Do cyclists race each other??

helimachoptor

So today I was cycling in for the first time from citywest to the city centre.

Passed a mid 30's guy around the square. We were both doing a normal pace.
Then a couple of mins later he flies by me pedalling like a bat out of hell. I catch up a few mins later and then he does the same thing.

I think he may become my nemesis!

Do you guys race random strangers??

High&Low

All the time!!!- last few weeks it has been the same guy and its taking about 5 minutes off my commute...

Chips Lovell

Nope, but random strangers do sometimes seem to racing me.

I've a friend though who regularly chases random punters on climbs. It's like he takes offence when someone passes him.

PeadarofAodh

Always! Although I've only ever once come across a guy who gave me a real race - funniest thing is he was fully kitted out in shorts/jersey etc and there was me just about holding him off in my work clothes - shirt/trousers. Most annoying thing is when cyclists who are far slower than you try to race you, get left behind, then place themselves in front of you again at red lights and sit in the middle of the bike lane.

I've beaten you already godammit!:mad:

seamus

Seems to happen to me all the time. You burn by someone, and they appear again 2 minutes letter pedalling like a looney and overtake you. Then another 2 minutes later, they run out of steam and I burn by them again.

Yeah, people sitting in front of me at lights wrecks my head too. If there's a guy who I know is quicker than me (usually roadies), I make a point of staying behind them at the lights.

Bicyclegadabout

Haha, yeah…..yeah. I do.

He doesn’t know it yet, but there’s a Cyclone courier who I’m always looking out for; he’s the only guy who’s resoundly beaten me more than once….. in an imaginary race.

This morning I raced a JCB, can’t believe I lost.


Anyway, racing, it keeps things interesting. Stay safe of course, don’t get carried away with it.

PeadarofAodh

Bicyclegadabout wrote: »

Haha, yeah…..yeah. I do.

He doesn’t know it yet, but there’s a Cyclone courier who I’m always looking out for; he’s the only guy who’s resoundly beaten me more than once….. in an imaginary race.

This morning I raced a JCB, can’t believe I lost.


Anyway, racing, it keeps things interesting. Stay safe of course, don’t get carried away with it.

So I can't kick the old man off his bike when he decides he wants a re-match at every red light??

Planet X

Always on the way home when it doesn't matter if I work up a sweat, but not on the way in. I want to smell of roses for the girls!

peterk19

we sure do ive a few cyclists i race very often when im out never really spoken more than 2 words to any of them just a friendly nod when one of us is turning off, ive had a few great races with a guy from sutton to malahide, and when i was commuting into town there was a few couriers i looked forward to seeing in the morning they got me into work about 5 minutes early,

Dirk Gently

I sometimes do it, but only when oap's take me over
I end up having to catch them and sprint ahead. It's just not right getting pwned by old people. I gave up racing to red lights a long time ago. Much easier to roll up to them and time the green light instead of racing to stop and wait with everyone else. I do sometimes still end up in unofficial races with a girl on the way home but she does it to me and I suppose she helps get me how quicker than I normally would. (she pwns me too)

Chips Lovell

Of course in urban areas you often find yourself in the situation where you pass someone, stop at the next lights, they blow the lights and you find yourself passing them again until the next set of lights.

unionman

All the time, I can't help it. If I'm overtaken by anything other than a serious looking roadie I have to chase them. 9 times out of 10 I'll beat them, and yeah, then you get the red light jokers sitting in front. I like to give them a head start, then go for it once they've glanced over the shoulder to see where I am. As I pass, I'm wearing a sh*t-eating grin.

But every once in a while you meet someone who can take you with ease, and they don't always look the type. It's a worthwhile exercise in humility.

