Those shoaling freds

The other day me and the wife went out for a ride to Wake Forest and back. It's a short ride with some nice scenery, so we figured it would be a good way to spend a little part of the day. It was on this ride when it happened. We'd pulled up to a busy road when a pair of freds straddling carbon wonder bikes came shoaling up next to us. They didn't say 'hello' just rode up right next to us ready to jump into traffic at the smallest gap.

Now the pair of bikes that my wife and I have are not the fastest looking things. To most people they probably look like cruisers with the high handlebars and milk crates on the back, along with all the fenders and stuff. I can't really blame people for thinking that I'm slow, but I'm not. I'm not the fastest guy on the block, but I've got a decent engine and I've done enough riding to know that most spandex clad Tour de France fantasy riders are weekend warriors stuck in a perpetual recovery day loop.

I don't really chase after people. It was only really a coincidence that they were heading the same way that we were heading. We were heading home. I'm not sure where they were heading. I was however determined to teach them a lesson if I could, so I kept up with them as leisurely as possible. My wife was with me, so I couldn't blast past them like I wanted to, so I just kept the gap consistent. Every time the freds looked behind them there I was in all my splendor, sitting tall and upright, one hand on the handlebars, wearing knickerbockers, a t-shirt and what I hoped was a big friendly grin on my face.

I'm not sure where they were going, but after almost yawning my way up a hill they tried to muscle up they decided to turn around and head back the other way.

I don't think they were really trying that hard to break away from us. My wife swears that they were, but I'm not completely convinced. Even though, they didn't seem to be putting much power into their riding, they were technically more aerodynamic, so they should have been able to go faster with less effort, especially with the light weight bikes with no accessories and they definitely didn't have a five pound chain lock rattling around in their basket.

I'm guessing that they were just tired of us chasing them, but I can't really be sure about that. I'm only inferring it because they turned around almost randomly.

The point is that I hate it when people shoal. I never shoal, because I never know how fast someone is going to be going. I usually just wait till they get going and then decide whether or not I'm going to pass them. It's really the only polite thing to do. I don't know how many times people have cruised on up next to me on their racing cycle and then had me following close behind because they're going ten miles per hour.

Be polite, don't judge a bike by its handlebars and go mash some pedals.