Viewing 40 posts - 81 through 120 (of 126 total)
  • Bikefest overtaking
  • martinhutch
    Full Member

    I think being overtaken on a climb by someone shouting “Elite!” only to find they had singletrack skills that wouldn’t get you through a cycle proficiency test blurred my judgement.

    Would be worth doing the event just for entertainment value of witnessing that. 😀

    Is anyone going to own up to ever shouting ‘Pro!’ or even ‘Elite!’ at a bike race?

    crispycross
    Free Member

    I didn’t do Bikefest this year but raced last year so I know the deal. Perhaps the problem is that there’s no agreement on HOW to go about an overtake. For example, some posters say they’ll shout ‘rider’ when a little way off, others say this is useless. Some prefer for the rider being passed to call a side as they can see the track, others think it’s the responsibility of the rider behind to choose where to pass.
    Does anyone think it might be time for some basic instructions to be agreed by race organisers (so they’re all the same from one event to the next) and put in the race info pack? For example, in cyclocross, the rule is that a lapped rider gives up the racing line. I know there’s not supposed to be singletrack in CX but my point is at least there is a rule and everybody ought to know it.

    tomd
    Free Member

    Does anyone think it might be time for some basic instructions to be agreed by race organisers (so they’re all the same from one event to the next)

    I don’t know that there can be one rule, because the course and riders are so varied. It’s just as simple as “don’t be a fanny”. Let people know what your doing and don’t assume you have a god-given right to barge past people in your quest for upper-mid table mediocrity.

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    tomd
    Free Member

    Actually I saw one guy who had cracked it. He had 800mm bars on his (non-gnarr)hardtail, with those cane creak ergo bar ends on each end, giving ~850mm girth. Not a chance any wannabe elites were squeezing past him!

    FuzzyWuzzy
    Full Member

    I didn’t do it this year but have done BF and OF a few times before. Personally I’ve never felt bullied when being overtaken but obviously it does happen, at the end of the day some people are just idiots and it’s made worse once the race face goes on. Added to that the course has to take some of the blame, most of the bits in the woods that you can overtake are actually the fastest sections so you’re taking a big risk by trying it there. Agree with a previous poster they need to add some alternative lines or take the course out into the field more (although I’m guessing the land owners wouldn’t want that).
    On the flip-side I do wonder why more of the slower people don’t move over more readily. Whenever I’ve ‘raced’ it it’s more been a day out with mates but obviously you want to push yourself as well, however I wouldn’t want to hold up a faster rider any longer than absolutely necessary. I’ll happily pull over and stop if I know I’m on a section they won’t be able to safely pass otherwise, it costs me like 5 seconds which is no big deal. OK maybe if you’re super-slow and lots want to pass each lap it gets to be an unreasonable amount of hassle but then maybe you should get fitter before doing a race :p
    The shouting ‘left’ and ‘right’ think should definitely be covered in the rider briefing (I thought it had been previous years?) as although most competitors would know about it you really need 100% of the people to be aware of it for it to work properly.

    IA
    Full Member

    Haha, I noticed him as I was also rocking the “massive flat bars + ‘ends on a spanky hardtail” combo, plus being 6’4″ means there’s a lot of me to get past.

    But then I generally just asked folk behind if they wanted by (some did, some didn’t) and those that did I went for “ok, I’ll tell you when to pass”, followed by something like “OK, I’ll stay left PASS ON MY RIGHT NOW” and no-one seemed to complain.

    However I appreciate if you’re a soloist, or just plain knackered for whatever reason (it’s an endurance event on a hot day!) your awareness of surroundings can be vague at times so this won’t always happen.

    I did have one cocked up overtake where I think both me and the guy I was passing (who’d told me when and where to pass) got a bit confused. But that just ended up with us both with a foot down and a bit of laughter, so no harm done.

    clubber
    Free Member

    Agree with a previous poster they need to add some alternative lines or take the course out into the field more (although I’m guessing the land owners wouldn’t want that).

    I think that’s the issue – the trails have been built as is and you can’t really produce more lines without going off the trail which the council almost certainly won’t allow.

    FWIW, again, I just didn’t find it a problem. You’ll always hear about the few muppets but everyone I can recall were great (either overtaking or being overtaken).

    pedalhead
    Free Member

    Someone tried an inappropriate and aggressive overtake of one of our team riders on Saturday during the 12 hr race. The overtaker smashed into a tree that was off the side of the trail & ended up in a heap on the ground. No serious harm done, but clearly Darwinism in action.

    godihatehills
    Free Member

    pedalhead – was he in an LVIs jersey- Ive got a 12 hour gap that Im trying to fill- slightly suspicious this may have been me!?

    pedalhead
    Free Member

    lol I suspect not but I’ll ask when I see her later 🙂

    Macgyver
    Full Member

    My first year too and no problems with overtaking here. If a fast rider came up (like just appeared up my back end from nowhere) on me I’d generally give way as soon as I could if I could find a suitable spot. I’d offer them the pass and got a thankyou for it. If they slowly crept up on you, the speed differential obviously wasn’t that great so I’d wait to see if they asked for the pass. When I came to overtake, Some folk offered it up for you, others moved over when asked. Always with thankyou/cheers chum which 99% of the time got a favourable reply. I did balls up one overtake and clattered big time into some rocks on the edge of the trail. So some of those loose boulders in the middle of the trail – yep, that was me, sorry.

    kcal
    Full Member

    My experience has been almost exclusively:
    a/ on the receiving end
    b/ positive

    10 UTB guys have been really polite IME, the quick ones usually just a quick “hello, behind, when it’s OK” and often I can hear them, try to move over, get a cheery “thanks” and encouragement – this from the hard chasing front teams.

