I Am Handily Defeated By My Sexism
I don’t approve of sexism. I don’t want to be sexist. I try to not be sexist. Really, I do. But I sometimes fail. And I fail to not be sexist (take a moment to untangle that linguistic snarl if you would) more often when I am on my bike than anywhere else.
I have examples.
Racing
When racing, if a guy passes me I will only pursue if I think there’s a reasonable chance I can hang on. If a woman passes me, on the other hand, I will pursue no matter what.
I don’t know why. Maybe it’s so I can club her and drag her back to my cave. Or to demonstrate my great skill at beating my chest and throwing leaves in the air.
I just don’t want to be passed by a girl, that’s all. I’m sure I’m the only guy like this.
Riding
When riding with women, I generally don’t treat them any differently from men. They’re just part of the ride. However, I do seem to be more easily affected by trash talk.
Last Summer, for example, a group of us were riding the Nebo Loop. We were on the 20+ mile climb, and Sam, Rick Sunderlage (not his real name), and Dug had dropped me. "Fine," I thought to myself, "I’ll see if I can hang with Lisa and her friend."
So I did, and I could. I was riding at what felt like the perfect pace to me. And since it had been a while since I had ridden with Lisa — a good friend and neighbor for more than a decade — that was a bonus.
And then Lisa’s friend — sorry, can’t remember her name right now — said, "I can’t believe you have to ride with the girls."
Yep, just like that.
I couldn’t think of anything to say. The only possible redeeming response I could conceive of at the moment was to stand up and ride away, as fast as my legs would take me.
So I spent the rest of the ride in no-man’s (and no-woman’s, too) land, unable to catch the lead group, and unwilling to drift back.
You have no idea how difficult it is for me to be such a dork.
Interbike
I recently got a chance to make a sexist fool of myself at Interbike, too. No, not in that picture with the booth babes. That wasn’t a sexist picture; that was a silly picture. If seven-foot-tall men in bear costumes had wandered by at Interbike, I would have gotten my picture with them, too, and for the same reasons.
Here’s where I’m being sexist:
What? You don’t think I’m being sexist here? You think I’m just riding a trainer? Well, that means you need to see me from a different angle:
You see how I’m being sexist here? Still no? OK, here’s a closeup of the same picture, this time of the screen (click the image for a larger view, if you need to):
You see, I’m trying out RacerMate’s VeloTron DynaFit Pro trainer, which puts you on a simulated course, then shows all kinds of interesting stats.
And there, on the screen in front of me, is…a woman.
So, even though I am in street clothes, even though people are staring at me in disbelief, and — above all — even though the woman is just videotaped, I am racing my heart out.
After a minute or so of this pursuit — during which the videotaped woman stubbornly stayed in front of me — I gaspingly asked the guy at the booth, "What does it take for me to pass this woman?"
"You can’t," he said. "It’s a videotape. When you go faster, so does she. You’ll pass her at the same point on the climb no matter what speed you’re going."
Oh. Yes, well. I suppose makes sense. In which case, I realized, I no longer cared about passing the woman.
In other words, it didn’t matter to me whether the woman was real or not…just whether I had a chance at demonstrating my manliness to her.
I slowed down and climbed off, realizing three very important things:
- I am part neanderthal. A bigger part than I would like to admit (even though I just did).
- A simulation-style trainer like this would be more fun if you could race actual people instead of a video where you pass people at certain points regardless of their speed (It looks like Tacx does this with the Fortius Multiplayer. Gee, I wonder if they’d like to loan me one?).
- I was sweating profusely. Actually, Kenny was the one who noticed this first. "Man, you are soaking through your shirt," he observed. "You’d better go towel off."
More important than any of that, though, is that I now have photographic evidence that when I feel like it, I can ride at a sustained 454 watts.
At least, I can when in the defense of my male chauvinist pig-dom. Which I’m sure is unique in the universe of male cyclists.
My question is: do women do the same thing? That is, do women (real ones, not the ones in virtual reality simulations) attack when guys go by?
I kind of suspect not. But I kind of hope so, because that would make me feel 30% less stupid about myself. Which would be nice.
Comment by m Burdge | 09.29.2008 | 7:24 am
Personally, I would be more embarassed riding that tri-bike with the plastic toe clips.
Comment by Dorothy W. | 09.29.2008 | 7:25 am
I’ll attack when a guy goes by only if he’s … well … fat.
Comment by Rachel | 09.29.2008 | 7:28 am
Nope, never. I only try to catch up to them (after they pass me) to strike up a conversation. Even though he is incapable of speech, having used all his air on his attack. But that’s ok, because I’m good at holding up both ends of the conversation.
Comment by Dan | 09.29.2008 | 7:50 am
A brother cut from the same cloth…I will kill myself to keep from losing “to a girl”. Imagine my disappointment when a young lady lapped me in a cross race last year..TWICE! I resolved if she came around again I was putting her in the fence, enough is enough, she all ready had my dignity, now she was obviously after my will to live.
Comment by Paul H | 09.29.2008 | 7:58 am
Amazing how that worked out to 454 watts (think big block chevy)
A racermate would be very nice for the coming winter months.
I tried doing some T-max intervals but didn’t stick to it very long. http://paulhburns.blogspot.com/2007/12/peak-power-output-test.html
Comment by Rob L | 09.29.2008 | 8:01 am
HAHAHAHSAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH I SOOOOOO needed that this morning fatty. Thanks a billion.
Comment by Josh B | 09.29.2008 | 8:02 am
Awesome post.
Comment by Joe L. | 09.29.2008 | 8:08 am
I’ve been married to a professional road cyclist and triathlete for 4 years now, been with her overall for 9. I have been completely desensitized from getting my ass kicked by women (on the bike, at least).
Comment by Maine Velophile | 09.29.2008 | 8:12 am
Yes, I try to hop on with guys when they go by if I think I stand a chance of holding on to their wheel. If not, I just let them go. I will, however, try to chase one down if I see them up ahead on the road. Sometimes it proves futile but I’ll still try.
BTW, even though I’ve been tempted to say that same thing to a guy when he’s snug in amongst me and a couple (girl) friends, after reading your post I’ll be sure to never say that! I’ll be happy to have them along. A wheel is a wheel and we all need one from time to time.
Comment by mamafitz | 09.29.2008 | 8:12 am
Attack when the guys I ride with go by? Not necessary. I just sit in, watch them attack each other, then slide by when they’ve tired themselves out. :)
Occasionally I do feel compelled to draw them out though. . . good times.
WIN
Comment by Steve | 09.29.2008 | 8:12 am
Do you think the Neanderthal gene would kick in on a tandem? ‘Cause I’m thinking female pilot with Fatty as the stoker plus 454 watts would win a lot of tandem races.
