Anyone else here feel guilty?

I am still a pretty hard core pedal bike guy who does a lot solo and club road, gravel, and MTB rides. Lately I have been playing with my e-bikes a good bit and have taken them out on a number of solo road rides in our area where there are many riders out and about on the roads. I find myself feeling guilty as I pass them on the climbs and sometimes even apologize. Sheesh.

I don't feel guilty, most riders I pass on hills are a lot younger than me. Plus, they pass me on the flat really easily, given UK approx 16 mph assist level

I find that on an incline they often try and keep up or overtake again. So, when I pass I say something like "I have power assist - I can give you a tow if you like", which draws a laugh or two.

I've come across the "you're cheating" exclamation a lot. If I have time to respond I'll say "cheating at what?". But usually they are well in my wake before I can respond.

raylo32 said:

I find myself feeling guilty as I pass them on the climbs and sometimes even apologize. Sheesh.

Click to expand...

Just don't pass too fast and pedal while you pass. If you apologize, that could be taken as "sorry that I'm so fast" or "sorry that you're so slow".

I am sorry you guys have such draconian limits. I got on my bike a couple of times after reflashing the firmware and it was in street mode (~16 mph limit) and my reaction was "what's wrong with this thing??!!?"

pickworthi said:

I don't feel guilty, most riders I pass on hills are a lot younger than me. Plus, they pass me on the flat really easily, given UK approx 16 mph assist level

I find that on an incline they often try and keep up or overtake again. So, when I pass I say something like "I have power assist - I can give you a tow if you like", which draws a laugh or two.

I've come across the "you're cheating" exclamation a lot. If I have time to respond I'll say "cheating at what?". But usually they are well in my wake before I can respond.

Click to expand...

I often apologize but also go slow enough to explain that I am on my e-bike... before resuming pace after I get a little distance. Some folks are interested... some not.

E-HP said:

raylo32 said:

I find myself feeling guilty as I pass them on the climbs and sometimes even apologize. Sheesh.

Click to expand...

Just don't pass too fast and pedal while you pass. If you apologize, that could be taken as "sorry that I'm so fast" or "sorry that you're so slow".

Click to expand...

pickworthi said:

I've come across the "you're cheating" exclamation a lot.

Click to expand...

That's when an apology is appropriate; something like "sorry, she said she wouldn't tell you".

E-HP said:

pickworthi said:

I've come across the "you're cheating" exclamation a lot.

Click to expand...

That's when an apology is appropriate; something like "sorry, she said she wouldn't tell you".

Click to expand...

LMAO

just toughen up when they say something that you just snarl at them. Perk up your ears and show your teeth ! My bike goes 43 miles an hour I tried to ride where there's no car so is the river trails in the blocked off trail or the horse trails. always guy give way to the horse. and he don't care how fast that go once I'm on the other side.

I dunno, I always believe being nice is the best policy... especially when I could drop 95% of them if I was on my pedal bike anyway. Especially be nice and go slow around horses. Some are good, some are an accident waiting to happen and will freak out with the least provocation.

999zip999 said:

just toughen up when they say something that you just snarl at them. Perk up your ears and show your teeth ! My bike goes 43 miles an hour I tried to ride where there's no car so is the river trails in the blocked off trail or the horse trails. always guy give way to the horse. and he don't care how fast that go once I'm on the other side.

Click to expand...

What have you done to them, that would justify feeling guilty?

Maybe you feel that you had betrayed the lycra crowd?

Or do you feel guilty for yourself, for being a lazy ass not peddling anymore?

None of the above are valid. A rider has no reasons to feel guilty to ride. Or, put a tail sign on your rear mudguard:
‘My other ride is a bitch’

I'm not sure what guilt "feels like". My ex-wife diagnosed me as having a sociopathic personality.

At least, one of her personalities did. Of course, it was the personality that was manipulative, so I'm not certain I trust that opinion...

spinningmagnets said:

I'm not sure what guilt "feels like"

Click to expand...

It is supposed to feel like paranoïa, only directed toward yourself.

