manshoaling

So people. Look. Every single day, at some point in my ride to work or from work or for errands or whatever, at least once, a man pulls up behind me, a woman, who is waiting at a light and just assumes, in the absence of other information (for I have been placidly waiting, perhaps, for a while) that I must be slower than he is,

He therefore thinks that he should aggressively pull in front of me or cut me off, because I, a lady, will only get in his way! Shortly, this gentleman and I both find that he actually isn't a faster or stronger rider than I am, and sometimes we discover this whilst, say, going over the river along Damen! Either way, I then have to pass him, which makes things less safe for both of us. Please, dudes. STOP DOING THIS. IT'S RUDE AND YOU'LL FEEL BAD LATER AND YOUR SELF-ESTEEM IS NOT MY PROBLEM.  

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Permalink Reply by Sean Newby on June 27, 2018 at 4:12am

ha! and i think you just might do so.

Permalink Reply by Maurice on June 27, 2018 at 7:25am

I don't shoal but routinely get shoaled by cyclists of both sexes, especially Divvys. Men probably shoal me more often than women do, because most cyclists are men.

 

But carry on with your casual sexism.

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on June 27, 2018 at 7:32am

+1

ban slower riders, maybe

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on June 27, 2018 at 12:09pm

Ask any woman cyclist and watch the behavior of cyclists on the street and you would have to be blind to not notice that A LOT of dudes will shoal women almost obsessively and often increase their pace, often to one they cannot actually maintain, just to be in front of a woman.

I regularly ride with a couple of women who are stronger cyclists than I am and end up pretty spaced out from them and see dudes get WAY more aggressive about passing them than they are passing me.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on June 27, 2018 at 4:00pm

yup. happened to me when I skated (roller bladed), happens to me when I ride my bike. A lot. And yes, it is sexist but not because women are here calling it out. 

Permalink Reply by ad on June 27, 2018 at 7:02pm

Super solid point.  I have a 9 mile commute, so I tend to try and ride faster to get to work, and in turn start to get shoaled a lot when I hit the loop with the light sequencing if I keep my pace up.  Since it happens pretty regularly to me with both sexes (especially with Divvy riders), it's easy to try and say "it happens to everyone, what's the big deal."

Like you said, though, you have to be blind (or oblivious) if you cycle regularly and haven't seen guys ratchet it up around women cyclists, and I have no doubt that includes even more aggressive shoaling as well.     

Permalink Reply by David P. on June 28, 2018 at 3:43am

Good to see the thread recentering onto the OP's point, rather than around men saying that the same thing happens to them. 

Permalink Reply by Ryan Skrzypczynski on June 28, 2018 at 6:05am
As a newer (2 months in...), male, rider even I have noticed this trend. I try not to get over ambitious and start passing/shoaling but rather sit back and study other riders movements, pace, etc. as I know I still have A LOT to learn about riding in the city. I WILL pass when I know I can maintain my pace and actually stay far enough ahead of the other cyclist that I wouldn't have this issue, male or female... but that does not happen everyday.

Just this morning I rode behind a female for about a mile or so until she turned off and went about her day.
Permalink Reply by Ryan Skrzypczynski on June 28, 2018 at 6:05am
As a newer (2 months in...), male, rider even I have noticed this trend. I try not to get over ambitious and start passing/shoaling but rather sit back and study other riders movements, pace, etc. as I know I still have A LOT to learn about riding in the city. I WILL pass when I know I can maintain my pace and actually stay far enough ahead of the other cyclist that I wouldn't have this issue, male or female... but that does not happen everyday.

Just this morning I rode behind a female for about a mile or so until she turned off and went about her day.
Permalink Reply by Maurice on June 28, 2018 at 7:07am
"it is sexist but not because women are here calling it out"

Posted in a thread titled: "ban men, probably."
Permalink Reply by Brian S on June 28, 2018 at 9:18am

I'm a male who rides a fat bike almost every day. When I hit the busier parts of the street, near the loop, I'm often getting shoaled. 9/10 times, it's a Divvy. The other 1/10 it's a spandex warrior. I know that it's a futile exercise on their part, since the green waves require a certain timing, so they can't really get ahead of anyone without risking life and limb. But I do enjoy blowing past them doing 25mph when I know the time is right. }:-)

Permalink Reply by TonyP on June 28, 2018 at 11:35am

Of course trying to say one gender shoals more than another is counterproductive; it's a distraction that only breeds infighting and will bring us no closer to solving the problem.  It is vital that we unite regardless of genitalway, preferred pronoun, etc. and acknowledge that every road user is prone to shoaling.  Indeed, in the photo I took just after the one used in the Gothamist piece, you'll see that particular shoal includes both a woman and a person on a skateboard

This is an excerpt from http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2018/06/shoal-me-money.html

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