When a younger guy challenges you at the lights ...

[Grandad]

This runner joined our Easyride up a long but gradual hill. He finally sprinted past the leader and turned into a side road - just as the hill kicked up more steeply

[bovlomov]

There used to be a time when I could get from Archway roundabout to the lights at the Woodman without being overtaken. Not any more. I might have got a little slower, but I reckon it's more to do with the increase in daily bike commuters - some of who are very fast and tough as nails.

Only an impression, but they don't seem to be club cycling types. They look more like loners. I had a conversation with one who commuted five days a week from Potters Bar to the City, in all weathers. 150 miles a week must build muscles (and character). I can't imagine he does club rides on his days off.

As for racing - someone here linked to a page that gave handicaps for overtakes. You lose points for having a carbon frame, and gain them for having panniers and mudguards. Childish but fun. Can anyone remember where it was?

[The utility cyclist]

There used to be a time when I could get from Archway roundabout to the lights at the Woodman without being overtaken. Not any more. I might have got a little slower, but I reckon it's more to do with the increase in daily bike commuters - some of who are very fast and tough as nails.

Only an impression, but they don't seem to be club cycling types. They look more like loners. I had a conversation with one who commuted five days a week from Potters Bar to the City, in all weathers. 150 miles a week must build muscles (and character). I can't imagine he does club rides on his days off.

As for racing - someone here linked to a page that gave handicaps for overtakes. You lose points for having a carbon frame, and gain them for having panniers and mudguards. Childish but fun. Can anyone remember where it was?

FCN
The Game:
Dropping / Pulling anyone higher in the Food Chain Number makes you stronger and more attractive to burds*. Getting dropped / trying to keep up with anyone lower means your soul hires a kudos remover to lower your self worth. If you scalp someone you have to maintain or extend your lead for such a time as to have the dude you passed admit to themself "I was done". Nipping by, then running into a side road / hiding in traffic won't wash, Be honest with yourself. *Not strictly true

Rules:
1/ No Dangerous Manoeuvres (Don’t be a danger to any other road users or yourself) Falling off causes pain to you and others around you, don’t do it! (oh and you loose yer points)
2/ Don’t ride like a ****, we’re all just trying to get somewhere!
3/ No passing at Lights/Junction/Crossings, if you do, it doesn’t count
4/ All passing on open road ONLY. Filtering in traffic is null and void (you know whether you’ve dropped someone fairly, and haven’t turned off straight afterwards)
5/ Pavement passes, either you or the target is void
6/ Show no pain, unless, like me your face is just like that

FOOD CHAIN NUMBERS:
1. Scooters/derestricted e-bike
2. Roadies with shaved legs - like girls *
3. Proper rapid Single speed (real men, messengers, tarty shiny fixies) *EU limited E-bikes (changed from original 14 position but depends on user)
4. Roadies with hairy legs - like men *
5. Faux Single Speeds (fakengers, dirty/functional bikes, silly egg beater gear) *
6. Touring Bikes (Mud Guards) *
7. "Fast Hybrids" *
8. MTBs on Skinnies *Bromptons / collapsing bikes
9. MTBs on Nobbies
10.
11. MTB full sus on Nobbies
12. Shoppers
13. Shoppers wicker baskets
14. Disability bike/trike (added by me)
* Pedal Adjustment +1
• ONLY FCN 2-5 gain points for overtaking the same FCN and Higher Chainers
• Recumbents, Tandems and Segways are worth +2 points as a rare bonus
• Sinclair C5 +20 points as a hens teeth bonus

FCN Adjusters:

CLOTHING:
None:+3
Non-Cycling: +2
Baggies: +1
Lycra: 0
Team Kit: -1
TDF Jersey: -2

BAGGAGE:
Panniers: +1
Back Pack/Courier: 0
Nothing: -1

HEAD GEAR:
Face Mask +1
Helmets/Nothing/Sunglasses: 0
Bike Caps / Wrap arounds: -1

ACCESSORIES:
Herman's Safety Wing" (orange plastic lolly-pop): +2
Trailer:+2
Beard: +1 (personally think this is BS)
Child seat (each): +1
Power meter: -1
Aerobars: -1
Coloured tyres -1

PEDALS (If you can identify) FCN2-8 see note above:
Flats: +1
Toe Clips: 0
Evidently Clipless/spds (cycling shoes): -1

[bovlomov]

Where does a Raleigh Clubman Lady Mixte fit in? With childseat (even with child) mudguards, front panniers, non cycle clothing and shoes, toe clips, beard (I strongly disagree with your views on this), no hat.

