Not as good as I thought I was!

[Broughtonblue]

Starting cycling again last month after a year off, and after going from 10 miles at the beginning to a regular 17.5 miles 2 or 3 times a week I thought I would push myself yesterday. Plotted a 26 mile course and with 17 miles completed I saw a lady (mid 50's to 60) 'struggling' up a hill about half a mile in front of me, right I thought, time for my first overtake here. As I breezed past her I thought right then, steady rhythem up the rest of the hill and before long she will be a speck in the distance. As I approached the top a quick glance behind me put me to shame, I was greated with a shout of "I'm using you as a pacemaker, don't stop know"
Oh well, I needed a drink so slowed down to gulp from my bottle when she pulled alongside me, "how far are you going today?" I was asked, trying to make out I was on a long ride I said "about 30 miles" then the reply came "I'm doing a 60 today but was having a bit of trouble with my gears back there" we chatted for a bit as we rode on Till we went our different ways. Turns out she raced well into her late 40's and has always been as fit as a fiddle.
Lesson learnt, don't think you are fitter than you are!!!

 

[potsy]

 

[G-Zero]

Nice one

 

[NormanD]

that'll teach you

 

[DiddlyDodds]

I would have loved to see your face when your turned round to see her right behind you

 

[jayonabike]

I was panting away as I was cycling up Ivinghoe Beacon once thinking how well I was doing, when I was overtaken by 2 blokes happily chatting to each other and making it look really easy

 

[Moodyman]

The worst scalp for me was a lady in her 50s (I'm two decades younger) - of the ex-racing pedigree.

Approaching a 200 metre climb after a long flat, I started gearing down. She overtook me at the bottom of the climb and instead of gearing down, stood up and powered her way up.

When I got to the top, she was nowhere in sight.

I was on my commuter with panniers, etc, but still, it was demoralising.

 

[Moss]

It's all relative to your fittness level!

 

[brokenflipflop]

Beaten by a girl.

Note to self:

Buy revolver.

Do the decent thing.

 

[coffeejo]

Starting cycling again last month after a year off, and after going from 10 miles at the beginning to a regular 17.5 miles 2 or 3 times a week I thought I would push myself yesterday. Plotted a 26 mile course and with 17 miles completed I saw a lady (mid 50's to 60) 'struggling' up a hill about half a mile in front of me, right I thought, time for my first overtake here. As I breezed past her I thought right then, steady rhythem up the rest of the hill and before long she will be a speck in the distance. As I approached the top a quick glance behind me put me to shame, I was greated with a shout of "I'm using you as a pacemaker, don't stop know"
Oh well, I needed a drink so slowed down to gulp from my bottle when she pulled alongside me, "how far are you going today?" I was asked, trying to make out I was on a long ride I said "about 30 miles" then the reply came "I'm doing a 60 today but was having a bit of trouble with my gears back there" we chatted for a bit as we rode on Till we went our different ways. Turns out she raced well into her late 40's and has always been as fit as a fiddle.
Lesson learnt, don't think you are fitter than you are!!!

 

[BalkanExpress]

Jogger..... I'm saying nowt more

 

[Nearly there]

I was overtaken going up hill by a lycra clad female cyclist yesterday but I didn't mind the view was spectacular ;-)

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Good on you for eating a little humble pie with good humour! Good on her too! Mind you, that ''trouble with my gears'' story sounds a bit like an excuse. I also have trouble with my gears going uphill - I don't have enough of them...

 

[400bhp]

Great story

 

[vernon]

The worst scalp for me was a lady in her 50s (I'm two decades younger) - of the ex-racing pedigree.

Approaching a 200 metre climb after a long flat, I started gearing down. She overtook me at the bottom of the climb and instead of gearing down, stood up and powered her way up.

When I got to the top, she was nowhere in sight.

I was on my commuter with panniers, etc, but still, it was demoralising.

I was overtaken by a cyclist pulling a trailer with a child in in as I was cycling into Somerset from Devon. I wasn't particularly gutted as I probably weighed more than the cyclist bike, trailer and child without taking my camping gear into account.

Being beaten by a woman in an electric wheel chair was a different matter.