He's a dick, get one of these...as you're in The Bay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dENYJbN1z4

On Foothill Expressway, there are typically large gaps in the car traffic, so I would have just gone out into the car lane.

But yes, Yellow was a dick.

Yup, pretty much.

It's safest the way you approached it. It's also the rule in many cycling rich Euro countries.

The toughest scenario I've come into is happening upon a slow group ride of like 20 people on the road. They aren't really in a rotation and taking up most of the right lane.

In that instance I pretty much had to wait for a straight, yell my intention, and make like I was Sagan breaking for the line in Richmond as I knew it was my only chance AND now I likely had a large group with egos in it likely to take offense to being passed.

Guy was being a ***k for sure. I ride that route a lot as I live right off of it, and that sort of behavior is not necessary, and in general it is normal etiquette for slower riders to yield to faster ones by coming out of double abreast to single.

That said, on Foothill Expressway there are almost always large gaps without cars to make the pass, so I would have said your better move for sure was to to just wait until there is a clear gap without cars and then make your pass in the car lane.

For a group of riders who are used to having faster riders just go around them when convenient, I could actually see how they felt you were being unnecessarily aggressive by calling them out to move for you as probably 99/100 faster riders just went out into the road before you. But still, you are in the right per the rules, and they should suck it up and give you the room to pass even if most people do just go into the car lane to pass. For sure, they shouldn't get all nasty on you like that.

Hah - I freaking LOVE these big slow groups, admittedly only to stroke my own ego! Nothing like slowing it down (a lot, likely) to wait for that big car gap, and then WHAM - you're GONE doing the megapass, and everyone in that slow group is looking at you like 'how the f....?" Tons of fun. Well worth any pauses in your workout!

Wow what a dick. If he wasn't going to move over like he should have why didn't he wave you through instead of not acknowledging you and then yelling at you. Guess that is why he lost everything in the divorce.

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The first time man split the atom was when the atom tried to hold Jens Voigt's wheel, but cracked.

Then if you go around them without saying anything they get upset as well.

you made really nice slides

You've already spent too much time thinking about this. Most will move or you can try to squeeze by or you can momentarily use the car lane.

Take the lane, make the pass with authority, maybe a little close to the line, and reiterate "on your left" at an excessive volume as you pass.

Maybe top it off with a friendly wave (seriously, not the bird) as he starts cussing you again.

Basically says "you didn't get to me, but I sure got to you"

Yeah, this is actually the bigger problem for me. I'm no bike stud, but most of the (numerous) cyclists on Foothill aren't racers so I'm almost always passing and I try and leave like 6 feet+ between myself and the slower rider when I pass - which means I'm wayy out into the car lane when I pass.

The times where I pass with <3 ft, it seems to startle the other riders, whom don't expect someone passing with speed on their left - I'll bet they find it just as rude and annoying as if I just stayed back and said 'on your left.'

It's also amazing to me how many riders on Foothill just love hugging the road, as far left on the shoulder as they can possibly get, when there is literally 1.5x car widths to work with for the rest of the shoulder. I understand that there may be more debris the further right you go in the shoulder, but Foothill has one of the most generous shoulders I've seen on roads and people are borderline riding in the car lane most of the time. Someone will try and convince me that it makes the cars more attentive to you, but I def feel way safer as far right as I can get in the shoulder especially when there is ample room.

He was a dick, you did fine, it was in the past, no need to think about it further, otherwise ... not only did he take the lane on the road, he's taking the lane in your head

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

You were fine.

I ride Foothill all the time. As mentioned, there are typically traffic gaps you can use to pass in the right lane (I do that now to maintain Covid spacing), but you shouldn't be expected to move into the car lanes to pass. They should have gone single file for a few seconds.

Foothill is a crappy road to get into an argument with other cyclists though, since there is a light every 1/2 mile (at least) so there is a good chance you'll be stuck with them at the next light.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Strava flyby snoop and shame? I think it is in order. Dooooo it.

I find a bell to be the biggest help in these situations. I ding the bell and call an on your left.

If there is no response I then move straight into psy ops, I just keeping dinging the bell and smiling like a sociopath. Most folks find it alarming and shut up, problem solved!

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"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson

You're in the right. I always give a warning before I pass (whether it's "passing", "on your right/left", or in recreational areas.. "excuse me", etc.) especially if the lane is tight.. he should have moved to single file and let you pass (this is what I do, or at least people with manners would do). It sounds like he was having a really bad day or is just generally a jerk. Please don't take it personally as his jackass attitude has made you doubt what the right passing etiquette is (which you clearly already knew).

Nice drawings btw.

I've seen so many asshole riders and I try my best to avoid them. He's an ignorant motherf*cker doesn't know shit about riding etiquette.
You did just fine, don't waste your time thinking about this asshole and let it go.

This is the correct way to pass in that situation.

Bahahahah!! Love it!

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

I hope you took the opportunity to take a piss after you passed yellow guy.

THIS is why I don't live in the Bay Area anymore.

You should have followed him home, beat him in front of his children then taken his wife as your own

Based on the diagram, coming up hard on the right side through the gravel would have been a sage choice. I thought people in CA were supposed to be all mellow?

Not surprisingly, there are a lot of asshole cyclists here.

My question for OP is why this is still on your mind after a "few weeks". Dude is clearly an asshole, although he's probably legally justified. Just move on.