duffetta 

Yesterday on my commute home, I was on the Esplanade along the Charles River between the Mass Ave. bridge and the first footbridge across Storrow Drive (in Boston). I was going at a pretty good clip (maybe 20mph) and started to slow down in order to turn left onto the ramp across that footbridge. My speed was appropriate for the conditions and the fact that there weren't any pedestrians around. Just as I was going to make that turn, I either heard or sensed something, and looked behind me. There was a guy about two wheel lengths behind me. I kept slowing down until I came to a stop. The guy stopped behind me. I think what happened is that he didn't know what I was going to do, and I didn't know what he was going to do. This all happened pretty quickly, in the matter of about 5 seconds, and I'm not used to signaling on a bike path unless there are bikes/people coming towards me from the other direction.

Drafting in the way described doesn't seem like a very good idea. I am a commuting newbie (5 months) and haven't encountered this kind of behavior before. What is the best way to deal with this? I absolutely need to check behind me before I turn, cutting across the path. Signaling my turn is required, and a mirror would help me to know when there is someone behind me.

All of that said, if I were driving in a car and I was being tailgated, I would simply slow down until the person backed off or went around me. Is that proper etiquette on a bike?

Mark

making

Everybody just passes me. Drafting me, geez maybe a small child on a tricycle.

CastIron

Drafting is fair game, but many folks get a little wound up about personal space on the issue. As a matter of courtesy there should be some kind of greeting involved.

dynodonn 

Greetings, You can now report to........

A mirror and signaling is just as important with a bicyclist as it they are with cars. Bicyclist are less of a problem for me since the closing speed is not as great, but bicycists are harder to see much less be able to hear them . I'm constantly scanning my surroundings, especially for rear approaching bicyclists so I can put it into the big ring and test their mettle.

JeffS

Problem solved.

bkbrouwer

If not drafting someone in your group I feel one should let the person know you are back there. A simple "drafting back here" should suffice. I also think people who draft should only be drafting people who "look the part". We can usually tell who the riders are that would be comfortable with being drafted.

gear

I think if someone is sucking wheel, they should at the least let the person know about it.

DataJunkie

2 wheel lengths is actually a decent distance. Try turning around to discover that someone is a foot or less behind you. Only riders I know should ride that close to me.

tekknoschtev

Fact of the matter is, a lot of people don't know they're drafting and don't know that they're potentially following too close. There were a couple of times that I did it before I got into cycling and I was just clueless. Your best bet is a good defense. Signaling, mirror(s) and in general being being very aware of your surroundings are the best things you can do. Sure it'd be nice if someone was courteous and told you they were there, but lets face it, most people aren't courteous.

SirMike1983 

I'm with you- I go so slow that no one in their right mind would try to draft me.

Drafting is inappropriate outside of either competition or consent, if you ask me. The distance is often unnerving and dangerous for many general purpose public riders. General public riders and commuters have much less experience riding in close quarters than riders who compete-- which makes things dangerous.

BBnet3000

i agree with all of this


and this

chipcom 

Yeah, but if you're paying attention to your environment, people sucking your wheel without you knowing it should be rare.

DataJunkie

One should always pay attention. However, on any decent length ride the mind tends to wander. Unfortunately mine wanders to work. ugh
At this moment someone will latch on. It still does not make what a wheelsucker is doing any better.

CastIron

Thing is, the guy doing the wheel sucking isn't really posing any increased hazard risk to you. It is, however, an acquired skill.

beerfilter

I like to let people draft me. That way, I'm the man.

I also like to break trail on backcountry telemark trips. That way, everyone feels guilty and gives me extra booze.

It's the little things.

bf

GGDub

I beg to differ. I had a guy run into me when I braked hard for a rabbit once. Almost knocked me over and I came close to giving him a black eye.

I have no problem with someone drafting me as long as they offer to take a pull, if you are not prepared to do that then don't draft.

noisebeam

Me, I don't give one care if someone drafts me. I also could never imagine how I could not be aware of it.

I also think its silly to think that drafter should later give a pull - there is no logic to that - it's not like we are a team that needs to work to beat another one or that cause I made someones else's ride a bit easier that they should make mine easier, it wasn't gonna be easier if they had never been around in the first place. In fact I'd rather they didn't try to cause I wouldn't draft a stranger and I've never had a cyclist get in front of me during my commute that didn't later slow me down.

Perhaps I can see why others might care. If you do, be aware and ready to tell the drafter to stop it. End of issue.

JayTee705

Here's my story:

I took a borrowed junker MTB out for a spin on the beachside MUP during my non-cycling years.

A female roadie in full regalia drafted and passed me and then immediately slowed down. You know, just how some drivers do because they just have to be in front of your car.

I kept pedaling at my constant cadence--until she turned her head and shrieked: "Get off my a-s-s!!!"

Was I supposed to

1) Pass her and drop her?
2) or slow down because she was too lazy to drop me?

Anyhow, beers were beckoning back at house, so I eventually U-turned. But to this day, I thought this cyclist was totally out of line.

GTALuigi

whenever i'm catching up to a slow group, i always do a single ring, as an alert "there's some one behind you" sort of thing.

smart people, will look back, and either signal or continue with you in mind.

not so "bike adept" people, will not look back, and wont even know you are there until you are side by side with them, or have passed them.

these are the kinds you should keep an eye on, as they can suddenly cut you off unexpectedly.


So going back to Being in Front, and some one coming up behind you, the biker behind you should have give some sort of signal as to his/her intentions, if the biker fails to do that then you take the lead.

So drafting is a good way, although i'll have either hand signalled something, or made some distance between me and the guy following me, either by letting them pass, or weer left / right, or just picking up the pace.

DataJunkie

#1 or yell at her to go faster.
or curse at her and then #2.

BroadSTPhilly

Tell her you'd like to get on her ass?

DataJunkie

Drop her.
Drop your pants and tell her to kiss your.....

apricissimus 

How many times does it happen that people think someone's drafting them, when really they're just riding behind them for a short period because circumstances put them there? It happens sometimes, especially in narrow lanes. I understand the concern about the dangers of following too close, but I'm skeptical about the epidemic of commuter drafting that you keep hearing about on BF.

DataJunkie

You are too slow.

duffetta 

I suppose its possible that this guy was just closing in on me and that he wasn't drafting. No way to know. The lane wasn't narrow, and there weren't any other obstacles around to force him to ride directly behind me.

I don't know if there is an epidemic. There are a lot more cyclists commuting these days, so it may just seem like there is an epidemic.

At any rate, a mirror seems like a good idea, so I'll more easily know what is going on next time.