# That feeling of passing the younger guys: Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance



## Prognosticator (Feb 15, 2021)

For me, nothing beats the feeling of passing the younger guys. Yesterday I was bearing down on some young bucks during a techie climb on my local trails. They were having trouble staying hooked up and I wasn't. They had to get off their bikes to let me pass. It was after I had already put in about 12 miles. It doesn't happen often but I enjoy the hell out of it when it does. In this case, it was due more to technique than fitness, probably.

Tell me, is there anything better?

In the words of David Mamet: Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance.


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## kensar (Feb 8, 2021)

As long as they get out of the way, there is nothing better.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

It doesn't do anything for me. I feel fortunate to be a relatively fit ~60 y/o and I pass lots of people. I hope the young people I pass get hooked on cycling and become strong so they can be the ones passing me next time.


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## D. Inoobinati (Aug 28, 2020)

Prognosticator said:


> Tell me, is there anything better?


Yeah: Stealing their girlfriends.


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## GuardianAngle (Feb 21, 2021)

"Young guy" here (28). I've improved drastically over the last year, and I think I'm pretty quick...often around the top 20% on Strava.

Still, there are some 'old timers' that I see occasionally that make me feel like I'm standing still.

A lot of my trails are very windy with tons of switchbacks, so I can usually see people way ahead or behind. There's one group of older folks sometimes that I'll see coming, and then I spend the next 15 minutes trying to stay ahead. When they inevitably catch up and pass, I just do my best to keep up as long as possible and hope I learn something. They make it looks so easy, like they're barely trying.

Respect. 

I hope I'm that good and that fit when I reach that age. Y'all give me something to aspire to.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I try not to feel over confident when facing an opponent... no matter what sport or activity. (People underestimate me too  ) But I understand your feeling Prognosticator!

My father-in-law is an avid chess player and is a member of a chess club. Since the pandemic his club has now been playing on line. Even more interesting is that with internet, he can now play chess against enthusiasts from around the world and he is ranked at approx. 1007th. out of 300000 online members. What makes this even more remarkable is that my father-in law is 96 yrs old (he'll turn 97 in April) ... Can you imagine being a young chess whippersnapper full of piss n vinegar getting an ass kicking by some who is almost 100?


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Experience counts for a lot, so yes....


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## Cdal1770 (Mar 20, 2019)

D. Inoobinati said:


> Yeah: Stealing their girlfriends.


LOOOOOOOOOOL!


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

It's testosterone. My wife used to joke that if a pretty woman skied by me, it was no big deal, but if a young guy skied by me I would ditch her to show him up!
It's better if they don't know they're in a race, of course, until it's too late.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

There’s always going to be someone faster than you and my ego isn’t threatened too easily. There’s nothing more douchey than an old guy acting like he’s a badass on the trail so I don’t get all aggro.


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## BrianU (Feb 4, 2004)

There is a local guy 20 years older than me and on a Wednesday evening group ride, he would often start out with us and then at some point, would roll up on my back tire and holler out, "I am cooling off back here Brian". It was so [email protected] obnoxios, but I could help not keep from laughing. He would then pass me and by the time the rest of us finished, he would be in the parking lot drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. I used to tell him I could go faster, but his comments distracted me. I changed jobs about 6 years ago and because I work mostly evenings now, have not ridden with him in awhile. I am sure he would still say that to me. We have known each other for a long time and it is all in good fun.


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## Prognosticator (Feb 15, 2021)

BrianU said:


> There is a local guy 20 years older than me and on a Wednesday evening group ride, he would often start out with us and then at some point, would roll up on my back tire and holler out, "I am cooling off back here Brian". It was so [email protected] obnoxios, but I could help not keep from laughing. He would then pass me and by the time the rest of us finished, he would be in the parking lot drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. I used to tell him I could go faster, but his comments distracted me. I changed jobs about 6 years ago and because I work mostly evenings now, have not ridden with him in awhile. I am sure he would still say that to me. We have known each other for a long time and it is all in good fun.


That's funny but I can see it being annoying.


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## Prognosticator (Feb 15, 2021)

Nat said:


> There's always going to be someone faster than you and my ego isn't threatened too easily. There's nothing more douchey than an old guy acting like he's a badass on the trail so I don't get all aggro.