Comment by SpikeBlue | 09.29.2008 | 8:16 am
I enjoy letting guys pass then drafting off them. It’s a bonus if I have enough wind to chat with them while drafting! Then when they are starting to wear out and I have rested enough, I get to pass them back with fresh legs. Hehe. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it is sweeet.
Comment by rich | 09.29.2008 | 8:18 am
Good stuff Fatty,
I was the same when I first got into riding, but after repeatedly getting my butt kicked by the women I rode with, I kinda got used to it.
Now it doesn’t bother me so much….I can still lift heavy things :-)
Comment by Lifesgreat | 09.29.2008 | 8:20 am
I second SpikeBlue’s comment.
Comment by 331miles | 09.29.2008 | 8:20 am
There’s something instinctive going on, as I do the same thing. Guy passes me? Must be a bad mother. Female? Then I’m sandbagging, and must go faster. I know how flawed this is, and most of the time I can’t catch the women that pass me!
Comment by RachelGio | 09.29.2008 | 8:27 am
Well, having just completed a century yesterday that involved watching a lot of guys be pissed and ride their guts out when passed by a girl, I can only say you are not alone, Fatty. On my home turf, I like to catch them, then they invariably catch me, I let them go, then sneak up on them and when they’re done pounding their chest and being pleased with their gigantic balls, I pull up alongside and start to chat. They deflate like balloons. I know I have secured my place in mean girl hell for this and I don’t care. I have 4 older brothers, so it probably all equals out in the end anyway.
And kudos to my brother in law, who rode the century with me and had no issues letting me do at least my share of getting us to the finish in a pretty intense wind. YAY, us!!!
Comment by Mike | 09.29.2008 | 8:44 am
I got passed by a girl pretty early in an mtb event in April. Try as I might, I couldn’t hold her wheel.
After the race, I tracked her down and asked, “How’d you get so strong on the bike? Are you a pro or something?”
As it turns out, she really was a pro—Heather Holmes who races for Kenda-Titus-Hayes. (http://www.mtbracenews.com/2008/07/heather-holmes-is-up-and-coming.html)
Needless to say I felt a lot better about myself.
Comment by russ | 09.29.2008 | 8:50 am
I feel your pain. I work more on a sliding scale based on experience.
In my first races, running, cycling or triathlon I was determined not to be passed by a woman.
My scale has now slid top the point where I’m praying not to get passed by the 90 yr old nun and the guy on the recumbent.
Love the blog. Keep on rolling fattie
Comment by Philly Jen | 09.29.2008 | 8:57 am
So the thing that gets you all hot and bothered is when you try to escape from looking at women’s backsides, eh? Hee.
I’m not a particularly fast cyclist. However, my sister used to compete for her cross-country team in high school, and she got that all the time. She’d be out on the trail and grown men would get all worked up when they would turn and see this little five-foot tall girl approaching. Sometimes she’d let up a bit so they wouldn’t overexert themselves too much. But she’d pass them sooner or later anyway.
There are many guys who feel the same way when they meet a woman who earns more money than they do. But I think a former spinning instructor of mine who used to ride on the Italian pro circuit said it best: “When I meet a good-looking woman, I think, ‘Great! She’s beautiful!‘ When I find out she makes more money than me, I think, ‘Even better! She’s beautiful AND charming.’”
Comment by Rob | 09.29.2008 | 9:04 am
What’s wrong with being sexy?
Comment by bikemike | 09.29.2008 | 9:11 am
yes, but when nature calls and you both have to stop, you’re finished and up the road before they even find a place to go. that’s when you attack.
Comment by drapisking | 09.29.2008 | 9:21 am
ist… sexist.
I guess now would be a bad time to mention that I’ll allow girls to pass me in endurance races and then I’ll stick their wheel because the view suddenly becomes infinity better.
Comment by Baz | 09.29.2008 | 9:22 am
Just curious Fatty, are those Keen Commuter Sandals you’re wearing? ( http://www.keenfootwear.com/product_detail.aspx?sku=1264 ) If so, are they any good?
(on topic: oh dear. Am I compromising my masculinity by showing an interest in shoes?)
Comment by dug | 09.29.2008 | 9:24 am
philly jen, you’re friends with ricardo ricco?
Comment by BotchedExperiment | 09.29.2008 | 9:33 am
“You have no idea how difficult it is for me to be such a dork.”
Actually, I’d say it comes quite easily for you.
bikemike, there is no doubt that in a urinary battle of attrition we are the superior gender. Especially when the women are pregnant; hen they’ve got to go every 20 minutes. Now, if we could just figure out how to get into more pissing contests with women, we’d beat them more often.
Comment by drapisking | 09.29.2008 | 9:34 am
ly… infinitely
Comment by Flatman | 09.29.2008 | 9:38 am
too funny…glad I am not the only one. ;)
Comment by Woody | 09.29.2008 | 9:39 am
I am a very slow rider so I don’t have to worry on that. But my husband refuses to play Wii Boxing with me – he cannot stand to get his a$$ handed to him by a girl. It probably doesn’t help that I’m a very poor winner!!
Comment by KyClyde | 09.29.2008 | 9:42 am
When I first started cycling about a year ago I used to worry about keeping up with the local club ride, which often contained lots of women. The fast guys would enevitabley jump off the front, then I would get what I thought was “stuck” with the girls. What I found out was that most women were more than eager to help me out, teach me the ropes, and provide encouragement when I needed it during that darned climb that always ate my lunch. So, although my Machismo was tarnished, my strength, endurance, and confidence grew as a result. I really enjoy riding with most of the women in my club, as I don’t have to worry about trying to win the sprint to the fifth light post or kill everyone on the 2 mile psychotic climb on our weekly ride. Now mind you, I enjoy trying to do those things on occasion, but only when I want to put stress on myself.
P.S. I think the girls new I needed some ‘Manly’ ego boosting so they often come to me at our post ride pot lucks to open pickle jars, etc…..
Comment by victoria | 09.29.2008 | 9:49 am
I don’t necessarily *try* to pass men who are clearly bothered by having a female go by them, but I’m with Philly Jen’s sister– when I start catching up to someone on the trail and they start (not so subtly) picking up the pace, it’s very, very difficult for me not to keep getting faster until I pass him. Because really, when someone sets himself up so beautifully, who am I not to turn into a 6 year old myself and do just about everything except go “nyah, nyah– got passed by a girl!” when I go by?
Comment by ryed4fuhn | 09.29.2008 | 9:51 am
dilema for sure. But, why not enjoy the company…beats riding alone. Oh and if you get trash talk just reply with “I’m just a big hairy American winning machine, you know?”
great blog btw.
