okay so this is funny
May. 13th, 2005 07:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdSo I'm biking back from MurkSouth (trip there in 2,5/6 - about half in 2,6; trip back in 2,6/5, most of it in 2,6!) and I'm tearing down Ravenna and onto Burke-Gilman, and zum! up to 25th but don't make it before the light changes and have to wait. As soon as it does, I take off up the trail - I like to get a good head of steam going on that long uphill to Sand Point - and then slow down to something more normal.
And this guy I just tears by me on the left. I dunno how old he is, I think in his 40s, but I'm only guessing. Anyway he just piles by me, like I'm standing still - but what's odd about it is that he's got this weird look on his face. He kind of glares at me, and he doesn't signal before passing.
Then I notice that once he's a decent bit ahead of me, he slows down. A lot. And I think, "huh, that's odd, I wonder what's up with him?" I keep my pace... but notice that I seem to be catching up, very slowly. I'm not particularly trying to catch up, but... I am.
And predictably, after a few minutes, I pass him, only I do it the right way, with "on your left" and all that.
About a minute and a half later, he blows by me again, no signal, no words, not even a glare this time, and zips off ahead of me again... and once he's got a decent lead... slows... back... down.
At this point, I'm thinking, "...what is this guy's problem?" (And also, "does he drive like this?") But, as we're hitting the downhill 3/4 of the trip, I shift into 6th, crank up to my normal pedal pacing, and just wait to see what happens.
This time, when I pass him, I'm having too hard a time not giggling to signal. I just kind of wander by.
Five minutes later, he blows by me again. Wash, rinse, repeat.
After the fourth time I pass him back, he seems to be getting kind of winded. I haven't stepped up my pace or tried to race him at any point here. In fact, I've kind of been practicing root-avoidance jumps. (I've got a dual use bike, I should use the "mountain" part occasionally, or at least know how to, right?) We hit Lake Forest Park and I think, "Okay, I'm going to stay way over on the right to make sure he has plenty of room to blow by me again, 'cause he's gonna." The trail is kind of narrow in LFP, too, so I don't want to cause an accident.
Except he doesn't. Sort of.
He tries, mind you. At least four times that I noticed. (I got real familiar with the chain noise on his bike.) A couple of times he's stopped by oncoming riders or joggers. Twice, he makes his run and just...
...can't. Or, at least, doesn't.
Hee.
Again, and I'm being totally honest here: at no point did I race him. I'm not sure, but I think he lost a race against somebody who wasn't racing.
To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure what was happening, but when I stopped to wait for the crosswalk at the shops - that's where I go to head uphill towards my house...
...then, he manages to blow by me.
While I'm standing still.
Miles today: 16
Miles out of Hobbiton: 133.9. Saw small people with furry feet and ponies. V. cute - go them! Almost to Bree. Looking forward to it, I could use some cheese.
Miles to Rivendell: 324.1
And this guy I just tears by me on the left. I dunno how old he is, I think in his 40s, but I'm only guessing. Anyway he just piles by me, like I'm standing still - but what's odd about it is that he's got this weird look on his face. He kind of glares at me, and he doesn't signal before passing.
Then I notice that once he's a decent bit ahead of me, he slows down. A lot. And I think, "huh, that's odd, I wonder what's up with him?" I keep my pace... but notice that I seem to be catching up, very slowly. I'm not particularly trying to catch up, but... I am.
And predictably, after a few minutes, I pass him, only I do it the right way, with "on your left" and all that.
About a minute and a half later, he blows by me again, no signal, no words, not even a glare this time, and zips off ahead of me again... and once he's got a decent lead... slows... back... down.
At this point, I'm thinking, "...what is this guy's problem?" (And also, "does he drive like this?") But, as we're hitting the downhill 3/4 of the trip, I shift into 6th, crank up to my normal pedal pacing, and just wait to see what happens.
This time, when I pass him, I'm having too hard a time not giggling to signal. I just kind of wander by.
Five minutes later, he blows by me again. Wash, rinse, repeat.
After the fourth time I pass him back, he seems to be getting kind of winded. I haven't stepped up my pace or tried to race him at any point here. In fact, I've kind of been practicing root-avoidance jumps. (I've got a dual use bike, I should use the "mountain" part occasionally, or at least know how to, right?) We hit Lake Forest Park and I think, "Okay, I'm going to stay way over on the right to make sure he has plenty of room to blow by me again, 'cause he's gonna." The trail is kind of narrow in LFP, too, so I don't want to cause an accident.
Except he doesn't. Sort of.
He tries, mind you. At least four times that I noticed. (I got real familiar with the chain noise on his bike.) A couple of times he's stopped by oncoming riders or joggers. Twice, he makes his run and just...
...can't. Or, at least, doesn't.
Hee.
Again, and I'm being totally honest here: at no point did I race him. I'm not sure, but I think he lost a race against somebody who wasn't racing.
To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure what was happening, but when I stopped to wait for the crosswalk at the shops - that's where I go to head uphill towards my house...
...then, he manages to blow by me.
While I'm standing still.
Miles today: 16
Miles out of Hobbiton: 133.9. Saw small people with furry feet and ponies. V. cute - go them! Almost to Bree. Looking forward to it, I could use some cheese.
Miles to Rivendell: 324.1
