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Moving over and letting quicker riders pass...

Mortifer

Mortifer

Well-known member
Joined
May 14, 2002
Location
SJ
Moto(s)
'26 MT-09 SP
Name
Mike
Yesterday (and many times in the past) I've found myself cruising up a twistie mountain road and come up behind a Gentleman (or small group) cruising along. That's great, do your own thing, ride your own ride, cool!

But please, when it's safe, slide over to the right a bit and let people go by.

So I was cruising up the back side of hwy 9 and came upon 3.....

I patiently waited a bit for the first one to move right. He didn't, he stayed near the double yellow, so I passed him safely on a straight away on the right side.

The second moved right, cool, thank you sir.

The leader, tried to go faster and stay ahead. As I sat behind him a few feet from his rear wheel, one hand on my throttle, the other on my hip, as he swerved all over the lane trying to....go fast? I don't even know, it was painful to watch.
So, he of course accelerates hard in the straights, and slows hard for the corners, crosses the double yellow several times trying to....lose me? not sure? since it wasn't possible. As entertaining as it was, the guy was riding dangerously, putting others in harms way being on the wrong side of the road in a few corners and all. Wish he'd have just let me go by. Oh well. Only lasted a few miles and we went diff directions at a stop sign (hwy 35).

Moral of the story: slower riders- please let faster riders go by.
We ALL hate being stuck behind a slow car, well, a slow bike isn't much better since there IS room to pass, if they don't block you.
I watch my mirrors constantly (so I'm not startled) and ride along the right side of the lane to allow anyone that comes up behind to sail on by safely.
 
that sounds like an entertaining show actually...i think i wouldve kept following the guy for the laughs
 
That would make me want to pull up next to him at the stop sign and slap the back of his helmet as hard as I could. Then bounce and lose him in the twisties. What a douche.
 
It will happen next time you ride the twisties as well... so be ready the time after that and the time after that and so on.
 
DITTO
I can't stand being stuck behind slow riders, and also slow riders who try to go fast but are too inexperienced to do so.
And on the flip side, if I see someone haulin ass behind me I gladly move over and let them go.
If only everybody, cars and bicyclists included, did the same :rolleyes.
 
I do my best to watch my mirrors, and when a faster rider approaches I'll let them by. It isn't something that happens very often when I'm moving at a decent clip, but it does happen every couple months. Hell, if a fast car is catching up with me on twisties I'm not opposed to letting them pass, either.
 
What you didn't notice is that while you were fixated on getting by the squid I was trying get past your slow ass!


(Kidding... that annoys the crap out of me too.)
 
You'll notice I didn't mention the type of bikes in this story, not important but NOT a squid, but they explain part of why this happens. lol

I was in a mood once, was expecting a load of cops on a Pine Flat and Empire Grade one day so I decided to do the speed limit of 35 or whatever the sign said the whole way.

I rode very close to the right white line, I let everyone slide right past me, I even took a turnout for a U-haul truck (that one made me giggle). It was a fun experiment and there were a lot of cops for a bicycle event in the area.
 
I encounter that all the time on the Bolinas/Fairfax road - but I will pass them sooner or later. :laughing
 
Question:

If he had crashed would you feel like you helped in causing him to crash by riding his ass?

If you had just pulled over and waited a few minutes would that have impacted your day?

Please remember that even if you are fast rider there are others out there that are new to the game and aren't as confident in the twisties as you. Give them a break and some room.
 
there are a ton of porsche drivers up here in marin. it's funyy coming up behind them and watching them attempt to "take off". I just sort of cruise far enough behind them to give them the impression that I'm having a hard time keeping up. they get an ego massage, I get a deer and cop shield. everyone wins.
 
There will always be slow/awkward/dangerous people. Riding their back tire until they turn off somewhere isn't going to help anything. If I can't make a safe pass on someone I just drop back and take a minute to adjust my gloves or something. It's not a race.
 
Entoptic said:
Question:

If he had crashed would you feel like you helped in causing him to crash by riding his ass?

If you had just pulled over and waited a few minutes would that have impacted your day?

Please remember that even if you are fast rider there are others out there that are new to the game and aren't as confident in the twisties as you. Give them a break and some room.
Click to expand...

Those who are less comfortable on the road should not try to be rolling speed blocks to the rest of the world. If he crashed, it would have been noone's fault but his own. Basic driver's/rider's education says that if someone is tailing you, slow down, or pull over. Don't try to beat them to the end of the road.
 
nazgulnarsil said:
there are a ton of porsche drivers up here in marin. it's funyy coming up behind them and watching them attempt to "take off". I just sort of cruise far enough behind them to give them the impression that I'm having a hard time keeping up. they get an ego massage, I get a deer and cop shield. everyone wins.
Click to expand...

I see those people... except for they are in BMW's and on Wildcat canyon.
I ALWAYS back off and give them space. If for anything, to save them from
themselves hoping that they will slow down.
 
This is a debate that has played in my head. Sometimes you just don't know what kind of reaction you will illicit from some douche-ass. There are occasions like this where its just better to shoot past these dudes in one swoop. Let them deal with the shock and butthurtedness as you go merrily along your way.

Sometimes being courteous just bites you in the ass.
 
The weather must be getting nicer.

I'm right there with you, Mike. It's all about awareness and courtesy. :cool
 
Optionally, you can cruise on along beside them to their right and then reach over and hit their kill switch. :nerd
 
I drove to Yosemite on Saturday for a day trip. About half of the motorcycle groups that I saw going the other direction had cars and trucks backed up behind them. Harleys, Goldwings, BMWs, and a few other types were backing up traffic. Still, they're not nearly as bad as the CruiseAmerica rental RVs. Most of those are totally hopeless and have no idea what the turnouts are for, or why the signs say Slower Traffic Use Turnouts.

Coming back down from Glacier Point there was a group of 25 or so Harleys coming up. I was glad I didn't get stuck behind them. I never got stuck behind any slow bikes, but there were plenty of cars, SUVs and RVs holding up traffic.

Personally, if anybody catches me on a twisty road, no matter what they're riding or driving and no matter what I'm riding or driving, I let them past at the first opportunity. If everyone did that, traffic would be much smoother.

I've also noticed that it takes much more space to pass someone in a V6 Mustang than on my Ducati. I don't spend much time behind slow guys when I'm on the bike.
 
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