WIN SUSAN!!
Comment by SurlyCommuter | 09.29.2008 | 10:04 am
In the beginning, 40lbs and 20 years ago, getting passed by a girl was an offense that your buddies would NEVER let die. Since then I’ve been passed, lapped, stomped on the bike by so many ladies that I stopped getting upset. If I want to be faster I should train more and eat better, getting ticked and turning the pedals in anger is just going to make me look foolish when she inevitably passes me back. Now the jack-a$$ on the ‘bent that punked me after I calmly passed him(as he was ‘bent-pacing his roller blading buddy, stomped it for about 2 miles and then pulled over – that guy does tick me off.
WIN
Comment by Ronster | 09.29.2008 | 10:15 am
Fatty…
Yep, noticed the 454 watts thing. But I was checking the comments to see if anyone noticed that the DST (distance?) you’d ridden was .19 miles? Isn’t that about 400 yards? Now that *is* impressive. ;)
Comment by Roo | 09.29.2008 | 10:22 am
I only attack when they go by if they’re hot and I want to check them out. Is there such thing as a female sexist pig?
Comment by Mike Roadie | 09.29.2008 | 10:29 am
I wouldn’t exactly say that 454 watts is “sustained”….I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’
Thx to Maine Velophile for that wisdom….we do all need a wheel. I have friend whose licence plate clearly proclaims that she is a Wheel Sucker!
I did a Tri in Hawaii a few years ago. I went out in my age group (the last one) and just before the women. I felt great as I passed a few of the younger guys mid-swim, but I almost drowned trying to keep up with the chicks as they passed me before the finish!!! I won’t even mention the running leg!
WIN
Unite
LiveSTRONG
Comment by Clydesteve | 09.29.2008 | 10:31 am
Listen Fatty, don’t feel bad. Friday, on my commute home, I was really working hard trying to catch up with and overtake a rider I saw in the distance, in the bike lane, wearing orange.
The rider must have sensed me back there, because they held me off for quire a while.
When i finally got close enough to distinguish things like riding style (upright or drops), sex (M/F), type of bike (MTB/road), etc., I realized i had been working hard to chase down…..a temporary, flexible fabric …. Road Work Ahead sign.
Beyond pathetic.
Comment by SC Boom | 09.29.2008 | 10:34 am
First with the introductions– I’m a beginner cyclist (female). That being said, I date an avid cyclist/bike racer/triathlete and I’m the most well-informed, well-rounded, educated beginner cyclist EVER. I also happen to ride a kick ass BMC streetfire, built by him… yes I’m a very LUCKY (spoiled) FEMALE beginner. :0 That being said, I read your blog and countless others DAILY…and never comment… alas, I must today. I want to reassure you that most if not every male cyclist wants to pass the female in front of him. I hang out enough in the bike shop to know :) I’ve heard things like, “there was this girl in front of us, HORRIBLE bike handling skills, all over the road and we still never caught her” hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, tisk tisk….
and again, last week at a BMW Performance Series Race in SC… I heard the announcer say to the handful of women that WANTED to race and also paid the entry fee, “well, if you are insisting on having your ‘little thing’ line up BEHIND the men”
so yeah, it’s a bit disgusting to someone like ME, that has 2 X chromosomes and a bike…. but, it is what it is and Fatty, you aren’t alone in neanderthal land. As always, enjoyed your post.
PS…I currently don’t attempt to “attack” a man, because well, I’m incapable in this beginning stage, instead–I just sit back, and talk about how crappy his form is and how much HOTTER my bike is ; )
Comment by Amie | 09.29.2008 | 10:35 am
I ALWAYS go for the pass when a guy passes me. I think it’s the boarder collie in me. But I really do it because I LOVE to see their faces when they realize I’m a woman! That moment of utter surprise where you can practically hear the Tim Allen like ‘huuuh?!’ then the neanderthalness kicks in and they pick it up to pass- Cracks me up every TIME! Sometimes I play along and try to stay in front just for fun, most times I let them pass. But I ALWAYS get a kick out of it!
Comment by Alexia | 09.29.2008 | 10:45 am
When I was young and single and a feminist marching on Washington here and there and everywhere I would have taken offense. But at (moments away from) 40 and a wife and mother of a boy now (and still a feminist), I’m thinking, gee, Fatty, you’re being… a guy. And that’s OK. So keep trying ;-)
Comment by Jill | 09.29.2008 | 10:46 am
Awesome that you had such a great time at Interbike!
Comment by Clare | 09.29.2008 | 10:46 am
There is nothing sweeter than passing a guy. Well, one thing…passing a guy while I am PREGNANT. Not that I ride much now at 6 1/2 months, but I still run and the only benefit to being so darn slow now is that my “competition” is invariably old or fat…very catchable. And as most guys feel like you do, it’s AWESOME to pass them and just breeze on by. Imagine how much worse you’d feel if a pregnant woman could beat you?
Comment by Ray | 09.29.2008 | 10:49 am
Being a former track athlete ( shot-put and discus) I never really faced competition from women, until I went to an international event 25 years ago. The womens national champion had no problem beating a strapping 17 year-old american “boy”. She even had a better beard than me. None the less this change my attitude towards women athletes.
Comment by Matt | 09.29.2008 | 10:52 am
Yeah, I occasionally get beat up by women riders. Big deal. But we ALL KNOW who gets the call when it’s spider-squishing time!
Comment by je | 09.29.2008 | 11:09 am
Fatty,
I rode LOTOJA this year and the only person I made a point to sprint ahead of at the finish was a woman in a Fat Cyclist jersey. And judging by her race number, she was part of a relay team that started 49 minutes before I did.
But I did not, under any circumstances want a picture of me at the finish line with a ‘girl’ in front of me.
So I’m a sexist, too.
Comment by je | 09.29.2008 | 11:13 am
But I should also add, that during the first leg of LOTOJA, my start pack passed a single female rider. She was off the back of her start pack already.
I was near the back of my pack and slowed enough to create a little gap and I told her to slip in front of me and draft for as long as she wanted to — it was against the rules but I didn’t really care.
She explained she was late to the start because she was nursing her baby when they called her group to the line.
That was pretty cool and I was more than happy to let her suck wheel for 4-5 miles until she pulled out to ride with another group of 4 or 5 women we caught up to.
So I guess that was more along the lines of chivalrous.
Comment by mmat | 09.29.2008 | 11:15 am
my sexist tendencies only come out when i’m running – i’ll always try to catch up and pass the women while running (and usually fail). when i’m cycling, i try my hardest to catch up to and pass people who are riding more expensive bikes than me.