Yeah, that's why I didn't stop and piss on their front wheel before I passed them


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## Sir kayakalot (Jul 23, 2017)

BrianU said:


> There is a local guy 20 years older than me and on a Wednesday evening group ride, he would often start out with us and then at some point, would roll up on my back tire and holler out, "I am cooling off back here Brian". It was so [email protected] obnoxios, but I could help not keep from laughing. He would then pass me and by the time the rest of us finished, he would be in the parking lot drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. I used to tell him I could go faster, but his comments distracted me. I changed jobs about 6 years ago and because I work mostly evenings now, have not ridden with him in awhile. I am sure he would still say that to me. We have known each other for a long time and it is all in good fun.


Nothing as humbling as getting passed by the old dude wearing blue jeans and a sleeveless white t-shirt with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Prognosticator said:


> Yeah, that's why I didn't stop and piss on their front wheel before I passed them


Congratulations! You're #1! Here's a trophy 🏆.


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## Gumby_rider (Apr 18, 2017)

i totally get what the OP is saying. It was so satisfying passing my 5 years old boy. He cried like a baby. Afterward my wife yelled at me then I cried like a baby. Wait. Never mind.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

My favorite at the moment is when you're on the fire road doing climbing intervals and you quickly catch an e-biker who hears you and mutters "you'd better have a motor", and then "aw, ****" when you go past.
They don't need to know you're bleeding out your eyeballs with the effort though. Some smooth breathing and a calm "gidday" or "nice evening for a ride" is enough.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

At what age does treachery become a virtue?
I think it’s right around 60. 
=sParty


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## shwndh (Nov 20, 2004)

When I see old guys climbing like that, I tell my wife, I want to be like that guy when I'm in my 60's. They are the coolest guys ever! House paid for, truck paid for, cool bike, mud everywhere, still in good shape, and don't care what anyone thinks about how they look in tights. LOL! Ride on man!


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

I don't really think about it unless I'm behind the guy who doesn't make the climb, in which case I feel no regret when I tell him to move! 

I'm a good climber in the tech stuff, so I tend to take the lead. All my riding buddies are younger than me, been that way since my forties.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Nat said:


> There's always going to be someone faster than you and my ego isn't threatened too easily. There's nothing more douchey than an old guy acting like he's a badass on the trail so I don't get all aggro.


Oh yeah, me too! My ego is so strong and I'm sooo mature that I never get pulled into an infantile game of one-upsmanship!


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

Nat said:


> There's always going to be someone faster than you and my ego isn't threatened too easily. There's nothing more douchey than an old guy acting like he's a badass on the trail so I don't get all aggro.


This^^^. The know-it-all dbag older dude is annoying. It is nice however, getting cred, from the younger riders on strava segments. It helps with the gnar-bros who think that because I help maintain trails that it's not to dumb them down to old man ability. Or for example, at our local enduro race last year I was standing behind the 16 yr old groms who were in my daughter's high school class and they were flabbergasted that her 58 yr old dad had faster times. Or, that most of the dudes racing masters are easily faster than half the field. That makes ya feel your not so close to over the hill as what you might think when getting out of bed in the morning.


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## D. Inoobinati (Aug 28, 2020)

The other day I got passed going up a long 12% grade by some 13 year old on an aluminum hard tail . He couldn't have weighed more than 75 lbs and he passed me like he was on the bus.

The only "good" feeling that I got was knowing that if his arms were duct taped to his side, I could throw him like a spear.


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## Trinimon (Aug 6, 2019)

lol, I'm hitting 51 in a couple months. Rode a few times with some folks in their mid-20s and early 30s and they were gasping. Then again rode with a few Strava guys last fall. Holy cripes. After 3hrs of playing catchup, my buddy and I were spent.


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## fuzz_muffin (Dec 24, 2017)

This type of behaviour, regardless of age, is the single worst aspect of MTB for me. It's not a race, we're all hacks. Chill the **** out. 

The lady gets it worse though, tragic dad-bros trying to pass her just to make their balls feel big, typically it's the weekend only over 40s. Then they come up to her and say **** like "wow you hit the jumps!" or "you're quick for a girl!", although it's only when she's riding with the girl crew, funny that. Or they snake her on the drop in only to ride the brakes and b-line. 

I never do group wanks, sorry rides, and never have strava-d. You couldn't pay me to do either, but you can still smell the vibes from those that get off on it on busy days.


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## andy f (Jan 13, 2004)

MSU Alum said:


> Oh yeah, me too! My ego is so strong and I'm sooo mature that I never get pulled into an infantile game of one-upsmanship!


