# scared the sh!t out of me



## vladvm (May 4, 2010)

to triathletes training on their aero bars, please make an indication that you are about to pass, otherwise don't get surprised if you get passed without warning


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## psycleridr (Jul 21, 2005)

How about htfu?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Get a mirror. Seriously. If you don't like surprises overtaking from behind.


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

I don't understand the OP at all. Who's supposed to signal whom?


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

Just pass safely. I dont say anything. Most try people around here cant control those things from the aerobars. They will just turn into you. I just pass quick, quiet and safe.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

vladvm said:


> to triathletes training on their aero bars, please make an indication that you are about to pass, otherwise don't get surprised if you get passed without warning


everyone is supposed to warn people when passing.... not everyone does it


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

I'm with tihsepa on this. Textbook says to 'warn', but IME cyclists tend to turn their bars in the direction they look, so if I announce as I approach there's a likelihood they'll turn into my path.

My preference is to wait till it's safe to pass, take a lot of space and accelerate as I approach. Once I overtake, I use a hand signal pointing to my right to both acknowledge the cyclist(s) and 'say' I'm moving back to the right.


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## Miles42 (Mar 28, 2012)

I have been warned I hear on the left. Appreciated.


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## EHietpas (Feb 9, 2012)

Deleted


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

EHietpas said:


> Most ass hat wanttobepros don't signal during races. It pisses me off to no end when one of those guys get so close that I could bust his teeth with my elbow without even trying. If your back by me your not going to win the race so move the HELL over!


please don't post when angry and/or intoxicated. thanks.


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## Samadhi (Nov 1, 2011)

PJ352 said:


> My preference is to wait till it's safe to pass,


^^^^^
+1

There's an old, "unwritten rule" in car racing. That rule states that it's the responsibility of the passing driver to execute the pass safely. The driver being passed should hold their line. If there's any question as to the safely of a pass, don't try it.

I try to abide by that rule on my bike. I only pass when I'm absolutely certain a pass can be executed safely.

Sadly, I don't always call out on a pass even though I know I should. I'll use an excuse like I'm too short of breath or some other lame BS and I don't have a bell or horn. 

I wear a clip-on eyeglass mirror and use it a lot. Most of the time I know about bikes approaching from behind well before they're close enough to call. Not always though, so I really appreciate riders to give me a shout that they're coming by. 

When I'm doing the passing I try to shoot a glance over my right shoulder to make sure I'm clear to move right.


Pedestrians are the worst. I hate passing them. I especially hate those joggers who are wearing earbuds - probably listening to techno or Anthrax really loud. They can't hear you. I've thought about taking my Storm whistle out and giving them a good, strong blast of that just about the time when I get on their 8 o'clock (that whistle can wake the dead). Scare the crap out of them. Wearing a headset of any kind while driving is illegal here. It should be the same for folks using MUTs


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## BostonG (Apr 13, 2010)

EHietpas said:


> Most ass hat wanttobepros don't signal during races. It pisses me off to no end when one of those guys get so close that I could bust his teeth with my elbow without even trying. If your back by me your not going to win the race so move the HELL over!


"I'M ABOUT TO ATTACK, I'M ABOUT TO ATTACK". Good strategy (no it's not)

I usually say nothing and do what PJ described. Depending on circumstances.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

I usually give an "on your left" when passing on the MUT, but I usually do it from a good ways back before I reach them. I know when I get passed (which is pretty often) the silent approach is more likely to startle me. Then again, most of the people I encounter on the MUT have headphones on...


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## ghost6 (Sep 4, 2009)

vladvm said:


> to triathletes training on their aero bars, please GO AWAY


FIFY :thumbsup:


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

For me, depends a lot on the speed differential. If I'm coming up quickly on someone wobbling all over the place, I get waaaay over to the left and get by as fast as I can.

People do all sorts of weird things when they hear something behind them. Rarely including holding their line and maintaining speed. 

You don't negotiate a pass in a car. You get over into another lane and do it.

Maybe a bit more complicated when on a narrow path or when two people are wobbling all over the place side by side.


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## rider9 (May 27, 2011)

I was passed the other day by a tri and he said nothing. I was more impressed with his speed than angry at him for passing without notice. Frankly, it did not bother me at all.