Panniers full of lentils must be +5. I've heard there are people who go around with empty panniers just to get extra points?

[colin54]

Amusing post , I'm trying to picture the route, being from that area originally,

I assume you were going to Tesco's in Baldock from Letchworth,

I can't picture where the traffic lights are,it's been a while since I lived there.

[The utility cyclist]

Amusing post , I'm trying to picture the route, being from that area originally,

I assume you were going to Tesco's in Baldock from Letchworth,

I can't picture where the traffic lights are,it's been a while since I lived there.

The main road that goes along past the rec/soccer ground, there's a roundabout at the rugby club/leisure centre and halfway from there to where the A1 goes over there's a set of lights that turns off left to the industrial area and 'out of town' retail zone or straight on into Baldock. I turned off onto Weston way going past the Knights Templar school.

It's actually 0.5mile (lights where challenged to turn off for Knights T.S.) with a 46ft drop so 1.74% av though I think it's about 3% or so not far along were I peaked at 33.4mph (seated) after approx 350yds. The 'old' rugby legs can still put down the power but not for long and going uphill he'd have left me for dead within 100yds

[colin54]

Thanks for that, I think those lights must be a fairly recent addition, I don't recall them ( possibly poor

memory), that's what was puzzling me.I used to live up Weston Way .Didn't there just used to be a

Pelican crossing there 8 or so years back ?

I'm going to re-read your post with that knowledge, I can see it in my minds eye now.

I never used to like that hill on the way to work in Letchworth, it gets a good bit steeper beyond

Jubilee Road as I recall.

[The utility cyclist]

The lights have been there at least 17 years, yes there's another short uphill section where the road narrows, still the LA are happy to keep it at 40mph despite a very narrow footway, I just ride primary up that bit but still had various large vehicles bully their way past within inches.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
We have all been there
And at sixty I still pass 3 cyclist last ride. (179)
Normally its trying to catch a roadie going up hill with 200 foot per mile climbing for several miles, I catch he drops me I catch then pay for my efforts with a high of 185 bpm
That's on a fifty pound mtb.....I cant help it.
I don't get embarrassed when I pass TT'ers on my training ride on the old Raleigh tourer, but a bit niggled when a mtb pedalec dabbles me for passing them.

Then theres the ones that got away, I used to count them on one hand..............but grown some toes in old age
Its just harmless fun

[hondated]

I was popping to tesco to grab a loaf and some doughnuts this evening on my hybrid drop conversion, I saw him pass in front of me at the junction about 100m ahead going quite quickly, followed in same direction around the estate but he was unlucky at the loop road junction so came alongside and exchanged a word about being quicker the long way round. He's adorned in the usual racer garb plus blazing red beacon (no front) despite being 30mins before lights up and it's one of those double flash and then a blinding flash for good measure.

Off he goes, his position seems a bit iffy and he's looking around as if to see where I am but I''m in no rush so just let him ride off.
Catch him again at the next set of lights, he's next the kerb so I think he's turning left as it's a two laner, I'm primary behind a car going straight on and he says "come on then", I just smile, I'm already in the big ring, it's a 2-3% down gradient for about 400 yards before levelling out to barely off level but there's a big bump right across the road that can easily destabilise you at speed.

