brooks,
I understand what you mean, but I wasn't responding to the OP. Some of the posters on this thread have applied the bandit label to people that I don't consider bandits at all. Additionally, they have insulted some of them by calling them dense, etc. because they are riding the same roads at the same time as if it was malicous or something. Sometimes, people are on the same roads at the same time because that's what they do every Saturday morning. Cycling is very popular in my small town and a lot of people drive up from the large, neighboring city to ride up here. From the comments of some of the posters, they would consider them bandits even though they are doing the same thing they do every weekend.

Greg

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If you are a Canuck that engages in gratuitous bashing of the US, you are probably on my Iggy List. So, save your self a bunch of typing a response unless you also feel the need to gratuitously bash me. If so, have fun.
"Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f___ things up" - Barack Obama, 2020

From an etiquette standpoint, IMO, totally uncool. From a legal standpoint, you are likely placing the event in jeopardy. (Again, not "you" as 1 additional rider, but, where does it stop?)

Joel,

Agreed. Your last statement is key. Again we get out onto a slippery slope - 1 extra rider, no big deal, but what if a hundred people in a 500 person event think/do the same thing. Then what?

I watch/read these threads with interest, not with regard to the topic at hand - to bandit or not bandit, but the way our society as a whole is drifting that seems to be more or all about ME, and much less, or not at all about anyone else, or the collective good of a group or our society! If I want to do something - that's all that matters, full stop!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Scenario 1: the paid-century ride happens to be on the same route, day, and time that you are going to do your century ride. You know there is an organized ride, you start down the street from that ride, instead of waiting another hour you wait for the group to arrive unti, but you don't use any support or get an official time. Clearly you are banditing the race but why should it matter? Who cares? Because there are people who paid to ride on a public road that day?

Scenario 2: You're out and about on your normal ride, which happens to be on the same course as an organized century. You either knew or didn't know there was an organized ride that day. Group comes by so you decide to tag along for the rest of their ride. Clearly you are banditing the race but why should it matter? Who cares?

Scenario 3: It's your first day off without work, kids, and family. The only day you're had in ages to squeeze in a century ride. And there is now an roganized century ride with a bunch of yahoos right on your course. They happen to be leaving at the same time as you. So you tag along and suck somebody's wheel for 99 miles. Who cares?

I love how on these threads, that the scenarios you sketch out seem to happen all the time to so many people - that there is almost always some form of race/event( Tri, cycling, running, whatever) going on right around the corner from just about everyone's house, typically that they had no idea about, all the time. Why is it in 30 years as a cyclist, triathlete and runner, this has never happened to me? - and I live in a reasonably large urban area that has a lot of events going on!!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I'm sorry...but I gotta toss the BS Flag on the idea that someone just happens to be riding a full 100 miles on the exact roads at the exact time of an organized event. Sections of the course? Certainly. A good percentage of the course? OK. The whole ride? Ummmm........not so much.

At least own up to what you are doing and stop with the mental gymnastics in order to justify your actions.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

I did once "bandit" part of a Century ride, but it was unintentional. The ride was on my weekly long ride course, and set out on a Saturday morning and noticed large pack of riders. I went on my merry way. I was offered refreshments at feed stations, but refused. Otherwise, I felt the roads are public, why should I be forced not to ride. I did not clog the start or finish. I rode the middle 60 miles.

"I watch/read these threads with interest, not with regard to the topic at hand - to bandit or not bandit, but the way our society as a whole is drifting that seems to be more or all about ME, and much less, or not at all about anyone else, or the collective good of a group or our society! If I want to do something - that's all that matters, full stop!"