I'm a pretty hard-core pedal bike guy as well, and the only thing I feel guilty for is hopping on the E bike a lot more when I don't need to just because it's more fun

It has benefited me so much in discovering a little offshoots of trails that I normally avoided because I thought they would be dead ends, Or seeing more in a shorter amount of time than I normally would on a regular bike. Normally a hour or hour and a half ride wouldn't be worth my while because I might do a very small loop or a half of what I would normally do but on an E bike it is doable And lots of fun. Not to mention that my handling skills have improved so much from learning to negotiate the same turns at a higher speed… Not unlike the early mountain bike racers of the 80s and 90s that used motocross to hone their skills. On the road I rarely pass anybody As nothing I have is terribly fast in the top end

Last year I was riding with my wife and I was on my gravel bike, she was on a rock hopper with 1000w direct drive. We were averaging about 18 and there was a roadie up ahead I told her to go pass and she did. Just after that another guy on a new BMC smoked me and i was like "well thats karma"

We stopped for lunch and ate for about 45 minutes And on the way back the first guy she passed went by us and was going a little bit slower so I passed him and she followed suit. It wasn't until we weren't suspecting anything cruising along about a quarter mile up the road when he passed us and continued to put distance on us until he was like another quarter mile ahead That I realized it was the same guy she had passed on our way to lunch. He had kept riding and turned around and was on his way back. I saw the same guy with the same jersey on the same bike a few days later and he was like 70 years old and man did I feel like a sissy though!

I built my bike for the pure fun of cycling.
To old and worn out to pedal without help.
Do I feel guilty? No not at all.
My bike is also not slow (QS273 @ 92v), but I pedal assist whenever anybody is about. When there is no one, then I let rip and enjoy myself.
I respect others, have my own fun and not one bit of guilt.
The only few times anyone has said anything to me, is, "Nice bike", never anything detrimental.

bad rhino you fool
you might think you're riding the bitch I guarantee the bitch is riding you why do you think you have all that leather studded halter on 4

I never had sex with a noose around my neck and given the bitch my credit card first.
good luck bro you're the boss

No guilt, keep my speeds low around bikers and be nice. One speedster blew past me at a stop lite. So I caught up with him and followed for 2 or 3 miles while he was trying to pull away. But no guilt.

pickworthi said:

....I've come across the "you're cheating" exclamation a lot. If I have time to respond I'll say "cheating at what?". But usually they are well in my wake before I can respond.

Click to expand...

I don't feel guilty at all. In fact, when I catch the fast lycra boy pumping as hard as he can, I usually say, "I'm cheating!" then I hit the throttle and blow him off.

Why say anything, who cares
Do your own thing

"I'm not sure what guilt "feels like". My ex-wife diagnosed me as having a sociopathic personality.

At least, one of her personalities did. Of course, it was the personality that was manipulative, so I'm not certain I trust that opinion..."

A pretty wit, Sir

Well played

The kind if reply that got me so hooked on ES.

Don't feel guilty, by now they know what a motor looks and sounds like. They don't think you are that strong once they get a look at you.

Its like feeling guilty for riding a ski lift. Sure, I used to climb huge mountains for hours for a 30 min run. But I never felt guilty the next day, riding the lift at Taos.

Thanks. I'm glad I gave someone a chuckle. I'd like to think I've been a fairly nice person to those around me, but "feeling guilty" is based on caring about what other people think about me.

I think I used to care about what other people thought about me, but one day, I tried to pay my bills with their opinion...and now my "give a damn" is busted.

Another chuckle... you're on a roll!

spinningmagnets said:

Thanks. I'm glad I gave someone a chuckle. I'd like to think I've been a fairly nice person to those around me, but "feeling guilty" is based on caring about what other people think about me.

I think I used to care about what other people thought about me, but one day, I tried to pay my bills with their opinion...and now my "give a damn" busted.

Click to expand...

They don't have a good reason to feel injured by being passed. Apologies are therefore a sort of insult - "I beg your pardon sir, but I thought you sort of look like you're confused and insecure enough to resent being passed by another vehicle."

Or a back handed way to rub it in. Like internet trolls make rhetorical use of "Sorry" at the beginning of a rebuttal, when they aren't sorry at all and actually just want to be extra irritating.

Just be a freeking HUMAN BEING.
Be kind
Ride respectfully
Yield to the slower , Be aware the bewildered are lost.

Smile and tip your hat.
Ride what ya wanna under that banner

Most road bikers here ride out side of the city where speed is not a problem. A few like to get on the greenway trail system to get some fast riding in. They have posted a few speed limit signs (15mph/24kph) to slow them down. Have not seen anyone with power assist speeding. I ride the trail at 24 kph tops. I will slow down and stop and not blow past almost hitting others. When I ride with traditional riders, prefer to ride toward the back so I can keep pace with them and adjust my assist to do so. Don't feel guilty, i'm out there for my health and can not keep up with these people with out assist.