Beating People on the commute who have a better bike

I had every nodder and his dog fly past me as if racing today...only to slow down and hold me up straight afterwards. Wearing bib tights and jersey but on my track frame, not the racer.

Two of them damn near killed themselves in the process...they passed when I was slowing down to let traffic manouver in front. Must be something in the air.

Wasn't going ultra slowly, made it from SE8 to NW1 in 30 mins this morning...14.4mph including lights says my Garmin (only bought it last week, just learning how to use it).

Maybe its the fact I'm commuting with a Garmin that riled them!

"Racing" on the commute is a waste of time... but another thing entirely if you can get 4-5 working together in a nice smooth paceline.

A pace line sort of naturally formed on my commute home last night although it broke up within two minutes. Think the other commuters were wondering why I was getting so exciting about it. I was just hoping for them to drag me home thats all!

I like to make people happy and so I ride a bike which has few equals and most people pass me with a smile on their face and renewed hope about their cycling abilities. Either that or they think, "That fat middle aged man is rather slow, he doesn't deserve a nice bike like that."

I always assume MTB/hybrid commuters overtake me, to allow me to draft a bit. Kind souls.

I dont mind getting overtaken at all - its just irritating when riders overtake, then slow down.... I tend to think that if you overtake, you can expect to be drafted (at a sensible distance), but that does piss some people off.... one bloke overtook and then promptly rammed on his brakes, he whistled behind me.... a new take on interval training perhaps.... if there's a headwind & I'm drafting, guilt gets the better of me and I usually overtake for a reciprocal draft.

But drafting mobile cranes & 50cc scooters is the level I'm at - I aspire to draft beaten up 30yr old transit vans.

But it seems there are fewer v serious riders about, I used to regularly see cycle gods averaging well over 25mph on the flat with a headwind.... where are they now?

They're still there just knackered from their last long/fast one probably!

i let them all pass, got to enjoy view

I sometimes see this cool old fella. Must 139 years old. Rides a beaten up old shopper, and has a tiny dog in his front basket basket, enjoying the breeze. Actually moves at a decent pace.

Whenever I've come up behind him. I've never wanted to overtake him. Seems disrespectful to ol'dude.

I think where the fail is if people see 'winning' a commuter race as meaning something. I like riding my bike fast and I'll take any excuse to ride it a bit faster, and if that's triggered by someone trying to overtake me, then sobeit. But I don't get home and congratulate myself or cry into my beer at the outcome. But ultimately winning is getting to/ from home & work in one piece.

RPM does this as part of his training. Send him a PM if you want more commuting/racing advice

Thin ice Mike!

I used to ride from Bethnal to Notting Hill for work and I think my best time was 25 minutes averaging about half an hour, but that was when I'd just come off couriering.

It's about two years later now and I go from Bow to Bethnal on my promute and I take 20 minutes with a cigarrette throwing gang signs all the way.

I like riding my blingest Iti bikes gleaming and sparkling from the hours spent polishing them whilst wearing jeans and a hoody up. and going faster than any other vehicle through urban areas.

I sometimes see this cool old fella. Must 139 years old. Rides a beaten up old shopper, and has a tiny dog in his front basket basket(...)

Big Ben :-)

i normally avoid pointless ego-tussles with fluro pricks but yesterday coming back along wimbledon parkside rd a fat youth on a cheap racer pulled out ahead, despite having ridden 3 hard laps of the park i though i would easily pass him only he seemed to be pulling away, his cheap tracky bottoms flapping in the breeze and trainered feet tharashing randomly on his flat pedals.
an increase in smooth cadence from me only maintained the distance between us, how very dare you! you callow uncouth oik!
i had to result to entering the pain cave, the hurt locker, the cavern of agony to beat the fat little shit.

sorry it went a bit bikegaydar therer.

