This Morning’s Ride: 1:04:01 Distance: 15.1 miles Average: 93 RPM
Note to self: Late night phone calls should not precede early morning bike rides. I know it, but I still do it.
It was a decent ride this morning save for one point where I shifted like an idiot going up a hill. I downshifted waaaay too low waaaay too soon, and just made myself look like an amateur out there. Which is doubtless why I got passed at the top of a hill by an inexperienced rider.
As a rule, I try to not worry about other cyclists when I’m riding. I will admit that I spin faster and pump harder when I’m riding with someone (or even near someone) as opposed to riding by myself. Yesterday, for example, there was a cyclist who was drafting me for about two miles before he passed me. I pushed myself for as long as I could to stay in front of him, but the guy eventually went past me. I thought about drafting him, but I didn’t. I’m uncomfortable riding that close behind someone, although I have no problem having them close behind me. When I’m behind them, I feel like I’m invading their space. He took a different path than me about a half-mile later anyway.
Today was different. Maybe it was because I spazzed the hill that I felt this way but when the dude passed me I felt wronged. Indignant. The guy looked to be in good shape, but he was riding in too high a gear, keeping his revolutions too low. He reminded me of me, last year. And that’s what pissed me off. Here I was, busting my butt to be a better rider, a stronger rider, and I where has it gotten me?
Wow. That reads a lot angrier than I thought it would. Isn’t that interesting?
I didn’t do much of anything different after he passed me. I got myself up to 90 RPM, and in about 5 minutes I was on his tail. We came to another incline, and I was next to him by the time we got to the top. I rode beside him for a few seconds and then got past him, and kept my pace strong for the next 20 minutes or so. My rear-view mirror broke on Sunday, so I couldn’t use it to see where he was, and I was damned if I would turn around and look, but I wanted to. However, there was a place about three miles later where I took a sharp right and then went up a hill, and I did look to see where he was then. He was about 10-12 seconds behind me. I had hoped it would be more.
For the record: I don’t like how petty and mean-spirited I sound here. I didn’t like how I reacted to all this. When I was riding next to him, I wanted to suggest he downshift and pedal faster (you really do make the most efficient use of your energy when you ride at around 90RPM). I wanted to be helpful. But I wasn’t. I didn’t know how he would have taken the suggestion. I probably wouldn’t have taken it well had someone done that to me last year.
Right now, I’ll take the suggestion from myself to lighten up, and not take all of this so seriously. Tomorrow’s another ride.