    Have also had someone try to take my line on corner approach at Corrieyairack (a Chellenge, not a race) which ended up with him in the ditch and me carrying on upwards..

    andyrm
    Free Member

    I think being overtaken on a climb by someone shouting “Elite!” only to find they had singletrack skills that wouldn’t get you through a cycle proficiency test blurred my judgement.

    Had hours of battling a roadie yesterday with exactly that! Got smoked on every climb, then caught and overtook him every twisty bit (which to be fair was not exactly technical). Highlight of the skinsuit massive was seeing a fully shaved legged, white skinsuited guy overtake me on the gravel climb back up to New Barn Wood (s bends with rollers) and then climb off and walk down the 3 or 4 6″ high rock steps – comedy gold! 🙂

    LoCo
    Free Member

    No issues with any passes, one bar tap when a guy came past but we both dabbed and carried on.

    Perhaps it was the fact I’m a big unit and everyone else didn’t like the idea of bouncing of me 😀

    mrmo
    Free Member

    Mrmo….Seriously!!!??!?? If there’s no room WAIT!!!! If there’s room then overtake. Riding solo is hard enough but do you expect us to ride off line all the time to let quicker riders through? With the amount of traffic at Bikefest then the solo riders or ‘slow riders’ as you call them would never ride on the race line. Not good sportsmanship at all…

    I said courtesy is for the slow rider to help the fast rider, if it isn’t safe then you don’t overtake, but blocking for the sake of being an arse doesn’t do any favours either. It isn’t for the slow rider to get off the racing line either unless they are being very nice. just to give some room to let the faster rider find a route, which is also why the overtaker should give some guideance as to intention by calling left or right.

    Trimix
    Free Member

    So basically the OP is just pissed off at being overtaken 🙂

    whytetrash
    Full Member

    First time for me 12hr team of 4 ended up 7th in old gits so did a fair bit of passing and being passed, I always tell people that I’d like to overtake them when it’s safe, no issues at all people were great, I always thanked, and usually told them they were a star or similar…. mate woke on Sunday with a tick on his leg, we nuked it with alcohol hand sanitizer and tweezered it out, when we got back to N Wales he had a bath and found another on his Knob 8O, nurse in A&E told him he needed to be erect so she had something to lever against! he opted for taking his tick removing tool home and sorting it there!… so maybe worth checking yourselves guys!

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    I didn’t have any run-ins with anyone. I was passed cleanly when I was passed, except for one occasion when I made too much much of an effort to accomodate and put myself in the bushes.

    “racing” singlespeed meant that the twisty bits were by far the most fun and the bits where I did the most overtaking. I don’t race much, and I made a hash of a couple, held some people behind me while I dithered about where to pass. I got my eye in towards the end of the day, got to know the course better and it got a bit smoother.

    I geneally asked to pass, said please and thank you. Finished the day asking/saying more where I’d like to overtake. I think there’s some resposibility on the faster ride to know how big a gap they need to pass cleanly, rather than passing that to the rider in front, who doesn’t know anything about you, other than you’re a bit quicker.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    nurse in A&E told him he needed to be erect so she had something to lever against! he opted for taking his tick removing tool home

    Was an alternative offered?

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    The shouting ‘left’ and ‘right’ think should definitely be covered in the rider briefing (I thought it had been previous years?) as although most competitors would know about it you really need 100% of the people to be aware of it for it to work properly.

    If this is going to be done, it needs done carefully to avoid a sense of entitlement about overtaking. “But I said the correct words, as per the briefing, you know what it means, it’s your fault you didn’t move!” Don’t be a dick…

    Sometimes, leaving a bit of ambiguity means people are more likely to be polite human beings with consideration for others, rather than rule following robots – “it’s my turn, you’re wrong!” Like when the traffic lights are broken at a busy junction and everything works smoothly and good-naturedly.

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    knob – tick. Yoinks!