But that's me.

Rule #5


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

maybe I should get a custom wheelset with chris king classic rear hubs.... they'll hear me when I momentarily glide and the angry bee noise appears


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Opus51569 said:


> ... the silent approach is more likely to startle me.


A mirror will fix that.


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## Mr. Jones (Jul 4, 2006)

tednugent said:


> everyone is supposed to warn people when passing.... not everyone does it


Quite frankly I think that warning everyone is a load of BS. My standard passing procedure when I am going much faster than the people I am passing is

1) Move hands to drops (if they aren't there already)
2) Move up to the top end of the effort zone that I want to be in
3) Do final check behind me
4) Swing 5+ feet to the left of people I am passing
5) Execute pass
6) Depending on speed of people being passed, check behind me or assume I'm clear
7) Swing back to right

If I'm passing someone going approximately the same speed that I am, then I will give warning, but warning a family on cruiser bikes going 14 when I'm going 27 seems more likely to make them crash into each other than positively impact anyone's safety.


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2012)

Mr. Jones said:


> Quite frankly I think that warning everyone is a load of BS. My standard passing procedure when I am going much faster than the people I am passing is
> 
> 1) Move hands to drops (if they aren't there already)
> 2) Move up to the top end of the effort zone that I want to be in
> ...


Yep. 95+% of the time I stay well behind the person I'm about to pass, then shift completely into the traffic lane to pass them without any sort of announcement. On rare occasions (such as very dense traffic) where this does not work, I will match the speed of the slower rider in front of me, announce I'm about to pass, then proceed when the rider in front signals it's OK to do so. I usually try to time my "requests" so they occur shortly before a natural opportunity to pass safely (such as a portion of the road where the shoulder gets wider)


There was one exception to this in recent memory. I was quickly approaching an older gentlman on a hybrid bike significantly slower than me. He was in the middle of a very wide bike lane (actually a bike/bus lane, the width of a standard lane). I moved onto the white strip at the very left edge and prepared to pass. Rather than hold his line, he saw me in his helmet mirror then moved onto the white line himself so as to block me from passing. I then swerved quickly to the right. He also moved right and began "marking" all my movements so as to block me from passing him altogether. 

I then slowed to his pace and stayed right on the white line between the bike lane and the traffic lane. My plan was to wait until traffic cleared in the traffic lane, move well into that lane to pass (my usual practice when riding in normal width bike-lanes, as opposed to lanes that could support riding 4 abroad easily), but the "twist" was I planned to merge back over early and buzz the guy for being an a-hole. Finally I got an opportunity, changed lanes and passed the guy. Just as I was about to buzz the guy/tell him off I realized he was actually one of my passive-aggressive bosses from work (!) I decided to let it go and sped away before he had a chance to recognize me 




cxwrench said:


> please don't post when angry and/or intoxicated. thanks.


My bad :blush2:


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## Akirasho (Jan 27, 2004)

... an awful lot of people in our modern world would be mountain lion food a century ago... they have little to no sense of "situational awareness" and evidently live on the planet "Justme"...

There is no one perfect answer or solution... and while the brunt of "legal" responsibilties lie on an overtaking (vehicle in this case) to do so when safe (and in many cases, give an audible) the other part of the equations is to expect the unexpected (while I can be surprised by the extremely rare cyclist who is capable of overtaking me as I travel at ludicrous speeds, I'm rarely... phreak'd... I simply give a nod while holding my line... a line that I should be holding anyway).

An audible is preferred, but seeing as how I figure I'm sharing the planet with 6 billion others, I kinda expect to meet some of you from time to time (remember a time... long ago, when we went all the way home just to answer a phone?).


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## D&MsDad (Jul 17, 2007)

On the one hand, we cyclists can, and often do, subject ourselves to untold hours of toil, tears and sweat in all kinds of conditions to "enjoy" our sport.

On the other hand, we cyclists can sound like whiney, self-centered snots.









-----------------------------


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Mr. Jones said:


> Quite frankly I think that warning everyone is a load of BS. My standard passing procedure when I am going much faster than the people I am passing is
> 
> 1) Move hands to drops (if they aren't there already)
> 2) Move up to the top end of the effort zone that I want to be in
> ...