Lol. I catch myself going a little harder when others are around but it has nothing to do with age. I guess I'm used to expecting old guys to be fast from my XC race days in the '90s.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

It’s all meaningless unless everyone involved is purposefully racing. You might be able to pass someone one time but that person might be on his fifth day in a row of riding, on mile 80 of a 100 mile day, on an active recovery day, or even just courteous enough to let you by since you look like you’re an old man who looks like he’s about to die trying to catch up. Check your head and chill yourself out. It’s not a competition (unless it actually is).


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## ravewoofer (Dec 24, 2008)

I think I'm in good shape, and regularly pass younger riders , but for the first time EVER, I was passed by a young woman this summer. She smoked me through the twisties and never looked back.

Man, my poor ego kept coming up with excuses about that for nearly a week.

So, I hope I see her again on the trails and can hang with her this time.



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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

ravewoofer said:


> I think I'm in good shape, and regularly pass younger riders , but for the first time EVER, I was passed by a young woman this summer. She smoked me through the twisties and never looked back.
> 
> Man, my poor ego kept coming up with excuses about that for nearly a week.
> 
> ...


I'm in the Wasatch...we all wonder who "Golden Dream" is. She kicks our collective asses regularly (for the record, huge numbers of women are faster than me)!
I never mess with the ladies, ever since my experience golfing, when I found a golf ball stuck in a cow's butt and a woman - looking for her ball - came up. I lifted the cow's tail and asked "excuse me ma'am, does this look like yours"? I was in the hospital for 6 weeks! (Okay, it's an old Morey Amsterdam joke, but I couldn't resist).


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Long grinder climbs and I'll get left for dead by most...

Give me a technical climb and it's a different story.

One day out on the trail, I was sitting at a junction which has a picnic table (think walkers must use trail quite a bit).

As I was sitting enjoying nature, listening to the sounds, breathing in the fresh air.

Three young fellas in their mid to late twenties came into the junction from another vein.

They were razzing each other.

I tipped my lid and said hello.

They continued on up a rather tricky long climb.

Imagine a fire road about 500m long, full of bomb holes, sniper roots and large greasy boulders.

You would struggle to build something more technical.

I usually clean this track when it's dry.

Today it wasn't dry and I probably bat around .500 when it's wet.

Anyhow, I hear them swearing and carrying on as they get to a real crux point about 50m in.

I'm riding my Trek Full Stache 8, which is amazing on technical trails.

The 29x3.0 tires eat up the gnar.

The young fellas hear me coming while they're all dismounted.

They've stopped right in the middle of the greasy **** sandwich.

I'll never forget the look on one of the fellas faces as they're courteously moving off the side to let me through.

His eyes were on stalks and his mouth agape.

As I proceeded to float up the trail with minimal effort.

I nodded my head and said thanks, as the young buck must have been questioning his machismo.

Priceless. 

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## nOOky (May 13, 2008)

With age comes a loss of top end speed, but sometimes the endurance is still there. I'm 52 and I don't race mountain bike or road bike anymore. But I run ultras, and to finish a really long race like 50 miles or longer and to see fit young men come in after me totally destroyed, hell yea I feel good about it. It's not like I don't bust my ass training for it. I also get beat by younger guys and gals, but some of these races have a lot of older people towards the top.


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## Prognosticator (Feb 15, 2021)

Nat said:


> It's all meaningless unless everyone involved is purposefully racing. You might be able to pass someone one time but that person might be on his fifth day in a row of riding, on mile 80 of a 100 mile day, on an active recovery day, or even just courteous enough to let you by since you look like you're an old man who looks like he's about to die trying to catch up. Check your head and chill yourself out. It's not a competition (unless it actually is).


Therein lies the treachery. But I get it, not everyone understands Mamet.


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## Prognosticator (Feb 15, 2021)

targnik said:


> Long grinder climbs and I'll get left for dead by most...
> 
> Give me a technical climb and it's a different story.
> 
> ...


This is beautiful.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

ravewoofer said:


> I think I'm in good shape, and regularly pass younger riders , but for the first time EVER, I was passed by a young woman this summer. She smoked me through the twisties and never looked back.
> 
> Man, my poor ego kept coming up with excuses about that for nearly a week.
> 
> ...


My town is filled with current pros, retired pros, Olympians, collegiate, and elite athletes. Fast and talented women are not an unusual thing around here.


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## pedalinbob (Jan 12, 2004)

At 51 I can relate to many of these stories.

