On Wed, 4 Dec 2013 09:21:06 -0800 (PST), wrote:

I have always been a person to ride moderately unless I was racing. At my age now I don't race any more. But what I sort of get a kick out of is looking in my rear view mirror and watching people kill themselves to catch and pass me especially on a long hard climb. Then sometimes when I get to the top there they are sitting exhausted on the rail trying to recover enough to ride down the other side of the climb.

On climbs I'll often catch up to someone and unless they're going much slower than me I'll ride behind or alongside of them so they don't get the idea that I'm out there to blow the doors off of other riders.

I've observed some people reach the top of a climb just before me and as I ride over the top and continue they will jump back on their bikes and ride as fast as they can to catch and pass me even being dangerous on blind turns.

Is it really that important to tell yourself that you're faster than someone else?

It is pretty funny the way that works, but since I'm over 60 and have
an electric assist bike that isn't obviously one, it's even funnier.
Going up the Williamsburg Bridge on my commute is usually good for a
chuckle as folks hammer away to keep up with me. I figure that I'm
bringing out the best in everybody else.