Passing and blowing.

[vernon]

A weird experience is going up a hill and being overtaken by someone on an electric bicycle, sat bolt upright, making hardly any effort at all.

A humiliating experience is going up a hill and being overtaken by someone in an electric wheelchair making no effort at all.....

[Mick F]

Do electric vehicles have a dynamo to produce power to charge the battery as they drive along?

[kwackers]

Do electric vehicles have a dynamo to produce power to charge the battery as they drive along?

Of course! With a big enough dynamo one quick push to get them moving and you don't need a battery at all!

[Neil Fat Man On A Bike]

It seems to happen every time I ride somewhere with hills these days.

There I am, happily twiddling up a hill and someone goes past me.

I've no problem with this...if someone is faster than me and wants to pass me then disappear off into the distance leaving me in their wake then fair-play to them.

No, it's not them that I'm talking about. It's the ones that seem to make superhuman efforts to go past me, then, before they reach the top of the hill, they appear to blow and I find that without any extra effort I reel them in pretty quick. Then I'm faced with either passing them and looking like I'm being competitive (and having them try to go past me once they've recovered over the top of the hill), or sitting on their wheel, slowing down and then letting them go on the other side. On occasion I've just pulled along side and started to try to chat with them but normally just get some wheezing back in return.

Dunno what it is that makes them want to expend all this energy that they don't have? Perhaps it's the sight of a middle aged bloke on a touring bike with guards and racks and luggage and an upright position that they can't take as they are on their super light carbon uber-racers (oh yeah, I also get a spraying of mud when they pull back in in front of me)? Perhaps some people just lead such competitive lives that they can't help but continue that way when on a bike?

All seems a bit odd.

It could be something to do with this, from bike radar ENJOY

Silly Commuting Race - The Rules

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 c0ck, 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
2. Roadies with shaved legs - like girls *
3. Proper rapid Single speed (real men, messengers, tarty shiny fixies) *
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 *
9. MTBs on Nobbies
10. Bromptons / collapsing bikes
11. MTB full sus on Nobbies
12. Shoppers
13. Shoppers wicker baskets
14. Electric bikes
* 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
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

If it sounds complex Fury21 has come up with a FCN Calculator ...If you get confused on the road, think of it this way if you drop anyone who looks faster that you +1. If you get dropped by anyone that looks slower than you -1..Couldn't be simpler! You'll also get to work, or get home faster...Or your subscription money back...Ps it's free to join and take part, but negative totals should make cheques on your soul out to: Greg T c/o Bike Radar

Further Updates on the Facebook Group

[Neil Fat Man On A Bike]

For a more full explanation, some of this is laugh out load funny, have a look at the forum:-

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/forums/vie ... t=12575770

[dan_b]

Fitting panniers and mudguards to my around-town bike was possibly the best thing I ever did, then

[asr]

10. Bromptons / collapsing bikes

Riding a Brompton in London, it is great sport to sit on the wheel of a roadie or fixie and, thanks to flat terrain and traffic, it's not too difficult. But it drives them nuts.

[ianr1950]

10. Bromptons / collapsing bikes

Riding a Brompton in London, it is great sport to sit on the wheel of a roadie or fixie and, thanks to flat terrain and traffic, it's not too difficult. But it drives them nuts.

Whatever floats your boat.

What is this seemingly obsession with tying to score points when meeting other cyclists who might be riding a 'road' bike.

I don't call a fixed wheel bike a 'fixie' it has always been fixed as long as I know but then I don't pour scorn on those who want to ride on small wheeled bikes.

How do you know it drives them nuts, have they turned round and told you so.

[Si]

10. Bromptons / collapsing bikes

Riding a Brompton in London, it is great sport to sit on the wheel of a roadie or fixie and, thanks to flat terrain and traffic, it's not too difficult. But it drives them nuts.

People don't realise just how good for draughting small wheel bikes are. The small front wheel lets you get real close and out of the wind. Of course, this has a down side: you can't see past them so well so your reaction times are reduced a little should anything go wrong, so not something I do without the lead rider's concent.

[EdinburghFixed]

I must admit that when I'm out on my own, the sight of another rider is like a red flag and I have to go 'all out' to reel them in - especially if they have just dropped me because I chose to stop at a red light

In fact, when my blood is up I sometimes divert from my commute to chase down (or not) a particularly fast looking rider!

I see no harm in something that doesn't even inconvenience the target. It makes riding more fun and gives me something to focus on other than just cars (which never feels quite fair).

If I can't make it stick, then by all means I'd expect to be overtaken in return...

[glueman]

As a recumbent trikist on one on the naked bike rides last year, the rear from behind and a foot below some people is a bit scary!

and thank you for sharing that with us

I'm still trying to rid myself of:

and mum was so fat the entire saddle was out of sight

[EdinburghFixed]

3. Proper rapid Single speed (real men, messengers, tarty shiny fixies)
5. Faux Single Speeds (fakengers, dirty/functional bikes, silly egg beater gear)

I can't work out which one I'm supposed to be!

I have a dirty functional fixed-gear bike, but I don't understand how that adds up to "Faux single speed". Perhaps as I like to ride quite quickly, I will start off at #3...

That makes my winter FCN 5, my summer FCN 2!

I'd better watch my back this summer

[kwackers]

I'm still trying to rid myself of:

and mum was so fat the entire saddle was out of sight

Even worse is when you realise the cyclist in question only appears to have panniers from a distance...

[Neil Fat Man On A Bike]

10. Bromptons / collapsing bikes

Riding a Brompton in London, it is great sport to sit on the wheel of a roadie or fixie and, thanks to flat terrain and traffic, it's not too difficult. But it drives them nuts.

Whatever floats your boat.

What is this seemingly obsession with tying to score points when meeting other cyclists who might be riding a 'road' bike.

I don't call a fixed wheel bike a 'fixie' it has always been fixed as long as I know but then I don't pour scorn on those who want to ride on small wheeled bikes.

How do you know it drives them nuts, have they turned round and told you so.

No I'm quoting from someone else

[Neil Fat Man On A Bike]

I'm still trying to rid myself of:

and mum was so fat the entire saddle was out of sight

Even worse is when you realise the cyclist in question only appears to have panniers from a distance...