But as I type, I'm still cooling down from a short sprint versus what may have been a courier on a nice looking fixie. He beat me fair and square. He trailed me up Dame St as far as the lights on northside of O'Connell bridge. He took off just as they changed and we drew level halfway up O'Connell St. I got ahead and got up to the junction at Parnell St. As I was about to turn East on Parnell he passed me, and I was confident of catching up to him. He turned up Nth Gt Georges St, same way I was going, but the hill beat me, I trailed behind, seriously out of breath. I defer to his supremacy. If you read this thread, fair play to ye.;)

I've just been browsing the newly merged sticky 'Images of Beauty / Picture my ride' and I think I know who beat me this morning

kmick

On my commute the racing is intense. I used to participate but had some close shaves with cars so gave it up. It usually goes like this

1st :- Courier with gearless, light, fast bike
2nd :- Large dude on fast hybrid mountain bike with racing wheels
Somewhere at the rear of 1 and 2 :- Skinny nerd with rusty chain and 10 year old bike chasing after those two.
4th Dreads Girl on high nelly who passes out 1 2 and 3 at the lights and goes straight through ignoring the beeping and screeching of tyres.

Every morning is like a soap opera.

studiorat

Terrible trouble trying to pass some spanner on an electric bike out through Ranelagh yesterday, dude took up the whole cycle lane. Nearly had to lean on him:D

I do however enjoy getting in behind some guys on their spanky racers for the tow in to town. When they hear my squeaky wheel and clunky gears behind them they always look around. "Thanks for the tow!, you'd want to get that wheel seen to mate!"

kenmc

heh this will become so much more interesting when we all get our jerseys Only problem is we'll need to get a few each so we don't have days where we're wearing different jerseys.
I don't get much chance to race on my commute - dundrum to leopardstown. have to resort to racing JCBs, busses most of the time. This morning there was a young lad on a fat tire MTB between Beacon Court and leopardstown, fair play to him he even stopped beside me at pedestrian lights in the industrial estate, but my track standing is better than his If he was on a skinny wheeler he would be wicked fast, he paced me the whole way down through sandyford industrial estate until he went the wrong way down by woodies while I went on down by the luas.

Planet X

Tricky sometimes when you have to "Do a curb" on a cycle lane for a few yards with a Dublin Bus waiting for you to slip off and under the wheels!
:D

studiorat

Maybe it's time for this...NYC couriers givin' it socks We've all seen it I'm sure, I think the music's great on this version.

Chips Lovell

studiorat wrote: »

Maybe it's time for this...NYC couriers givin' it socks We've all seen it I'm sure, I think the music's great on this version.

Ah, the famous Lucas Brunelle video. The rest of his videos are here.

studiorat

el tonto wrote: »

Ah, the famous Lucas Brunelle video. The rest of his videos are here.

nice 1.
My fave's the one with the guy riding on top of crash barrier across the bridge.
Giving cyclists a Bad name!

off to limber up for the spin in to work. kinda looking forward to it now:cool:

Gavin

unionman wrote: »

But as I type, I'm still cooling down from a short sprint versus what may have been a courier on a nice looking fixie. He beat me fair and square. He trailed me up Dame St as far as the lights on northside of O'Connell bridge. He took off just as they changed and we drew level halfway up O'Connell St. I got ahead and got up to the junction at Parnell St. As I was about to turn East on Parnell he passed me, and I was confident of catching up to him. He turned up Nth Gt Georges St, same way I was going, but the hill beat me, I trailed behind, seriously out of breath. I defer to his supremacy. If you read this thread, fair play to ye.;)

haha, nice langster unionman. I was keeping an eye out for you on the rest of the route.

That fixie seems to cause trouble when squeezing up between a bus and kerb!

Gav

Hungrycol

I wish I met more roadies on my commute, or maybe I'm commuting at the at the wrong time fo day. Nothing but sit-up-and-beg bikes on the road or builders in high vis jackets on their rusty MTB's. Oh well, I race my Average speed on my speedo which keeps me well outta puff. I'm up to an average of 31.7kph over 20kms, bloody traffic lights and silly junctions.

unionman

Haha! I thought it was you Verb. Well, I thought I recognised your bike (very nice) from the new sticky.

Yeah, pain in the 4rse getting round that bend at college green, that truck left no space, and the SPD's / fixie combo make it all a bit tricky. To be honest, I'm struggling on the hills these days, you found my weakspot!

