UmneyDurak

Now that I started to ride later in the morning, you know after the sun is out, it seems like I can't go for a ride without someone ending up on my wheel un-announced. Maybe I am being anti social, but I really don't like it when a complete stranger just jumps on my wheel. Is it that hard to ask before doing it, or at least ride a long for a couple of minutes chit chatting? I am not interested in "trading pulls", or setting personal best, but wouldn't mind a conversation to get miles rolling faster. Riding the same route four times a week does get kind of boring!
Example I was doing hill repeats on Saturday, and there were couple others doing the same thing. At one point we were going up that hill at relatively the same time. First dude blew past me like I was standing still. Very impressive. Another just jumped on my wheel and was using me as a pace setter? No "Hello", no "I am on your wheel." Only reason I knew he was there is because I saw his shadow. I am not a ****ing rabbit! Don't be rude say "Hi".
Yeah, yeah I know I am ranting. Thats what Internet is for. Well and downloading massive amounts of porn of course.

Cleave

Hi,

I thought that this thread was going to be about ovoleg. Sorry for the bad assumption.

Drew12

I do that on occasion, but not on purpose.
Just seems were at the same pace, and I don't feel like slowing down or speeding up
for them.

But then sometimes they blow by me and I think I'll use 'em to up my pace for a few minutes!

I do not mind folks joining me and talking, I do appeciate that!

( "jumping on your wheel" to me is a 5-20 ft distance. )

ovoleg

dude if your doing hill repeats at a good clip, why do you want people talking to you?

THIS GUY ISNT RUSSIAN HES A UKRANIAN!!

urbanknight

1) Eat more beans
2) Wear shorts with a hole in the back
3) Fluctuate your pace (there are some SFVBC members that do that without knowing!)
4) Swerve a little

UmneyDurak

Well you are partially correct.

Marrock

Put a rear facing AirZound on the back of your bike.

ronjon10

Perhaps get some of these shorts...

https://www.bikeforums.net/southern-california/361370-warning-performance-bike-shorts-tights-see-through-all-junk.html

merider1

Hey! You shush...

UmneyDurak

Hmm I can eat a giant burrito I think it will accomplish the same thing.

Marrock

Yeah, but the horn wont kill small animals or blister the paint off cars...

Sci-Fi

Just splash on a lot of musk and eat a few Carne Asada/beef and/or bean burritos with freshly diced tomatoes, cilantro, and onions plus extra hot sauce...Salvadorian sour cream or guacamole optional. Anybody behind you will pull/drop out from the fumes.

djgonzo007

I get what your talking about and agree for the most part. For some reason it bothers me when a stranger grabs my wheel unanounced maybe it's just me and I don't understand the culture? A while ago while riding in Chula Vista another cyclist grabbed my wheel after I had passed him. Since I passed him at a good pace I had no idea he'd latched onto my wheel until I spit and almost hit him.

umd

If you are constantly getting people hanging on your wheel, you need to rider faster. Otherwise, if you get someone and you don't want to "trade pulls", just drop back so you are side-by-side and start up a conversations. Other option is try to drop them--you just have to kick up your pace quickly but you shouldn't have to hold it very long. If you can get a good gap and hold it the other rider will either get the idea and stay back, or may catch back up and pass you...

umd

That works too

I don't get people doing this to me very often, and I don't particularly mind if there is someone behind me, but if they don't announce themselves, they don't get the benefit of signaling and you they get snotted on...

pedalmyass

Maybe the guy that drafted behind you was mute.

Mo'Phat

I, for one, will slow down if I feel I'm creeping up on someone on a climb...Or, I'll be all "Lance" and speed up to drop them.

If, for some reason, I find myself on someone's wheel, I question whether to say anything. They might be in the zone, or not want to concern themselves with me.

If they 'get all up in there' on me, and don't say anything, I can't be responsible for when I fart, spit, or scratch my ass and offend them. Sometimes, if I realize they're there and I'm the carrot, I will go faster to make them work harder. Dropping a leech is rewarding.

Try this next time: If they don't say anything, and you see an obstacle in the road...don't point it out. Ride really close to the obstacle (be it a rock, pothole, school bus, whatever) and avoid it at the last second. When you hear the 'thump' followed by the 'damnit all to hell!', turn back innocently and say, "Wow, I didn't even know you were behind me."

That'll learn 'em.

urbanknight

Then you could shout back "Just tell me if I get too fast"

Extort

I tell people in my safety class (for the MS Ride) that I might or might not signal road hazards depending on my speed or if I don't know that someone is behind me... because I can bunny hop over potholes / rocks / roadkill..



Otherwise, pick a spot and sprint for 20 seconds, then do a recovery spin back to your original speed/pace to create a gap. If they close the gap, the spit a loogie without concern for their wellbeing and sprint away again...

Vireo

I don't really have the "wheelsucker" problem. I know they're there and it doesn't bother me. I wear my headphones, train with my power meter, signal out the road hazards, and just do my own thing. Since I am usually on a long training ride the 10 miles they may suck my wheel may represent less than 10% of my total training ride time . Most people stop too much and don't know how to ride at a consistent pace. Maybe I'm actually doing the person some good. If they can stay on my wheel then they deserve the draft.

UmneyDurak

Unfortunately not everyone as fast as you, a drunk turtle eating special brownies from Amsterdam riding a unicycle can drop my pudgy ass. Which begs a question why would anyone want to suck my wheel? The answer: they enjoy looking at my awesome behind!

P.S. I try not to think that 99.9999 percent are male. That's just creepy!

merider1

Oh, really? You that slow?

UD, I think people just jump on because we all like to grab a wheel from time to time. I don't care for it myself as I don't know the skill level of the rider, but don't let it creep you out. As for not announcing that they are there, that is rude, but you can't be blamed if you slam on your breaks and they go down hitting your wheel, either. If I don't know someone is there, I can't ride as if I'm pulling.

spingineer

He's definitely not slow. He'd probably out sprint me riding no hands!

Sci-Fi

How close are they? A foot or less? Everybody has a different definition and distance tolerance level for what is called wheelsucking.

Crash716

i do everything short of killing myself to drop them....i think that the bike gods put them there to make me stronger...

To me..if they don't ask or say hi there is nothing more rewarding than straight up riding someone off your wheel. Mind you i have really only been able to do this the last couple weeks as it seems i am finally getting stronger.