One good one happened in 2019.
I usually ride a modern Top Fuel, but I decided to air out the old i-Drive Team. 
The bike is a sleeper: it is seriously fast on the right trail. 
It is barely 24lbs with saddle bag, frame pump, real tools, bottle cage, trail bell, 100mm stem, bar ends (which I love) and old style cycle computer. It has S-Works Fast Traks with latex tubes.
That bike still holds 2 full-trail PRs that I haven't been able to top with modern bikes.

I pulled the bike off the rack and there were some young guys chatting, and they had nice, modern rides.
I repeatedly heard heard "bar-ends" and "long a$$ stem" from the group with some chuckling.

They went into the trail several minutes before me.
I caught and passed them less than half way through the trail.
The look on their faces... priceless.

I politely called passes.
They were pretty polite, and one said "damn, you go dude!"

There's also a guy who has to be in his sixties who I've seen riding with some very young guys, and they move like an absolute freight train to the trails. They're insanely fast!

Bob


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

My favourite one was accidental and due to luck rather than skill or superior fitness.

About three years ago I was out on my 1955 Dawes Windrush, dropbars, skinny tyres, hubgears, and 1950s brakes, ie ok for road, but useless on really steep stuff..
I was with a friend and we'd just ridden up a long ascent in the mountains.

When we got to the top the descent looked a bit dodgy for my liking so my mate went down first on his bike. He was to yell from the bottom if it was ok.

At the bottom there was a group of young guys on full suspension bikes debating whether it was a doable descent when he came plummeting down on a rigid bike. They were very impressed at this old guy (50 year old) riding it on a rigid bike.

Anyhow I heard his yell and headed down. What I didn't realise was he was yelling for me to go back the way we'd come.

I was terrified. The bike was bounding from rock to rock on the very steep loose rocky descent, I couldn't see where I was going clearly because the vibration was giving me double vision, and my brakes were full on, but serving ornamental value only. I just gave the bike its head and hung on. Oddly my main concern was that my forks would fold under, I didn't want my somewhat rare but scruffy old bike damaged.

I arrived at the bottom followed by a mini avalanche of loose rocks and a cloud of dust, barely missing the group of youngsters. My friend had kindly warned them "Look out! Santa Claus is coming down and he's got no brakes," (I was 73 and with the white beard) so fortunately they had moved off the line. I managed to stop about 20 feet past them.

My mate called out, "See, it wasn't bad was it?" He's Australian, I knew he was winding up the young guys, so I yelled back, "Yeah, but it's right bastard to ride up."

I'm not sure what they thought about that, but we rode off chuckling at the thought of them trying to ride up it.

I was just relieved to have not bent the bike, oh, and still being alive.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Velobike said:


> My favourite one was accidental and due to luck rather than skill or superior fitness.
> 
> About three years ago I was out on my 1955 Dawes Windrush, dropbars, skinny tyres, hubgears, and 1950s brakes, ie ok for road, but useless on really steep stuff..
> I was with a friend and we'd just ridden up a long ascent in the mountains.
> ...


LOLZ x2!
=sParty


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

I enjoy beating sponsored/pro riders on Strava. 
They dont know they are racing me on that obscure segment and are probably just cruising. But none the less I beat there professional arse!.....


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

Better?

Yes. In my 20's, my buddy and I passed 2 off-road motorcycles on a trail in GA. They tried to stay ahead of us, but eventually they just let us go. They were "tired"...shaking off their arm pump and whatnot.

As far as passing "younger" riders, it happens a lot. We have a lot of noobs here. The actual racers can still blow my doors off.

-F


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Prognosticator said:


> Tell me, is there anything better?


I really like passing roadies on my bikepacking mountain bike with 2.8" tires, fenders and a rear rack. I'll ride it from home to the trails and back so I run into a fair number of roadies on the "transit" legs to/from. 

I had one roadie ask politely if he could draft my e-bike since he was tired. I said sure, but this ain't no e-bike! I guess my frame bags/plus tires fooled him.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

I'm ill-equipped to win a d*** swinging contest, but occasionally when I have a good day and I'm riding better than some others on the trail it does give a nice boost the old self esteem, especially in a town full of very strong riders of both genders and on all types of bikes. 
When I have too many days of successfully out riding others and get to feeling too cocky, I ride with some racer friends to bring me back to reality. Some of those racers are 60 and some are 16.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Fleas said:


> As far as passing "younger" riders, it happens a lot. We have a lot of noobs here. The actual racers can still blow my doors off.


There's nothing like an actual race to see if you're as much of a badass as you think you are. Pay the entry fee, show up, then see what you got.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

vikb said:


> I really like passing (slow/casual) roadies on my bikepacking mountain bike with 2.8" tires, fenders and a rear rack.


fify ^


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## pedalinbob (Jan 12, 2004)

I literally LOL'd reading Velo's story! 

