Commuter racing is fun, but not in the sense that you should try it because you will enjoy. Rather, fun in that it is funny and kind of dumb.
Commuter races are never planned. Hell, half the time only one person knows a race is even taking place. If you commute on a regular basis, or even use a bike path often you have been part of a commuter race. Even if you don’t think you have, you have. You can trust me.
Well I was part of a race this morning, not by my choice. I was being chased. I came up on a knobby commuter just as I was getting to a section of “closed” trail. Being the good responsible cyclist that I am, I crossed the road and continued on the appropriate side of the road. If the trail hadn’t been blocked I would have passed said rider at this point, but he continued on the wrong side of the road giving himself a bit of a lead. I didn’t care that he was ahead of me, rather I couldn’t stop thinking how dumb he was for riding on the wrong side of the road.
I continued at my normal pace. Seeing that I commute on a single speed I keep things right around 18-20 mph. No faster but sometimes a bit slower when things go up. I rode down the road until the path was open and crossed back over to continue my commute. I came across about a hundred yards of the mountain biker. I didn’t think twice about him again, just continued down the path rocking out to NOFX which was blaring from the mp3 player, no ear buds here…
As I was reaching the top of Snow Canyon Parkway I passed a runner who was an Oscar so I looked back. To my surprise the knobby guy was about a hundred yards back with a look of absolute determination on his face. It was at this point that I realized I was racing. Undettered I continued at my normal pace. I really can’t go any faster or slower. I got to the top of the climb and waiting for the light to turn. It did and I crossed the road and began to wait for the light again.
At this point the other guy finally got to the top of the hill. He could see that if he waited for the light there was no chance of catching me. So he crossed against the light and pulled up just in front of me. Then crossed against the light again to get in front of me for the downhill. I waited for the light and crossed. Knobby guy began to crunch gears and soon was humming downhill quickly. I just got in my tuck and coasted.
Then I passed him when we got to Diagonal. I could hear him behind me running the big gears to stay on my wheel.
I made it to the shop in the same time as it always takes me. Good race.
Out.