John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
Just overtake them, I guess...summerdays said:
Arg, yes - i hate that
feel guilty/bad over taking over people on the road
- Thread starter sarahpink
- Start date
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Jmetz
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Preston/Manchester
This is the best part of cyclying by far!
swee'pea99
Squire
No prisoners! No prisoners!
JNR
New Member
I haven't seen many cyclists on my travels since getting the bike, which I admit is only about 60-70 miles. I've seen a few, I overtook a few (some were cycling on the pavement...) but mostly I've noticed a strange pattern forming whilst on the road bike...
I always give other cyclists on the road a little knod or thumbs up, just for the good feeling it gives when I get them. Road bikes under 50ish years old always give a nod, usually a smile and a thumbs up. Great feeling when that happens. I swear I peddle faster. Road bikes over 50 don't do it as often. Hybrids often don't. Mountain bikes never do.
Is that what cycling is like on the roads? Is there some sort of etiquette as to who nods to who?
I always give other cyclists on the road a little knod or thumbs up, just for the good feeling it gives when I get them. Road bikes under 50ish years old always give a nod, usually a smile and a thumbs up. Great feeling when that happens. I swear I peddle faster. Road bikes over 50 don't do it as often. Hybrids often don't. Mountain bikes never do.
Is that what cycling is like on the roads? Is there some sort of etiquette as to who nods to who?
I have a long straight and flat finish to my commute. It is about 8 km long and I regularly come across roadies on my way home. I often overtake and then you can hear the gear changes and the breathing as they hold your wheel. It amuses me that are not prepared to share the work and then I know when they will try to put in the killer overtake as the road takes a slight rise into our village. I am usually ready for it and will at times cycle on through the village to ensure that I can re-overtake. Sad I know, but you have to keep the scalp tally up to a reasonable level.
Benthedoon
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Colchester
colinr said:I aim to overtake every cyclist I see... something to amuse me on the commute
(well, only the ones going the same way)
+1, if I see a lone cyclist in the distance or, even better, a small group, I ride my little legs off in order to catch and destroy!!! erm, sorry, I mean overtake.
Being overtaken just spurs me on to try harder and put the work on to get better/ faster.
Go on a 100km Audax.
Check the riders list just before the start.
Give them a couple of minutes start and then you leave last.
Count them off as you ride past them.
1 point for a child.
2 points for a tourer with full mudguards.
3 points for a woman on a race bike wearing a trade jersey or non-club jersey.
4 points for a bloke on a race bike wearing a trade jersey or non-club jersey.
5 points for rider wearing a club jersey.
10 points for a young t**t on a sub 20lb £2000 racebike with all the trade kit and four bottles of energy drink.
Check the riders list just before the start.
Give them a couple of minutes start and then you leave last.
Count them off as you ride past them.
1 point for a child.
2 points for a tourer with full mudguards.
3 points for a woman on a race bike wearing a trade jersey or non-club jersey.
4 points for a bloke on a race bike wearing a trade jersey or non-club jersey.
5 points for rider wearing a club jersey.
10 points for a young t**t on a sub 20lb £2000 racebike with all the trade kit and four bottles of energy drink.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Most of the riders i see are generally tootling along at a leisurely pace so i tend to breeze past them with a cheery greeting.
If i get overtaken its generally by someone in a local club kit and they have not got 15llbs+ in panniers and bags strapped to their bike so i do not get to miffed, mind you they could be a bit nicer about it .
Once had a guy on a slicked hybrid wheel sucking then overtaking at junctions but he could not get away and was going maybe 2 MPH slower than my normal pace.He looked maybe 20 years younger though
If i get overtaken its generally by someone in a local club kit and they have not got 15llbs+ in panniers and bags strapped to their bike so i do not get to miffed, mind you they could be a bit nicer about it .