I've been humbled more times than I can count.

Bob


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Nat said:


> There's nothing like an actual race to see if you're as much of a badass as you think you are. Pay the entry fee, show up, then see what you got.


Unfortunately they don't do races up technical climbs in my neck of the woods...

Even a who can get the farthest challenge would be nice 

The downs for me are more about steez... I can still move at a fair clip.

But that's not why I ride.

The Stoke is real 

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## Sickmak90 (May 27, 2012)

One of the best riders in my area is 60 years old. He passes all of us younger guys on his rigid SS all day everyday. 


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## Spectre (Jan 23, 2004)

One of the benefits to me of having a couple more years under my belt is acquiring the dignity and grace of accepting what I am and am not capable of doing as a rider. I've never been anywhere near being the fastest or strongest rider around, but neither have I been slow either. I do know, however, that younger riders do respect older guys that can ride. In the SF Bay Area, I occasionally would ride with several guys in their 70s. Though these guys weren't as fast as 20 or 30 year olds, these guys could climb and by climbing I mean doing 1500-3500 foot climbs and at a decent pace. That to me as a 31 year old was [email protected] impressive. To top it off, their attitude about being able to ride like that was completely nonchalantly casual, because they truly did go out several times a week to do rides like that. That casual attitude just made their riding abilities even more impressive.


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## downcountry (Apr 27, 2019)

Nat said:


> There's always going to be someone faster than you and my ego isn't threatened too easily. There's nothing more douchey than an old guy acting like he's a badass on the trail so I don't get all aggro.


Denying a universal truth is pretty douchey. 
Being faster than the younger guys and taking satisfaction in it doesn't have to have anything to do with anything you said.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

targnik said:


> The downs for me are more about steez... I can still move at a fair clip.
> 
> The Stoke is real


Steez is a breeze when your stoke ain't broke. 
=sParty


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

downcountry said:


> Denying a universal truth is pretty douchey.
> Being faster than the younger guys and taking satisfaction in it doesn't have to have anything to do with anything you said.


You think that you're faster than someone because you passed them on a trail ride once? That doesn't mean a whole lot. I passed a Ferrari in my Jeep on the parkway once. I guess I can brag that my Jeep is faster than a Ferrari? Nope. Enter a race where everyone knows they're racing and prove it.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

targnik said:


> Unfortunately they don't do races up technical climbs in my neck of the woods...
> 
> Even a who can get the farthest challenge would be nice
> 
> ...


Same here. That's why I don't gloat when I pass some random person out on the trail.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Nat said:


> Same here. That's why I don't gloat when I pass some random person out on the trail.


Agree, as long as you don't gloat it's all good. Once you do, either silent or aloud it becomes a different thing.


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## Spectre (Jan 23, 2004)

J.B. Weld said:


> Agree, as long as you don't gloat it's all good. Once you do, either silent or aloud it becomes a different thing.


+1, the whole gloating thing reminds me of 18 year olds talking on car tuner forums about how they raced some guy in a Porsche in their Ford Fiesta and "won". Half the time, it sounds like the guy in the Porsche didn't know they were "racing" & the other half of the time, the story reads like the other guy was just trying to get away from the annoying little gnat in the Fiesta.


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## MOJO K (Jan 26, 2007)

Spectre said:


> One of the benefits to me of having a couple more years under my belt is acquiring the dignity and grace of accepting what I am and am not capable of doing as a rider.


I have no such dignity or grace that I am aware of at this time.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

MOJO K said:


> I have no such dignity or grace that I am aware of at this time.


Which, despite saying "...at this time," none who frequent these forums will construe to imply you've lost any. 
=sParty


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

Its a function of experience, so I don’t get any pleasure out of passing anyone unless it’s a known quantity extremely talented rider. Then, all I gain is their acknowledgement of my technical skills and or stubbornness. 


In racing here in Age group Cat 1 on average, the 30 year olds are much more competitive and faster than the 20 y/o, the 40 year olds even more so than the 30 y/o because they have been racing for years and gain wisdom and training experience. The 50 year olds still have all of that knowledge and are fast as hell at the front. Then a slight fall off in 60+ but a few guys that could absolutely rip most people’s legs off. But nothing but respect for 60+ racers that could still finish mid pack in any AG cat 1


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## Spectre (Jan 23, 2004)

FJSnoozer said:


> The 50 year olds still have all of that knowledge and are fast as hell at the front. Then a slight fall off in 60+ but a few guys that could absolutely rip most people's legs off. But nothing but respect for 60+ racers that could still finish mid pack in any AG cat 1


Totally. The Masters racers on the road have always been among the fastest guys around. The guys that are still seriously riding at that age are super talented, super smart, or able to train for hours and hours every week as they are no longer dealing with young kids at home (unlike many guys in their late 20s or 30s) or are divorced.