Comment by Kt | 09.29.2008 | 11:28 am
Well, as a female, I don’t mind when guys want to pass me… I ride better with a rabbit. :)
I don’t care if the guy thinks he “has” to pass me because I’m female. I just hope he doesn’t run out of steam too clost to me, because then I’ll be annoyed at having to pass him when he just passed me.
Now, in my other hobby, rally racing, it’s always fun to beat the guys– but that’s mostly because I’m the only girl driver in 99% of the events I compete in. It blows their minds when I’m sitting in the start line putting on lipstick before I get my helmet on.
Yes, I belong to the mean girls club, too. :)
Comment by born4felt | 09.29.2008 | 11:29 am
I guess I’m enlightened, or maybe just really slow. I used to chase women but then stopped. Part of it is that I’m heavy, so most women can beat me anyway. But part of it is that I am better about sticking to my training plan as I get older, so I won’t accelerate off of base pace when passed, even when I sense that I could prevail. And if I were a women this would piss me off.
I will say that I don’t like getting passed by a rider who is both obviously slower than me an obviously chasing me. But I do this regardless of gender.
Comment by cyclostu | 09.29.2008 | 11:35 am
I think that I must have some sort of weird sexist inversion thing going on. I’m a relatively mild-mannered, non-competative guy most of the time and really don’t mind riding with women or even getting passed by them. Most women are nice to ride with and can at least provide some interesting conversation other than inane bike chatter (do we really have to talk about cycling equipment on EVERY ride?). However, I will kill myself to catch another guy and bury myself in an attempt to drop him. It must involve getting picked on as a scrwany junior high school kid. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to be in a sport where being a 150 lb skinny dude is an advantage that allows me to demoralize the same jocks that used to torment me. My other riding budies used to call me a bit ruthless in that regard.
Bitter? Oh, a tad. :)
Comment by spkell | 09.29.2008 | 11:43 am
+1 to mmat @11:15.
classism over sexism any day–far higher self-righteousness quotient.
Comment by Emily | 09.29.2008 | 11:52 am
I see dudes to this on the commute to work in the morning, even. Those poor things, wearing themselves out just to get to the next light before me!
Anyway, its nothing compared to the reactions men have when you do side-of-the-trail/road bike repairs for them that they don’t know how to do. For some reason I don’t quite understand it really crushes an ego when I do that.
Comment by Rio's Rider | 09.29.2008 | 12:01 pm
I, too, love to pass the guys. It’s the racer in me.
Once I passed a guy, and as I pulled in front of him I heard him say, “Show off!” I thought he was joking, and I turned around to smile at him. He gave me a big, ugly glare. He was totally serious! But he still couldn’t keep up with me.
Another time, I passed the whole group of guys on a hill climb. After hearing a few comments from them, I decided it was best to stop to “take off my jacket” and let them pass me. I didn’t want to cause trouble with a whole group of testosterone-laden males.
Great post, Fatty!
WIN SUSAN!!!
Comment by S | 09.29.2008 | 12:02 pm
Chase women down that are cycling? You must have good eyes. Mine ain’t that good. I’ll chase anything on 2 wheels.
I virtually never catch them but I have fun trying :)
Comment by Lana | 09.29.2008 | 12:03 pm
I do a lot of community rides with my mom in Michigan and although it is not a race, we absolutely love to have to come to the rescue of some guy on the side of the road who has bike troubles and can’t figure them out themselves or forgot to pack the necessary item (tube, pump, etc).
Nothing like like the damsels saving the guys in distress.
Comment by UpNorth | 09.29.2008 | 12:13 pm
I don’t necessarily chase down guys, but… On a group ride, I do enjoy beating them up hills & being a better technical rider. Especially if it is an MTB ride – nothing more annoying than getting stuck behind a guy who can’t ride because he can’t possibly ride behind a *gasp* woman.
Comment by singletrackgirl | 09.29.2008 | 12:25 pm
A lot of women believe its silly when men think this way…Sonya Looney (www.sonyalooney.missingsaddle.com), one of my favourite pro-mtb race bloggers, calls guys like this “chodes”. Cracks me up every time.
I don’t try to pass or catch up with every guy I see but will double my efforts to humble a chode ;)
Comment by The other Jared | 09.29.2008 | 12:38 pm
It doesn’t matter if the persons female or not, as long as they look catchable I will go all out to pass them. In the club rides I’ve gone on there’s one or two fast women that pull to the front with the fast guys and I just let them go because why embarass myself? But all other girls are fair game for the pursuit. I tend to be more aggressive if there’s a mountain bike/recumbant/kid/old/fatter person in front of me though. Maybe if I ever decide to loose some weight and train more I’ll be able to pursue all women just because their female. BTW far better then being a girl passing a guy is being a fat guy in street clothes on a touring bike passing someone in full kit on a sexy carbon fiber bike.
Comment by Kathleen | 09.29.2008 | 12:39 pm
My biggest moment of cycling glee?
When I got my new road bike and passed my husband for the first (and only) time!
Sure, I kinda snuck up on him (he had no idea I could go that fast) but it was still a *sweet* moment. I daydream about it.
Comment by dave | 09.29.2008 | 12:42 pm
So, I enlarged the picture to see the stat’s and noticed the glare on the back tire of the girls bike. It looked more like a shiny fender. Which got me thinking, I would probably kill myself to pass the woman on the fendered touring bike myself. Now I’m questioning what level of play the guys set up? Euro-tour group? Randonneuring? (i had to look up the spelling) wine country bike tour? I think you were set up.
Again, terrific interbike coverage, top notch.
WIN Susan!
Comment by Maile in Florida | 09.29.2008 | 12:45 pm
On a ride last summer, I got passed by a guy who was probably a bit faster (and a bit younger) than me, doing a what looked like a nice steady pace. I was riding really slow, because I happened to be in the rest phase of an interval workout. When my watch hit time, I took off on the next interval, incidentally passing him with a pretty good speed differential. He took off and caught me a few seconds after I slowed down for my rest cycle. He kept going for a ways, then slowed down again. My watch hit time for the next interval: I pass, I slow, he passes, he slows. Then the next interval… We did this pass-pass back ballet for five or six intervals before I finally slowed down as I passed him to tell him I wasn’t trying to pull his chain, I was just doing an interval workout. He let me go after that.
It was really too funny, though.
WIN Susan!
Comment by TC the OC | 09.29.2008 | 12:56 pm
Sexy? What’swrong with being sexy?
no- that’s sexIST -IST, IST.
