Why don't you change gear?
Discussion
I began cycling to work a couple of months ago. It's a reasonably free flowing suburban route of around 4 miles.
Frequently, when waiting at a junction, some professional looking cyclist will come from behind, go around me while I'm waiting and then sit right in front of me.
When the light changes, he sets off very slowly because he doesn't change to an easy gear prior to stopping. I can't get past him because the rest of the traffic is now passing us both. Once he's up to speed, I very rarely have trouble keeping pace.
So two questions, to anyone who will admit to perpetrating this minor frustration on other cyclists:
1. Why don't you just change to a low gear before you stop at the lights?
2. If you aren't going to change down a gear, why do you think it's ok to come and sit in front of me while we're waiting for the light to change?
Frequently, when waiting at a junction, some professional looking cyclist will come from behind, go around me while I'm waiting and then sit right in front of me.
When the light changes, he sets off very slowly because he doesn't change to an easy gear prior to stopping. I can't get past him because the rest of the traffic is now passing us both. Once he's up to speed, I very rarely have trouble keeping pace.
So two questions, to anyone who will admit to perpetrating this minor frustration on other cyclists:
1. Why don't you just change to a low gear before you stop at the lights?
2. If you aren't going to change down a gear, why do you think it's ok to come and sit in front of me while we're waiting for the light to change?
Tis annoying when riders do that, I'll often hang back behind a couple of cars that waited to pass me safely and another rider will go to the front of a 2 car queue and pull off really slowly, pissing off the cars.
Some people just lack anticipation or the strength to pull off in a big gear.
Was riding down the steep hill to my house the other day on the MTB a guy on a roadie passed me just before it drops down, said a cheery high and then decends, tucks in a really aero bum in the air position but stops pedalling!! Im stuck behind him whilst he limps up to to 25 mph, where as I like to aim for 45mph down the hill pedalling like a loon!
Some people just lack anticipation or the strength to pull off in a big gear.
Was riding down the steep hill to my house the other day on the MTB a guy on a roadie passed me just before it drops down, said a cheery high and then decends, tucks in a really aero bum in the air position but stops pedalling!! Im stuck behind him whilst he limps up to to 25 mph, where as I like to aim for 45mph down the hill pedalling like a loon!
I find that on a road bike there is less incentive to accelerate like a mad-man and I'm quite happy to set off more gradually, rather than flailing through the gears to save a couple of seconds that I'll easily make up once I'm at cruising speed.
I won't force my way past people at the lights if I'm doing this, not unless they've been holding me up prior at least.
I won't force my way past people at the lights if I'm doing this, not unless they've been holding me up prior at least.
Mr Will said:
I find that on a road bike there is less incentive to accelerate like a mad-man and I'm quite happy to set off more gradually, rather than flailing through the gears to save a couple of seconds that I'll easily make up once I'm at cruising speed.
I won't force my way past people at the lights if I'm doing this, not unless they've been holding me up prior at least.
ha im the opposite, unless its a long ride, or im pacing myself, if in doubt: GO FLAT OUT! Nowt beats a traffic GP against a car up to 30I won't force my way past people at the lights if I'm doing this, not unless they've been holding me up prior at least.
Bennet said:
...two questions, to anyone who will admit to perpetrating this minor frustration on other cyclists:
1. Why don't you just change to a low gear before you stop at the lights?
2. If you aren't going to change down a gear, why do you think it's ok to come and sit in front of me while we're waiting for the light to change?
Although I'm not 'one of those cyclists', and it's not a 'regular occurence' (it's not generally busy enough with bikes around here), I've noticed this on occasion too...1. Why don't you just change to a low gear before you stop at the lights?
2. If you aren't going to change down a gear, why do you think it's ok to come and sit in front of me while we're waiting for the light to change?
1. Sometimes you just get caught out by a need to stop, and there's no time to shift 'up the block' to a lower gear prior to unclipping. Although this is a poor excuse, because you should be able to lift the rear wheel off the deck and downshift while stopped (one foot clipped in). That's what I do if I know I'm in too high a gear to make a decent getaway.
2. I don't know the answer to this one. Perhaps it's just them being overly competitive. I would feel a bit short-changed if I passed another rider who was stopped at a junction. More fun, and certainly more of a challenge to do it 'on the move'. Maybe your position (when stopped) is inviting them to pass? If you are alongside cars, etc, then maybe positioning at more of a diagonal, across the available width between kerb and car, would discourage these passes. Or maybe just live with it and let the other rider simply get on with it if it's not causing you too much grief?
What's worse is constantly overtaking the same Doris on her step-through shopper because she simply sails through every bloody red light while you are stopped at them, yet you're past her before the next red light. But that was Cambridge,and a good 80% of cyclists there seem to be devoid of even a modicum of road sense...
Bennet said:
why do you think it's ok to come and sit in front of me while we're waiting for the light to change?
Because he is an alpha male, and you are lucky to cower in his turbulence. In short the sort of knob who was stuck right over to the right hand side of the rode on Leith Hill at the RideLondon holding the world up as their pride would not countenance them being in the left lane
Seems stupid to me, I always go up the cassette a couple of gears. It makes the start easier in terms of less wobble, if you don't clip straight back in and need to turn the cranks over once or twice that is also easier, and if the lights change before you come to a complete stop, you accelerate away quicker too.
Bennet said:
I began cycling to work a couple of months ago. It's a reasonably free flowing suburban route of around 4 miles.
Frequently, when waiting at a junction, some professional looking cyclist will come from behind, go around me while I'm waiting and then sit right in front of me.
