Why oh why do they try to race you?

Some tool passed me yesterday. Looked like a noob, cheap new road bike, baggy Ron Hills and yellow waterproof.

Shortly after passing him he passed me back. At least he actually kept up a decent pace unlike the Herberts that tuen slow down.

As for showng off doing trackstands, that is cool when you’re a teenager.

When I lived in Embra there were ALWAYS wee races on the commutes. I can’t remember a single one of them where there wasn’t a friendly smile from those who dropped me/I dropped. I mean, it’s just a laugh, right?

I just never get overtaken, I’m geniunely struggling to remember the last time. I’m too awesome. I never tend to creep past someone I must say, as I CBA to get into things like that, put in a few decent strokes to make sure you’re going significantly quicker than them, sorted!

Have to say I rarely get overtaken. Don’t they realize how fast I am?

Guy sat right on my wheel in traffic for ages a while ago. He went mental when I asked him for a bit more space. He did look pretty young, early 20s maybe.

Remember kids ‘Save it for race day’
It’s happened a few times in my life, but they always disintegrate in a Vampire stabbed in the heart stylee straight away.

Some retorts as you go past again;
Nice bike, what Cat are you?
Nice bike, where you racing this weekend.
Do you race? – No I’m a triathlete – thought so.
Just gotta another sixty miles to do, wanna join me.
See ya.

It shouldn’t bother me, but the upstarts should have some respect.

It shouldn’t bother me, but the upstarts should have some respect.

yup. Pricks.

this racing lark. it’s all in the mind.

It’s alway a race you have to try and catch and pass everyone you see and sometimes you get your ass kicked .Even a ride with mates always ends up with the pace getting quicker until someone blows it just happens

What on Earth is the point to this thread ❓

Two cyclists = bicycle race.

cynic-al i wasn’t showing off! but they’re fun. my comment was mostly aimed at the roadie’s death stare 😆

Was coming home from work the other day near Croston. Noticed someone in full sky kit and sky bike with his name on his helmet with a little flag….obviously one of these sportive nooobs. Anyways, passes him and didn’t look a him, next thing he comes back past (I am doing around 26/27 on the flat) and he says nowt. Gave him 0.5 mile before coming back round him, now at 28mph and he’s still there. Thinking “when is he going to let up ” – this went on for about 10 miles at which point he turned off. Not sure if I won or not.

Never used to be to arsed bout this sort of thing but was advised on here recently that ‘commuter racing’ is where its at. Looks like I’d better up my game for the next ‘race’.

bristol’s glos rd chase is great all morning there are commuters hunting eachother down till one of them blows or gets a blow out
recentley seen a guy on a ss paddy waggon stomping up muller rd damb quick aswell u just no hes racing every one the whole way to work and back 😆

not racing at all but i saw a lad manual a bmx all the way through the traffic lights (green of course!) at the bottom of my road today. Yeah!

Thinking “when is he going to let up ” – this went on for about 10 miles at which point he turned off. Not sure if I won or not.

Good training that. I used to see a guy in the summer who I chatted to. We agreed I’d go past him and he sit in. Gave me a proper incentive to put the hammer down.

You know that Brad Wiggins lives (approx) in your part of the world (assuming there’s no other Croston’s in the land)..?

I must say, I enjoy it when someone clearly is busting a gut to pass me as I am cruising. They get ahead and I follow them but not close enough to draught, making sure they know I am there as they turn around. Then when they are truly done in I cruise past all cool and relaxed.

That’s only happened a couple of times mind but it is funny to dish out pain on those who can’t help themselves trying to beat a stranger!

racing on the road is ace. Even if you get beat it’s all loads of fun. And so many people are up for it too. You can think you’ve got it easy when you cane it past some old chap on his fixie but that old chap might be me and you could ride for the next ten miles with me hanging on in there, stuck on your wheel, just waiting for you to lose concentration or blow and I’ll be off.

There are somne seriously miserable **** on here for sure, have a bit of a smile and a laugh, if you enjoy racing, why the hell should you ONLY DO IT IN A RACE! ? It begs the question why you do PROPER RACES!

It’s all fun, unless you’re in it to win in which case you wouldn’t be an amateur like the rest of us,

Whenever I’ve overtaken someone and they overtake back straight away I sit behind them as I really, really can’t be arsed with the whole thing. I’m cycling to work, I’ve just woken up and have no interest in some bellend wanting to race… sad twunts…

What coogan said.

I overtook somebody today, not racing, I just happened to be riding at a quicker pace. After half a mile or so I notice he’s on my wheel and clearly going for it, so I sit up and slow down to let him pass. He doesn’t. So I brake to less than 10mph. He still doesn’t pass. This continues for another half mile or so. When we get to a hill I have to speed up or fall off. As I pull away, he yells w@nkar at me!

