Originally Posted by
cmolway
it's always best to ask, even on a charity/organized ride. I got crashed out by a rider who joined my paceline on an organized ride last week. He didn't bother to mention the gaping pothole as he road millimeters by the edge of it, causing me to drop my wheel into it and crashing 20 miles into the ride. Needless to say I spent the rest of the ride (86 miles) off the front and riding by myself, dropping people who wanted to draft off of me. I caught up to and hooked onto a couple of pacelines, asking before sucking a wheel.
if you are a strong, smooth rider who is accustomed to pace-line riding and all it entails, then yes rotate to the front and take a pull (after you ask).
It helps if you have shaved legs and are wearing team kit though as opposed to looking like you bought your first road bike last week.
In general this statement makes me want to question why you were drafting/following someone so close if you were upset that they joined in without asking?
If the guy would have asked you probably would have said OK (obviously...because you still ended up taking his wheel even thought he didn't ask) and you still would have hit that pothole......
......so....is what point are you trying to make? That asking somehow would have magically made this rider a better rider, or that you're just pissed because you hi a pothole and have to blame someone?