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I Guess Consistency Is A Bad Assumption?


Razors Edge
Go to solution Solved by Mr. Beanz,

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Finishing up my ride last evening, and I was closing a gap on two dudes on road bikes.  They seemed together, and they seemed to be happy puttering along. I rapidly caught up to them, but as it was a busy stretch of the trail and the lead guy seemed to hog the center of the trail, I ended up just freewheeling for a while behind them, and waiting to roll past when the opportunity presented itself.

Anyway, as we slowed at an intersection, and then started up again on the other side, the guy in front of me continued his pokey pace, so I started passing him and assumed the front slow guy would continue with his similar pokey pace. BUT...as I approached the front guy, he was out of his saddle and accelerating much quicker than his partner.  I still completed my pass, but was left scratching my head why he would - seemingly - ride so erratically - ie poking for 1/4 mile (and clearly much longer than that), but for that little bit where I was going to pass, he would greatly increase his effort.  It dropped his buddy, so it just seems like erratic riding, but my assumption that a pokey rider would remain consistently pokey seemed a mistake. I'm thinking he was really a pokey-pokey-pokey-rush-rush-pokey-pokey-pokey rider.

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That is always weird. And the guy in the back sucks, can't hold a straight line. 

Even when I am trying to set my land speed record, if someone approaches from behind, I keep my line and pace so they can pass safely. Can't figure out why these guys do this other than they suck. 

If someone catches me from behind, I know I'm going to get passed. Let him pass safely so nobody gets hurt!

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On 10/6/2021 at 3:09 PM, Mr Beanz said:

If someone catches me from behind, I know I'm going to get passed. Let him pass safely so nobody gets hurt!

A simple rule to follow, but ignored by many. 

It was weird to start passing the guy, but then realize he was all of a sudden hammering.  It was unexpected, and I felt bad for continuing my pass, but at the same time, it's is a WTF moment.  Those dudes were riding many MPH slower than me, acting as casual as could be, and seemingly just  noodling for the fun of it.  But the moment I went to pass the lead guy? It was like a switch was flipped.  Just not what I expected.

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38 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

A simple rule to follow, but ignored by many. 

It was weird to start passing the guy, but then realize he was all of a sudden hammering.  It was unexpected, and I felt bad for continuing my pass, but at the same time, it's is a WTF moment.  Those dudes were riding many MPH slower than me, acting as casual as could be, and seemingly just  noodling for the fun of it.  But the moment I went to pass the lead guy? It was like a switch was flipped.  Just not what I expected.

Happens all the time. Actually glad you see it as I posted that here on this site years ago but the others said it was my imagination. As much as I see it in your videos, pretty sure you know it happens here as well, Heck, used to see about 200 other riders on a weekend ride. Bet you can't guess how many riders like this I have met. Yeah, just my imagination. :D

Funniest time ever, was a gal. A bigger heavier gal, my hat is off to her for riding and exercising. Not a huge gal but round in shape. Athletic looking though.  She had a sweet bike. Pink upper line bike, pink rims, great outfit. Gina and I were approaching her and her hubby from behind. I politely called out. onyerleft with a smile.

As we began our pass, she looked over at us and looked us up and down for a couple seconds then shouted, "STEP ON IT HONEY!!!". :o

They hopped on it and took off like bullets, well for like 30 seconds. :lol:

We just rolled by them a minute or two later as it seems she could barely spin the pedals at this point. Pretty comical.  I just rolled by her and turned my head her way with a big smile. Heck man, even the chicks do that stuff around here. :D

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Ah, here is one of those chicks! :D at :35 into the video, the show starts. 

We were just doing our pace and as you mentioned about your boy, the others were doing a much slower pace. As we begin our pass, this couple lifted their pace to just about match ours. NOT SAFE!!!! 

But they end  falling back some and hop on the back of Aimee's wheel. I kept recording some as I just about figured what was coming next. Sure enough, as mentioned in the video, the gal sprints around us and shoots off way ahead, for about 2 minutes. Then we hit a little steep ramp on the trail. Maybe 4% for about 30 yards. Sure enough, she popped like a balloon and fell so far behind we lost sight of them after a mile.

Can't figure out why they have to lift their pace. Got something to prove? :dontknow: Other than they can't keep up?! :lol:

FTR, it was her and not the dude. He just went along with her and he didn't fade like she did.

 

 

 

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People do that in cars too. Probably the busiest two lane highway in the county has very few places where you are allowed to pass but with the heavy traffic coming the other direction most of the time you can’t pass there either. The speed limit is 55 and many times you will get behind a poke that is driving 45 or less. There is one big hill that they made an extra lane basically so you can get around slow trucks on the hill. Everyone looks forward to the three lane hill so they can finally get around the slow poke. Inevitably the 45 mph slowpoke will speed up when approaching the hill and by the time they reach the third lane part they are going 70 mph. You have to go over 80 mph to get around them because this is your only chance. If you stay behind them they will slow back down when the passing lane is gone.

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4 hours ago, Longjohn said:

People do that in cars too.

I was going to mention cars after reading Beanz' post!

I generally use cruise control on the highway for longer drives, and pretty much as I stick to a speed with +/-1 mph, I will pass a car, have it roar past, pass again, yada yada.  Insanity, if you as me. :(

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4 hours ago, Longjohn said:

People do that in cars too. Probably the busiest two lane highway in the county has very few places where you are allowed to pass but with the heavy traffic coming the other direction most of the time you can’t pass there either. The speed limit is 55 and many times you will get behind a poke that is driving 45 or less. There is one big hill that they made an extra lane basically so you can get around slow trucks on the hill. Everyone looks forward to the three lane hill so they can finally get around the slow poke. Inevitably the 45 mph slowpoke will speed up when approaching the hill and by the time they reach the third lane part they are going 70 mph. You have to go over 80 mph to get around them because this is your only chance. If you stay behind them they will slow back down when the passing lane is gone.

70 on the freeway, where where?!?!?! :lol:

Around here it is so overpopulated that doing 20 on the freeway at times is nice. There is a spot on the river trail where we parallel the freeway, 6 lanes wide and we are passing traffic for quite a ways at 17 MPH. :happyanim:

Cruise control around here? Forgettaboutit!

I remember visiting NM few years ago. Heading from Albuquerque to Santa Fe one morning, relatives told us to be very careful with the heavy traffic on the fwy. I swear, we saw maybe 20 cars on a 50 mile stretch of fwy. Now there I used cruise control while Gina and I laughed all the way to Santa Fe. :D

Try driving in Orange County on the freeways around the Disneyland, Honda Center, Anaheim stadium, Knott's Berry farm area. :angry:

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/20/2021 at 6:54 AM, maddmaxx said:

Most times, "lack of consistency" is other people not doing what we want.

Yep, and in those situations, it pays to have some juice in the tank to get around them ASAP.  The sooner the consistently inconsistent (or inconsistently consistent) are in the review mirror, the better!

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