Feel better?

Yeah. I can die now.

---

Your favorite mafia sucks.

Don't know the level of typical racer at your race, but this is the area I think most race directors fail. They all warn the fast guys not to be "that guy" and take turns too fast or go flying into transition, but they spend very little time telling the newbies to ride right and get out of the way.

Most tri's I do are multiple laps on the same course so they get pretty congested. By the second lap, the slower racers are riding 3-4 wide and having conversations. They have almost zero awareness that people are going 23/25 mph flying up behind them. Worse, when you scream on your left, they have no idea what that means.

Although I have been racing just 5 years, I have never heard an RD tell racers what it means when you hear "on your left" and I've never seen it in an athlete guide. You might think it's self explanatory, but it's not. The average triathlete is oblivious. For the record, I don't blame them. No one is educating them.

It's just as bad with the self seeded swims. People from the same tri club enter the water with their one friend who will swim 1:05's. They have no idea how dangerous that is for them and the faster swimmers.

It's not just triathletes. I do a local 10-miler with corral-seeded times and people routinely start the race with their friends. I once heard a guy in the 6:30 corral telling his buddy he should be in the 9 minute corral but it doesn't matter because once the racer starts everyone just runs their own pace. Clueless.

Again, no one is educating these people.

Btw, isn't this sort of stuff par for the course at CapTex? Even though I'm in Houston I've never done the race primarily because I've got no interest in dealing with the bike course congestion that I always hear about.

The very first race that I did had a pre-race meeting that went over passing, staying to the right, self-seeding on the swim, and drafting among other things. I have always thought that people should be required to go to something like that before their first race, but I have no idea how to enforce it. The race also had a strict no earbuds rule, and that should be enforced for every race. Those things are just too dangerous.

I won't do that race because it's too crowded. And you shoulda yanked his earbuds out as you went by. :)

---

----------------------------------------------------------
Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
http://www.zentriathlon.com

This is why you carry a water bottle during a sprint, to plunk the dude with the headphones.

I don't even bother calling out as i would be calling every 3 seconds on the second lap, plus it just spooks people. Luckily here the roads are pretty much closed for decent size races, so you can go 3 wide, I've just crossed the center line on occasion too.

 

Scott

I had exactly the same thing, heading up to the capitol u-turn they were sat in the middle of the lane, I moved to the right (as I normally would to get round the u-bend) & turned tighter so I was actually on the left when the pass was made (just on the right before)

Got a 'You're supposed to pass on the left' shouted as I passed them, and replied 'then ride on the right'. Wonder if it was the same person?

Good fun race tho, got lucky with the weather this year.

You know better than that....here is your thread: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...ring=biatch#p1566945

Eugenio, welcome to Slowtwitch

---

Brian

Gonna buy a fast car, put on my lead boots, take a long, long drive
I may end up spending all my money, but I'll still be alive

Sadly it is no longer too crowded. The course is just okay but it is the only race my family enjoys going to because of how easy it is to see me multiple times.

You know, most not completely brain dead people out there have learned sometime that they should share public space by driving/riding to one side of the road.

So it is fair to assume they know that they should 'share' the road.

But a large fraction out there think these rules only apply to others, and the rest really does not give a f@ck and ride wherever they feel 'safe' (which is straight down the middle).

The number of times I've yelled "on your left" and the person immediately swerved left, more when training than anything else, makes it iffy whether or not I actually will say anything. Gets a little scary sometimes.

It is well established that 'on your left' is confusing at best.

"Passing!"
is much better, as it is more likely to reach the functional brains of those that just 'forgot' that they should keep right.

I've found the same. It may be a conditioned response. Hear "left" swerve left.
Often shouting passing or coming though works better.
It's a shame that we have to shout at all. Firstly staying right is a rule of the road, a rule of the race and common courtesy for any one who has rode on a bike path.

Must be a regional thing. While we ride on the left here in Oz, I have never once heard anyone say "on your right". If was to say that to a pedestrian they would more than likely move to the right (and cross in front of me).

One thing I have found works best it to give the other person an instruction what you want them to do. I always say "keep left", it tells people what to do. Maybe if you say "keep right" it may be less confusing for them.

at IMLou (2015), my buddy yelled "on your left" and a lady plowed right into him and wiped them both out...when passing ppl, i always move as far left as i can to try to avoid the same fate. to me, it is shocking how many ppl will swerve, in your direction, when you come up on them and say anything.

as for the guy mentioned by the OP as not being able to hear his surroundings, he's a db in my book. cycling's dangerous enough when all senses are engaged.

This.

---

Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Well that's a scary thought...usually people just ignore me no matter what I say on the path I bike a lot locally but I guess i'll take that over them diving in front of me lol

I've learned that people get mad when you yell on your left and people get mad when you don't say it. So damned if you do and damned if you don't. I give up.

I have found that saying "hold your line" tends to work.

It's never worth ruining your chi by yelling at ignorant competitors. Best to just take the easiest route past them, look at them as obstacles to be dealt with rather than waste time trying to educate them. Here's a few things that I've encountered during the last 20 years of triathlon:
Swim:
Goggle punched out at a turnaround buoy.
Head pushed down.
Swum over.
Knocked down while running out of the water.
Transition:
bike knocked over, equipment disrupted, shoes stolen, towel used, Oakley's stolen.
Bike:
Blocked, mostly by slower riders pulling out in front without checking. Once at the coming over a hill the gal in front of me slammed on her brakes because she freaked on the descent. Another time, guy pulls out in front then slows and proceeds to stretch out and take a drink.
Run:
Never a problem likely because I'm so slow.

I'm a poor swimmer so I've never tried retaliating in the water--nothing good would come of that. On the bike, the worst thing I did was pass a rider who was blocking leaving only a half bike width on the left. Yelled passing twice and no response so braced for the bump and passed. He lost control and crashed--didn't feel good about that though the moment before I was sure he deserved it. I think you had a bike rage moment and I totally empathize--I used to have them all the time. Now, I just take a deep breath and look for the easiest solution to the problem which is my continued progress without getting angry, retaliating or worrying about educating the ignorant competitor.