(Or the very few that are super talented, super smart AND able to train for hours on end).


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## Ptor (Jan 29, 2004)

I turn this around a bit and for the past 10 or so years I've been trying to beat anyone older than me at the summer town series races. I can't always do that, but it is kind of a fun internal competition, and one that more than one of us can play. There's a guy 5 years older than me -- I think he's 66 now -- who I've only reliably been able to beat the last two years. And both of us still place in the top half of the cat 2 division. I'm planning to retire at the end of August and when my friends ask what I'm going to do then, I tell them "I'm going to get fast..."


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

re, gloating...

That's something that a 'douche' would do at the time in front of the persons face.

I would never do that, in fact I'd do the opposite...

I'd try and help the person to clean that particular section and offer encouragement etc to assist them in succeeding.

(I really hope those young fellas I passed aren't members here).

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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

adjective
dwelling on one's own success or another's misfortune with smugness or malignant pleasure.

Nope...

I was definitely gloating 

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## Preston67 (Mar 20, 2008)

Regardless of Nat's opinion or any one's particular story, whether someone else is racing or not, the point is - it is far better to pass, than to be passed.


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## Prognosticator (Feb 15, 2021)

I started this thread by describing an inward satisfaction -- I used the word "feeling," in fact. Gloating is to look at or think about with great or excessive, often smug or malicious satisfaction. 

I don't really understand how what I described can be considered gloating. Words have meaning and I choose mine carefully whether I am writing a legal brief or posting to a mountain biking forum.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Prognosticator said:


> I started this thread by describing an inward satisfaction -- I used the word "feeling," in fact. Gloating is to look at or think about with great or excessive, often smug or malicious satisfaction.
> 
> I don't really understand how what I described can be considered gloating. Words have meaning and I choose mine carefully whether I am writing a legal brief or posting to a mountain biking forum.


There are plenty of Karens here.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Prognosticator said:


> For me, nothing beats the feeling of passing the younger guys. Yesterday I was bearing down on some young bucks during a techie climb on my local trails. They were having trouble staying hooked up and I wasn't. They had to get off their bikes to let me pass. It was after I had already put in about 12 miles. It doesn't happen often but I enjoy the hell out of it when it does. In this case, it was due more to technique than fitness, probably.
> 
> Tell me, is there anything better?





Prognosticator said:


> Gloating is to look at or think about with great or excessive, often smug or malicious satisfaction.


Read those again, this time s l o w l y.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

MSU Alum said:


> There are plenty of Karens here.


Pffft. Nice try.


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## Prognosticator (Feb 15, 2021)

Nat said:


> Pffft. Nice try.


I guess English isn't your first language. Comparing the definition of "gloat" to the feeling I expressed is pretty far off. Regardless, I am new here. You have posted 15,733 times. I get it.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Nat said:


> Pffft. Nice try.


It's always about you?


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## Cicch95 (Apr 6, 2016)

Yes, it is a great feeling. 52 y/o next week. I am a pretty good climber. It feels great to be the first up the climb! Especially when the group is made up of 20 and 30 year olds amongst us 50+ guys.

Although, it goes both ways. I had a 72 y/o guy drag me around one day! Of course, the feeling there was as others have said....I hope I can be half that good at that age!


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## upstateSC-rider (Dec 25, 2003)

Spectre said:


> Totally. The Masters racers on the road have always been among the fastest guys around. The guys that are still seriously riding at that age are super talented, super smart, or able to train for hours and hours every week as they are no longer dealing with young kids at home (unlike many guys in their late 20s or 30s) or are divorced.
> 
> (Or the very few that are super talented, super smart AND able to train for hours on end).


Yep same here. Cat P, 1,2 are the fastest with Masters races coming in second...We don't play.


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## fokof (Apr 24, 2006)

At 55 , I'm getting slower and sissier (if I may) but each time I pass a young guy on a steep climb , I usually salute them when passing, but a lot of guys don't respond , is it honor or just out of breath ??

I should not forget to lower the car window so they can hear me.


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