Pingback by I Am Handily Defeated By My Sexism | Randomblog blog | 09.29.2008 | 1:11 pm
[...] I Am Handily Defeated By My Sexism Posted by admin on September 29, 2008 random I don’t approve of sexism. I don’t want to be sexist. I try to not be sexist. Really, I do. But I sometimes fail. And I fail to not be sexist (take a moment to untangle that linguistic snarl if you would) more often when I am on my bike than anywhere else. [...]
Comment by Nicole | 09.29.2008 | 1:11 pm
Rest assured, you are not alone in this behavior, Fatty.
Like kt and Maine Velophile, anyone up the road from me has just entered a race they don’t (yet) know they’re in. I’m only an intermediate rider, but I put in enough miles this season training for a big ride to have a shot at catching a fair percentage of people if there’s extended climbing involved. A few of the comments I’ve received:
“Hunhh?!”
“Show off.”
“What’s your power meter read?” (Yeah, I don’t have one of those.)
Most times the guys will make a point to pass and stay ahead of me, which I’m fine with. I like to think I’m selflessly contributing to their training.
Best one ever, though, was getting passed by a pace line of guys in the same team kit at the base of Tennessee Pass. After the grade pitched up, I soon spun past them in my middle chainring (triple, yeah!). I didn’t see them again. :)
Comment by Marla | 09.29.2008 | 1:28 pm
Hey, I’m just glad not to wipe out on a ride. I think any competitive instinct was wiped out years ago!
Comment by Jane | 09.29.2008 | 1:38 pm
Oh yes. I attack young men on mountain bikes or any men younger than me that I think I can beat. Being nearly 50 I get a great pleasure out of their discomfort when they see an older woman passing. I’ve had some good races on my daily commute. I do though resist the temptation to shout something about them being beaten by someone twice their age.
Comment by Jennie | 09.29.2008 | 1:44 pm
I am a woman and I race guys on bikes without them knowing.
Well just this morning on my commute to work I decided to have a little hill climb comp with some poor guy who had no idea he was in a race. My boyfriend and I came up to a stop light with some guy in a mona-vie kit. From a distance I thought it may be Bart since he works in the same area I did. When we got to the light it was red and the guy was obviously not Bart. So the little competitive side of me came over. The light went green and although I stayed seated, I made sure I made it to the top of the hill way way ahead of the guy. My boyfriend made sure to let me know he was onto me. So, yes women do try to “chick” men on bikes.
Comment by Gremlin | 09.29.2008 | 1:57 pm
I have to say that I don’t care who passes me I’ll try and hang for a while, but there is one benefit to holding on when it’s a women, they’re usually a whole lot nicer to look at….
Comment by downhilldiva | 09.29.2008 | 2:08 pm
I chase everyone down. I don’t feel too bad though if I get beat by a guy (especially if he’s wearing a team kit) but I hate to be beat by a little skinny girl.
I don’t think you are alone in your feelings though. My teammate (female) was pulling out front with three laps to go at RMR. The entire field got antsy because none of them wanted to be beat by a girl so instead they ended up in a 20 man pile up. Several of them did beat her to the ambulance though :).
Comment by DD | 09.29.2008 | 2:16 pm
If I guy passes me – that’s fine I have no urge to catch up. However, if I am coming from behind – I do all I can to pass the guy and leave him in my dust. In fact last weekend at a race I shaved 4 minutes off of a lap time because the beginner men were coming onto the course during my 2nd lap and I was having so much fun passing all the men! Too bad I didn’t concentrate on passing the women as much – I would have finished much better!!
Comment by Timrey | 09.29.2008 | 2:19 pm
My sexism got me to jump out of a plane. The first time I went parachuting (static line so I won’t say sky diving) four of us (3 guys, 1 girl) went up with the jump master. We jumped based on weight, heaviest first, so on the first run the two guys I went with jumped. When it came my turn to jump I was absolutely terrified – wondering what I was thinking to get in the plane – I could not imagine jumping out. Then I looked at the lady who was with us and thought if she comes down before me they will know I chickened out, I will never hear the end of it. So I shut down and went into sexist robot mode and leapt out the door of a plane that was 4500 feet above the earth.
On the bike I know that there are superhumans representing both genders who will make me aware of how small my lungs are in a heart beat. I’m with those above that are grateful just to grab a wheel and try to hang on. What I really enjoy is those days when I am feeling good enough to jump on the tail of the guy riding the Cervelo with aerobars and just hang.
Comment by Drew | 09.29.2008 | 2:33 pm
I have not read all the comments, so perhaps someone beat me to the obvious, but of the ones I did read, gentlemen, you guys are clowns!
Riding behind a woman is one of life’s little pleasures! Let her pass, then I draft her, thinking all the while the view just got a little better. When I get bored with her, I sit up and wait for the next one, lol
Comment by Duane | 09.29.2008 | 2:51 pm
I don’t care if a skirt passes me. I smile say hi and keep doing my thing. I have a friend that gets bent if anybody passes him – especially a girl.
Life’s too short – sit back and enjoy the ride.
Comment by cyclostu | 09.29.2008 | 3:13 pm
I may need to revise my previous comment. I do get great joy passing any of the following: anyone with aerobars, triathaletes wearing the mini-shorts and little sports bra looking thing, anyone on a >$5000 bike while I’m on my Surly steel commuter bike (complete with fenders and bar-end shifters), or anyone in a full Euro team kit, with bonus points if they have gone as far as having the matching bike. Those guys are just asking for it. And yes the culprits are normally guys.
Comment by Di | 09.29.2008 | 3:19 pm
I usually settle in with riders of about my ability, then the race is on. Women HAVE to work to get around me. I won’t block the singletrack if they clearly need to get by, but there is one good example of a girl who caught up with me on the climb (I’m not a climber), but I wouldn’t let her go by because the technical descent was shortly ahead (I’m a technical descender ;-) ). It was open trail, so she could get around me if she had the power, but I wasn’t going to *let* her by.
I usually end up in a pack of guys, so I do race guys. There is usually a lot of back and forth, then I get them at the end when they least expect it. I’m also not afraid to hop onto a draft from the guys, even if it’s only for a minute.
Comment by cheapie | 09.29.2008 | 3:34 pm
i know i’m going to get some hate mail but the reason it matters if you get beat by a girl is not because guys are morons, because we’re too competitive, because we’re unenlightened, etc. it’s because all things being equal, men are faster than women.
while there are certainly exceptionally fast female riders, they are rarely faster than their male counterparts. and i define counterparts as someone in the same group, fitness level, age, etc. if you disagree, show me a major event where a pro woman beat a pro male. expert female….expert male. etc. etc.
having said that, i have no idea why some dudes get upset when they get beat by a girl. if she’s faster, sweet. don’t get upset or “refuse to lose to a girl.”