I thought, okay, put in a big effort but don't get out the saddle as god forbid it looks like I'm really trying next set of lights I'm turning off so hand signal just coming through the ped refuge for the filter, expecting him to be right on my tail.
Nope, he's about 4-5 seconds back, dropped him in less than 1/3mile, I called out to have a good ride as he sailed through the lights, he said nothing in return
I suppose because I'm still a pup at 49 there's just enough testosterone kicking around for a challenge now and again but like to think I'm also old/wise enough to accept there are ALWAYS faster people on bikes, (I'm not that fast in any case) of any age on any type of bike and I can't take it seriously so I'm absolutely not bothered if I get blown away big time but actually challenging someone at the lights, never had that before but what can you do?

Do you ignore it, do you immediately size up the 'opposition' and zip up/tighten your clips and make sure you're in the right gear to get a smart getaway, do you go absolutely hell for leather hoping they won't pass or do you play the cool wizened type and sit on and then gas them at the end?


Anyway 1-0

TUC Not a problem for me as I am such a rubbish cyclist I just avoid getting into any form of racing. Some say I should ride a bike with a basket on the front

[hondated]

I used to ride with someone who was a bike messenger.

Riding with him was like being tied to a post.

I do remember, though, once going for a ride with him on our way to the pub, when some lycra clad muppet geezer shot past us going up a hill. We decided to catch up. I was keen and strong, and I had to really push to keep up. My mate, who was wearing jeans and riding an old mountain bike overtook him.

With his hands behind his back.

While whistling.

Did I say he was quite good?

Brilliant story particularly as he was on a mountain bike. Did a 15 mile loop on mine earlier and its definitely back to the racer next time as its so much easier.

[Cugel]

I used to ride with someone who was a bike messenger.

Riding with him was like being tied to a post.

I do remember, though, once going for a ride with him on our way to the pub, when some lycra clad muppet geezer shot past us going up a hill. We decided to catch up. I was keen and strong, and I had to really push to keep up. My mate, who was wearing jeans and riding an old mountain bike overtook him.

With his hands behind his back.

While whistling.

Did I say he was quite good?

Brilliant story particularly as he was on a mountain bike. Did a 15 mile loop on mine earlier and its definitely back to the racer next time as its so much easier.

Going to archery on a Dutch-style thing with a wicker basket at front and two more as rear panniers, not to mention a 40llb backpack full of archery stuff, I once passed two rather large fellows in all the gear aboard super-bikes of the Pinarello ilk .... going up a long rise. I gave them a tinga-linga-ling on the old-fashioned bell before passing them with a cheery wave and "good morning".

Ever since I have berated myself for a childish display of pointless macho silliness. I was all sweaty when I got to the archery field, which was a small price to pay for a small bout of infantilism.

By now those large lads may be superfast monsters. I only hope I don't come across them again, even on the summer wafty bike!

Cugel

[colin54]

I was riding very slowly and sweatily, a few years back (in my habitual 57 year old overweight style ), up

the draggy hill out of Otley towards Leeds, I was on my tourer with Carradice bag on the back.

A mature and fit looking road cyclist came past me on a road bike that looked, like it had seen a lot of

miles, as indeed did he. I said 'How Do' or something with no response from him, I probably inwardly

expressed some negative thought at this time, which would probably have begun with the word

'miserable'......

Carrying on up the climb he started to labour in an increasingly spectacular fashion, I assumed

that he'd been out all day and had bonked or something. At this point I was actually starting to catch

him which I eventually did and sat on his wheel for a bit until he almost came to a standstill at which

point I passed him, 'saying nowt' as the saying goes in those parts, he didn't know I was there (or care

probably, all the nonsense was in my mind ).

About 20 or so seconds later a youngish female road cyclist who must have been watching

this glacially slow tableau came breezing past doing 3 or 4 times our speed, that made me laugh and

I'm sure she must have found it amusing to observe.

'There is no fool like an old fool, and I should know ,'cos I've had years of practise' .

If the gentleman had passed the time of day earlier , he could have had a reviving dusty fig roll out of

my bag , but as it was, onwards and upwards.......

[foxyrider]

Rule number one - never look behind to see where they are - it just encourages them!

[nez]

Everyone cycles faster than me.