WTF is that all about?

It’s on faceBook but here is a possible explaination.. a Group called THE GAME..

There are rules and everything 🙂

THE GAME
Category:
Just for Fun – Totally Random
Description:
The Game:
Dropping / Pulling anyone higher in the Food Chain Number makes you stronger and more attractive to burds*. Getting dropped / trying to keep up with anyone lower means your soul hires a kudos remover to lower your self worth. If you scalp someone you have to maintain or extend your lead for such a time as to have the dude you passed admit to themself “I was done”. Nipping by, then running into a side road / hiding in traffic won’t wash, Be honest with yourself. *Not strictly true

Rules:
1/ No Dangerous Manoeuvres (Don’t be a danger to any other road users or yourself) Falling off causes pain to you and others around you, don’t do it! (oh and you loose yer points)
2/ Don’t ride like a cock, we’re all just trying to get somewhere!
3/ No passing at Lights/Junction/Crossings, if you do, it doesn’t count
4/ All passing on open road ONLY. Filtering in traffic is null and void (you know whether you’ve dropped someone fairly, and haven’t turned off straight afterwards)
5/ Pavement passes, either you or the target is void
6/ Show no pain, unless, like me your face is just like that

FOOD CHAIN NUMBERS:
1. Scooters
2. Roadies with shaved legs – like girls *
3. Proper rapid Single speed (real men, messengers, tarty shiny fixies) *
4. Roadies with hairy legs – like men *
5. Faux Single Speeds (fakengers, dirty/functional bikes, silly egg beater gear) *
6. Touring Bikes (Mud Guards) *
7. “Fast Hybrids” *
8. MTBs on Skinnies *
9. MTBs on Nobbies
10. Bromptons / collapsing bikes
11. MTB full sus on Nobbies
12. Shoppers
13. Shoppers wicker baskets
14. Electric bikes
* Pedal Adjustment +1
• ONLY FCN 2-4 gain points for overtaking the same FCN and Higher Chainers
• Recumbents, Tandems and Segways are worth +2 points as a rare bonus
• Sinclair C5 +20 points as a hens teeth bonus

FCN Adjusters:

CLOTHING:
None:+3
Non-Cycling: +2
Baggies: +1
Lycra: 0
Team Kit: -1
TDF Jersey: -2

BAGGAGE:
Panniers: +1
Back Pack/Courier: 0
Nothing: -1

HEAD GEAR:
Face Mask +1
Helmets/Nothing/Sunglasses: 0
Bike Caps / Wrap arounds: -1

ACCESSORIES:
Herman’s Safety Wing” (orange plastic lolly-pop): +2
Trailer:+2
Beard: +1
Child seat (each): +1
Power meter: -1
Aerobars: -1
Coloured tyres -1

PEDALS (If you can identify) FCN2-8 see note above:
Flats: +1
Toe Clips: 0
Evidently Clipless/spds (cycling shoes): -1

If it sounds complex Fury21 has come up with a FCN Calculator: http://www.itsnotarace.org/ …If you get confused on the road, think of it this way if you drop anyone who looks faster that you +1. If you get dropped by anyone that looks slower than you -1..Couldn’t be simpler! You’ll also get to work, or get home faster…Or your subscription money back…Ps it’s free to join and take part, but negative totals should make cheques on your soul out to: Greg T c/o Bike Radar

Friend at work was overtaken by a far too serious guy who’d drafted him for a bit, mate caught and overtook him on a hill and as he rode by he pinged the guys bell. I nearly fell off laughing. The other guy wasn’t as amused

What happens when two STW people get caught up in one of these ‘races’, considering that almost nobody ever seems to lose here does some strange paradox occur where the universe collapses?

The universe will not collapse: don’t worry, I get overtaken on the way to/from work all the time. All I ever overtake is folders and halfords specials, which of course score no points. I am sure my monumental fail rate will redress the imbalance in commuting mojo.

I was gonna pop out to get some miles in my legs in a bit, but I’m a bit anxious now about overtaking etiquette so might just stay in, instead!

Stumpy, I can forward you my work rota for the month, if you can be round my way for then, you have atg least one garuanteed ‘kill’. 😀 (how many points will you bag for overtaking a geared slicked up mtb with panniers, full mudguards, spd’s, baggy shorts and a beard?)

if you enjoy racing, why the hell should you ONLY DO IT IN A RACE! ? It begs the question why you do PROPER RACES!

Try racing properly and you’ll get it.

JW – I wouldn’t say it’s guaranteed!

