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I May Be A Dick - Example #317


Razors Edge

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On my ride yesterday, it was a "lollipop" - ie I ride out to the start of a loop, ride the loop, and then return the way I came.  For me, the "reason" for the ride is that one hour loop, not really the out-and-back piece.

Anyway, I finished up my loop, and as I got to the "return" segment, I pulled over to give my wife a heads up that I would be home in an hour.  I did my normal water bottle swap, and started noodling along.  About that time, some guy cruised on past, and looking down at my HR, I figured I could be riding a little more vigorously, so increased my speed to match the guy and stayed back 40' or so and liked having a carrot out ahead of me.

Apparently, though, he relished the idea of dropping me, and would occasionally look back & pedal a bit harder. :)  That seemed to be all well and good until about 15-20mins later when he must have realized it wasn't working for him :(  One final glance behind and then a rapid slowing & a furious and frustrated arm wave to get me to go past.  Oh well, it was good while it lasted, but maybe not his happiest ride. I think I diskishly made the ride about me and stole his joy.

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13 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Are you really a dick if the other dick was biting dickish before you were being dickish and his being a dick was the reason for you being a dick?

 

It's tough.  Folks like to pass and hate to be passed.  I'm a perfect example since I was slowed down to text my wife (I stopped for that!) and swapping the water bottles, and wasn't pushing to get back going too hard.  It wasn't until I was passed that I realized I was just cruising on auto-pilot.  His pass brought me back to awareness, and he was a nice little carrot.  I hate yo-yo-ing with strangers on a ride, so I generally match speed and try to keep the distance 30'-40' so I still get a "workout" without drafting too much.

But, yeah, his furious wave was funny to me.  He was cooked, so as I passed, he was at least able to continue his ride without having to look back over his shoulder more often. 

Probably a pair of dicks?  Like Dick Van Patten and Dick Van Dyke!

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1 minute ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

No. "being a dick" would have involved passing him sitting up, no-handed, maybe even taking a pull from your water bottle.

Not that I've ever done this. :whistle:

I do the passing while drinking quite a bit, but it isn't usually after shadowing folks - just catching and rolling by normal folks.

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8 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I do the passing while drinking quite a bit, but it isn't usually after shadowing folks - just catching and rolling by normal folks.

When I ride the canal, I always wave or say "hi" or "good morning" as I pass people - either direction. Surprisingly runners are the friendliest, walkers are a mixed bag and cyclists are often grumpy.

If I pass cyclists going the opposite direction and they're snooty, if I see them ahead of me, after I've turned around, I'll chase them down and pass them, no-handed, while sitting up - usually at 5-10MPH faster than they're going. :whistle:

I did this once, while riding with SO and I couldn't shake the guy. :D We went on for a mile or two, neither one able to pass. I finally sat up, laughed and told the guy "I gotta get back or she's gonna be pissed..." Turned out to be a buddy of mine that I hadn't seen in years. :D

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We’re you riding SART?!?!  

I was cruising along SART last week on my Anthem.  I hadn’t  been feeling well up to that point with sinus issues & dizziness the past week prior so since I was feeling better took an easy spin. I noticed as I get my heart rate up my head would start pounding so I was just cruising.

Anyway, I’m noodling along and some guy rides up next to me, “that’s all ya got?”   Yup...  Shit like that is just the norm on that trail.

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14 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

We’re you riding SART?!?! 

One of these days!

14 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Shit like that is just the norm on that trail.

Our main "unhappy", "unskilled", and "annoying" class of rider is the TT/tri folks or anyone on aero bars in general.  Those guys (and gals) really hate to be passed :D  but that makes it soooo much nicer.  In that case, I embrace my inner dick, and do the swig from the water bottle while loudly giving them a "howdy!" as I roll by.

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No, you weren’t a dick. The other rider chose his reaction to your following him. It’s not like you were drafting him. I hate passing people who suddenly decide they are going to draft off of you without asking. I don’t mind people passing me. I usually say, “go get ‘em”

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7 minutes ago, Old No. 7 said:

I don’t mind people passing me. I usually say, “go get ‘em”

I say "howdy" to EVERY cyclist I pass.  I'll nod or wave to every cyclist I pass out on the road, or, if on the trail, I do the same to approaching riders when we make eye contact or they are looking in my general direction.

