Beating People on the commute who have a better bike

Dammit, will keep an eye out for you.

Thin ice Mike!

lol. Did you get a PM?

Last Friday morning I went out for a long ride on my 'nice bike' in bibs etc. heading for the parks and leaving the house at same time I leave to commute.

Going through New X I spotted one of the regulars on his winter Dolan trainer and went past him as the lights he had stopped at changed which prompted him to launch what I could only class as 'an attack' to get past me again and then try to stay away riding faster than I'd ever seen him do before.

This Monday back on the commute on fixed in baggies and with a bag, at almost the same place I pretty much do the same thing to him again and get absolutely no reaction.

lol. Did you get a PM?

I've had loads of idiots PM'ing me asking about how to shave a minute off their 4 mile commutes ffs.

I told them to jump more red lights and not wear a helmet.

pm'd

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

Its just not right to pass these guys is it.

Especially as they often have mere rusted bolts, where their brake pads should be. Best to stay behind.

I've had loads of idiots PM'ing me asking about how to shave a minute off their 4 mile commutes ffs.

I told them to jump more red lights and not wear a helmet.

ROFL!
PM coming

Last Friday morning I went out for a long ride on my 'nice bike' in bibs etc. heading for the parks and leaving the house at same time I leave to commute.

Going through New X I spotted one of the regulars on his winter Dolan trainer and went past him as the lights he had stopped at changed which prompted him to launch what I could only class as 'an attack' to get past me again and then try to stay away riding faster than I'd ever seen him do before.

This Monday back on the commute on fixed in baggies and with a bag, at almost the same place I pretty much do the same thing to him again and get absolutely no reaction.

Similar story here. I had my spiderman suit on this morning, in prep for TNRC. Prompted quite a bit of commuter-racer reaction. I did wither in shame when a silver fox on a beautiful 80's Daccordi sidled up next to me and asked if I was out often.

Nice gent. Told me he races at HH on Wednesdays.

I blame this thread for my determination last night to overtake as many people as possible, as fast as possible, with a bag full of shopping, just because I was on the Brompton.

It was funny though. People who hate being overtaken really hate it when they are overtaken by a Brompton.

I like doing it on my Raleigh too, but with that there's so much weight that a huge part of it is about keeping your momentum. Nevertheless I like to whistle whilst overtaking roadies on it.

at 30 mph+

It was funny though. People who hate being overtaken really hate it when they are overtaken by a Brompton.

I like doing it on my Raleigh too, but with that there's so much weight that a huge part of it is about keeping your momentum. Nevertheless I like to whistle whilst overtaking roadies on it.

You and me both, especially on my dutch bike (11 speeds FTW).

it's quite funny to watch the roadie getting out of the saddle to sprint as I change gears in quick succession while keeping a moderate cadence.

snigger

I'm not laughing.

I was in Dorking on the mountain bikes with a mate, fighting our way up a hill thinking I was going to die when a guy in his late 70's on a rusty old carlton wearing sandles just effortlessly passed us offering encouragment that we didn't have much further to go, keep going lads etc i felt humbled.

People who hate being overtaken really hate it when they are overtaken by a Brompton.

defo the case.

had a very near miss a couple weeks back as I was riding quick on my brompton & overtook a guy who was ambling along on a fixed wheel... didn't realise he had put the hammer down and was chasing after me when within 100yards I stopped fairly sharply to help another rider I spotted on the pavement with a mechanical. Fair play to the guy for skidding and getting by without collision. If I'd known he was there I'd have let him back past as brompton isn't very aero and I prefer drafting.

I'm not laughing.

you have to.

the forum shite-fountainvolcano, has posted (in probably the forum's shittest thread), that he whips roadies with his bum-down, moderate cadence, dutch bike.

ed, good to know that all of the world's slowest roadies are on your 0.5mi commute, because i thought i was one of the slowest.

sticks penis in door frame and gets mrs to slam it

I decided to put a computer on my dutch bike.

the average speed is 14mph.

I definitely can't get it up above 20mph though, especially when my body act as a parachute in the upright position.

*thinking of adding a tribar on the bike

my race / not race tipping point on any commute is when a rider overtaking me blanks me when I say hello. It's a bad habit.

RLJ'ers trigger my random interval efforts.

I had a word with a cyclist for probably the first time ever the other day. I have offered advice to people I have witnessed making dangerous moves in the past but gave up due to the invariably negative responses I received. But this guy was all over the place swerving left and right sticking his arm right and then putting it down. Kind of like how a child would behave. So I pulled up next to him at the lights and was just about to say 'what the fuck are you playing at....' when he turned around, he must have been about 12 bless him. I gave him some advice about being safe and not to swerve around like that. I think he listened. He didn't tell me to fuck off after I had cycled away anyhow

I had a word with a cyclist for probably the first time ever the other day. I have offered advice to people I have witnessed making dangerous moves in the past but gave up due to the invariably negative responses I received.

I did find that annoying.

The best way to pass the message on for me, is to start with a simple greeting, like the weather, the road quality etc.

And then I'll drop the bomb by asking them permission to speak my mind, and once they let me, they're less inclined to tell me to fuck off.

To be fair, being a cycling instructor helped when they asked me* "who do you think you are telling me what to do?!"*

ed, how was your ride in this morning?

I think he listened. He didn't tell me to fuck off after I had cycled away anyhow

No but he spat and gave you the finger.

ed, how was your ride in this morning?

quite pleasant, thank you.

I'll have to be off to drop off my frame to get cantis mount welded on in SE London soon.

I was about to make a pointed remark at how LFGSS members seem to be quicker than everybody who overtakes them but then I realised...

...that if someobody overtakes at speed and keeps it up then chapeau my fine man or lady. Its a bit of a non event.

Like when I met JAMIE for the first time a few weeks ago and tried to keep up with him. Didn't feel aggrieved, just somewhat inferior. Convinced me to plan some speed work into my training mind...

Theres a lot of competiveness bubbling away in this thread. The scene would be a richer place if some of us bottled it up from our commutes and threw down on the track. Me included. Its only natural to want to pulverise somebody who challenges you and you suspect hasn't got the goods to back it up. The commute just isn't the place truth be told...even if you do get the glance.

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

I regularly slot in behind a girl on green Bianchi with what looks like C-Record campag on part of my commute. She's plenty fast enough and I feel no need to pass as I'm not generally in rush to get to work. Plus she's hella fit ;)