Pick your Own size

[Kwezmdd]

Recently I have noticed a lot of middle aged men cyclist who for some reason feel this need to compete with women cyclist who are half their size and their age.

They must be really bad cyclist that they find the need to do this. This has happen to me twice on both times on my training day. (Surrey)

They spread themselves across the road so no one can pass and then when you do pass they race you. These are men in their mid 50s as I could see lots of gray hair through their helmets. I think they are new to cycling as they did not look fit in their outfits. Sorry!!!

Please RESPECT you want to race pick your own size.

There are a lot of super fast, fit women cyclists. Our built is a lot smaller so please have some RESPECT.

 

[ergmonkey]

Though I'm not female myself, I can relate to the sentiment. First off, I've ridden with some excellent female cyclists--WAY better than all but the very best older men (i.e. men who were fairly recently elite racers and who never stopped training hard). And I know that these still were by no means the very best female racers out there. Second, the exact same thing you described happens to fit youngish men passing groups of relatively fit and experienced older men (i.e. the old guys can't just let you ride past them; even though you're just cruising and not racing, they have to jump on your wheel, not talk to you at all, and start acting like there's some sort of tacit unsanctioned street racing going on).

This phenomenon is supremely lame. Especially when I'm happy to let a stranger hop on my wheel just so long as he/she says hello and doesn't act like a complete passive-aggressive jerk.

Better luck with the masses on future training rides.

Also, if you want a great way to annoy and get rid of these types, try this: as soon as one hops on your wheel, stop pedaling completely, then when they finally start to come around you to do their own work, just start riding (not racing) again; repeat until they finally get the message--you are NOT riding or racing with them. Period.

 

[marathon marke]

Darn, I didn't think anyone would notice me doing this.

 

[Indurain]

Okay, I think it poor form if I am riding at a particular pace and a woman flies by and then I try and get ahead of her again just because I don't like being beat. If I felt like a chat, I'd think nothing wrong to catch up and say hi.

But then again how many women appear to try and race these guys on a regular basis. They seem to take pride in the fact that they can keep up or beat us guys. Should the guys just let the woman win rather than race them or make them at least work for it or don't even bother competiting with them because they are perhaps not of the same standard.

If a male cyclist half their size passed them in the same manner, these guys would probably do exactly the same thing. I don't think they are being chavanistic, they just don't like feeling like someone is better than them or feel a need to prove themselves. I think perhaps you could be looking too much into it. People don't like being passed in cars either and sometimes speed up. I think it is just people's competitive nature.


No matter which way you choose, someone will think your being chauvanistic. I don't think there is anything wrong with racing women if you think they'll give you a good run for your money, but just not for the sake of beating them to send a message that your the alpha male.

 

[Polyarmour]

Recently I have noticed a lot of middle aged men cyclist who for some reason feel this need to compete with women cyclist who are half their size and their age.

They must be really bad cyclist that they find the need to do this. This has happen to me twice on both times on my training day. (Surrey)

They spread themselves across the road so no one can pass and then when you do pass they race you. These are men in their mid 50s as I could see lots of gray hair through their helmets. I think they are new to cycling as they did not look fit in their outfits. Sorry!!!

Please RESPECT you want to race pick your own size.

There are a lot of super fast, fit women cyclists. Our built is a lot smaller so please have some RESPECT.

There is no rule that says once you pass someone they are not allowed to overtake you again. Happens to me all the time. So you let them pass you and be off with them. After all, you're not in a race with them either are you? Why would you let it affect you? I mean it's amusing more than anything isn't it?

 

[Roland Rat]

There seem to be a lot of muppets around these days, newbie cyclists who only do sportives, read sportive weekly (formerly cycling weekly) and aren't members of clubs. Just yesterday I passed a couple in the opposite direction who just stared at me and failed to acknowledge my wave. Morons.

I've also never understood this "racing" lark on the roads. I do my training and couldn't care less if someone comes past me when on a recovery ride or warm up/down, or if I go past someone when going hard. I'm not changing my day's training schedule for anyone. I don't understand why some people get so offended if you go past them. It does amuse me though when people come past me at twice the speed, then tire 50m up the road and don't get any further.

Oh, and newbies who come on wet club rides on their £3k Trek (it's always a bloody Trek) without mudguards.... F*** off and learn some manners. And wash my filthy kit while you're at it.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

Riders with a small build will travel at different speeds on different terrain than those like me who lug around 110 Kg including rain bike.

Not saying there isn't a lack of respect, just that if you're a lightweight, gravity is only working in your favour on one side of the hill.

