After feeling a little bit deflated following our recent rides with "real" cyclists. (Don't get me wrong, I loved riding with our cycling friends but it made me realise just how much I still need to improve!) I regained some confidence yesterday when a couple of athletic looking lads on MTBs turned out onto the road in front of us.
They weren't riding particularly fast until they realised that we were sat right behind them. We were on a tight and windy road and they were cycling two a-breast so we had no choice but to sit behind them, biding our time to try and pass safely.
They tried to burn us off but much to their dismay we easily sat on their tails. They kept starting to sprint off but couldn't sustain the speed. "Fast-slow-fast-fast-slow!" They were trying their hardest but even at our pootling pace they couldn't loose us.
By this point I was a tad bored. I just wanted to ride and not play their silly games but I knew if I attempted to pass them they would sprint again to try and block me and it wouldn't be safe on this road to stay too far on the right for a prolonged amount of time.
"Fast-slow-fast-fast-slow"... I couldn't help but giggle at their efforts, they were getting nowhere fast but they really didn't want us to pass. As we went round a corner into a long straight bit of road, which also happened to be a slight climb, I realised that it may be our only chance to safely pass them.
So easing my speed back up (only to a little more than usual) I comfortably rode past them with a cherry "Hello Boys!" I smiled inwardly as I saw the shock in their faces. They hadn't realised that I was a girl. At this point, after their initial shock, they tried to accelerate after me but they couldn't match my sustained effort up the hill and by the time we crested the summit they were mere specks in the distance.
Ironically, when Mikey passed them (just behind me) he realised that he had sold them their bikes so he asked them how the bikes were before cruising back up to me. When we got to the top Mikey was laughing. He said how impressed he was that I'd effortlessly glided past the lads, dropping them like a bag of spuds.
Unsurprising, we didn't see the lads again. My confidence was restored - I may not be up to"real" cyclist standards just yet, but I am an OK cyclist.
6 comments:
I love that. Look when they realise you're female and they can't keep uo ;-)
I also think you count as a real cyclist!
Hmmmm so what prey tell is a 'REAL' cyclist?
I'm not sure if I am one either :-)
@Trio Not that I have much experience in beating boys (it's only happened twice now), but yes it does seem quite priceless seeing their despondent little faces when they realise a girl is beating them.
@John Berry Hehehe. ;)There's not really any conclusive definition I can give for that. :-P In my eyes a "real" cyclist can ride for dozens of miles each ride with a fast average speed, whereas I do approx 10-12miles per ride with a much slower average speed. Using this definition you are most definately a "real" cyclist. =D
Woohoo, well done, and of course you're a real cyclist. I don't ride with fake ones!
I'm fairly certain that I gave you the go ahead to call yourself a real cyclist on Twitter :-)
go you!
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