Signs that your new cycling partner is going to be a problem

[rides like a girl]

Don't look now, I think he's going to show us. http://www.backupbarz.com/

Guess I misspelled the name.

I have seen someone using those. An older gentleman who rides in the morning past my house. I thought he flipped his bars or something. He is always riding alone. Now I know. Maybe no one will ride with him due to his bars!

 

[42x16ss]

Don't look now, I think he's going to show us. http://www.backupbarz.com/

Guess I misspelled the name.

Why wouldn't you just buy a hybrid or flat bar roadie

 

[Angliru]

True story. Showed up for a ride I was invited to by a friend and upon arriving and going through introductions to those that I didn't already know, I could sense bad vibes from 2 of the riders. I was wearing my club jersey and because of a few former members, the club's reputation has been sullied as a result of their less than friendly attitudes and riding styles.

We rolled out and I was conversing with one of the riders that I've known for decades. Let me add that I hadn't ridden in almost 2 weeks so I was hoping that the description of the rides pace, "moderate", that was given to me would hold true and that my time off wouldn't adversely effect my performance too bad. Riding in a double paceline on unfamilar roads, I was just completing my turn on the front as we made a turn which was followed by the day's first hill and it was a fairly long one. I was immediately off the back with one rider behind me.

Once we regrouped I overheard one of the riders that I got a bad vibe from stating something to the effect of no matter what your riding or wearing you still have to put in the work. It was reference in part to my bike which is oddly an old aluminum Orbea, which he obviously mistook an some high end Orca.

Thankfully on the return trip I was able to redeem myself and keep up and actually put some distance between part of the group including one of riders that I sensed a bit of bad blood.

I later found out that they (the 2 former members of my club) had ridden with one of this groups members, dropped him in the course of the ride and then commenced to rub it in at the midway point/rest stop. Obviously word had spread about the bad manners of these 2 characters, as I had heard around the cycling community, but this was my first personal exposure to it's ramifications.

In the end I was able to sooth whatever bad blood existed towards my club as result of the behaviour of a pair of miscreants but it goes to show you its best to treat everyone with respect and kindness because there will come a time that it may come back and bite you or someone undeserving in the @#%.

 

[Chipomarc]

Your new riding partner will not work out when he/she gives you a disapproving look when you show up in full in Rapha kit, a full beard, and your steel frame bike has pink handlebar tape.

 

[phlatties]

it won't go well if they're generally in better shape compared to your wannabe-racer boi self and smarter than you.

 

[Chipomarc]

Unless it happens to be Thor Hushovd and the rest of the Garmin guys heading out on a training ride I won't have to worry about that.

 

[Boeing]

they wont work out typically if they are telling you how fit they are all the damn time; regardless if they are or aren't. Kinda like posters with all threads leading to how fit they are

 

[cawright1375]

They spend too much time on internet forums and not enough on the road.

 

[Altitude]

Claims that they "just don't feel like hammering" whenever they get dropped.

 

[Chipomarc]

When I go out on the bike I am training in very specific HR zones, other people need to respect that and ride as such

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Has to dress up in full kit and chammy cream the area for just commuting 7 miles to work.

 

[ElChingon]

Has to dress up in full kit and chammy cream the area for just commuting 7 miles to work.

Has shammy cream ozzing out of his shorts (I'll let you use your own imagination)

Then, also has shammy cream excess on the bike

 

[ustabe]

It's spelled c-h-a-m-o-i-s.

 

[ElChingon]

It's spelled c-h-a-m-o-i-s.

But pronounced Shammy

 

[Quixote]

It's spelled c-h-a-m-o-i-s.

Neither correct spelling nor punctuation are mandatory in this thread. Poor diction, on the other hand, will not be tolerated.

 

[Boeing]

Claims that they "just don't feel like hammering" whenever they get dropped.

Good one. Or the opposite; they bluff at the start of a ride suggestion they aren't in good form or not recovered and then hammer the group. then act like other riders need to get to their level to talk about it.

Or they act like the bike is not important but clearly have a refi and a half into their uber bling gear and post a pic of their bike all over weightweenies
.

 

[ustabe]

Neither correct spelling nor punctuation are mandatory in this thread. Poor diction, on the other hand, will not be tolerated.

Sham-wah? OK.

 

[WillemS]

Where were we?

N+1) Insistently claims he's fit enough to go with you on a long trip, but stops and claims he can't go on the farmost point out.

N+2) Annoyingly wants to show off he's fast by accelerating every turn only to fall back hyperventilating and slowing the overall average of the ride.

N+3) Destroys the image of cyclist by yelling against anyone who's sharing the road with you.

N+4) Caries a flute to signal to signal others. Especially during recreational events like the Amstel Gold Race Tour version or other recreational events.

N+5) Perpetually claims that if he would've really tried he'd be riding "the Tour" right now (even when it's not July).

N+6) Trains drunk.

N+6 never happened to me, but I've heard a story from someone who experienced a drunk himself and got into dangerous situations because of it.

N+7) Show-offs that think they can just beat the train, car, motor, truck, whatever on the crossing and of course get away with it for a long time (giving heart attacks to every other person the road).

Well, I think I can go on for a while.

 

[42x16ss]

N+8) Attacks recovery/coffee rides every chance they get but get dropped on "race pace" rides the second the hammer is dropped.

N+9) When riding two abreast can't choose which of the two wheels in front they want to follow - even with someone beside them.

 

[ustabe]

Yells woo-woo! whenever he passes through a tunnel or goes downhill faster than 32 mph.

Jumps off the front the minute the group soft-pedals to help stragglers get back on, then gets dropped on the next hill.

When you remind him that his riding next to you in the middle of the road makes you nervous, says, "It's OK. I have a mirror."

Has a mechanical, accepts help from another rider, then drops the helper while getting back on.

 

[Boeing]

Yells woo-woo! whenever he passes through a tunnel or goes downhill faster than 32 mph.

Jumps off the front the minute the group soft-pedals to help stragglers get back on, then gets dropped on the next hill.

When you remind him that his riding next to you in the middle of the road makes you nervous, says, "It's OK. I have a mirror."

Has a mechanical, accepts help from another rider, then drops the helper while getting back on.

Yelling woohoo at any point on a bike is perfectly acceptable at any level

 

[ustabe]

Yelling woohoo at any point on a bike is perfectly acceptable at any level

Maybe for going fast downhill, but not in tunnels. It's noisy enough in tunnels.

 

[ExRower]

Yells woo-woo! whenever he passes through a tunnel or goes downhill faster than 32 mph.

Jumps off the front the minute the group soft-pedals to help stragglers get back on, then gets dropped on the next hill.

When you remind him that his riding next to you in the middle of the road makes you nervous, says, "It's OK. I have a mirror."

Has a mechanical, accepts help from another rider, then drops the helper while getting back on.

this sounds like stuff Alan of the Hangover would do, if he were a cyclist.

 

[ElChingon]

Not even for the echo effect Kill Joy's!

 

[RedheadDane]

Doesn't actually own a bike and insists on being dragged around in one of the bike-wagons while constantly "encouraging" you to go faster.