Oct 15 2008
Poser Mentality
Wearing spandex/lycra cycling shorts when riding has never been my thing. I don’t know if it is because I have had encounters with several snotty poser types or if it is just the look, but either way it has not been for me. During the warm months I usually wear baggy mountain bike shorts and an Under Armour t-shirt to ride in. But in the fall and winter months I usually wear tactical pants or jeans to commute to work in.
This brings me to my commute to work on Tuesday afternoon. It was in the mid 50′s when I left home, so I was wearing blue jeans and an Under Armour ColdGear jersey. Riding my Giant OCR Touring bike with panniers and trunk, I was about half way to work when I encountered two guys riding road bikes. They were riding Trek Madone and Litespeed bikes, dressed for success in full cycling team gear and moving along around 20 mph when I passed them going downhill. I said hi and waved but received no response. I caught a red light and they pulled up along side me making sure to positioned themselves to be able to lead off when the light turned green. Once again I said hi and they ignored me.
At that point I decided school was about to be in session and these two were about to get a lesson. When the light turned green they took off, crossing the street and getting on the bike path, while I made sure I was on the wheel of the guy who was to be in the middle of our newly formed 3 bike peloton. And when I say on the wheel I mean inches and I want him to feel me there.
As we took off I could see my leader looking at my shadow and he did a quick head check to see how close I was. He then passed his buddy, told him to pick it up and nodded back to me. At that point the pace increased and I stuck to them like fly paper. As we rolled along the bike path we went through a neighborhood and then down a hill. The pace was quickening to about 35 mph going down the hill, but I was not going to make move until we hit the uphill part of the bike path.
Heading up the hill I let them pull a couple of bike lengths in the lead and watched them start dropping gears. They were holding a gear as long as they could then they would down shift. I already dropped a couple of gears and was spinning at a higher tempo, but I was not working as hard, and I was waiting for this to really steepen before I launched my attack.
About three quarters of the way up the hill I attacked. Riding this route three to five times a week I knew exactly what gear I needed to be in and how hard I could go before I maxed out. As I passed them I could see the pain in their faces and it was obvious they were not having a good time anymore. I hammered as hard I as could and did not look back to see if they keeping up as I did not want them to think I was worried they would keep up with me. I not only wanted to beat them, I wanted to conquer them.
Once I reached the top I gave look back only to see them struggling a ways back. I continued on to the cross street and waited for the traffic light to turn green. As it turned green I looked back, smiled and waved as I continued on my way to work. Still they did not wave. I just don’t understand the poser mentality.
Sometimes not looking the avid cyclist part is fun. There have been a few times I have lost playing this game and one time sticks in my memory. It was the same hill and a young lady about 5’6″, maybe 110lbs, and long pony tail pulled away going uphill so fast it absolutely amazed me. Bikes are fun! 
Great post! Don’t ya just love those races that just happen like that. I really get irritated at people who pass and can’t keep the pace. It’s like they see a touring bike and panniers and automatically think they should pass you.
The need to pass a bike with panniers is comparable to people in cars who need to pass a truck. The difference being I am not slow like a truck.
[...] bikenoob was lamenting the fact that he got dropped by a moutain bike. On the other hand, Bob at Daily Cyclist has an amusing story about how he smoked a couple of posers. I have been in both of those [...]
I know what you mean about the “fast boys”. I see them on the bike path all the time. They think they are hot sh*t. Yes, they do look lean and mean in their stuff and expensive bikes. Yes, they go super fast. BUT, what they are missing is to actually SLOW DOWN and enjoy the actual MOTION of biking – feeling your muscles work. And also they are missing the LITTLE THINGS they have just zoomed by. Like the pretty flowers, or the Heron fishing below by the waterside, or the sliver of the moon in the sky, etc. You know, life goes by FAST ENOUGH as it is. Biking is ONE way to SLOW LIFE DOWN…… It’s NOT always about SPEED. Yes, I can zoom along too, when I want to or need to (especially if a thunderstorm or a dog is on my heels!), but most of the time, I take it easy and enjoy the process of getting to my destination or just looking around my surroundings and taking it all in. This year I made a resolution to carry my compact digital camera with me, and stop to take pictures along the way. It captures a moment in time….a moment of appreciation, of life and health. These are very big BLESSINGS…..