Comment by gus | 09.29.2008 | 4:01 pm
I am proud to say, as a recreational tourer, I get passed by racers all the time. Many are women. I used to work at a college and was allowed to use the gym. I worked in the machine room (girl’s gym) not the free weight room (boy’s gym). I had no problem with this. I can safely say, I am not sexist. I am, however, chivalrous. I hold doors for women and such things.
Comment by Steve | 09.29.2008 | 5:47 pm
You should get yourself a Computrainer (unless you have Velotron bucks!), and Netathlon.
You can ride online for free against other live riders (or pacers you can actually pass). I think Netathlon has a bigger user base than Tacx, because they support more trainers than just the Tacx ones.
It’s a load of fun!
Comment by cheapie | 09.29.2008 | 6:34 pm
i’m just waiting for the wii to come out with something like that. how fun would that be???
Comment by ann | 09.29.2008 | 6:56 pm
No matter what I do, I always lose the race.
Comment by Aaron | 09.29.2008 | 7:19 pm
I think it depends on the woman, of course. Some of the women I ride with are very competitive. It doesn’t matter what sex you are, they will chase you. Some are just there for the ride, they don’t care if they get passed. Personally, I get my butt kicked by some women all the time. It doesn’t faze me anymore.
Comment by Kat | 09.29.2008 | 7:23 pm
I am very accustomed to being chased down moments after I pass a guy. I have never passed a guy that didn’t try to catch me. No, I don’t chase down the same guys because they are so predictable I am usually laughing too hard to really mount an attack. Riding with my husband is a totally different story. We try to punish eachother from start to finish for some wierd reason!
Comment by Bmarie99 | 09.29.2008 | 7:35 pm
My husband is the cyclist, he is slowly trying to get me to ride. Save the diamonds we bought each other Gary Fischers for our 10th wedding anniversary.
I say I’m not a cyclist because all of fatty’s friends hold your breath….. I’m a marathoner(is that a word?) And yes I do try and pass or keep up with the boys…. that is however unless I realize that someone is trying to light it up on a hill and then i just laught at said boy knowing that I will end up beating the pants of him in the end because he has no steam left…. Silly Boys….
Comment by Debamundo | 09.29.2008 | 7:38 pm
I am a woman. I ride mostly with men, many of them younger than me. (I’m 40.) When I am riding stronger than one or more of them, it KILLS them. When they are riding stronger than me, I don’t care. They have a clear physical advantage, through no great virtue on their part nor any fault of my own. It’s simple biology, and it isn’t fair. But because of this unfairness, when the men are beating me, I don’t care. When I am beating them, which, yes, does happen, I LOVE IT!! So maybe that makes me a neanderthal woman. I don’t care about that, either, though.
On a side note, an 18-year-old male called me Mom on a recent ride. Oooh, I made him hurt!
Comment by Mir | 09.29.2008 | 8:21 pm
The next piece of cycling gold will be made off of the Wii Cycling software. We’ll just have to see who invents it first (Google $10M project anyone?). And of course put in an Easter egg that won’t allow those suffering from “Neandertholic” pigness pass anyone with tits.
Also, I’m a girl, and I kill guys on downhill. I get a sick, twisted joy out of passing a 6 foot guy on my 15″ frame classic Cdale. I’m proud I have never been passed (at the sacrifice of a few of my toes, and even a few mild concussions (those trees came out of nowhere!)).
However, I can’t climb to save my life. One ski lift ticket, please….
Comment by BikeChick | 09.29.2008 | 8:32 pm
I’m not at all competitive — couldn’t care less who passes me or who I pass. But I’m also easily entertained. Oh, and I love mind games. So, as a woman who, by all outward appearances, should not be able to kick anyone’s butt on a bike, I sometimes purposely pass guys, smile, throw out a happy “Passing on the left” and then watch them get pissed. It’s strangely, sadistically satisfying and really funny to me for some reason to see them pedal like mad men just so they can…what? tell their friends they beat a 45 year old woman?!
Not sure why it’s so entertaining to watch that testosterone-driven, completely illogical reaction to a girl passing them, but I’ll admit it: it is.
Comment by eileen | 09.29.2008 | 8:44 pm
The best part is the cycle commuting in a dress and passing guys who have kind of pimped up urban bikes. That truly brings me joy. Because those guys tend to be jerks, and it’s unusual for them to be able to catch me.
The truth is, I’m no speedster. But catch me at mile 80 plus and you’ll generally find me smiling, and if anyone is nearby, male or female, I’ll be smiling at them, too. I’d never make a snide comment to a guy who was keeping up with me, because in a way, that’s insulting myself.
Comment by Frank | 09.29.2008 | 8:52 pm
I’m getting older and more wily in my ways, or maybe I’m just turning into a dirty old man or possibly I always was, but I enjoy riding with women for a lot of reasons – the past two centuries, I rode with a woman who is a bit older than I am (who wants to be the fastest in her age category next year) – can’t argue with that! Then, a woman who was 18 years younger and oh, say 25 lbs. lighter… when I complimented her on her hill climbing she said she had a lower BMI. Ken spoiled it though… he said that was a nice way of saying I had a fat ass.
Comment by Kerbouchaud | 09.29.2008 | 9:13 pm
And you want to pass the girls because…..
Comment by BellaCroix | 09.29.2008 | 9:13 pm
This is why I ride road… when women pass me in lycra I attack only so much as to keep up and enjoy the view (it’s even better when they’re triathetes). You MTB’ers and Downhillers in your baggy shorts and tee-shirts are totally missing out!
Comment by Stelle | 09.29.2008 | 11:33 pm
This is an interesting question you pose. I’m not as bad as one of my friends, but sometime I feel we’re sexist again our own gender. If a guy passes me I’ll try and prove I’m tough enough to keep up. However if I lose his draft…no big deal. I chalk it up to the fact he’s a guy and naturally stronger. But if a girl passes me I feel the overwhelming desire to exert every last effort not to let her! I don’t want to be the steriotypical “weak girl” all the guys already suppose we are. Yes I love to crush the manhood of any guy I can :)
Comment by Jacqui | 09.30.2008 | 3:40 am
My training mate and I have a running bet. Here is the scenario, if there is a guy in front of us by himself, I speed up, knock it into a BIG gear, get out of the seat and try and hit 60km/hr making sure that I am seated WHEN I pass him. The bet is:
1. If the guy speeds up, my training partner buys me a coffee at the end of our ride.
2. If the guy keeps his steady pace, I buy ,my training the coffee.
3. If the guy speeds up, gets on my wheel and uses it to an advantage to actually overtake me, I get BREAKFAST!
LOL
It is a lot of fun.
I have never had to buy the coffee and have had breakfast a few times now.