Funny, I enjoy these threads too because it is interesting to hear some of the opinions. And I got the '...it's all about ME...' feeling when I read some of the comments on this thread from an organizer of events and one or two others. I live in a small town full of triathletes, cyclists, and runners. You wouldn't believe the number of people on the local roads on bikes and on foot around here on any Saturday morning. I can join any one of at least five group rides or two or three running groups. Many of these people come from other places to ride or run with other people in this area. Just last weekend, while on my LBS ride, we had to alter our route and eliminate a section of bike path we normally use to avoid a local half marathon. These people are not adopting an 'all about me' attitude because they come up for their regular ride and find out there's a local charity ride going on on the same route and they are not bandits. Those people were riding those routes when the organizer picked that venue for their ride. If an organizer labels them as 'bandits', it is the organizer that is displaying the selfish attitude for thinking that everyone should stay off of HIS route while he runs HIS event.

And if you are curious as to where this nirvana of fitness is located, move to Davidson, NC. ;-) Shameless Chamber of Commerce plug over.

Greg

ETA: In response to your comment about how you find it hard to believe that people live right around the corner from all of these organized activities, well, yes, I actually do live about 1/3 mile from a corner where almost every local footrace and most local organized rides pass. Since my street is a dead end, I can't even start my ride without being on most of the local organized ride routes in less than a minute. I have to go around THAT corner. Last weekend, I rode past the leader of the half marathon and the bike escort just ahead on my way to my bike shop ride (the guy was absolutely FLYING too, ran a 1:10). That's the way it is around here. Although I still participate in most of the local charity rides (as a registered participant), sometimes I just don't feel like it. Sometimes, I just want to do my thing and all of these people show up to ride the same roads. I don't mind, but I am definitely not a bandit because I am out there too and I am not going to change my route because of it.

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If you are a Canuck that engages in gratuitous bashing of the US, you are probably on my Iggy List. So, save your self a bunch of typing a response unless you also feel the need to gratuitously bash me. If so, have fun.
"Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f___ things up" - Barack Obama, 2020

The rides around my place start early ~7am but it's not a group ride. People start from 7 to 9am and are in groups of 2 to 10 people riding 20, 50 or 100 mile routes.

I've never seen one where everyone stays together.

And if you are curious as to where this nirvana of fitness is located, move to Davidson, NC. ;-) Shameless Chamber of Commerce plug over.

Greg,

Indeed, it sounds like you live in an endurance sports nirvana. With all due respect, I suspect that is the exception and not the rule, where most people live. I to live in an area with lots of cycling, running and triathlon events - but as stated never in 30 years, have I ever just "happened upon" and event in progress. If an event was going on around the corner from me, and I knew about it, I would offer to volunteer, help out or spectate!!

The Centurion event that took place near Collingwood Ontario yesterday has been brought up on this thread. It's the biggest event of it's kind in Ontario. You would have to have been living on the moon for the last year to not know it was going on. Plus, there are about a hundred or more other rides and routes in the area that you could have taken. Why would the persons personal ride, even if they lived in the area - have to be on that course/route??

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I happen upon events(5-6 a summer) that I have no idea are going on. Why? well, because I have no interest in them, so I do not bother spending my time researching them. I do not, however, join in. No desire to join the cluster*.* I sometimes alter my route to escape asap, but then again, I don't like tag-a-longs on my rides either. I enjoy the solitude and time to think

In 2010 I forgot about the Tour to Conquer Cancer event held right on my normal training roads. It's a 2-day event where they ride south 100k camp there and ride 100k back north the next day.

I'm out for a ride on my normal route heading south on the Sunday and start noticing more and more cyclists heading north. The closer I get to my turn around spot in Longview, AB the more cyclists I see. After I see a rest stop on the other side of the rode being set up, it finally clicks that it's the charity ride. Unless I change my route drastically, I'm going to be riding with these people on my return. The cyclists for the event were stringed out and were surprisingly without any large pelotons. Anyway, I make the turnaround and just ride. I'm probably in the middle of what seemed like 2000 people.

