I tried for a scalp recently. Failed. Turns out he's an international athlete. Ownage 🙂

Don't know if it would work, what happens if they look round and you're stuffing gels into your mouth, whilst still "whistling" the theme to some tv show?

At the point I needed to refuel I'd press pause on the Ipod and proceed to drink the gels from a disinfected Stella can.

😀 2 successful scalps yesterday, first one was like taking candy from a baby from a dude on a mtb so doesnt really count but he did clock me and try to speed up 😀

2nd was some dude commuting home with a fair pace but once i caught up to him i had to try my hardest not to giggle whilst smoothly speeding past him 😀 pretty knackered!

this is an amusing thread… agree with much that has been said about apparent effortless overtaking and then feigning indifference when being overtaken, i'm guilty of all that on the commute… it's all a game, and doesn't really matter if the other person is playing or not!

at the end of the day speed is relative. someone, somewhere could kick your arse all over the road, and it's merely a matter of time before you meet that person on a commute! it does me the world of good when i do meet that person… 😀

I tried for a commute PB yesterday. Lucky with lights, highsided on a slippery corner, got the PB, but rode a bit cock-ish. Not worth it, going back to picking races with people who don't know they're in a race 🙂

This thread is making me desperate to go out and get some scalps.

Might take the bmx, have about 10 gels, then try and take some people on the local club TT..

Yeh, Im gonna go and take some scalps tonight.

My plan is to hang around outside bae or kimberley clark and wait for all the shift workers to finish and set off home on their apollo full sussers. I'll have to start a new tally chart I think

I had a tremendous race in yesterday morning. Most of my commute is traffic free, along a converted train track through the woods. I spy a chap putting the hammer down about 50 yards ahead of me and cannot resist. This guy is flying and it takes me a big hill and about 2 miles to get him but I do and we grin at each other as I pass. A few miles later when we're out onto the road bit he comes tearing past me up to a roundabout and steams across it, narrowly missing a car and it reminds me about why I don't race on the road, in the rush hour. He was pretty lucky.

fun though, and I caught and passed him again before turning into my work entrance so double points. 😀

I play a different game in Sheffield – my commuter is a 32*18 singlespeed so i can't overtake anyone worth overtaking, but not braking until the absolute last second and passing people at the bottom of steep downhills is fun.

Might take the bmx, have about 10 gels, then try and take some people on the local club TT..

My plan is to hang around outside bae or kimberley clark and wait for all the shift workers to finish and set off home on their apollo full sussers.

Don't aim too high now! 😀

Reminds me of the time our CTC group was passing through a small town and one of a group of young lads on the pavement took off after us. Came screaming by and the man on point accelerated to keep up with him.

Speeds increased until the 15 year old realised that in fact he was not going to outrun the 75 year old and made a sharp exit at the next T junction.

Might take the bmx, have about 10 gels, then try and take some people on the local club TT..

Thats a fine quote there!

Do I get extra points that I was listening to NWA – **** the Police when I did the overtake?

I kid not!

Might take the bmx, have about 10 gels, then try and take some people on the local club TT..

My plan is to hang around outside bae or kimberley clark and wait for all the shift workers to finish and set off home on their apollo full sussers.

Don't aim too high now!

How many did you manage?

I didnt go with my original plan and just went out for a standard road ride. I only saw two other people out on their bikes, both of whom I overtook with ease. Then had the time of my life gunning it along the a590 in top gear with the wind not fighting against me

sounds like you have the topgun soundtrack cranked up dave

I took the highway (A590) to the danger zone (A5084)

I was gonna play with the boys but decided the two I passed werent tough enough to handle it

you sound like you need a wingman 😀

From brick lane in east london 2 stratford..you get some good duels,i luv slipstreaminig a rodie on my MTB..they dont like it up um..as jones use to say

There was a brilliant article about road bike riders overtaking you a few years ago in Singletrack – can't remember exactly when. My favourite thing I've read in the mag.

The gist of it was that roadies are basically not human – more like robocop, constantly radio-ing back to some shadowy roadie HQ about lasering in on unwitting mountain bikers, smoking past them at just the right moment and putting them in their place.

Thank you. It's definately my favourite piece of writing that I've produced. I've been trying to dig it out but can't find it now.

I though this link was pretty funny, not too different from the fCN stuff up above.

My opponent for a while was a guy on a kona 700cc commuter, so in theory making a pass wouldn't have been worth as much as I was on a full on racer, but his style made him a worthy target, all '4x' knees and elbows and pavement hopping/red light jumping. Was still a lot of work to overtake him. I almost miss him now, nowhere near as much entertainment on my new route 😥

Taken from that link above:

Excuses: This is the holy grail of passing someone – they are so deeply humiliated by your passing that they want a chance to explain themselves, usually by saying something about being at the tail end of an all-day ride or being told by their coach they must keep their heartrate under 80. When this happens, smile knowingly as you go by, then double your score because I guarantee the person you just passed will be able to think of nothing else for the next 72 hours.

At Glentress a few years ago with my then g/f, riding up the fireroad climb towards Buzzards Nest, both on our regular HT's, nothing special. Chatting away as we climbed, we passed a couple of guys in full lycra, carbon HT's, the works. "Morning" we said cheerily. One of them looked at us slightly disdainfully then said quickly "We've already done a lap of the Black", this obviously being his excuse as to why they was being passed.

Given that this was about 8am we doubted his statement and we saw them later arguing about where the trail went so they obviously hadn't done it before. We were more confused about why he cared so much about being overtaken…