Cycling hates

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Male chauvinists knuckleheads like Gelyk, who alienate women from this message board. You got my number baby.

I was out for a ride on Sunday and as I started a climb I noticed someone ride up behind me. After about 3 miles of hanging on my back wheel they rode up next to me for a chat and then hopped back on my wheel for another 2 miles. They then has the nerve to say 'enjoy your ride, I'm gonna set my own pace now' and they proceeded to ride off the front.

Now I'm all for people riding at their own pace but don't hang on my wheel for 5 miles, getting some rest whilst I'm riding at my maximum level, and intimate that I'm not fast enough. Get up there and do some work ya bastard!

What are your pet hates whilst out riding?

PS. I also hate when a car hangs behind you when there is plenty of room to pass, especially when they have a car with some decent power.

PPS. fat chicks in lycra, not a good thing either.
The one thing I have to say is that yea, there are jerks in cycling, but that isn't a thing to focus on. Did you think about the fact that you might not have pulled off? From personal experience as a racer, unless someone pulls off, im not going to take the work from them.

ric

Cyclists who are so darn arrogant they can't buy a helmet big enough to fit their heads into! :D

The one thing I have to say is that yea, there are jerks in cycling, but that isn't a thing to focus on. Did you think about the fact that you might not have pulled off? From personal experience as a racer, unless someone pulls off, im not going to take the work from them.

ric
Thankyou ric, as a non-racer I now see the error of my ways. I will ensure that I treat every ride a though it was the Tour de France from now on.

Did you think about the fact that you might not have pulled off? From personal experience as a racer, unless someone pulls off, im not going to take the work from them.

ric
Is there a universal signal that you are about to pull off? In my club it is hit your thigh twice with your left fist. Is this universal?

Also on paths - Pairs of cyclists coming the opposite way that won't take a break from chatting to move into single file when they can clearly see that I'm approaching a pedestrian/dog/brat going in my direction. Forces me to slow down or sprint around the obstacle. This one really gets me. Seems very inconsiderate.

Oh, I really hate this, specially when you have a cliff in one of the sides!!!. :eek:

It happens all the time....One see the two newbies comming from the opposite direction, with no helmet, in soccer shorts and loose cotton Tshirts, chatting and chatting. One shout at them: MOVE TO YOUR RIGHT!!!! but they don't move.

I have learn to take my precautions when I see guys/girls like these. Thing is they think they're cool because they're mountain biking. I don't criticize them, but they're an accident waiting to happen.

drivers who won't give you an inch when passing, even though there is a straight road ahead with no on-coming traffic.

Is there a universal signal that you are about to pull off? In my club it is hit your thigh twice with your left fist. Is this universal?
No, twitch of your arm - swinging out your elbow, a la tour de france.

Or just pull off, the guy behind will get the picture! :)

Male chauvinists knuckleheads like Gelyk, who alienate women from this message board.
:confused:
If a woman is alienated by someone saying he doesn't like fat chicks in lycra, then she is way to sensitive to play on an internet forum anyway.
Would you be alienated if a woman claimed she didn't like guys whose jerseys were too small to cover thier gut...ridiculous.

Broken beer bottles. It's bad enough that people drink while they're driving, they could at least have the courtesy to buy cans.
Dead on! Also it is more economical as they can just throw them in the back of the pick-up and recycle them every couple of months when the bed is full.

I suggest you reconsider your assessement of what constitutes wheel sucking and good manners. The guy was friendly and stronger than you. So what? At least he was friendly and cordial. Why can't you be too?

Yes I am going to agree with Flyer on this one. While I hate people that do stupid stuff when you are riding in an organized paceline (like soft-pedal but not pull off, attack and try to drop you after you just pulled them for 2 miles, etc.) too many people are quick to incorrectly judge what another cyclist's intentions were when encountering them on the open road. Perhaps if you did not have a sensitive ego in this case, it would not be a big deal? Just food for thought.

Yes I am going to agree with Flyer on this one. While I hate people that do stupid stuff when you are riding in an organized paceline
I too hate it when you have an organized rotating pace line going and the person in front of you makes you speed up to take the front of the line and it wears you out.

You are describing me, although I typically stay with the slower rider until a suitable dropping off point, the top---or a false flat.

That person was riding tempo---"your tempo" and was probably still warming up.

Wheel sucking on a climb?

No reason to relay race the climb unless it is late in the workout---and intensity is needed. And if his pull shattered you--that idea would fail.

Seems like you would be happy to have company--safety in numbers---then those cars you worry about will give you more room.

I suggest you reconsider your assessement of what constitutes wheel sucking and good manners. The guy was friendly and stronger than you. So what?

At least he was friendly and cordial. Why can't you be too?
Not sure where you got the idea that I wasn't friendly and coridal. I'm always friendly and coridal on the bike. I always give a wave to fellow cyclists and say hi or have a little chat.

I've got no problem with stronger riders, if so I'd have a problem with a hell of a lot of people.

