conceded by pulling off fatigued while gasping for air. We waved each other off, had a few friendly words and it was all good vibes. I finished the climb to the summit, but by the time I reached the top, my heart felt like it was about to burst!

To me that's what cycling is all about!

urbanknight

A couple of weeks ago, I was grinding up what I considered a "modest climb" when someone pulled up beside me and said "These false flats are demoralizing" and then droped the hammer and left me behind. Looked at my computer to see it was a 4% gradient and couldn't decide if the guy was humble bragging or if I was being a wimp.

urbanknight

I say something like "Good morning!", but what seems like me being friendly is just me making sure they know I'm there, and I'm too stubborn to mount a bell or horn.

Carbonfiberboy 

Out on a long ride, sometimes I'll start to see another rider ahead of me. Sometimes it's not a mailbox. I'll very gradually overtake them, maybe 1-2 mph. When I get up there and pass them, I'll pull over a couple feet in front of them, offering my wheel, which they could certainly take and go a little faster. They never do. They gradually disappear behind me. Eh. On our tandem if we start to catch another bike, Stoker will say, "Not quarry!" but we'll catch them anyway.

I don't get the issue. If I or we are faster than another bike and overtake them, of course we'll pass and of course they won't be able to keep up unless they grab a wheel. Maybe riders are just a lot saner out here in the bucolic PNW.

genejockey 

I do that a lot, for fun and exercise. Last night I spent 2 miles catching a guy who started out 50 yards ahead then got farther away. Eventually I caught up to close enough that I could have put in an almighty effort and passed him but since I was finishing my ride within half a mile, I didn't bother.

One time, another rider passed me, and said, "I'm gonna slow up in about 15 seconds. I'm on a workout, I don't want you to think I'm being a jerk!" That was nice of him.

urbanknight

That's nice, but my mind would still have Phil Liggett's voice saying, "Oh, he doesn't have it in him! He's hit a wall and Urban Knight is on the attack!"

VegasJen

I cannot stand when people pull up and drive right next to me. Especially out here where there are literally dozens of miles of open highway between towns. Give me some space. You just never know what's going to happen.

On a couple of occasions I have even pulled off to the shoulder or on an exit to get someone to GTFO my door.

Bah Humbug

Also fun are the people who either sit in your blind spot or stop once you’re in theirs.

caloso

I've done a version of this where I was doing an interval set where I kept riding up to the wheel of a woman riding a steady pace. I didn't want her to think I was creeping on her, so I yelled "Sorry, I'm just doing intervals!"

genejockey 

"The elastic has broken!"

A month or so ago, I had one of those days where you feel like a Cycling God. You know, those rare days when every time you call down to the legs for more steam, they have no difficulty complying? So I was on this ~3% gradient with a couple stoplights. Turning onto the road, I passed a couple other riders. Then I was stopped at a light, and they caught up with me. I had a hard time clipping in on starting up so they gapped me a little bit, but I passed them again. This happened maybe twice more. The last time, some guy on an old Kestrel says something like, "It's nice when the bike does the work for you!" After I had dropped him for the last time, it occurred to me that maybe he thought I was on an e-bike. Nope. Just a really good day for the legs.

genejockey 

After I got the Challenger I noticed a lot more people speeding up as I passed them on the freeway, sometimes passing me. Didn't happen nearly as often when I was driving a Subaru Outback - which I drove at the same speed. I noticed that men driving Priuses were overrepresented in the 'gotta pass you' group.

urbanknight

"He's got something special"

genejockey 

The problem with the "Cycling God" days is I know that there will also be the "Cycling Dog" days where you feel like you're really pushing hard and you look down and you're going slower than usual on that segment.

Bah Humbug

There was one day in high school cross country when I could suddenly keep up with the rest of the team. Where did it come from? No idea unfortunately... and the next morning I was literally holding my eyelids up in front of the light because it had taken so much out of me I could barely get out of bed.

Mojo31

Around here they all want to hyper-mile in the left lane which means you can't get around them in the right lane since those people are all texting. Obnoxious little dooshes.

big john

And she said "Is that what you kids are calling it these days?"

MAK

Was she singing "Hot Rod Lincoln" when she passed the other car?

MAK

I too only win races when the other rider doesn't know that it's a race.
As long as you announce, "On your left" before passing him or her, I doubt that anyone would care.

big john

Told her she was gonna drive me to drinkin'.