Sometimes you cannot help yourself and the competitive urge just takes over. I am much better than I used to be but every now and then someone will cause me to chase them down and overtake them.

i tend to feel the urge to overtake people who RLJ or pile through pedestrian crossings when there are people walking across.

this is just so i can berate them for being slow and fat, and that if they got fitter they would not have to put others at risk.

i am trying to do this a little less these days, but its hard not to

i normally avoid pointless ego-tussles with fluro pricks but yesterday coming back along wimbledon parkside rd a fat youth on a cheap racer pulled out ahead, despite having ridden 3 hard laps of the park i though i would easily pass him only he seemed to be pulling away, his cheap tracky bottoms flapping in the breeze and trainered feet tharashing randomly on his flat pedals.
an increase in smooth cadence from me only maintained the distance between us, how very dare you! you callow uncouth oik!
i had to result to entering the pain cave, the hurt locker, the cavern of agony to beat the fat little shit.

sorry it went a bit bikegaydar therer.

PWND by the asbo. no shame there he was probably feeling from a minor felony or had run out of fags

I dont mind getting overtaken at all - its just irritating when riders overtake, then slow down

I had every nodder and his dog fly past me as if racing today...only to slow down and hold me up straight afterwards.

this. they are complete idiots. they sprint past you cause they need to be tete de la course on their ride home from the office/tesco, and then slow right down because they are out of breath from catching you and don't have the legs to maintain that pace. then you have to swing around them cause you can't waste your life cycling this slow, and it then looks like you're sad racer too :(

Sometimes you cannot help yourself and the competitive urge just takes over. I am much better than I used to be but every now and then someone will cause me to chase them down and overtake them.

The glance?

There's a very popular cycling circuit around a nearby lake. I tend to take the fixed around it, as its resonably flat. I usually let the local MTB road racers pass, without thinking much about it. Anyone running a £600 sus fork to ride asphalt laps of a lake, has enough fail already.

But if after passing me they give me 'the glance'. Its on.

"Racing" on the commute is a waste of time... but another thing entirely if you can get 4-5 working together in a nice smooth paceline.

commute + nice smooth paceline = divide by zero error

I sometimes see this cool old fella. Must 139 years old. Rides a beaten up old shopper, and has a tiny dog in his front basket basket, enjoying the breeze. Actually moves at a decent pace.

Whenever I've come up behind him. I've never wanted to overtake him. Seems disrespectful to ol'dude.

There is fella i used to see outside C&W hospital. he must have been in his 70s, riding an racer that was held together by faith alone, his valuables held on with bailer twine and kept dry in carrier bags and all secured by a fat rusty chain and padlock.

but the real beautiful part is the complete lack of bolts in the stem and bars, they just hang there and this is how it rides it.. total nut case, held together by steady hands and wisen old nerve. and one day when i am in my golden years that is how i hope to go

...the real beautiful part is the complete lack of bolts in the stem and bars ...total nut case...

;o)

then you have to swing around them cause you can't waste your life cycling this slow, and it then looks like you're sad racer too :(

Today! by the same idiot on a shit brown Langster! I passed you because you were going slowly and talking on your mobile, yes, I heard you. I passed you again because you insisted on passing me at the light though I had passed you earlier. And then you jumped out in front of me at the fucking light and made me fucking pass you because you were too slow, yet again, and I did not feel like being stuck behind you. That was unnecessary, I had maintained my speed between Clapham Common to Battersea High Street

If you are on this forum, fucking admit you felt the need to pass a girl because she passed your ass.

Man, I got angry as I typed that! breathes

Not really related, but talking of challenges on ones commute- a minor milestone for me today in that I stopped at every red between Forest Hill and Borough Market (coffee before work) with no foot-downs.

I was getting worried that on the final red someone would push in front, causing me to have to unclip and spoil my run, but luck was with me.

The glance?

I think it is a combination of the glance and determination. If I think someone is really really trying to race me I will play with them for a bit and wait until they inevitable tire and cycle past them no handed whilst on my mobile.

I am trying so hard to be good though and avoid these scenarios. As people say, racing is for the track/circuit. I am a little frustrated at present though