Sky King, it does irk me when people pass closely and scare the crap out of me because they've given no warning. It's why I always call out when I am the one doing the passing. You don't have to give me a conversation, just let me know you're coming within 2 inches of my left shoulder.
Yesterday, a guy did this to us as we were ambling our way home. He came so close to me, I sort of jumped on my bike. Usually I can "feel" someone approaching, but this time I didn't. I'd say I was going at about 16-17 mph, on a road where even I can get up to 22. There was also a guy on a mtb ahead of us, no helmet, and street clothes, going pretty fast for this type of rider. The fast rider passed us and this guy. So, fast rider turns onto another street, and so does the helmetless guy. I told DH not to turn here, as we can take another way into our neighborhood. As we just turn onto our street and start climbing up the hill, I pull ahead of DH and am making a good effort up the first climb. The fast rider appears out of nowhere, but this time acknowledges my presence. Of course he leaves me in the dust, but I wonder what made him decide I was worthy to talk to then, and not when he passed me earlier. He took the steeper side of the loop, and just when I was turning into my driveway, I saw him descending. No big deal, but I felt like saying, "How would you like to end every ride with this climb?"