HAHAHA! I really need to get this on video one day.
Comment by Al Maviva | 09.30.2008 | 4:54 am
I couldn’t care less if I get passed by a girl, generally. If I’m riding on the road and training alone, I’m in a wattage zone. I don’t care if I’m passed, damned if I’m going to screw up my training to protect my precious little ego. In ‘cross races and on the MTB, sometimes I do get passed by girls. Whatever. If they can pass me it means they’re better riders – they just closed a three or five minute gap up to a large Sport or B field, probably somewhere in the back to middle of it. That means they’re strong as hell and probably very technically skilled, more than me, and I should get out of their way, and maybe try to hold their wheel and learn something. And an observation about group rides – on flat and rolling terrain on some of the harder group rides I do, it’s not an issue, I don’t get passed by women, except on some rare occasions when one of the local NRC pros is moving up a bit in the pack. In that case it’s comparable to when a guy does it – if we’re going slow, 25 or under, I’m an ass about it and fight for position, which is actually what you need to do in races, so it’s appropriate on this kind of ride. If we’re going pretty fast, over 30 or 32 at a steady clip, I’ll let anybody pass me if they’re capable of pulling out and going past; I can maybe try to move up the middle of the pack if I need to hold position or do the same move she just did if it’s really, really necessary, like if the pack is thinning down to single file and somebody in front is about to cause a gap that will get us all dropped. But I’d rather sit in. At that speed everybody is on the rivet except for some of the pros and some really, really strong lower cat racers, and I have to decide whether it’s more important to have a tiny bit of energy left to close gaps and stick with any pack acceleration in response to an attack, or whether it’s more important to show some woman who rides for Colavita or Lipton, who is actually a really accomplished rider and probably better all around, what a total dick I am. I generally try not to be a total dick. Besides, it pays to be nice to women riders – I give great draft, and most women who have enjoyed my protection don’t object to dragging my butt up the hills, whereas most guys who can climb delight in using my draft, then dropping me – something I can never quite pay back until we get to a sprint point, or until a gap opens up in front of me and I have to bridge – which can be done gradually to keep the people behind in line, or with a jump, opening a gap which turns the climbers behind me into human air brakes. Heck, I wish more guys rode like girls (NRC pros and Cat I’s, anyhow), now that I think about it…
Comment by Meghan | 09.30.2008 | 5:05 am
I attack! And I tend to beat them, too, even with my panniers full. So there, boys!
Comment by MikeonHisBike | 09.30.2008 | 5:56 am
My wife rides to make friends and to socialize. Passing just isn’t in the equation for her. Neither is trash talking. Those rules don’t apply to me though. :)
Mike
http://mikeonhisbike.blogspot.com
Comment by AH | 09.30.2008 | 6:11 am
Hmmmm, chasing down a “girl” after being passed is the very definition of UN-PRO! If you (that’s a collective “you” for my fellow males Fatty, not you specifically) were really such a bad ass you wouldn’t have been passed in the first place.
At that point the best you can hope for is to gracefully let her go and give her props for being so strong. If you have a really fragile male ego you may pretend that this was a B race, recovery ride, or were resting between efforts.
Otherwise you just make it painfully obvious what an insecure douchebag you (again, collective “you”…) really are.
Comment by Slowerthensnot | 09.30.2008 | 7:07 am
oh too be chick’ed by a video game!
I try to enjoy the view
=)
Pingback by Stones Cry Out - If they keep silent… » Things Heard: e35v2 | 09.30.2008 | 7:34 am
[...] too am a sexist cyclist, and I think almost all guys who race are as well. Getting “girled” [...]
Comment by Annie | 09.30.2008 | 8:36 am
As a chick biker myself, I don’t really care too much about the guys struggling to pass me – I’m usually just out on my bike having a good time in my rides. I know I can ride a century without too much trouble, so it does not bother me that the guys can do it too. (Maybe when I get faster I’ll change my mind on that!)
Where the biker sexism mentality really bugs me however, is the bike shop. I hate walking into stores staffed by young guys covered in tattoos. I can guarantee I will have to scream to get any attention from these bozos. When I first started in cycling, I went to the Performance Bike shop in Chapel Hill, NC to get some advice and buy a bike. The young guys in there were practically running around the store to avoid me, and even tried walking past me pretending they did not hear me when I asked questions. I wanted to wave my credit card and ask if anyone was on commission, because I was planning to spend a bundle that day! The guy in the back room refused to put air in my tires. When I found a computer on sale and stood in line to pay for it (while waiting for my bike to be finished in the back room), the cashier helped the two guys in line ahead of me, then slammed the cash register closed and walked away from me. As a newbie, I had a bike rack, but had trouble figuring out how to attache it to my car. I could see the staff standing inside the doors pointing and laughing at me. Fortunately for me, a customer came outside and helped me out.(Yes, I bought a bike anyway; I really wanted one!)
Thank goodness for the one good guy in the store. He helped me find a bike and get it somewhat sized to me. He saw the guy leave me at the cash register, looked embarrassed, and ran over to ring me up. When the surly back room guy refused to put air in the tires, he took it back and did it himself. I was happy to have the bike, but – You Suck Performance Bike!
If only this were an isolated example, but I have found it to be pretty standard in a lot of bike shops. I’ve even fallen back on the strategy of bringing my husband along as the “translator” so they can talk to a guy and feel more comfortable.
I go to a great bike shop now, where everyone is helpful and answers questions. I make a point to tell the owner how great her staff is and to spend money every time I am there! Biking is still the greatest sport ever!!
Comment by Chubby | 09.30.2008 | 9:37 am
That’s an interesting (read: shitty) story, Annie. I think I’ve experienced a lot more false assumptions and even poorer service since I gained a bunch of weight. Shop staff were generally helpful, and if not, appeared unhelpful to everyone when I was fit-looking. Now, I get talked down to immediately – without the chance to tell them what I’m looking for, or ask a question, the assumption that I have no idea what I want or need is front and center. Obviously, it bugs, and even moreso because I know that when I worked retail, I would never have behaved that way. It’s simply terrible customer service, and has cost several shops local to me a lot of money that I sent to mail-order companies, instead.
Comment by Philly Jen | 09.30.2008 | 9:48 am
@Dug: I don’t know about Riccardo Ricco (all those shens give a whole new meaning to the term “chase car” and “needle in a haystack”), but Mrs. Ricky Ricardo did pretty well for herself.
@Matt: When people want to deal with spiders, they call Hagrid from Harry Potter, right?