 

[Master50]

Kwezmdd
The feminists in my family are rollin their eyes. It isn't the size of the woman in the fight it is the size of the fight in the woman. I know many women that would hand those old men a severe beating. My wife is a good climber when she is fit and has laid a few beatings on much bigger men.
Do you know you go faster when they draft off you?
I know that it can be irritating to just be riding at your own pace and have other riders obstruct the road or suck you wheel uninvited but what does being a woman have to do with it?

 

[flicker]

Recently I have noticed a lot of middle aged men cyclist who for some reason feel this need to compete with women cyclist who are half their size and their age.

They must be really bad cyclist that they find the need to do this. This has happen to me twice on both times on my training day. (Surrey)

They spread themselves across the road so no one can pass and then when you do pass they race you. These are men in their mid 50s as I could see lots of gray hair through their helmets. I think they are new to cycling as they did not look fit in their outfits. Sorry!!!

Please RESPECT you want to race pick your own size.

There are a lot of super fast, fit women cyclists. Our built is a lot smaller so please have some RESPECT.

Word of advice, you have two options, drop the turkeys or slow down. You don't owe them anything else.

 

[Fus087]

There seem to be a lot of muppets around these days, newbie cyclists who only do sportives, read sportive weekly (formerly cycling weekly) and aren't members of clubs. Just yesterday I passed a couple in the opposite direction who just stared at me and failed to acknowledge my wave. Morons.

That's me, I guess. Not in your area, but anyway. I do make a point of nodding (normally not waving) to everybody I pass going in the opposite direction (I very rarely overtake someone), but I seldom get a nod back. Mostly it's from serious (i.e. racing) cyclists. Makes you wonder.

I've also never understood this "racing" lark on the roads. I do my training and couldn't care less if someone comes past me when on a recovery ride or warm up/down, or if I go past someone when going hard. I'm not changing my day's training schedule for anyone. I don't understand why some people get so offended if you go past them. It does amuse me though when people come past me at twice the speed, then tire 50m up the road and don't get any further.

If someone overtakes me, I sometimes try to get their wheel. If they're way too fast, I let them go - couldn't hang on anyway.
If they want me to do my share of the work, they just have to say so; and if they don't want me sitting there, it's the same.

 

[ergmonkey]

If they want me to do my share of the work, they just have to say so; and if they don't want me sitting there, it's the same.

I think you've got this one backwards. When you hop on a stranger's wheel unannounced, the burden ought to be on you to at least say 'hello' first.

 

[online-rider]

There seem to be a lot of muppets around these days, newbie cyclists who only do sportives, read sportive weekly (formerly cycling weekly) and aren't members of clubs. Just yesterday I passed a couple in the opposite direction who just stared at me and failed to acknowledge my wave. Morons.

I've also never understood this "racing" lark on the roads. I do my training and couldn't care less if someone comes past me when on a recovery ride or warm up/down, or if I go past someone when going hard. I'm not changing my day's training schedule for anyone. I don't understand why some people get so offended if you go past them. It does amuse me though when people come past me at twice the speed, then tire 50m up the road and don't get any further.

Oh, and newbies who come on wet club rides on their £3k Trek (it's always a bloody Trek) without mudguards.... F*** off and learn some manners. And wash my filthy kit while you're at it.

No offense Roland but, who the hell uses mudguards on a road bike?

 

[Fus087]

I think you've got this one backwards. When you hop on a stranger's wheel unannounced, the burden ought to be on you to at least say 'hello' first.

There's some truth in that.

 

[runninboy]

IME plenty of time when i am passed the overtaking riders seem to back off.
Just yesterday i had several occurences. I was warming up doing repeats on this hill and i saw these two guys coming up fast behind me at the base of the hill They passed me easily but once they got about 50 meters ahead they backed off. I had to back off as well so i didnt overtake them. Towards the end of my ride going uphill i heard this guy breathing hard form way off, he passed me and on the false flat i had to brake hard to not overtake him. then at the base of the steep section he was having a hard time and i needed to keep my momentum so i went by him pretty quick and apparently he thought this meant we were racing. I kept my rythmn and i could hear this guy shifting and hammering to try & catch my wheel. When i got near the top this guy who never got closer than 5 bike lengths yelled
"nice pull!"
now since he was nowhere near my wheel i know he was being sarcastic. I try to always be respectful and friendly and always wave but i really dont enjoy riding with people i dont know. the fact that sometimes these people want to race interferes with my riding forcing me to brake to avoid "racing" them.
While there may be a gender element involved IME people have different ideas about road etiquette.

