Passing/Being Passed

[HiptonRadcliffIII]

This has been interesting read for me. I am always getting stuck behind people and I know I am being way too courteous and passive about passing. I am always very jovial and chatty.
one thing I wish slower traffic would realize is: the easiest time for me to pass you is with the extra speed I am carrying. If I slow down for you, you're a *beep* if you're holding me up in the long mellow sections, because I could have just blown past you and made you fall as I was catching up to you. I don't know what slower moving traffic expects? I'm not Clark *beep* kent. I don't just have bursts of speed in my bike shorts. I am generally faster in the technical sections, that's when I made up all that ground. I don't want to expend a bunch of energy passing, after slowing down for you already. This turned into a small rant. I don't care how many hours you spent spinning this winter and that you're in good shape for a 45 year old or you race in the elite class. I know it sucks to get passed, but let it happen with some grace and dignity.

Wow. I suggest a switch to decaf. Apparently all that pent-up rage you've been repressing leaked out here.

Funny you should mention that, I had just drank an extra cup of coffee today about an hour before making that post. Most my posts are best taken a little tongue and cheek with some dry honesty in the mix. I've never been shy to stir the pot for the sake of debate and discussion.

[Steve_Balogh]

I don't like bells, and I'll tell you right now that some people don't know what the that little ding is. I didn't because no one ever used one to try to pass me until I came down here to race, and the person using the bell seemed to miss one key point: you don't have a right to make anyone pull over to let you by.

A bell doesn't demand anything, that's the interpretation of the person hearing the bell. In fact, I'd say a bell says noting but there is someone behind you, they are behind you probably because they caught you, and they would probably like to pass, otherwise they wouldn't have rung the bell.

It is also easy to do without being misunderstood. You don't have a person, probably out of breath, trying to say something that might be misheard or misunderstood by someone who is also breathing heavy.

It's also handy, because it's easy to ring the bell as you are coming up upon someone, rather then having to yell out for a distance. So, it gives the rider a warning that someone is coming up on their tail.

You butchered your quote, I didn't say anything about bells, I don't drink

One thing to add to this thread, regardless of how anyone calls their pass, you want to do it in a way that the passee does not have to look back at you. Otherwise the bike almost always turns to where someone is looking. Be loud and clear. To me the worst passing I've seen are people who are too close then call it. By then they are alongside the rider and when they turn to look, well, it isn't pretty. Both can end up eating some serious dirt. I try to avoid looking back at someone calling their pass, and when I'm calling a pass, I make sure the rider has some room to look back, slow down, or whatever. Seeing a front wheel alongside me first then hearing "on your left" afterwards is never good

[tallp1g]

One thing to add to this thread, regardless of how anyone calls their pass, you want to do it in a way that the passee does not have to look back at you. Otherwise the bike almost always turns to where someone is looking. Be loud and clear. To me the worst passing I've seen are people who are too close then call it. By then they are alongside the rider and when they turn to look, well, it isn't pretty. Both can end up eating some serious dirt. I try to avoid looking back at someone calling their pass, and when I'm calling a pass, I make sure the rider has some room to look back, slow down, or whatever. Seeing a front wheel alongside me first then hearing "on your left" afterwards is never good

A few weeks back I had a this exact thing happen. I was having a nice ride, messing around just becasue I could. I was slowing down, speeding up, hopping over things (trying). I was ALL OVER the trail. Then I was scared to death, no warning, no noise, like a stealth bomber YO.. this dude was on my a$$. Scared the crap out of me and put me right back into a line. I had no idea he was there. He was probably back there laughing at my ride.

He passed but I couldn't help but wonder why he didn't do or say something.

btw - my bike has to be the loudest noise maker ever. Chain slap, cables ~dinging~ against the handlebars, quite the ensemble.