Old 03-17-13, 01:07 PM
  #3  
Jed19
Senior Member
 
Jed19's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,224
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 6 Posts
Originally Posted by kirbyx
Hello everyone...
I ride a few times a week... I like to go far, and ride fast on parts of my ride (well... fast for me, about 28 ish mph. I'm 57).
Part of my ride is often around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena CA, and there are often roadies there.
Sometimes I'm riding around the Rose Bowl, look behind me, which I do not do every minute, and find someone drafting me, inches from my wheel.

The question...
I ask the rider not to draft me without announcing that they're there, and explain my reasons, which are that
1) it's really dangerous, as I don't know they are there, and
2) I always ride on my own, I don't want to be part of a race/peleton.
The response is very often "you should know I am here" (how?), or an attitude that they are super racers (they're drafting a 57 year old!) and can do no wrong. These guys (never women) are usually in their thirties, have spendy bikes and are in the drops. Should I not ride there? ride slow? wear a shirt that says 'don't draft me'?.... what is it that these (forgive me) idiots need in their heads?
It's beginning to needle me, and I'm not being nice to them any more, and that makes me feel angry with myself. If you're reading this, and you are one of the ghost drafters, please think about our safety. If I die, I only have a few years to go... but if you're in your thirties...
I vote for the "Please don't draft me shirt."
Jed19 is offline