My Sunday with the ROGUES!!!

Nice one 'TheHatter'

I think they were worried you wanted to steal their mechs.

"I remember the days when winter training was about miles and consistency."

they were consistently faster than you, for miles, what's your problem?

'I remember the days when winter training was about miles and consistency. Not about burning off other Sunday morning cyclists.' That sounds like a a criticism to me!
How do you know they were burning you off? It sounds more like they were just riding by, speeding up down because of the terrain. Why should it have been about you? You didn't go out with them, why is it worth comment that you spent the rest of the ride on your own? You were out for a ride on your own! And what has their age got to do with it (Random OLD guys)?.
So much confusion here!

What's your point Jimmy?

"Random old Guys" .. "Excess Speed"

The more you read this post, the more it sounds as though 'Jimmy the Cuckoo' is the grouch.

They acknowledge you with a cheery 'hello', maintain a speed you can't match and have perfectly good riding style ("..watching them do a 'through and off into the distance'")

They sound like a perfectly harmonious couple of riders!

@patmac How amazing that a sport that only benefits from having more participants, the economy of scale in buying, more presence on the road, greater awareness from car drivers. Has apparently long experienced members, wishing newbies out. Maybe if you spent a bit of time talking educating and helping, rather than sneering as to how expensive your other bikes are, maybe we'll keep more people in the sport, and avoid a downward spiral that will only end up costing us money.

Btw yes I am a newbie yes I have all the gear, but I read sites like Road CC to get me up to speed

Bad form to grab a draft off somebody without asking. Maybe that's why they dropped you.

I remember the days when you went out for a ride and enjoyed yourself. Who's to know they were winter training and need to confirm to your conception of that? I'm with the last poster; what's the problem?

I'm a bit confused on this one and am sure I've missed the point. They said hello and cycled past, doesn't sound like they were being rude and all they did was overtake.

guys,know how you feel, our Ulster countryside is full to the brim with these newbie cycle owners,lots of them coming from footie, gaelic, etc, with strength and fitness,and no bloody clue about manners, ettiquette,or the usual ''hi'' when you meet any other cyclist on your travels,my chum and I are regularly dissed by these guys and gals, looking down on our winter machines, little do they know that we both have 8 other top line yokes which added together mean we could be using 10k+ machinery only as old hands we're aware what salt and crud does to any bike this time of year.. we relax in the knowledge that the cycle boom may be on a downward spiral and these ATGNI'S will be away to the next craze.. can't help thinking there will be many second handed Giants etc for sale in the coming years..

@Wooliferkins - The phrase "ATGNI" (All The Gear - No Idea)sounds like dismissive elistism, sprinkled with jealousy. If you ride a winter fixed, for training (as I do) .. accept that occasionally you will get dropped or have to work bloody hard to stay with passing riders. Not everybody you encounter is willing to ride echelon at your pace. If your pursuers really are "ATGNI", in winter conditions, hold fast to your "steady-eddy" approach to handle wet, gritty or icy roads. You never know when you may be helping your fellow riders from the verges on the next bend!

It still is. The growth of the ATGNI cyclist just makes it seem less so. Post season recovery then building a sound miles base still works. Rest assured that having forked out for the best bling they could afford, come the first single figure temperature on a Sunday the bikes will be stored in the garage until spring.