I’m not sure I’d get that many points on my slick-shod Inbred, almost certainly wearing baggies & a nicely laden rucsack.

ourmaninthenorth – Member

You know that Brad Wiggins lives (approx) in your part of the world (assuming there’s no other Croston’s in the land)..?

It was indeed Twiggo and he can regularly been seen round these parts. Nice lad.

cynic-al – Member

if you enjoy racing, why the hell should you ONLY DO IT IN A RACE! ? It begs the question why you do PROPER RACES!

Try racing properly and you’ll get it.

+1. Proper racing is ‘kin really hard…commuter racing is pathetic.

As for THE GAME ….FFS ! laughable.

sadly i never get overtaken. i’d love to play but i’m always doing the overtaking. 🙁

Any cyclist up ahead is a target, every ride is a race 🙂

4/ All passing on open road ONLY. Filtering in traffic is null and void (you know whether you’ve dropped someone fairly, and haven’t turned off straight afterwards)

That’s bollocks, if you get dropped filtering it’s cause you’re crap. Filtering is part of the race.

Caveat: I don’t often do proper racing, and I don’t take riding seriously enough to do proper recovery rides. Perhaps I’d do better if I did…

I’ve had folk tuck in behind me in town, then pull out when almost home (uphill and into a headwind) but they always say “thanks”.

The only riders that annoy me are those that pass me while I’m stationary at a red light, then I pass 50-100 metres further on. If you’re in such a hurry, PEDAL FASTER!!!

Never been annoyed by kids or other cyclists after 75 miles loop in fact I’ll ask for a tow!

So what if they race you for 100 meters -they’re just having fun.

Be a Man OP and don’t let it bug you in the first place – just enjoy your 15 miles and enjoy the air on the way home.

Who cares..
when commuting i’m on a ruler straight cycle path with very little in the way of interest other than my ipod blaring out some shit cod piece metal so apollo pikey in his reflective tesco vest does’nt really show up on my radar.

Blimey I had no idea all this went on. I thought it was just riding bikes to work or for fun. It’s another world.

I’m a cat1 silverback internet gobshite – anyone want to eat my dust ?

utterly crushed 2 puny weaklings out on the road today and I was on comp16/24s

(actually that last bit is true – beat both my kids back to the house 8) )

If you spot a target – it’s a race.

“Release the Hounds!”

My commute along the canal one day last week, as I negotiated a bridge, I noticed a guy a good 250 meters behind me. I wasn’t going flat out but was chugging along at a reasonable canal path speed of about 14mph. Over the next mile or so, guy catches me –(bit quicker than I expected to be fair), so I shout do you want to get past? He says yeah, cheers, I’m just commuting. Fine, but I don’t really need to know that, and its 7 am on a muddy canal path in Shropshire, I sort of figured that. Anyway, he gets in front, old skool Airborne, probably 25 metres or so, and I continue at 14mph and by the next bridge I’ m on his wheel. He’s breathing real heavy and obviously either done 60 miles or is just knackered. He starts going up and down his gears a bit even though it’s quite flat-as canals usually are. I deliberately let him hear my freewheel buzzing away as he’s clearly spent. He didn’t offer to let me past though, so I just sat there, for 5 miles or so, nearly tyre rubbing him. Eventually, I turned off for work and as I pedaled off up the road, I see the guy look behind, realises I’ve gone and he sits up and takes a rest.

Next day, I see him on the road as we approach the canal entrance path, he sees me and says he’s not racing today cos he has a meeting first thing at work and doesn’t want a red face for it, I laugh and set off at my usual pace and don’t see him again.

Couple of days later, I’m on a different bike, a canal cruising Remedy, still cruising at 14mph, different gear on though cos I’m playing bikes after work on the way home, Mr Airborne catches me up and asks if he can pass. Sure I say, you can give me a tow and off he goes. After 3 miles or so when we hit the muddy bit, I can see he’s on his limit and he goes A OVER T1T and into the nettles. I stopped and ask if he’s OK, he says he’s late for a meeting and that’s why he’s racing. When he recognizes me, he says he wouldn’t have chased me down if he knew it was me, he just didn’t want someone slowing him down….

I now own him, and he knows it.

I now own him He’s a right tool, and he knows it.

FTFY

I see so few cyclists on my commute that commuter racing is pretty much pointless.

How many racing points do i get for beating the No240 bus?

I mooch past a lot of people who seem to take it as a personal insult that I’ve ‘overtaken’ them on my commute. I wouldn’t mind so much apart from the fact they’re often useless at filtering, and wind up getting in my way. I’m really not interested in doing anything other than my own pace, and that includes motorised traffic.

Fat chavs on scooters though are a different matter. I’ll happily give myself an aneurysm to humiliate them.