 

[Finbouy]

Around where I ride there are a small group of Girls who ride out. They do tend to keep themselves to themselves and ride in a small group on their own and feed off onto a course that they've decided to do rather than stick with us lot. Fair play, they do what they do, we do what we do.
But I have seen some right old nobs (blokes) just eager to chase Girls down then make some kinda big deal about overtaking and then pealing off.. I mean, is this just a show of some sort of masculine red blood cell infused ego thing or what.. cos' I think it's both rude and mighty bad manners. As for the greying hair, middle aged attacker.. well they’re around in the main group too, but they never quite seem to make the same moves when with us lot as they do when chasing the Girls down.. Hey Ho, they often get dropped anyways..
Keep riding Girls, forget the small (minded) male and just enjoy yourselves I say, and we're not all like them either, some of us are really quite nice.

 

[Indurain]

This doesn't have to be a male vs female woman liberist thing. The average male cyclist is quite a bit stronger than the average female cyclist, And based on what I've seen in all women races, probably have better bike handling skills too. Deal with it. We were made different for good purposes.

The bottom line is cyclist are a competitive bunch. Perhaps the old guys are only up to catching girls. When my mate and I go out training on a busy cyclist stretch of road, we ride slow in between intervals. Then we pick a rider up front. Sometimes we can't tell if it is a male or female, but we go as hard as we can til we catch the cyclist. The other cyclist is nothing more than a carrot to help motivate us to go harder. There is no chauvanism, male ego, etc. Just plain old hard intervals. Without that carrot it is hard to go as fast.

I'd hate to think the female cyclist thought we only tried to catch her because she was a female! Enjoy the competitiveness to help you get better rather than choosing to see the negative in it.

 

[Archibald]

No offense Roland but, who the hell uses mudguards on a road bike?

anyone on a "wet group ride" should be
unless you like the idea of the folks in front of you spraying your face with water and road grit all ride long...

 

[ergmonkey]

anyone on a "wet group ride" should be
unless you like the idea of the folks in front of you spraying your face with water and road grit all ride long...

Yep.

And I'd add that there are several good, relatively inexpensive road fenders out there in the easy-on, easy-off mounting category. Showing up for a wet group ride without them is fairly poor form.

 

[ergmonkey]

And if keeping others clean and dry isn't reason enough to invest in road fenders, note that they make solo riding in the rain a helluva lot more enjoyable, as well.

 

[online-rider]

anyone on a "wet group ride" should be
unless you like the idea of the folks in front of you spraying your face with water and road grit all ride long...

Yep.

And I'd add that there are several good, relatively inexpensive road fenders out there in the easy-on, easy-off mounting category. Showing up for a wet group ride without them is fairly poor form.

And if keeping others clean and dry isn't reason enough to invest in road fenders, note that they make solo riding in the rain a helluva lot more enjoyable, as well.

Well thats fair enough then guys. They're certainly a good idea in the conditions you're describing. But what happens on race day? If youre accustomed to staying clean and dry and all of a sudden youve got litres of water and grit running down your chin? You wouldn't consider using fenders in a Roadrace would you? Oh the indignity!

 

[ergmonkey]

what happens on race day? If youre accustomed to staying clean and dry and all of a sudden youve got litres of water and grit running down your chin? You wouldn't consider using fenders in a Roadrace would you? Oh the indignity!

Things I don't wear/use on race day:

-heavy rain cape
-thick booties
-frame pump
-saddle bag
-lights
-fenders

Geez! Come to think of it, it's amazing I even know how to handle my own bike. Maybe I should at least carry a spare tube on race day as my security blanket.

 

[42x16ss]

It was funny when I used to live in Townsville where two of the strongest climbers were Ruth Corset (2009 Australian National Champ) and a 15 year old junior who could fly up hills like an ICBM (he now races elites here in Brisbane).

Guys new to the club used to struggle with denial when they rode with the club for the first few times. As soon as we hit the hills the tiny blonde girl and skinny kid who were struggling to hang on in the flats would just tear past everyone. Great to watch!!

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I always say 'hi' to people I pass in the opposite direction and to the people I pass. It's just good manners. It's often the older guys who wave back. Younger people - 30somethings- mostly just stare back at you.
Whilst training I don't often overtake people, only when I'm doing some blocks -around lactate treshold- I don't mind when people go hop in my wheel. They're fun to talk to for the rest of the ride and when they start racing in the Flemish Ardennes, you just learn them a lesson by flying up a hill way faster, they stop racing you after that ^^

 

[Archibald]

Well thats fair enough then guys. They're certainly a good idea in the conditions you're describing. But what happens on race day? If youre accustomed to staying clean and dry and all of a sudden youve got litres of water and grit running down your chin? You wouldn't consider using fenders in a Roadrace would you? Oh the indignity!

manners on a group ride vs manners while racing?
rather different kettles of fish, I'd say...

 

[rhubroma]

Word of advice, you have two options, drop the turkeys or slow down. You don't owe them anything else.

Nor do they owe you anything else. What happened to feminism? It's merely impartial treatment.