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...

[salsabike]

One of the more interesting aspects to riding a tandem is the assumption by roadies that they need to get past us because they will be faster. And they are faster on hills and starting after a stop. But...um...not on the downhills, guys! Yesterday on our ride, a couple of guys on singles felt the need to go in front of us when we were stopped at a traffic light, even knowing that we were all heading for a long downhill. They then proceeded to ride right in the middle of the lane. However, I have developed really STENTORIAN tones and I bellowed, "ON YOUR LEFT!!!" so loudly that you best believe they moved over and we screamed on by them. Boys...you can pass us on the hills. You might or might not be able to pass us on the flats. Gravity says, though, that you will not pass us on the downhills.

[Running Mommy]

LOL Salsa!! That's telling them!!!
My favorite happened last year at a sprint tri in Tucson. I was grinding up a 2 mile climb (mine road) and I finally decided that I didn't need to be tucked in behind this guy as he was going too slow, So I passed him. He didn't like that and got me on the down hill. But I also passed a young stud on a mtn bike. I think his calf had a 24 on it (as in 24 yrs old). Of course he was on a mtn bike, and me on a road rig.. so it made sense that I passed him. But I found out on the run that he apparently did not appreciate it. He caught me on the run and said "hey, thanks for motivating me on the bike there".. I realized that I had passed him and laughed to myself thinking "yeah, must stink to get smoked by a fat chick!!"
And then I realized that he was the one that did a Beloki style slide into T2 right after I racked my bike. It was quite spectacular, and I realized that he was trying to beat me into T2 and just missed by a few seconds.. heh heh heh

[salsabike]

LOL Salsa!! That's telling them!!!
My favorite happened last year at a sprint tri in Tucson. I was grinding up a 2 mile climb (mine road) and I finally decided that I didn't need to be tucked in behind this guy as he was going too slow, So I passed him. He didn't like that and got me on the down hill. But I also passed a young stud on a mtn bike. I think his calf had a 24 on it (as in 24 yrs old). Of course he was on a mtn bike, and me on a road rig.. so it made sense that I passed him. But I found out on the run that he apparently did not appreciate it. He caught me on the run and said "hey, thanks for motivating me on the bike there".. I realized that I had passed him and laughed to myself thinking "yeah, must stink to get smoked by a fat chick!!"
And then I realized that he was the one that did a Beloki style slide into T2 right after I racked my bike. It was quite spectacular, and I realized that he was trying to beat me into T2 and just missed by a few seconds.. heh heh heh

Ha!! That is a priceless image. Live and learn, guy...

[Lise]

And then I realized that he was the one that did a Beloki style slide into T2 right after I racked my bike. It was quite spectacular, and I realized that he was trying to beat me into T2 and just missed by a few seconds.. heh heh heh

What's a "Beloki style slide"? Whatever it is, I wish I could see the video!

Yeah, I don't get people who hog the lane. If they're unaware of it, they'll apologetically move right over when you ask to pass. But if they're doing it intentionally...why? Life = pass & be passed! So it goes! Love the tandem going downhill story. Yeah, boys, it's a little thing called gravity.

[pooks]

You know, I've been looking forward to taking my bike to the lake, but now y'all are giving me second thoughts! LOL

[Bikingmomof3]

How frustrating Deena.

[CycleChic06]

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...

Lise, roller-bladers are my #1 pet peave! They have driven off the Minuteman Bike Path that practically runs through my backyard. They rarely yield to bicycles and almost ALWAYS take up the whole path!! The best sign I ever saw was on that Schuylkill River bike path outside Philly that said roller-bladers must yield to bicycles must yield to pedestrians (except it was all in pictures and was kinda cool). It was such a smart sign.

Emily

[tulip]

Often, we are just too polite, especially around stupid men-beings.

I have found that my little bell works wonders. 'DING DING' and pass. No waiting for them to permit me to pass, just go (assuming it's safe and no one is coming the other way). They may have been clueless and figured you didn't want to pass (otherwise you would have, like they would have).

Ugh. what a drag, though.