That all makes sense, but it presumes a condition that doesn't always apply: that you have room to clear by >5 feet. In that circumstance, I agree you can just blow by. 

I think most of this discussion, however, concerns situations where you don't have that: MUT's, narrow bike lanes with passing traffic, etc. In those situations, where the pass may be made at 2 feet rather than 5, some other techniques may be called for, including warning, and slowing. Sometimes slowing a lot. That's life.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

D&MsDad said:


> On the one hand, we cyclists can, and often do, subject ourselves to untold hours of toil, tears and sweat in all kinds of conditions to "enjoy" our sport.
> 
> On the other hand, we cyclists can sound like whiney, self-centered snots.
> -----------------------------


That is an interesting insight, and worthy of further reflection.


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## Sixjours (Feb 24, 2012)

Thats why I have a mirror, dont really care what some snob cyclist things about it either, its just safer, people looking backwards are all over the road, trying to emulate the pros....not! cant hold a line while turning your head, mirrors will do wonders. When I pass, I usually give a shout, but most people wear plugs these days, I might as well scare the living crap out of them...


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## Samadhi (Nov 1, 2011)

Sixjours said:


> Thats why I have a mirror, dont really care what some snob cyclist things about it either, its just safer, people looking backwards are all over the road, trying to emulate the pros....not!


+1

This whole emulate-the-pros-even-if-it-endangers-yourself-and-others metality it quite beyond me. I want to know what's behind me. I want to know about it without placing my self and others in more dangerous situations than already exist. Mirrors may not be "pro" but I think they're "safe".

The emergency room Dr's aren't going to give a damn how cool you are while they're scrubbing gravel out of you skin and setting broken bones.



> cant hold a line while turning your head, mirrors will do wonders.


That's the main reason I went to a mirror. I am niether flexible or skilled enough to turn around and look behind me without veering suddenly and violently in the direction I'm turning. I'm told that it can be done and I'm sure it can, but I don't think it very sensible to learn by risking my life.



> When I pass, I usually give a shout, but most people wear plugs these days, I might as well scare the living crap out of them...


The more I think about it, the more appealing a Storm whistle is ....


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## Samadhi (Nov 1, 2011)

Mr. Jones said:


> If I'm passing someone going approximately the same speed that I am, then I will give warning, but warning a family on cruiser bikes going 14 when I'm going 27 seems more likely to make them crash into each other than positively impact anyone's safety.


The MUTs I ride on have a posted speed limit of 15mph. Going 27 in such an enviornment is not only violating traffic laws pertaining to the MUT, going that fast would be hazardous far beyond what riders going slower than the speed limit are. In that scenario, slowing down, a LOT, is a bit more important than giving a shout-out.

I find it amazing that there are people who routinely ride those MUTs at those kinds of speeds. Scary.

On the street, that's a different story. On the street, you abide by traffic laws that apply to motor vehicles so 27 MPH isn't all that bad.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

Samadhi said:


> This whole emulate-the-pros-even-if-it-endangers-yourself-and-others metality it quite beyond me.
> 
> That's the main reason I went to a mirror. I am niether flexible or skilled enough to turn around and look behind me without veering suddenly and violently in the direction I'm turning. I'm told that it can be done and I'm sure it can, but I don't think it very sensible to learn by risking my life. QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

vladvm said:


> to triathletes training on their aero bars, please make an indication that you are about to pass, otherwise don't get surprised if you get passed without warning


Who is doing the passing? The triathlete or the roadie? If the triathlete did the passing, why would he get surprised by being passed without warning, since he already passed?


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2012)

Jwiffle said:


> Who is doing the passing? The triathlete or the roadie? If the triathlete did the passing, why would he get surprised by being passed without warning, since he already passed?


I read this as:

triathlete passes roadie during a resting portion of an interval. Roadie gets startled as the triathlete didn't warn. 

Later, during the work portion of the interval roadie passes triathlete, and "gets back" at him by also passing without warning.


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## bitterertundra0 (Jun 17, 2012)

Just pull up behind him and draft. The extra speed you pick up should be enough to exonerate said triathlete of any wrong you feel he has caused you.


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