I don't understand the whole passing frenzy. Sometimes I pass people. Sometimes I get passed. Most of the time I try to say hello, whether passed or passing, unless I'm out of breath.

My dear partner and his father are both amazing cyclists. My dear partner, age 33, is particularly fit and a very, very strong cyclist; his father, pushing 65, still kicks my @$$ any day and is in great shape. They both have this issue about passing. They also get upset if they are in a conversational ride (together) and someone passes them without saying hello. But the worst is about passing.

When I ride with my husband, it almost becomes a problem: we are closing in on someone ahead of us who is obviously slower, but my husband slows down (causing me to break - which I don't appreciate, as I need all the momentum I can get to save energy when I ride with him) and just won't pass, even if we're riding 5-10 km/h faster than whoever is ahead. I think it's because he doesn't want to make anyone feel bad about being passed. Usually I get tired pretty quick and go ahead, passing whoever-is-ahead (saying hello) with my husband on my wheel. A few hundred meters later he'll take his position ahead of me again (phew!). As if guys being passed felt better being "chicked" than being passed by a fit man with a little woman on his wheel.

I don't put anywhere near as much thought into the psychology of cycling as they do!