I have clearly never passed you, as my "response to a howdy" ratio is about one in fifty or maybe a hundred, so I would remember a "go get 'em"!

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1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

On my ride yesterday, it was a "lollipop" - ie I ride out to the start of a loop, ride the loop, and then return the way I came.  For me, the "reason" for the ride is that one hour loop, not really the out-and-back piece.

Anyway, I finished up my loop, and as I got to the "return" segment, I pulled over to give my wife a heads up that I would be home in an hour.  I did my normal water bottle swap, and started noodling along.  About that time, some guy cruised on past, and looking down at my HR, I figured I could be riding a little more vigorously, so increased my speed to match the guy and stayed back 40' or so and liked having a carrot out ahead of me.

Apparently, though, he relished the idea of dropping me, and would occasionally look back & pedal a bit harder. :)  That seemed to be all well and good until about 15-20mins later when he must have realized it wasn't working for him :(  One final glance behind and then a rapid slowing & a furious and frustrated arm wave to get me to go past.  Oh well, it was good while it lasted, but maybe not his happiest ride. I think I diskishly made the ride about me and stole his joy.

Lollipop - so that's what you call an out-and-back with a loop on the far end!  Sometimes I'll ride part of the Baltimore and Annapolis Bike Trail, make a diversion to a park where I do its loop trail, then ride back to where I started on the B&A Trail.  Lollipop.  I'll have to remember that.  Thanks!

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1 hour ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said:

No. "being a dick" would have involved passing him sitting up, no-handed, maybe even taking a pull from your water bottle.

Not that I've ever done this. :whistle:

Biggest dick move I ever saw was a shirtless guy on a rusty 500# beach cruiser wearing sandals pass me.  :angry::mellow::P

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6 minutes ago, MickinMD said:

Lollipop - so that's what you call an out-and-back with a loop on the far end!  Sometimes I'll ride part of the Baltimore and Annapolis Bike Trail, make a diversion to a park where I do its loop trail, then ride back to where I started on the B&A Trail.  Lollipop.  I'll have to remember that.  Thanks!

Or maybe a tomahawk!

image.png.babca945e1a8f29db9e63c326b4ac033.png

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1 minute ago, Philander Seabury said:

Biggest dick move I ever saw was a shirtless guy on a rusty 500# beach cruiser wearing sandals pass me.  :angry::mellow::P

Heh. At the start of an MTB trail, I came up behind a guy on a Walmart bike, wearing a flannel shirt, jeans, work boots and an old school Bell turtle shell helmet - no plastic shell, just the styrofoam.

The trail starts off fairly steep and narrow and I was thinking “how am I gonna get around this guy....?”

We got to the foot of the climb and he took off like he was shot out of a cannon.

”Oh.....guess that’s not gonna be a problem...”

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3 minutes ago, Philander Seabury said:

Biggest dick move I ever saw was a shirtless guy on a rusty 500# beach cruiser wearing sandals pass me.  :angry::mellow::P

Oddly, I passed at least 4 e-bikes, and they were all being ridden at like 10mph.  I couldn't figure it out.  Most have a minimum of assist to 15+ if not all the way up to 28mph on the nicer ones.

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1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

On my ride yesterday, it was a "lollipop" - ie I ride out to the start of a loop, ride the loop, and then return the way I came.  For me, the "reason" for the ride is that one hour loop, not really the out-and-back piece.

Anyway, I finished up my loop, and as I got to the "return" segment, I pulled over to give my wife a heads up that I would be home in an hour.  I did my normal water bottle swap, and started noodling along.  About that time, some guy cruised on past, and looking down at my HR, I figured I could be riding a little more vigorously, so increased my speed to match the guy and stayed back 40' or so and liked having a carrot out ahead of me.

Apparently, though, he relished the idea of dropping me, and would occasionally look back & pedal a bit harder. :)  That seemed to be all well and good until about 15-20mins later when he must have realized it wasn't working for him :(  One final glance behind and then a rapid slowing & a furious and frustrated arm wave to get me to go past.  Oh well, it was good while it lasted, but maybe not his happiest ride. I think I diskishly made the ride about me and stole his joy.

When you're out riding on a trail, there are going to be bikes/pedestrians/skaters that pass you or you pass them and that's part of the experience. It's not a race so it shouldn't diminish your pleasure.