Once had a guy on a slicked hybrid wheel sucking then overtaking at junctions but he could not get away and was going maybe 2 MPH slower than my normal pace.He looked maybe 20 years younger though
ramses
Active Member
- Location
- Bournemouth
Na, just sail on by. Most don't mind, you cycle at your own pace, if it's faster than others then so be it. I overtake quite a few, and on occasion get passed. It doesn't bother me. Well not unless I'm in a race of course! :-)
hotmetal
Senior Member
- Location
- Near Windsor
I never feel bad about overtaking or being overtaken, but if I'm overtaking I do feel sensitive to people's pride, and try to do it with plenty of space and not pedalling like I wanna be Lance Armstrong. I might be a bit miffed if I was overtaken on my road bike by a mountainbiker but that's never happened. However, if I'm on my mountainbike I get great amusement from chasing any roadies that aren't going fast enough! If people really get the hump about being overtaken safely, then they have personality defects that are not my fault 
. I notice this especially overtaking 50+ blokes in sportscars and young lads in hot hatches (when I'm on my 1 litre Yamaha, not the Giant TCR!) I also sometimes notice that people who are dawdling about in expensive cars get humpy when I overtake them (safely of course) in my Skoda.
I usually say hello to people I go past if they look 'normal', so I don't end up looking like I'm the one who 'has to' overtake, but there's no way I'm going to sit behind someone for ?? miles if they're not doing a reasonable pace. (I'm often late for work anyway, why make it worse?). Bu if I think their pace is close enough that I'll look a tit for overtaking, then I let them carry on in front, but you have to decide how many mph you're prepared to sacrifice for politeness.
Our Saturday group went out today for 45 miles at a 19.5 average today so we did overtake a fair number of other roadie groups, which is always slightly embarrassing and can get messy if you get entangled. One bloke was in full Mark Cavendish kit and the guy I was riding alongside was sort of good-humouredly taking the pee "Oh, look, it's Mark Cavendish!" The net result of this was that said "Cavalike" then felt compelled to sprint past our entire group (and we were doing nearly 30!) before almost crashing into the back of two horse riders! By then he seemed to be too tired to catch up, and in any case had left his mates behind, so off we went again. That's a situation I wouldn't fancy getting into! I think all parties concerned took it all in good humour, but…
All in all, do it nicely and don't feel bad.
Most people aren't that bothered, they usually prefer to have you go past rather than feel under pressure to speed up themselves. Plus they might get to draught you for a bit, which may be fun for them if they're 'up for it'.
. I notice this especially overtaking 50+ blokes in sportscars and young lads in hot hatches (when I'm on my 1 litre Yamaha, not the Giant TCR!) I also sometimes notice that people who are dawdling about in expensive cars get humpy when I overtake them (safely of course) in my Skoda. I usually say hello to people I go past if they look 'normal', so I don't end up looking like I'm the one who 'has to' overtake, but there's no way I'm going to sit behind someone for ?? miles if they're not doing a reasonable pace. (I'm often late for work anyway, why make it worse?). Bu if I think their pace is close enough that I'll look a tit for overtaking, then I let them carry on in front, but you have to decide how many mph you're prepared to sacrifice for politeness.
Our Saturday group went out today for 45 miles at a 19.5 average today so we did overtake a fair number of other roadie groups, which is always slightly embarrassing and can get messy if you get entangled. One bloke was in full Mark Cavendish kit and the guy I was riding alongside was sort of good-humouredly taking the pee "Oh, look, it's Mark Cavendish!" The net result of this was that said "Cavalike" then felt compelled to sprint past our entire group (and we were doing nearly 30!) before almost crashing into the back of two horse riders! By then he seemed to be too tired to catch up, and in any case had left his mates behind, so off we went again. That's a situation I wouldn't fancy getting into! I think all parties concerned took it all in good humour, but…
All in all, do it nicely and don't feel bad.
Most people aren't that bothered, they usually prefer to have you go past rather than feel under pressure to speed up themselves. Plus they might get to draught you for a bit, which may be fun for them if they're 'up for it'.
Banjo
Fuelled with Jelly Babies
- Location
- South Wales
GrasB said:If you overtake you overtake, just give reasonable room, normally I'm near the centre line, & shoulder check before pulling back in just incase the person you've overtaken is trying to race.
fixed it for you
plus one to giving room as you pass Some of the dodgiest things to overtake me have been other cyclists.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Usually overtaken by wiry old blokes racing bikes which I don't hear coming so always get a shock. Happy to shout a greeting and a few words [if I have tim!]
RUTHIEBAV
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Bournemouth
In my yooof I rode a moped, limited to 30mph. I'll never forget the humiliation of being overtaken by a cyclist. I could see him coming up behind me and I was screaming at my moped for more mph to no avail.
He nodded to me as he overtook me ..... I bet he laughed all the way home!
Ruth
He nodded to me as he overtook me ..... I bet he laughed all the way home!
Ruth
plainlazy
Über Member
- Location
- South coast
