Week sucking/drafting doesn't bother me. I keep an eye on what and who is behind me when commuting. The one thing that pisses me off is people, in the city who commute, no knowing some basic rules of bicycling like no passing on the right. Commuters here think it's okay to squueze into the right side of riders to pass by. Highly dangerous.

I am a bit slow for anyone wanting to draft me.....

But once, I did have total stranger ask me if I wanted to draft him.....I declined.

Now if it had been an attractive woman who asked - I would have tried.

Just latching on to someone's wheel without saying anything is a pure jerk move. And I didn't see anything in the OP's post about pulling through and sharing the work. That's a double jerk move. At the very least, you need to announce yourself. "Hey, mind if I sit on?" If yes, then do so. If no, then either pass or sit up. That's not so hard, is it?

How timely a subject for me.
I ride the same route day in and out and as of late there has been a 2 or 3 of these guys ( that want a TDF moment on the path) looking to get pulled up the hill (2.1 miles) near work on the MUP. I think that someone being drafted is at a disadvantage because the wheel suck that is being given is like 30% easier than that of the guy in front. More if there is wind. Most the time I have a back pack on and that just makes it all the nicer to get a tow. So the only thing that is going on is a complete lack of disregard for the work effort going on in front. Especially if the intent is just to hang there unannounced. And really if you get someone that is just trying to hang on, that is the only thing that they are proving they can do because you would have to go around them as they slowed considerably.
The case in point, earlier this week, I stop at a light and few cyclist come up and wait also. I move through the two adjacent intersections weaving in and out of peds on the way to the bump. I hit the hill and start my spin for velocity and that is when I see the shadow of my wheel and another of an unannounced rider who's not back packing and is on his stripped down specialized carbon road bike. So I speed up and he stays with and its there in that moment that I understand that I am there to be a tool. So that is when I slowed down and gave the “go ahead and pass look.
He’s like "what?
I said "you should let someone know when you are on their wheel."
His reply is "what am I being an azz hole?"
I said "your being disrespectful and unsafe."
He says "No one tell me when they do it"
I say "it’s not good cycling etiquette and you could cause a crash"
NOW GET THIS!!!
he says "It would be my own fault."
That is when I had enough. "What makes you think that you have all the power in this, like taking me out is ok as long as you admit to fault"? Go on…
So I slowed way down and just stayed back. That is not my style it took longer to get home. I am done with that part of the path for a little while till colder weather takes the fair weather riders out of the equation. I’ll take the larger hill now.
V

One of the few times it has happened to me, they had the nerve to scold me for not calling out a hazard.

No, no, no. That's what my mirror is for. On the road, I just wave them by. People don't ride that close on the MUP I travel on.

There were a ton of Boston University cyclists today as I was passing through right before 10am, and the lack of etiquette or even awareness is astounding.

Many people right on my wheel as I'd slow down for impassable red lights, squeezing by to the left or right only to stop in or right after a crosswalk. I'd then take the lane and drop the pack, only to inevitably come across another group all over each other in the bike lane. Again, take one of the two car lanes, often the left, cause double parked cars & trucks by BU all the time, drop the pack, come across another.

This morning, the front runner of a group (wire basket, pedaling standing up with a kinda violent motion) was trying to weave from the bike lane around a double parked semi without really checking the two lanes of vehicle traffic. A car was getting over from the left to the right as they and the front runner both passed the double parked truck (occupying space from curb to nearly the middle line between the two car lanes) so front runner hits the passenger side door and gets all angry and the pack sorta ground to a halt as I cruised by far left.


I do not trust any of the 'cyclists' out there.

If someone sits on my wheel for a minute I'm inclined to either drop them or drop behind them, depending on my mood.

Last week I drafted a grey-haired woman riding an e-bike at 20 mph into the wind on a long gradual uphill rail trail. She seemed amused that I was able to keep up with her and didn't mind a bit. Those e-bikes accelerate from a standstill pretty fast. You have to be attentive or you'll be dropped like on a fast group ride.

I don't really mind a drafted, I prefer that they announce themselves. I have been asked a few times and offered a few times. Mostly if I'm traveling at that pace and so is someone else we tend to end up chatting and working harder together.


I once was yelled at by a lady on a bike path since she felt I was to close to her coming to a stop. It was purely the concertina effect, she slowed earlier and I closed the distance before I slowed, but it wasn't enough for her. I didn't care and brushed it off.

There's no need to say anything to an unwelcome wheelsucker as snot rockets are far more effective than words.

+1

I have often had rides where I hop scotched for several mile with another rider. One bike length is not rude, and the wind breaking only starts to drop off significantly beyond this point. I would never get right on the wheel of someone I do not know, more for my own safety than for their fragile sensibilities.

I usually blow people away or get blown away. Rare will I or someone else catch up to each other and then ride at the same speed from that point forward. When it happens, it's usually like how you describe: one bike length or side by side.

I got passed twice on my commute the other day which is unusual since racers generally use that stretch for recovery. I just let them go, but I caught the second guy when he set up after about 3 miles and I did draft him for awhile. But only because we struck up a conversation - frankly I get bored just drafting someone randomly and don't really understand the attraction.

If somebody was drafting me I would purposely ride over sewer grates, potholes, cracked pavement or jump and ride on the sidewalk. Hopefully that would be enough to get them off my ass and teach them a lesson.

Two years ago on a windy day in March or April, I was struggling to keep a good pace when this team guy in full kit came up alongside me. He offered to pull me. I jumped at that, sucked his wheel for about 15 miles.

Usually though, I would have take a pass. I hate drafting. I don't like the view. But, when there is a 20 mph headwind, I'll be awfully flexible.

On the way home once a group of 3 older chaps passed me and the first guy said "tag onto the end if you like son". They dropped me in about 100yds

But without the invitation, I'm staying well back from anyone in front.

I don't think it's as big a deal as people make it seem on these forums. On my old commute route, there is a long stretch of expressway with only a handful of lights. It was fun riding in the makeshift pelotons that form.

The question of "to draft or not to draft?" is only relevant for a self-selecting group of cyclists, anyway; there is no point or joy in drafting someone going way slower or faster than you are. A lot of the time I either pass or get passed. Sometimes when I pass, someone hugs my wheel. Sometimes when I get passed, I gauge whether I would want to hug onto theirs.

On the occasion that a group of similar-speed cyclists bunch up at a light, I am happy to participate in the pace line. In my experience, people typically exercise good judgment when deciding who is draft-able. I stay away from squirrely riders. But I don't care who wants to tag onto my wheel since the risk is on them.

I haven't met anyone on the road who objected to the behaviors described.