That's typically how I am. If I'm blowing up, I'll yield to my 6 year old. If I'm feeling good and racing though, you're gonna have to work to pass me.
Darkhorse 40 2011
- Thread starter maddawg
- Start date
That's typically how I am. If I'm blowing up, I'll yield to my 6 year old. If I'm feeling good and racing though, you're gonna have to work to pass me.
Dusty the Whale
Mr.Chainsaw
If it's not a "safe" spot to let someone pass or pass someone (I used to do that believe it or not) I always say "let's see what it looks like around this turn" or I'll pick out a spot and say something like "just after those trees you can pass/I'm gonna pass".
Alpha Wolf
New Member
I always let someone pass, if they are good enough to catch up to me then they deserve to be in front of me, at the same time if it is unsafe I'll say so, no reason for two people to crash.
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
I race singlespeed, so I am always involved in passing and being passed (I pass on climbs, get passed well ... every other f*cking place 😱 ...) I try to always be nice to people and give them their line, whether I am the one passing or the one being passed -- but there were three times in the last year or so when I was invovled in passing altercations (that may be too strong a word.) At Fair Hill back in April, there was a point where a guy in my own class wanted to pass me, but I had nowhere to move to give himt he line, so I told him to wait a sec, and I think that annoyed him. I moved as soon as I could, but I think he expected me to stop and pull off the trail into the brush or something, and I'm not going to risk poison ivy or something like that even for a World Cup Pro who wants to pass. The second time was at the Stewart Sixpack, and it was totally my screw-up. They sent the women's open out before the SSers, and we caught their group shortly after the first singletrack section (right at the water climb.) I didn't want to risk any of us going down in the water, so I hung back behind one girl there, and when I thought I had a hole shot, I told her I was coming and jumped, but the hole was smaller than I thought and she was going faster than I thought, so I almost bumped her as I passed. I felt really bad about that -- it was a rookie move on my part, especially in a six hour race. I apologized, but I think she would be totally justified in thinking the guy in the 29nsingl jersey was a total d-bag.
The last one is actually the earliest and the best example of someone else being a total a-hole I have ever experienced on a ride. I was doing a training ride last season at Wissahickon and I rolled up to one of the many short power climbs behind these two guys. I told the first guy I'd like to pass because I was on a single and needed to keep my momentum. He was cool and moved aside, but when I got up to his buddy a few feet further, I said the same thing and got nothing -- no response at all. So I thought maybe he didn't hear me, so I said it again. He says, "I heard you the first time. The answer is no." I actually laughed and figured whatever. The trail widened a bit further ahead, though, and when I had the hole, I shot around him really quickly. Now, he was on a pretty burly FS rig and after the hill crested, you can kind of fly down this other rocky section pretty fast. He says, "You better not slow me down on the descent." I just called back, "Sorry man, but I suck at descending." But I thought, "You prick ... you want to run? Let's go." So I gave a few hard pedalstrokes and refused to even feather the brakes the whole way down. I kept expecting him to roll over the top of me, but I get to the bottom of the section where it drops out onto a short fire road climb to the next part of the trail, and I turn right and hammer up the hill. I get all the way up the road -- a few hundred yards -- and I turn around to see where he is. He was just exiting the descent! I wanted to go back and ask, "Umm ... why exactly did you think I would slow you down?" But I figured he and his buddy would pummel me if I did that, so I just kept going. But seriously, I could have walked my bike down that hill faster than he descended it. Maybe he was just having a bad day or something, but I thought at the time that this was a guy who just doesn't get riding at all. He seriously needed to recognize that this is just pedaling a bicycle on dirt -- it's nothing to be suck a dick about. Ever.
Anyway, I generally get passed more than I pass, so I tryto be cool about it when I do come up behind someone. I never want to be a dick because, well, there are just too many other riders out therer who could pass me for me to think I'm entitled to any line. and, again -- it's bikes on dirt. It ain't that big a deal.
Ian F
Well-Known Member
That's pretty much my thoughts as well. Especially when talking about back-marker positions in Sport class. I was caught in a couple of lines during the first lap and heard guys in the back bitching. Fortunately, the leader of the train would eventually pull off, or a bunch of us would get by him and things would spread out again. One guy let me by during a rocky descent but I had to take a less than optimal line over some rocks. After the pass, he followed me through the single track a bit and joked how my rear tire was almost touching his nose during the pass. We had a good run for awhile through the flowy ST until the next descent and I dropped him and didn't see him again for awhile (I think he re-passed me on the next gravel climb).
During the 2nd lap when I was cramping up, I slowed a lot and whenever somebody came up behind me I just got over/off the trail to let them by, especially if it looked like the trail was getting tighter with less passing room.
RNG1
Well-Known Member
I either say " I'd like to pass when I can" or sometimes I say " please pass the grey poupon!" but no one ever seems to get that in a race environment for some reason
RNG1
Well-Known Member
Yeah but one day some guy might be carrying a 2x4 then it will be game over
Well that wouldn't be very sportsman-like.
man, when I was in cat 2 I started every race in last place and never once sprinted to the single track...never once had a problem with people letting me by. the one DH40 that I did in sport I broke my chain on mile one and literally had to pass almost the entire field....still not a problem. Try mentioning to the person in front of you what side you are going by on....normally that is what I do as I come up on someone...just say "im on your left/right" If its super tight, I just say hello and ask nicely to get by when they can get a chance.
Exactly!
I raced SS - flatted at mile 11, CO2 inflator wouldn't work, had to run(walk) the bike the mile or 2 to the water station, then use a 15 year old hand pump to blow the spare up..needless to say by the time I got rolling just about everyone passed me. The rest of lap 1 I bet I passed 75-100 people - I'd announce my pass and which side (except on roads/wide sections) - of course sometimes you have to wait for the right spot but thats how mtb racing works.
Out of the people I passed I only had 1 issue when some dude decided to abruptly change direction 1/2 way up one road climb and smack his back wheel into my front wheel - so that comes out to be 1% which is pretty good if you ask me.
yes, it did suck having to pass so many people / especially when it was a line of 10 and I did complain after about that after the race to my friends, BUT its not their fault I had a mechanical!
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Clapper
Active Member
Exactamundo. At lewmo last year, I asked a younger rider if I could pass. He replied "yeah, but hurry up." I told him he's the one that needs to hurry.