Didn't want to be passed by a girl I guess....

[deena]

I just got back from my ride tonight. I was on a bike trail and at a cross street pulled up behind two men riding. I said hi, so did they. They crossed, I waited for a car and crossed. About 50 feet down the trail I caught up to within passing distance. They went from single file to doubled up so I couldn't pass! And rode that way the whole next 5 miles until we split at the next cross street. And I know the one with the handle bar mirror saw me. Men and their egos!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Maybe they were hoping you'd start a conversation with them?

[Cindyloo]

How obnoxious! You could have yelled "On your left.....or right, either one will do!" I would have taken it off the path if i had to! But I turn into a meanie on the bike sometimes .

[DebW]

I'll admit to occasionally deriving perverse pleasure out of blowing past a chauvinistic 14 year old male. I figure we've got to put them in their place early. It's like: "You think you're faster than me just because you're male? Well, I've been riding for 30 years and I train and I have good technique. So watch me blow by you. Now go learn how to ride."

Your experience sounds totally infuriating, deena.

[Kalidurga]

I had a similar experience with male egotism (or whatever) yesterday. Three guys on BMX-type bikes were strung out along the right side of the towpath. I was pedaling just a tad faster, so as I came up behind the first guy I called out "Passing on the left!" and pulled over. He had a cel phone tucked between his head and his shoulder and totally ignored me as I went by. As I came up to the second guy, I called out again. As I got up next to him, though, he picked up his pace and rode along next to me. So, I kicked my cadence into high gear and moved ahead and back over in front of him. Then I came up behind the third guy, called out, and the doofus did the exact same thing his buddy had done! So, again, I kicked up the cadence and sprinted away from them, shaking my head in consternation the whole way.

To have someone double up on the trail would really aggravate me, though. In your situation, deena, I'd have been tempted to yell something a little more colorful than "Passing on the left!".

[KSH]

This is my lame joke:



Want to know how to make a guy ride faster?

Have a girl try to pass him.

[Lise]

I get so mad when people won't respond to "On your left!" First I check--do they have earphones in? No? Then I repeat myself, "I am passing on your left!" They keep riding side by side. So I pull around, and sometimes I say, "That Means You Pull Over To The Right!" Sometimes I restrain myself.

Best so far was the roller blader to the left of a cyclist. They're cruising along together, side by side, but roller blader guy is swinging his arms as if he were sprinting. So what little bit of path was left is now covered by his swinging arms. I yell "On your left! Please control your arms!" Fortunately, he got it. I could just see an ill-timed swing taking us both out.

Again--why I almost never ride the north lakefront path...

[Bikingmomof3]

How frustrating Deena.

[Adventure Girl]

Didn't want to be passed by a girl I guess....
I just got back from my ride tonight. I was on a bike trail and at a cross street pulled up behind two men riding. I said hi, so did they. They crossed, I waited for a car and crossed. About 50 feet down the trail I caught up to within passing distance. They went from single file to doubled up so I couldn't pass! And rode that way the whole next 5 miles until we split at the next cross street. And I know the one with the handle bar mirror saw me. Men and their egos!

I can see how frustrating this could be. But how do you know it had anything to do with gender? Their action was definitely rude, but I can't come to the same conclusion that this was a male/female situation.

[eclectic]

I think gender does come into play a little -

My BF and I used to go riding together all the time, him on a schwinn hybrid and me on a schwinn leisure bike. He had skinnier and larger circumferance tires plus was stronger. I was always pushing to keep up and usually was half a block behind. (we did have a talk about passive aggressive behaviour patterns

I was sick of always being behind so for that and other reasons I bought a Specialized road bike. NOW I could keep up no problemo.

On one windy miserable day I was drafting off him and he turned and said "Haven't we ditched you yet?" OOOOOHHHH not a good thing to say

He is overall very cooperative, polite, fun, and just an all round nice guy UNTIL a girl passes him