Cycling hates

[stepone]

A lot of you seem to train on multi-use paths. I always avoided these paths unless I was running. At over 20 mph, these narrow, congested paths are dangerous. It's downright rude for a cyclist (serious one, travelling at serious speeds) to train on these trails. Perhaps it's location dependent though and in some places you have no other choice for training?
That being said, it's rude for anyone on these trails not to yield the right of way.

And wheel suckers are absolutely fine except in a race. Keep in mind that many of these guys only know cycling from what they've seen on TV so have no clue about etiquette. If we treat them as criminals then we aren't being very good ambassadors to the sport.
If they have hairy legs, so be it.

I am just getting into this sport, and I have been reading this thread this morning thinking --- Maybe I dont want to get into this.. Seems all bikers are douchbags that are going to get angry with me because I don't know what I am doing. Then I see a post like this. Thanks!

 

[Bigbananabike]

You know, some of us "noobs" are just out enjoying the weather on our bikes -- we dont need to put on full gear to go riding. Yes I agree that it is incredibly annoying when people take up the entire path, but it is just as annoying when people like you think you are more important because you are wearing your bike shirt, helmet, and man-junk pants.

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You should ALWAYS wear a helmet on a bike. Whether its legally required or not. Hopefully you have a brain to protect...

 

[Bigbananabike]

UNFRIENDLY ROAD RIDERS!!

I try to be friendly to people, my wife says I'm a friendly person, I have some good friends, I'm a teacher with good rapport with children/work mates but I've nearly given up with the people I race with and come across training.

In the past 4 years I've regularly ridden with 2 groups;
Before we set off & while riding beside someone I'll say hello etc, ask about them, offer some info re me and offen all I'll get is more of their **** or silence.

Its the same racing; in a small group, the pace may have slowed or someone is struggling, I'll ask how their doing; I get a "ok", "lousy", etc and that's it.

Or days like today; out for a training ride. I went into town to a local area where lots of folk road ride. I was on my SingleSpeed so had a few(not many get past me when I don't want them to!) riders managing to get past me - do they have a greeting - no.

I can understand their lack of response when I came past them and say hello; there I am on a full steel bike with mudguards, heavy wheels(3 cross) and only 1 gear beating them on a multispeed. It wouldn't do their ego much good!

I have a few friends who ride/race and their are(I hope) some sociable, likeable, non shallow, thinking, fun people out there on roadies but I can't say I come across them very often

 

[existence]

Over-friendly road riders. I hate them. You know the sort....get all emotional because you pass them without saying hello. If they happen to catch you back up at the lights they burst into some diatribe about ****. They cant just do the right thing and say hi and go on their way...noooooooo they have to make it into a big 'hey lets be friends' moment.

God I hate those guys. You feel like saying 'hey listen I am out here to train. My time is precious, I've got inverals to get done etc etc and basically I dont have time for lovie dovey ********.' But you end up just gritting your teeth and putting up with their 'I need a friend' crapola and hoping they turn off asap.

Ahhhhh that feels better.

 

[John Knees]

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You should ALWAYS wear a helmet on a bike. Whether its legally required or not. Hopefully you have a brain to protect...

A lecture is always far more effective when delivered with a sneer, and in ungrammatical English.

John

 

[existence]

My time is precious, I've got inverals to get done etc etc

inverals? WTF is an inveral? You spastic its an interval!

 

[9202]

Oh yes.

Just last week, buddy and I got called a ni**er by some white guy in a hooptie (redneck, I presume), who was honking like it was going out of business though it was on a back road with no oncoming traffic. Wasn't surprised given the part of town. Funny thing is, not being from the U.S., I was never sure how I'd react when it happened. So it happened. My first thought: "was that it?" I was confused.

.

That is disgusting.....

There are a lot of biggots out there. Most are harmless and use the verbal abuse as part of the "I am better then you" technique. Makes them feel better i suppose.

I am not a minoritry, but have been know to get into fights over such ignorant stupidity.

My apologies for the actions of such ignorant morons.

 

[tonyzackery]

Nothing about cycling causes such a strong emotion as "hate" for me. Only thing I can really think of that irritates me is those motorists that act like they have to accelerate to top speed in order to pass me on the road. Seems rather silly - like they're scared of me for some strange reason.

Also, being a natural sprinter I find it quite amusing all the complaining (by those that obviously can't sprint) about racers (training is a different story) that do no work during a race and then show up for the sprint. My friends, that is called smart racing. If you, mr. or ms. nonsprinter, are not strong enough to drop a sprinter or keep the race pace high enough to negate a sprinter's sprint, then you don't deserve to win either.

As I've learned in a very limited amount of time, racing is chess game of tactics, pure and simple. The strongest or the fastest doesn't always win. You need to always consider your position relative to the numerous external factors you encounter. The smartest racer wins most of the time...Race smart - don't complain...