We're all guilty of 'wheel sucking' at some point in time. I personally try not to do it to people I don't know. If I'm the stonger rider then I normally go straight past. And I prefer to complete my training rides knowing that I was going as hard as I could for the whole time, no rests or help given.

At the end of the day I dislike some wheel suckers, 'so what'?

Quote: "We're all guilty of 'wheel sucking' at some point in time. I personally try not to do it to people I don't know. If I'm the stonger rider then I normally go straight past. And I prefer to complete my training rides knowing that I was going as hard as I could for the whole time, no rests or help given."

I always ride solo, so a couple of weeks ago I relished the opportunity to "tag on" to a group of 3 riders along my usual route. Unknowingly, I had accidentally ended up as the third wheel (I thought they were a pair and a solo rider, due to the spacing). I joined them with only about 6miles on my clock, so I was warmed up.

The first 2 miles were a breeze and I considered at one point pulling past them and riding off into the distance? The next 3 miles were great, with a decent pace a good 2 - 3mph faster than I can manage on my own being set by the guy at the front. It was at this point that I realised I had jumped in on a group of 3, apologised to the guy behind, who said "no problem mate" and came through to take my position. I then tucked in behind him.

However, the next 3 miles had 1 short steep climb followed by a longish, shallower climb and it was at the top of this that I blew up! I hit the brow of the hill about 2 bikes lengths back and from there they just blasted off into the distance, with me having to back off and recover.

The point is, I had obviously encountered them right at the start of their ride and the first 5 miles was their "warm up" period. They may well have been out for a 10-15 or 20 mile "blast" (judging by their eventual turn off point) whereas I was out for a 50 miler and should have been pacing myself better.

I have concluded that these guys were at a higher level of cycling fitness/experience than myself and I really enjoyed the chance to run with them for a while. BUT, imagine if I had of rode past during the first 5 miles!! What a knobhead I would have looked!

Anyway, I have subsequently cringed at my actions and hoped that they weren't annoyed with me for joining in uninvited - perhaps I should look to getting in a local club when my ability/confidence rises?

I hate cars that adjust their driving to try to accomadate me.

What i mean by that is often when i'm turning at lights between on-coming traffic, the on-coming cars will slow down, causing me to miss the break. They need to realise that we see more on the roads than they do, and apart from giving us some more room when passing, not to adjust their driving.

Hates:

Wheel suckers who use you to get home quickly. I really really hate these people and try my best to ride them off my wheel (never works).

Cars who sit behind you for ages and gather a big procession of angry nutcases behind THEM, who then come past thinking YOU were doing something wrong.

Riders who 'attack' on tiny little inclines and think they're Virenque or somethin.

ahh.

Spinners - Don't get me wrong... Spin classes are part of my winter training regimen... but just because you go to spin class 5 days a week does not make you a cyclist. Yes... believe me when I tell you to start the ride at the back of the group.

Newbies who like to stare at their computers - I'm sure you want to make sure you're in your target heart rate zone and cranking out the right amount of watts... but please keep your head up and pay attention so you don't lose control of your bike and take out half the club.

BMX - actually... it's not the bmx part i hate... it's the "scene" that comes along with it. I'm glad that BMX racing is going to be a full medal event at the next Olympics, but I hate the fact that we had to kill the Kilo for it. BMX racing is cool, but the rest of this "dicipline" needs... well... more dicipline.

Dead on! Also it is more economical as they can just throw them in the back of the pick-up and recycle them every couple of months when the bed is full.

1. Soccer moms in SUVs who are constantly on their cell phones and regard driving and being aware of what's around them (cyclists, other cars ) as secondary to their real main activity--chatting on the cell phone, and turning around to chide their mutant children who are locked in the car seats in the rear of the vehicle, eating McDonalds and playing video games screaming at each other.

2. Tinted windows in cars--you can never tell if the driver pulling up to an intersections or stop sign sees you or not.

3. broken glass all over the roads--yes, mostly beer bottles

4. sand not yet swept off the roads from the Dept of Transportation from all the snow storms last winter--collects in 1-3inch sandbars at the side of the road, causing me to have to pull out into the road a bit, and thereby eliciting more screams to get out of the road and being himked at by drivers who have no idea why I am out admittedly a little bit further than usual but still in no way blocking them

5. drivers on cell phones, did I already mention that?

6. rednecks who scream at you for no reason as they pass in their pickups or DUkes of Hazzerd GTO

7. Cell phones

8. riders who come out on fast group rides and ride unevenly, too fast then too slow, blow up, get dropped, then wait around mile 8 for the group to circle back on a fast 1 hour out and back, then expect to break into the group as the ride heats up for the final 2-3 miles-which is a practice race for taking flyers and sprints, then complain about the accelerations

No one has brought it up yet, so -


Squeaky chains!

No one has brought it up yet, so -


Squeaky chains!
yes! and squeaky botton brackets.

also...people on bike paths who come straight at you, on your side of the bike path, hogging the entire road, whether on bikes or roller blades or walking or pushing a stroller, then get upset when you motion or ask them to ride on ther own F%#&ing side of the bike path!