Comment by Di | 09.30.2008 | 12:08 pm
Jacqui – you know, that is a great idea! It’s also a great training tool. You keep passing those guys. It’s soooo totally worth it for the coffee. :-D
Annie – that’s really shameful. I’m an overweight woman who is also quite competitive. I do race. I’ve also bought four bikes in the last three years, each costing me $1300, $1350, $1950, $2xxx (still don’t know my newest purchase, but it lists at $2600). I’ve bought a lot of gear. A lot of that is because I have such a supportive bike shop. My guys bend over backwards to help me out. They’ve also put my bike racks on for me, even though I didn’t ask them to. They’re just that cool.
My point is that women can be the ideal customer, especially when they realize that they are taken care of. Instead of going to Macy’s, we go to The Bike Shop.
I guess I’m pretty spoiled. None of the bike shops in my area are sexist, at least in my dealings with them. We have a pretty good bike culture, here. We all ride together as well. :-) Occasionally, I’ll even bake some chocolate chip cookies for them, or take in a six pack of local brew.
Lesson learned: if a bike shop isn’t smart enough to appreciate you, they probably don’t know how to fix a bike, either. ;-)
Comment by bonkers | 09.30.2008 | 12:52 pm
You could always just say to yourself “F-Them, they work in a shop” and go about your business. Think about it, their attitude is mostly about their own insecurity.
Sit in a shop sometime and try to listen to their conversation about riding- I guarantee Freud could have set up shop in a bike store and never left.
I find the smelly little rats amusing.
Comment by bonkers | 09.30.2008 | 2:19 pm
As a lady biker I agree (for the most part) with riding your own schedule and giving those faster or on a more intense work their space. However…over the summer I have had the joy of encountering thrice the same man who after being passed insisted on chasing me each time. On two ocassions I let him go by and eventually caught him down the road. I was annoyed each time because he passed needlessly close and tried to crowd me. The third time I passed him I decided to have fun and play possum.I slowed down,and sure enough, here he comes. I waited til he pulled even and stepped down. He upped his ante but still couldn’t get by as I ramped up to almost as full out a sprint as I am capable of. (Believe me it ain’t much but I try- but it was enough for this dude) Now, to have even more fun , I dogged it and basically invited him to pass again, shortly thereafter I flew by him and then proceeded to ‘rubber band’ him three times in a row (slowing so he could get within striking room then stepping down again when he tried to pass) By the third time I was almost laughing out loud at the poor fools gullibility, but I had to give him points for trying.
Damned bad sportswomanship on my part. Bonkers, yep. Pretty much living up to my name.
Comment by iowakathy | 09.30.2008 | 4:37 pm
Yep, I’m a girl and I have some competitive genes too, just not as many as you have. I have to admit that if I see a cyclist in my mirror I will attack and make them really earn the right to pass me.
Comment by LondonLady | 10.1.2008 | 4:32 am
Nothing gives me more pleasure on the bike than overtake a bloke (commuting racing)! But obviously, I do pick them; we ladies are not supid! I’m not gonna even try if the guy is riding a Rubaix or a Tarmac – or anything on that bracket and above – but if I see some poor bloke, on the round side of size, struggling on a mountian bike on a recently paved London road, HE’S DEAD MEAT!! ;-)
Comment by juan | 10.1.2008 | 9:57 am
As one coach told me, you will get passed by at least one chick, at least one person older than you, and at least one person fatter than you. The trick is not getting passed by an old fat chick.
Comment by jacquie phelan | 10.1.2008 | 7:08 pm
Hey, it’s making me VERY jealous, the 109 comments…but the topic hits very close to home. For the last..oh.. decade or so, I’ve gotten into the habit of cheerfully saying this to every single person (usually a fellow) that rides past me: “Wanna race?”
They always say “no!”.
Some of these continue (with serious pedal pressure) up the road, hoping to elude me. Big mistake. That ‘no’ seems like a chickenshit answer, so I think, well…ok, I have a liar on my hands.
And I give good chase, get the workout that I was hoping I’d get. Sometimes even pass them back, heh.
But ALWAYS get a bit worked, which I need because riding alone I never seem to push myself.
I always ride alone, who would want to ride with a former beauty queen racer pro with an ego as big as Baltimore?
Oh, the ones that say “no” and then go my speed, we become friends (Hi, MigFig!, Josh, Al, Ian, etc)…
I still await that person (maybe a woman? Maybe Alison Dunlap!) that will say, “sure!”.
Hasn’t happened yet…
Oh, and ps. pls read my blog, guy. jacquiephelan.com
I even have a 2009 calendar… proceeds all to meeeeeeee
Pingback by It’s Just A Ride » Blog Archive » Bleh. | 10.2.2008 | 3:27 pm
[...] Lance’s Press Conference, fan photos with Fatty, and a touching story of how he learned to stop chasing women on videotapes so [...]
Comment by Jay | 10.3.2008 | 3:38 pm
Answer: Yes, if someone is behind me, I pick up the pace, no matter the sex. I think most people do. My opinion is that there are 2 types of people, those who know they are competitive and those who won’t admit it (usually women). What’s wrong with being competitive? As long as you don’t get bent out of shape it makes riding all the more fun and interesting. Plus, you get a better workout.
Comment by peg leg | 10.4.2008 | 8:46 am
Try saying want to screw? I just bet you will not have to work so hard to catch them..
From the Neanderthal side of a many sided dope. I just had to say it.
Comment by BigGirlBlue | 10.4.2008 | 1:42 pm
“My question is: do women do the same thing? That is, do women (real ones, not the ones in virtual reality simulations) attack when guys go by?”
I’m going to go out on a limb and say, yes. But of course there is nothing sexist about it when a woman does it. ;)
Comment by Jenn | 10.15.2008 | 5:01 pm
I dunno. I’m a newbie cyclist and I get passed by everyone. But my very good friend is a most awesome and speedy (female) cyclist and at a recent 24 hour event (June 2008 in Whitehorse, Yukon) she rode the course lap faster than 7 of the 8 guys were were with. They were choked and she made them t-shirts honouring the event that say “I got chicked in Whitehorse” with an appropriate bicycle graphic. Awesome.
By the way, it was at that 24 hour event where I heard about your blog from fab Alaskan cyclist Jill Homer. So yay.
Comment by maria | 11.25.2008 | 11:45 am
when isee a guy in front of me i prefer to stare away cause normally they are soaked with sweat, but i feel bad because i kindof have little thoughts that show the men as kind off geeks in my head.
Comment by NCC | 09.12.2011 | 1:00 pm
I ride for fun and transportation and I’m used to competitive, humorless racers who see me and my fat-fendered cruiser bike as a easy mark. Got passed by a hatchet-faced dude in full spandex who turned to gloat at me and forgot about the Stop sign.
I always felt sorry for the driver of the septic tank truck that hit him.