 

[John Knees]

As I've learned in a very limited amount of time, racing is chess game of tactics, pure and simple. The strongest or the fastest doesn't always win. You need to always consider your position relative to the numerous external factors you encounter. The smartest racer wins most of the time...Race smart - don't complain...[/QUOTE]*****************************************
I did very little road-racing (in the 50s airfield circuits were all we non-BLRC people had), but I do remember two classic anti-wheelsucker tactics;

1. One on one? Stick to the leeward side of the road to afford him minimal shelter.

2. In a group, if you've just done your pull and dropped to the back of the string, as soon as he grabs your wheel, sit up and let a gap develop - he has to chase or lose contact.

Wheel-sucker? Yes, I think we called them that, even when we still had scythe blades on our chariots.

John

 

[tonyzackery]

As I've learned in a very limited amount of time, racing is chess game of tactics, pure and simple. The strongest or the fastest doesn't always win. You need to always consider your position relative to the numerous external factors you encounter. The smartest racer wins most of the time...Race smart - don't complain...

*****************************************
I did very little road-racing (in the 50s airfield circuits were all we non-BLRC people had), but I do remember two classic anti-wheelsucker tactics;

1. One on one? Stick to the leeward side of the road to afford him minimal shelter.

2. In a group, if you've just done your pull and dropped to the back of the string, as soon as he grabs your wheel, sit up and let a gap develop - he has to chase or lose contact.

Wheel-sucker? Yes, I think we called them that, even when we still had scythe blades on our chariots.

John [/QUOTE]
I'm glad I'm smart enough to have realized early on in my cycle racing career that conserving energy for the finish is the most important tactic one can employ to overcome uncontrollable external factors.

Call it "wheel sucking" or any other colorful term, that person using the term is almost 100% of the time the loser of the race. This person would be better served by training smarter and harder to improve their strength so they can drop the "wheel sucker" in future races, or actually do some sprint training to improve his/her sprint.

This advice is free of charge...

 

[Cprace1]

cyclist who who are riding in a huge pace line and when you hop on and are doing the same work load as them they tell their buddies lets drop this guy and make sure you hear it. So they pick up the pace and you just pass them anyways then they hop on your wheel so lame.

 

[Bigbananabike]

I hated the anal cavity who when sitting on my wheel in a pace line made a smart assed remark to the guy behind him about my 'skinny' legs - that is after I had dropped him and his 'fat' co riders going up a hill previously.

 

[Bigbananabike]

I hated the anal cavity who when sitting on my wheel in a pace line and I was at the front holding 38kph said to me ''Í'll take over now" and I decided to let him(same guy as above). He then couldn't keep up the pace, dropped it to about 34kph and then he pulled off and dropped to the back.

 

[Eilert Pilarm]

oy.....sounds like too many of us endure riding with total arseholes

 

[Bigbananabike]

oy.....sounds like too many of us endure riding with total arseholes

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The cyclists who I rode with in Dunedin(southern city in New Zealand) were much friendlier and committed than a lot of the Yuppie plonkers in Auckland(NZs biggest and most northern city).
For me I find a lot of it is big city mentality coming through in cycling - and probably any other sport too.

 

[waxbytes]

My peeve isn't a headwind but rather a tailwind. A tailwind of about 10 mph that follows me up a long steep grade so that I am virtualy in still air while putting out near maximum effort. Boil and sweat.

I don't care if someone wheelsucks and drops me...unless their chain is dry and or their gears are misaligned. Then the squeak and grind really gets to me.

 

[normanwells]

A motorist changing lanes to turn right 2 feet in front of me without putting on the turn light. And of course, the guy slams on the brakes with no reason each time. I rear-ended two cars like this so far this year. Both times, I just didn't have time to pull the brakes, it all happened so fast. It drove my anger over the edge. I hate commuting, sometimes.

 

[janiejones]

PPS. fat chicks in lycra, not a good thing either.[/QUOTE]

Everyone has to start somewhere.

 

[Skittlebrau]

Lotsa good observations here, but here's a few new ones:

1. Long stretches of uneven/unrepaired/badly repaired pavement (as distinguished from the occaisional pothole) - Slows me down, messes up my cadence, raises my heartrate, shakes the frame apart, shakes my nerves, rattles my brains, etc...

2. Sucking the exhaust from that 20 year old truck/lorry/bakkie (depending on where your from) built before the catalytic converter, while YOU are trying to huff away at VO2 Max. (of course the same truck inevitably just missed you by about 1.5 inches)

3. Not an on the road thing but.... At the gym, those guys who arrive for spinning class and mount their cushy seated stationary bike in full cycling regalia - Padded shorts, zip up jersey in full team colors, cycling shoes and, yes even once, sunglasses. Have I mentioned that this is indoors?

 

[zigoat]

unreachable itches under the helmet
porta poties with no tp in them
bike riders (I refuse to call them cyclists) with I pods on
people with american drivers licences who cant read english words like STOP, NO PARKING, and RIGHT TURN ONLY.
people who yell "go lance!" (I look more like Axel Merxx) sp?