The kilometers click by and I start picking up wheel suckers. I look back after some time and I must have been leading a train of 15 guys plus and it keeps getting longer. Beyond this, I'm constantly having to negotiate around other cyclists - who aren't exactly staying to the right. To pass, I often had to move out of the shoulder into traffic. But, now that I'm pulling a train I have to not only do this safely for me but for the entire chain of cyclists on my wheel. It was annoying to say the least. In my opinion, these guys were the bandits of my training ride more than anything else! I rode about 55k with these fools and was hating every minute of it.

These charity rides are full of novice cyclists with no handling or safety skills. I'd suggest you don't really even want to bandit it.

Now, was I in the wrong because I happened to be in the right place at the wrong time? Nope. I never considered what I did bandit riding.

fleck, yep, I am aware that the situation in my town is an exception to the norm, but many responders to this thread have expressed a very strict and intolerant view of people that are on the same roads as THEIR ride at the same time. When I read some of the comments and their characterization of what THEY consider a bandit, I realized they would put me and a lot of the people I ride with in that category. I don't hold a grudge against them for bringing hundreds or thousands of riders into our local riding area, but they need to accept the fact that other people use the same roads and routes whether they are there or not and they aren't self serving 'bandits' trying to join an organized event without paying. They are simply doing the same thing they always do.

All that being said, I agree that there is a problem with people banditing races. Going to a specific place that you don't normally go and joining an organized ride with a bunch of people so that you can avail yourself of the comaraderie, services, etc. isn't cool. However, some respondents went well beyond that interpretation.

Greg

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If you are a Canuck that engages in gratuitous bashing of the US, you are probably on my Iggy List. So, save your self a bunch of typing a response unless you also feel the need to gratuitously bash me. If so, have fun.
"Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f___ things up" - Barack Obama, 2020

Funny you mention this because some of the locals wouldn't even give a flying hoot if there was a race going on or not. They ride their rides irregardless. I remember doing a Half Iron race a couple of years ago wherein during the bike portion I chanced upon an old timer riding his bike along the bike route. He was a decent cyclist who seemed to be riding the same pace that everyone riding. I couldn't help but assume he was doing a weekend ride that's been part of his riding routine for years. We had a very brief conversation which ended with him saying "Take your Fuc*^%$# race out of my town." Let's see if anyone here would dare to go up to this local and call him a bandido to his face.


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I think douchebag would be enough for it to cover all the basis with that guy.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

I know what you mean but you wouldn't want to call a local guy who wants to ride in his town longer than you've been alive a DB just because he is opinionated.


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If someone is telling me to fuck off and get out of their town because I'm racing an "interupting" his Sunday morning fun ride, by all means he's deserving of the DB comment.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

hes not saying hes going to bandit a race to not pay the money the event is full so he couldn't pay if he wanted to I'm sure hed sign up and pay if he could.

 I think from the etiquette standpoint the thing to do would be to contact someone from the event..... explain the situation and see what they say. I would be curious to know what the reason for capping it is. ( Logistics, ordinance? ) Usually events like this want as many people as possible. The OP was not trying to get out of paying or use any of the events resources........ If they say sorry..... can't register you and we prefer you not do the course.... as a question of "etiquette" ( Being uninvited and not wanted ) I would not ride the course.

He's definately not BS'ing. It's literally impossible to keep up with everything going on in the area. Every corner around here had every color imaginable symbol/arrow painted on it. Someone has gone as far to set up TT mile interval markers on one road with a turnaround. Part of the issue is the 40 mile long lake to the west and huge urban center to the south sending every ride/race out to the east and north.

While I would go out of my way to steer clear of a "race" that I stumbled across, I'd definately join in with friends riding an organized event if I met up with them. I've participated in many of them and volunteered for others so if they don't catch my coin this time they'll likely get it another time.

I have intentionally bandited one charity event that I have done for several years since a friend had signed up and was driving 8 hours to do it. I didn't expect it to sell out in days since it typically had been months. I didn't feel the least bit guilty about it.