BUT, if you're not that fast a cyclist and have a bike behind you and do not have a rear view mirror, it can be unnerving to wonder if suddenly that bike behind you is going to come flying by when the trail gets narrower or there are bikes/pedestrians/skaters going the opposite direction.

So if he was bothered by you hanging behind him, it's his fault for not being able to keep a continuous eye you or else it's ok that he slowed to let you pass.

I only average about 12 mph on a mountain bike, am passed often on trails, and make sure I have a rear view mirror attached to the end of a handlebar so I can see what's coming up behind me. It and small rear rack with a small bag of tools/goodies may not look cool, but I don't care - they do the job and keep me stress free.

image.thumb.png.1632e130ca20d565e16bb366c1768fa6.png

 

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5 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Back to the most important point here.  The n00b titles a thread "I may be a Dick."  Hey it's the n00b.  The obvious and only correct answer is - Yes.

 

Example numbers 1 through 316 clearly established the answer.  #317 was just a bit of "burnishment of a pedigree"!

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There was a couple ahead of me last weekend. They pulled on the road I was riding about 1/2 to 3/4 miles ahead of me. It had been a harder ride so it was nice to have a rabbit to chase the last 4 miles. 
As I got closer the kit and riding style looked like a riding buddy and possibly his wife. He always likes to stop for ice cream on his rides. I had to put in an effort to catch them. I set the best time of the year for everyone on the last Strava segment. I caught them and got beside them a couple blocks before my turn   As I was passing I asked if it was time for ice cream. But it wasn’t my buddy. I didn’t know the couple and they were nice about it, but I could tell they thought was a strange greeting. 

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1 minute ago, groupw said:

As I was passing I asked if it was time for ice cream. But it wasn’t my buddy. I didn’t know the couple and they were nice about it, but I could tell they thought was a strange greeting. 

But let's be honest, that's a GREAT greeting.  I can see @F_in Ray Of Sunshine saying it as he passes by just before he sips his bottle.

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On 8/17/2020 at 6:56 AM, Razors Edge said:

On my ride yesterday, it was a "lollipop" - ie I ride out to the start of a loop, ride the loop, and then return the way I came.  For me, the "reason" for the ride is that one hour loop, not really the out-and-back piece.

Anyway, I finished up my loop, and as I got to the "return" segment, I pulled over to give my wife a heads up that I would be home in an hour.  I did my normal water bottle swap, and started noodling along.  About that time, some guy cruised on past, and looking down at my HR, I figured I could be riding a little more vigorously, so increased my speed to match the guy and stayed back 40' or so and liked having a carrot out ahead of me.

Apparently, though, he relished the idea of dropping me, and would occasionally look back & pedal a bit harder. :)  That seemed to be all well and good until about 15-20mins later when he must have realized it wasn't working for him :(  One final glance behind and then a rapid slowing & a furious and frustrated arm wave to get me to go past.  Oh well, it was good while it lasted, but maybe not his happiest ride. I think I diskishly made the ride about me and stole his joy.

 

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Had another Dick moment on SART yesterday... On a MUP so I didn’t turn on my rear blinky light to save the battery.   Some roadie dude passes, slows and says “you need to turn your rear light on!”

Really? I need to turn it on, on a MUP during daytime? Did he almost hit me because my blinky light was off?    Who the fuck is he anyway telling me what I need to do?   Then I realized, that’s right I’m on SART, asshole central for roadie douche bags... Par for the course...

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4 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Had another Dick moment on SART yesterday... On a MUP so I didn’t turn on my rear blinky light to save the battery.   Some roadie dude passes, slows and says “you need to turn your rear light on!”

Really? I need to turn it on, on a MUP during daytime? Did he almost hit me because my blinky light was off?    Who the fuck is he anyway telling me what I need to do?   Then I realized, that’s right I’m on SART, asshole central for roadie douche bags... Par for the course...

I rolled up on a roadie last night and as I was going to pass him, he turned and saw me - literally as I was about to greet him with my "howdy!".  Anyway, he's like, "you got to say something...", and I chuckled and kept rolling.

My philosophy is the same on the interstate when passing.  I neither honk nor flash my lights as I cruise past in the passing lane.  I leave ample space and pass when safe.  I ride like I drive, I guess, so if you're bothered by someone passing you six+ feet away, you've got real issues.

I generally do run my blinky lights all the time now, but I also run into folks who get irritated at a front blinky in the daytime as they approach.  People are people, and we love to beotch!

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