Gender difference

It must be a testosterone thing.  If I go past another cyclist it's not because I'm out to prove anything, not really, it's simply to get past an obstacle that's slowing me down.  It does give me a little hint of a buzz but it's personal to me, not about putting someone else down but a sense of reassurance to me that yes, I am of a reasonable fitness for a woman in her 40s.  It's self affirming.

I have noticed, though, that out on the road cycle commuting men behave differently.  I can understand it if it's a "training ride" (whatever they are) or a club run or similar that people are out to gain a training effect and to test themselves against others perhaps but on a commute some things just don't make sense.  The thing that didn't make sense last night was a guy on a bike not dissimilar to mine I would think, although maybe more knobbly tyred than my hybrid who overtook me on an uphill stretch, and then totally failed to maintain his speed or accelerate but instead left me wheel sucking.  Poor lad kept looking behind only to see me still on his tail.  Just cos I have pannier bags and age is not on my side is no reason to under estimate my plodding pace.



The commute home on the bike is always a bit fraught and has a little too much excitement anyway.  The way to work is lovely - I'm so early morning that there's not a lot of traffic on the road.  The way home is busier and brings out the mental cases.  I reckon I have a couple of near accidents every single journey.  That just doesn't happen in the car.

The most irksome incident yesterday was at a traffic lighted crossroads.  I was on the main road, and the lights were green.  Proper green, no hint of a red or an amber etc. but unfortunately the time I was crossing there weren't other vehicles going my way, just me, going straight on, through a green light, on a main road.  So obviously a van coming the other way wanting to turn right across me decides to do just that.  Thinks he has right of way as a motor vehicle?  Thinks I'm going to slow down (really, would he expect another car to do that?).  Outcome of incident is that he has to brake sharply, stop and allow me to continue on my journey.  I don't tend to take chances of injury / death when I'm on the bike, and had my hands on the brakes and was ready to have to be forced into a sharp left turn if the van carried on his way.  I was prepared, but also determined.  There's one incident like this for me every single evening commute home in Manchester.  You have to live on your wits.  Yet they are looking in the UK to bring in a law on death by dangerous cycling.  Need to look a little harder at other road users in my opinion.