    Pretty sure I’m clear, but I’ll definitely be checking again!

    tomd
    Free Member

    mate woke on Sunday with a tick on his leg, we nuked it with alcohol hand sanitizer and tweezered it out

    Also found one on my arm after bikefest.

    we nuked it with alcohol hand sanitizer

    This is really not a good plan. Do not anger the tick. See here instead:

    How to remove a tick[

    clubber
    Free Member

    😯 as a Bristol local, I’ve never heard of people getting tick bites around our trails or even just in the area… Bit worrying if they’re out there.

    tomd
    Free Member

    It must have been from sitting around on the cut down long grass at the campsite, I think you’d be very unlucky just riding around. I’ve got one before in the Quantocks so they’re definitely around that area.

    hughjengin
    Free Member

    I was in the team with Whytetrash and afore mentioned Knob tick guy. Yes absolutely definately ticks.

    dragon
    Free Member

    If you are a slow rider then you should aim to yield ASAP, that’s just the way racing works.

    Also slow riders should be aware that faster riders may come past quite close in areas were the track is tight, as a lot of folk have raced XC, road, track etc. where racing closely is second nature.

    Saying that the faster rider should aim to make their move cleanly and give a shout or guidance to smooth things for everyone. And being polite and saying ‘thanks’ never hurt anyone.

    IA
    Full Member

    If you are a slow rider then you should aim to yield ASAP, that’s just the way racing works.

    Don’t think anyone’s debating that, but it’s not that simple.

    What if you’re leading solo? You’ll likely be going slower than a fair few team riders (who aren’t in contention for a podium) – should you loose time yourself for them?

    Also, that supposes you’ve noticed the rider behind you. Or they might be roughly as fast as you, but you wake up a bit and start pressing on more…. etc.

    LoCo
    Free Member

    There weren’t that many places where you couldn’t pass if both riders were comfortable with being fairly close together.

    Rob who won the solo was only a little slower than top team riders 🙂

    sherry
    Free Member

    I have had **** take me down in the past, idiots trying to brush bars at speed results in crashes. Tell the person in front “rider, then passing on your right/left” If its safe to pass and there is room then feel free to go by and quickly, not at a 2mph pace. I also don’t expect anyone to stop or let me pass when its not safe to do so.

    In saying that its unreasonable to block people if there are places to pass.

    I have really enjoyed enduro races for this reason, timed sections are the way forward for me in a race.

    dragon
    Free Member

    If you are leading solo you won’t be being overtaken by many people, these guys are fast, so not really a useful example. Who said anything about stopping to let people past? Not required, but you should be aware of others around you.

    Accidents happen that’s part of racing but we don’t see lots of these crashes happening at events, so on the whole it’s not really a big issue anyway. If you aren’t happy being overtaken closely then don’t enter.

    jonny360
    Free Member

    I’m pissed off because I’m badly injured and for what!!Some guy in a team to be a few seconds quicker. Not to mention the cost of damage to kit/bike and my race plans for the rest of the year are screwed. It needs addressing at the start of each race. This discussion could go on for ever but I do see both points of view. But in my opion Bikefest had always been a bit like this hence I won’t be going back.

    LoCo
    Free Member

    jonny, sorry I’m not condoneing idiot passes, just saying I didn’t get any, heal quick.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    At 10UTB I heard someone shout “Right you ****, when you next lap me I’m going to boot you off the ****ing bike” :mrgreen:

    dragon – Member

    If you are a slow rider then you should aim to yield ASAP

    Aye, but some people expect to not be impeded for even a second- there’s a balance.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I always shout ‘coming by when you’re ready’ when I want to pass. I rarely have to wait more than a few seconds and always exchange thanks and smiles, they seem to appreciate it. To be honest I’d rather come second and spread some happiness than win and be a cock. Some people dive off the trail and stop though which is thoughtful of them but really not necessary!

    clubber
    Free Member

    jonny, I can see your point of view though to some extent I think it’s just what happens at races – there are always a few muppets…

    Maybe when you’re healed up you should head our way and we’ll organise a ride without anyone to knock you off (well, no racers at least 🙂 ). There’s a lot more around than just Ashton Court too FWIW.

    jonny360
    Free Member

    Cheers guys…Thanks for the support.

    ghislainlambert
    Free Member

    Cheer Si (loco) that’s very kind of you I certainly didn’t feel that fast towards the end of the day.

    On the whole I thought this year was better than usual for riders showing courtesy towards each other. Over the 12 hours riding solo I hope I passed and let pass as best as possible. I only had 1 rider in a southfork kit get a bit eggy. It was through the new barn wood section and we had 2 riders in front of us and he was dragging his back brake around every corner. I told him to relax to which he replied ‘some of us are racing’. I couldn’t be bothered to tell him that some of us had been racing for 11 hours up to that point (I know a couple of the southfork guys and they’re all top people so I think I’ll put that one down to a ‘racing incident’).

    No harm done and I’m sure most issues could be explained away due to the red mist descending. Either that or it’s just the law of averages that out of 500 or so people you’re bound to get 1 or 2 who take it all a bit too seriously.

    Hope the OP is not feeling to beat up today and hasn’t been put off any future events.

    Rob (lanky bloke in Merida kit)

    jonny360
    Free Member

    Nah not put off just wanna ride my bike and I can’t 😥

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Heal soon OP.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    I’d be interested to see the multi-page thread on this subject after Mayhem this weekend. 😉

Viewing 40 posts - 81 through 120 (of 126 total)

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