Commuting - Draft Distance, Freeloaders

OK so I'm slogging along 10 miles and out comes a racing bike that decides to draft me. I go in the other lane to get away from the guy.

He catches up with me at the light we exchange Hi's and I find that he's ridden just less than 4miles. I've pulled him for 1/2 his commute And O by the way-- he's 2X my weight! AND has a faster bike! :confused

How do I kick off the freeloaders?

OK so I'm slogging along 10 miles and out comes a racing bike that decides to draft me. I go in the other lane to get away from the guy.

He catches up with me at the light we exchange Hi's and I find that he's ridden just less than 4miles. I've pulled him for 1/2 his commute And O by the way-- he's 2X my weight! AND has a faster bike! :confused

How do I kick off the 2ton freeloaders?

Simple. Use the same trick used against tailgating drivers: Slow down. Just gradually reduce your speed and the wheel sucker will go around you. Let him get a bit ahead, then speed back up. If he doesn't get the message, then stop to take a quick break.

Pissed me off. I was already tired from doing a 2mi-ascent. I sped up, he sped up, I switched lanes, he switched lane.

Well how many feet back does he have to be get out of my "Free tow-zone"??

<snip>How do I kick off the 2ton freeloaders?

Man, that is a bit harsh!

Speaking from a fat guys point of view, I'd suggest you simply tell turn to him and say, "Please don't draft me." or "I prefer you didn't draft me." I agree he was rude by not asking to draft.

I don't think it really needs to come to name calling. Just a little common sense and perhaps more courtesy than he showed you.

Besides, if he was "twice" your size, was he really getting any draft effect anyway? :rolleyes:

Since Merton hasn't responded yet and befouled the thread with his advice on bodily functions, I will do the honors of giving a Mertonesque answer, "Why don't you just fart in his face?"
But seeing as how you're a reasonable, logical person of sound mind, why don't you slow down, pull alongside him and say, "whew, ok, can you pull for a bit now, I'm getting a little tired pulling."

Either slow down or speed up and drop him. The former is easier but the latter so much more satisfying.

Man, that is a bit harsh!


Noted: Thread edited i.e., toned down.

Since Merton hasn't responded yet and befouled the thread with his advice on bodily functions, I will do the honors of giving a Mertonesque answer, "Why don't you just fart in his face?"
But seeing as how you're a reasonable, logical person of sound mind, why don't you slow down, pull alongside him and say, "whew, ok, can you pull for a bit now, I'm getting a little tired pulling."

Good idea. Because he didn't respond to the stares and simply coasting and looking behind. I slowed, he slowed, I sprinted, he err yeah. Yes, being a tall guy, he was easily 2X my size.

Merton's "technique" takes some skill.

Since Merton hasn't responded yet and befouled the thread with his advice on bodily functions, I will do the honors of giving a Mertonesque answer, "Why don't you just fart in his face?""

Or you could steal a line from Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and say "Nice bike... for me to poop on!" :)

How do I kick off the freeloaders?

take your shirt off. if you smell bad enough, the wind will direct your BO right at him. plus, no one wants to be on the wheel of a guy with no shirt on.

take your shirt off. if you smell bad enough, the wind will direct your BO right at him. plus, no one wants to be on the wheel of a guy with no shirt on.

I might be wrong, but I believe VR is of the gender that just might entice a guy to be on her wheel without her shirt.

I might be wrong, but I believe VR is of the gender that just might entice a guy to be on her wheel without her shirt.

ah, yes, if that's the case than that will not work at all. my only other thought was to squirt him with water from the water bottle. as you can tell...i got nothing. these wheel suckers are a clever bunch. :p

I might be wrong, but I believe VR is of the gender that just might entice a guy to be on her wheel without her shirt.

Absolutely, you are correct! Maybe I could post a political sign on my back....I'm against the draft! But in this neighborhood, I'd probably get egged.

So how many feet/meters back does he have to be to NOT get the draft-benefit?

As a dedicated wheel sucker, I can tell you that you've got to be within a meter to get any decent draft.

I once was out on a solo century and was about 90 miles into it when this guy comes out of a side street and starts riding with me. He says he's just heading out and asks how far i've been. I told him i was at 92 miles of a century and he said cool and proceeded to get on my wheel. What a jackhole. So, I sensed from his size that he probably preferred the flats and when the road turned up, I hopped out of the saddle and dropped his sorry a@#. I mean can you imagine not offering to take a pull for a guy who has 90 more miles in his legs than you?

Drop him!

What I do to my brother in law is spit a very fine mist to the side... he drops in a hurry... ;)

I once was out on a solo century and was about 90 miles into it when this guy comes out of a side street and starts riding with me. He says he's just heading out and asks how far i've been. I told him i was at 92 miles of a century and he said cool and proceeded to get on my wheel. What a jackhole. So, I sensed from his size that he probably preferred the flats and when the road turned up, I hopped out of the saddle and dropped his sorry a@#. I mean can you imagine not offering to take a pull for a guy who has 90 more miles in his legs than you?

