Originally Posted by
79pmooney
Keep in mind that unless that stranger specifically OKs you riding in his draft, he has absolutely no obligation to ride smoothly, nicely or with your safety in mind. I haven't looked at the laws of other states, but Oregon subjects bikes to the same laws and obligations as cars with specific exceptions. Tailgating is not one of them. A judge is going to have little sympathy if he hears you were operating your vehicle 24" behind another.
And as a fix gear rider, I really don't like others drafting me without telling me. I've ridden fix gears for decades. It's like walking. If I am approaching a turn, I know I have to hit the apex slower than a geared bike so I don't scrape the pedal. So I often simple do a quick back-pressure on a pedal stroke. Bleeds just enough speed to keep my pedal off the pavement if I am not going too fast. Now I never do this riding in company. But alone? It's fun. Years ago I was riding through a park in Seattle on my early season commute. Did this going into a right angle turn on the path and heard a huge commotion behind me. The rider I had seen oh, 50 yards back had caught up and was drafting me. He didn't crash, but his serenity was blown out of the water. Now in Portland, I am waiting for the day when a brakeless fixie does this and I hit the brakes. I'm hoping I don't crash. They certainly will.
Ben
Interesting, I think that answered a question I've had for years. The Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis is very busy, you'll like end up riding somebody's wheel because of the amount of traffic. A few years ago, I was at the same pace as a rider on a fixie. I was on his wheel, but not as close as the photo in the OP. After a 1/2 mile he made an irritated comment and I wasn't sure if he didn't like wheel-suckers in general, or the fact that an old man on a city bike was keeping pace with him... But I apologized and passed him.
After that, I've never held a strangers wheel.
On the other hand, I've had a good number of riders jump on my wheel. I've gotten to know one of them since we have overlapping commuting routes. He likes the days when I get stopped at a light, 'cause on my daily commuter I'm fast and he enjoys the higher speed with less effort. I'm riding this pace with or without him, so no skin off my nose.