When the light changes, he sets off very slowly because he doesn't change to an easy gear prior to stopping. I can't get past him because the rest of the traffic is now passing us both. Once he's up to speed, I very rarely have trouble keeping pace.
So two questions, to anyone who will admit to perpetrating this minor frustration on other cyclists:
1. Why don't you just change to a low gear before you stop at the lights?
2. If you aren't going to change down a gear, why do you think it's ok to come and sit in front of me while we're waiting for the light to change?
It's a roadie thing and I get it every single day on my commute. It's not just the "setting off in top gear because that's what the guys do on the TDF" it's also the slow click clack click getting-the-foot-clipped-in thing, also peculiar to roadies.Frequently, when waiting at a junction, some professional looking cyclist will come from behind, go around me while I'm waiting and then sit right in front of me.
When the light changes, he sets off very slowly because he doesn't change to an easy gear prior to stopping. I can't get past him because the rest of the traffic is now passing us both. Once he's up to speed, I very rarely have trouble keeping pace.
So two questions, to anyone who will admit to perpetrating this minor frustration on other cyclists:
1. Why don't you just change to a low gear before you stop at the lights?
2. If you aren't going to change down a gear, why do you think it's ok to come and sit in front of me while we're waiting for the light to change?
Everyone else on any other type of bike drops a few cogs before coming to halt. And, contrary to popular belief it is possible to spin up a bit of speed before clipping in - I saw someone do that yesterday.
It's irriting at best and dangerous at worst. I've got just shy of 10 miles to do each way across London and God knows many sets of lights and every time there are roadies at the front there's everbody else on hybrids, MTB's, Bromptons and Boris bikes wanting to get a move on.
S10GTA said:
Is he on a Single Speed?
This isn't about a specific cyclist by the way, in case that's what it sounds like. The "he" is a general "he".In some cases, it could be a single speed bike, but far more often, it's a bike with multiple gears. They just never seem to change from the smallest cog.
Single speed bikes are welcome to the road, as far as I'm concerned. Just don't come and sit in front of me and then hold me up.
OP I am with you on this.
Quite why some roadies feel the need to do this is perplexing.
Although I take advantage by hanging back at the lights, selecting a seriously large-cogged gear and gunning it past as many as I can, going for any gaps they leave. I think I may even make racing car type noises as I do it.
Quite why some roadies feel the need to do this is perplexing.
Although I take advantage by hanging back at the lights, selecting a seriously large-cogged gear and gunning it past as many as I can, going for any gaps they leave. I think I may even make racing car type noises as I do it.
oyster said:
OP I am with you on this.
Quite why some roadies feel the need to do this is perplexing.
Although I take advantage by hanging back at the lights, selecting a seriously large-cogged gear and gunning it past as many as I can, going for any gaps they leave. I think I may even make racing car type noises as I do it.
The problem I had yesterday is that I got held up by roadies doing this at three successive sets of lights on Regents Park yesterday. I then dropped onto Portland Place and stopped at a red. A roadie came past and stopped ahead of me. the lights went green and he set off an snail's place in some ludicrous gear whilst laboriously trying to clip in.Quite why some roadies feel the need to do this is perplexing.
Although I take advantage by hanging back at the lights, selecting a seriously large-cogged gear and gunning it past as many as I can, going for any gaps they leave. I think I may even make racing car type noises as I do it.
I hate setting off slowly as cars start bearing down on me so I pulled out to overtake the herbert only to get a volley of abuse from a mini cab that was tring to get past me.
Roadies; please change down a few gears before you stop and please save your clipping in until you are out of the way!
In urban areas with many traffic lights, I prefer staying in a low-ish gear and keeping the cadence up. No need to be shifting up and down the cassette on the move or at traffic lights.
Out of town, if I have been doing 20+ mph (in the smaller half of the cassette), I will change down before stopping. If I'm in the larger half of the cassette, I may or may not do so.
Staying clipped in and track-standing is infinitely better than unclipping too.
ps. I'm not a Pro rider, so MTB style cleats are better for me. Decent double-sided SPDs on my road bike are a good thing and I can walk about in my shoes with their recessed cleats.
Out of town, if I have been doing 20+ mph (in the smaller half of the cassette), I will change down before stopping. If I'm in the larger half of the cassette, I may or may not do so.
Staying clipped in and track-standing is infinitely better than unclipping too.
ps. I'm not a Pro rider, so MTB style cleats are better for me. Decent double-sided SPDs on my road bike are a good thing and I can walk about in my shoes with their recessed cleats.
okgo said:
People put their feet down at lights? #basic
It's not putting the feet down that's the issue. It just that cyclists in London (roadies in the main) who stop at the front of the queue and then set off in a high gear holding everyone else up. I like to drop 2, 3 or 4 cogs so that when the lights change I can get on it right away. Apart from anything else with cars, taxis, buses, vans and trucks all gunning it away from the lights at the same time the sooner you can get up to speed the better as it's much safer.
MC Bodge said:
Staying clipped in and track-standing is infinitely better than unclipping too.
It might be to you, but it sure as hell isn't to everyone else around you!!!I have absolutely no doubt that there are plenty of people out there capable of performing track stands with extreme grace, efficiency and ability, but none of them ride up and down CS7. Instead, we're treated to wobbly f
kers who think they look cool, but almost invariably end up having to put a foot down just as the lights go green! 
The only one I've seen who didn't cause widespread resentment was one who managed to fall flat on his side just as the lights changed outside Stockwell tube station one morning last year. All the other cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers were too busy laughing and pointing at him to get annoyed by the delay he caused.
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