That is beautiful. I just hope someday I have the chance, not to mention the ability, to do that.

Absolutely, you are correct! Maybe I could post a political sign on my back....I'm against the draft! But in this neighborhood, I'd probably get egged.

well if you were male dropping your pants would chase him off (G)
be unlady like hock a few loogies behind you or blow your nose (G)

well if you were male dropping your pants would chase him off (G)
be unlady like hock a few loogies behind you or blow your nose (G)

How smart is that to tail gate 2' off my bumper and in traffic? I kept drop'n him and he'd catch me at the next light. ha ha! plenty of loogies to spare! Get a good head wind and let-er rip! :D

This is the noob in me showing but, does freeloading affect the guy in the front (outside the annoyance factor that is).

This is the noob in me showing but, does freeloading affect the guy in the front (outside the annoyance factor that is).

Well let's just say that I had to pedal alot harder to keep my speed the same. I'm guess it was due to his hugo size (TALL ... folks...not fat so don't freek).

How do I kick off the freeloaders?

Take out your water bottle and spray your face...miss a little and hit the freeloader in the face. He's not far into his ride so it'll be annoying, not refreshing.

Besides some valid safety concerns, what's the problem with having someone following you? I don't really think he was following closely enough to be actually drafting. I would not mind having someone on my back. It actually motivates me to ride harder, and that's a good thing.

I started to take this in a different direction. I've been doing this commute thing for some time now. I"m commuting 23+ miles one way, lately it's been into a stiff NW headwind. Almost a year ago I was posting the same sort of thread as this one, complaining about wheel suckers not taking a turn pulling. I got tired of that, so I've learned to kick it up a notch. I even try to suck wheels myself, but there aren't that many people out there who can or are willing to kick it up a little. A pace line can be a blast and get both parties cruising at better than 20mph, especially if there is a little rivalry going, and your suckee is willing to match your effort and pull. But more often as not a suckee is just that, a suckee, and will eventually be dropped. That's only happened because I ride almost every day, I'm in great shape, and the head winds have given me strength that I didn't posess a year ago.
Saturday I was on my way to work. I caught a guy on a nice Italian ride, one I would love to own, and I nodded as I passed him, he glommed on my wheel, and we cruised for a while, then he took the pull, but couldn't hold the pace, so I kicked it up a notch and went forward, the wind was gusting to 23 mph. Mind you I'm ride a Schwinn World Sport fixed gear, and I'm all about being a macho fool, and punishment, where if 20mph is good kicking it up to 21 is better. I dropped the guy cause I've been doing this commute for over a year, I know the hills, the curves, the route, and I can now kick some pretty gnarly butt. He was still catching me at the lights, but I was on his wheel off the lights and out in front before we were to the next light. He was gulping his air, when he rolled up and tried to make small talk about the head wind.
What was shared a year ago was basically to be proud that I'm riding hard enough to get tail gaters. I thought that was daft, but today I'm happy to have them along, they aren't there for long, and most of them have become notches on my top tube.
Just remember he's the one loosing, not you.

I had someone draft me into a 60km/h headwind (just enough to prevent me from dropping him) in Hobart last year, and this was just after I'd ridden up Mt Wellington. You know what -- it didn't bother me all that much. Sure, I was doing all the work but who do you suggest was really getting the benefit out of it? Think about this, next time I cop a 60km/h headwind, I've had an extra "training ride" to prepare for it. Next time the other guy cops a 60km/h headwind, I won't be there for him to draft.

So in conclusion, if someone wants to flatter me by drafting my wheel for several km on end, I say go for it! If it really bothers you that much just slow right down, or fire off a couple of snot rockets.

This is the noob in me showing but, does freeloading affect the guy in the front (outside the annoyance factor that is).

No, there is no physical drag on the front.

OK so I'm slogging along 10 miles and out comes a racing bike that decides to draft me. I go in the other lane to get away from the guy.

He catches up with me at the light we exchange Hi's and I find that he's ridden just less than 4miles. I've pulled him for 1/2 his commute And O by the way-- he's 2X my weight! AND has a faster bike! :confused

How do I kick off the freeloaders?

There is only one issue and that is safety. If the guy is truely drafting you (that is within a few feet) than they need to communicate with you and confirm that it is OK for you and let you know that they are experienced at drafting and you are willing to take the added risk and will provide commucation back to them as to road conditions and your directional/slowing/stoping intents. This is for street/training riding with strangers. Racing is a different story.

But if they are following closely, but safely - meaning they have enough time to stop if you emergency stop, then they are not really drafting but just following.

In either case the only issue is safety - there is no negative impact to your ride, no extra drag, no 'pulling.' In fact in theory they could be reduced drag for you since the two of you act as a single body changing the turbulence behind you.

Al