Overtaking men on road bikes!

[soundwave]

I had almost exactly the same experience. I was riding through the town park on the main cycle route on my way to the local electric bike shop. The whole journey is only 5 miles and slight downhill all the way. I ride my road bike most of the time, except when I want to go shopping on the way home, like this time, but to keep my fitness up, I pedal without power whenever I can.

So here i was going down the cycle route at about 15 mph, when I came across about 4 people on bikes doing about 10 mph spread across the whole path. I rang my bell a couple of times and shouted "coming past", which had them moving to the side, so, to cause them the least inconvenience, I started pedalling hard to get past them as quickly as possible. Once up to speed, I eased off a bit, but I was still doing about 18 mph. Next thing, one of the the guys is alongside me saying, "How fast does your illegal electric bike go then?". I told him" not so fast when it's switched off, like now" and pointed to the blank LCD. I'm not sure whether he understood that, but the rest of his gang were left behind, so he slowed down again to let them catch up.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Bring your Haibike to Telford and I'll show you Haibike vs hub motor-s.

 

[soundwave]

Bring your Haibike to Telford and I'll show you Haibike vs hub motor-s.

if it is that good you can come to me or meet half way at forest of dean n have a roll round the dh tracks

and bring cider larger and weed as well

 

[LeighPing]

bring cider larger and weed as well

It's 'lager', lout!

 

[soundwave]

crest is 10% tho but dont match my forks and handle bars

 

[Ducknald Don]

Do you wear some swimming trunks on that route just in case?

 

[HampshireDave]

A story from the other side: So I was out for a bike ride on my moutain bike to get some exercise and I was overtaken by someone on an electric bike. As they passed they shouted "You want to get one of these" whilst filming me on their phone. So they were in the middle of the road, looking back towards me holding their phone which, to me at least, seems like a crazy idea - luckily there was no car coming towards me. So there are some silly people on normal bikes and some on e-bikes, we all get tarred with the same brush when someone is seen to be doing something stupid regardless of what type of bike we're using (car drivers do seem to think all cyclists go through red lights!). Also, I was doing it for exercise so an e-bike wouldn't be very helpful, I wasn't trying to get anywhere specific and didn't have any time constraints.
What I think I'm trying to say is: don't have a go at each other, we're all in it for the same reasons - to get fitter and cut pollution.

 

[Nealh]

A great first post Dave and welcome to the forum, nice to have a new sensible head joining giving an unbiased view.

 

[RobN]

Whilst out for a ride this morning i overtook quite a few lycra clad race bike riders. I did not get any comments but i did not hang about either, so would not have heard them anyway. What did tickle me was my wife was a couple of hundred meters behind me and i wonder what they thought when she whizzed past as well...!
I get a nod from most riders going the opposite direction so i think most of the non electric guys are ok with it and if they are not they have the option to go electric.

 

[Nealh]

Now and then you will come a cross the odd TIT, but they are always there in all walks of life.

 

[WheezyRider]

A story from the other side: So I was out for a bike ride on my moutain bike to get some exercise and I was overtaken by someone on an electric bike. As they passed they shouted "You want to get one of these" whilst filming me on their phone. So they were in the middle of the road, looking back towards me holding their phone which, to me at least, seems like a crazy idea - luckily there was no car coming towards me. So there are some silly people on normal bikes and some on e-bikes, we all get tarred with the same brush when someone is seen to be doing something stupid regardless of what type of bike we're using (car drivers do seem to think all cyclists go through red lights!). Also, I was doing it for exercise so an e-bike wouldn't be very helpful, I wasn't trying to get anywhere specific and didn't have any time constraints.
What I think I'm trying to say is: don't have a go at each other, we're all in it for the same reasons - to get fitter and cut pollution.

Yes I agree, we really have to cycle a few miles in their shoes (sorry, clip ons).

Imagine it, you've spent thousands on a carbon bike, getting all the best accessories and clothing. You've spent months getting yourself fit enough so you can get accredited with being able to maintain a high enough average speed so you can join your local cycling club.

Then there you are minding your own business cycling up a hill, when suddenly you are over taken by an old steel framed e-bike, with shopping bags on the handlebars, on which there is a much older man nonchalantly smiling at you whilst humming "Left Bank Two" and on the back of the bike there is a childseat with a girl in it sticking her tongue out and making a "L" sign... then as the e-bike goes past you see an orange sign on the back that says: "You Know When You've Been BAFANGed"

Can you imagine how that would make you feel?

 

[HampshireDave]

Yes I agree, we really have to cycle a few miles in their shoes (sorry, clip ons).

Imagine it, you've spent thousands on a carbon bike, getting all the best accessories and clothing. You've spent months getting yourself fit enough so you can get accredited with being able to maintain a high enough average speed so you can join your local cycling club.

Then there you are minding your own business cycling up a hill, when suddenly you are over taken by an old steel framed e-bike, with shopping bags on the handlebars, on which there is a much older man nonchalantly smiling at you whilst humming "Left Bank Two" and on the back of the bike there is a childseat with a girl in it sticking her tongue out and making a "L" sign... then as the e-bike goes past you see an orange sign on the back that says: "You Know When You've Been BAFANGed"

Can you imagine how that would make you feel?

To be honest, it'd probably make me smile at the humour and the thought that we're both doing our bit for the environment and I'm getting a good cardio workout and the kids not watching a TV screen lol Admittedly, I'm not that obsessed by cycling to go to those extremes!

 

[soundwave]

i run clip less peddles and can overtake them on the flat lol

 

[Mars]

I was overtaken by another e-bike this evening. Some hybrid/mtb type, possibly a kit or derestricted as he must have been doing 20+ mph. Admittedly I was slowing down to turn left when he went wizzing past but I am sure he put it in turbo when he saw me up ahead.

 

[soundwave]

I was overtaken by another e-bike this evening. Some hybrid/mtb type, possibly a kit or derestricted as he must have been doing 20+ mph. Admittedly I was slowing down to turn left when he went wizzing past but I am sure he put it in turbo when he saw me up ahead.

 

[Mars]

Not quite that extreme.

Thinking about it more, if it was a conversion kit on his bike he probably had more gears to play with than I do with the 7-speed which with informaton on this forum I have changed from a 28-14t to a more welsh hill friendly 34-14t.

 

[soundwave]

i got 12spd eagle and now a 21t up front eqv to a 52t normal size sprocket

 

[georgehenry]

Generally overtaking them. Not had a cross word so far. Mostly either a grunt or a bit of good natured banter or a simple hello and other pleasantries.

For what ever reason I do not come across them that much.

 

[Benjahmin]

I don't come across them much either. The reason being that I don't see the pleasure in riding busy straight A roads when I have a plethora of lovely windy, traffic free, single track lanes to choose from. For some reason roadies don't seem to like them. Possibly it's because of their riding position - they only see the road surface not what's around?

 

[Sander_Koop]

No actual confrontations, but I get a lot of dirty looks from the Lycra clad warrior tribe. And they always speed up, overtake me, then run out of steam and I pass them again. It makes me chuckle.

And repeat. I commute through central London, and they seem to think that unless you're riding a £1000 minimum race bike, with all the gear to match, you don't deserve to share the cycle lanes.

And they all cycle like psychos. Red lights zebra crossings? Don't apply to them!