I turned off at Gardiner Place, my office is around there. Think I might just let you pass me the next time...suddenly feeling very old;-)

Gavin

unionman wrote: »

Haha! I thought it was you Verb. Well, I thought I recognised your bike (very nice) from the new sticky.

Yeah, pain in the 4rse getting round that bend at college green, that truck left no space, and the SPD's / fixie combo make it all a bit tricky.

To be honest, I'm struggling on the hills these days, you found my weakspot!

Aye, you flew ahead on O'Connell St, I had to pant away to keep up, then got stuck at a light as you made it through on the orange.

I'll know to say hello when we meet again anyway !

Gav

unionman

Verb wrote: »

Aye, you flew ahead on O'Connell St, I had to pant away to keep up, then got stuck at a light as you made it through on the orange.

I'll know to say hello when we meet again anyway !

Gav

Will do, fair play.

PeadarofAodh

Less fraternising and more competitiveness!

Bicyclegadabout

unionman wrote: »

Yeah, pain in the 4rse getting round that bend at college green,

Go into the middle of the two lanes, there’s always space there.

franglan

Without a doubt cyclists race each other, people love to try and race you if your on a road bike,

Example: yesterday i was just finishing my leisurely spin on the outskirts of galway, just warming down, when i passed these two lads on what looked like moutain bikes, Now i was going by gingerly, Wasn't trying to look flash now or anything, Anyway about a mile later i look around my shoulder and the two lads are breakin their b**ls trying to catch me around 100 yards away...

Morale of the story its not a race, if both parties don't know there in a "race".

c0rk3r

All the time. Once people see the road bike something triggers in them and they have to race me. Maybe an inferiority complex. A "ill show him". Its usually good fun and brightens the morning up. Also if i see someone furhter up the road ill chase after them, stick behind them for a while and wait for someone else to chase.

I got a real kick out of this yesterday. Headed to glasnevin from phibsborough to get some stuff in tescos, 1 km probably.Lesiurely on my way back i get caught behind a middle aged lady on an old bike, high vis vest etc. So im stuck behind her for a little bit. Behind me a guys storms up. We both jump up on the path and pass out the old lady. This guy is glued to my rear wheel, he wants a race. Righto im going to wear this fecker out. Ive only got 700m to my house anyway but this guy doesnt know that. I accelerate to 40kmph(theres no way i could keep this up for long) He keeps up with me for about 200meters. I turn into my estate look back, heh hes huffing and puffing swinging his shoulders left to right. Hes exhausted and im home. Poor guy probably had another few km's until he was home.

Its how i get my kicks

Hungrycol

c0rk3r wrote: »

heh hes huffing and puffing swinging his shoulders left to right.

... and he's using less effort cos he's the one drafting you!

franglan

c0rk3r wrote: »

All the time. Once people see the road bike something triggers in them and they have to race me. Maybe an inferiority complex. A "ill show him". Its usually good fun and brightens the morning up. Also if i see someone furhter up the road ill chase after them, stick behind them for a while and wait for someone else to chase.

I got a real kick out of this yesterday. Headed to glasnevin from phibsborough to get some stuff in tescos, 1 km probably.Lesiurely on my way back i get caught behind a middle aged lady on an old bike, high vis vest etc. So im stuck behind her for a little bit. Behind me a guys storms up. We both jump up on the path and pass out the old lady. This guy is glued to my rear wheel, he wants a race. Righto im going to wear this fecker out. Ive only got 700m to my house anyway but this guy doesnt know that. I accelerate to 40kmph(theres no way i could keep this up for long) He keeps up with me for about 200meters. I turn into my estate look back, heh hes huffing and puffing swinging his shoulders left to right. Hes exhausted and im home. Poor guy probably had another few km's until he was home.

Its how i get my kicks

NICE WORK ....

helimachoptor

Forgive me as I'm new.. But I'm on a MTB I presume thats a mountain bike?
I wear football sorts a hoodie and a high vis vest and my trust helmet.

But some of the guys who passed me today were really pushing it hard and fair play to them. I'll be doing 32k per day which is enough for the moment!

but I might let my ego get the better of me and race these pro's!